UC-NRLF 


*B    570    73 


REPORT 


OF    THK 


COMMITTEE  APPOINTED  TO  INVESTIGATE 


THE 


Railroad  Riots 


IN  JULY,  1877. 


Read  in  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  May  23,  1878. 


>   ■  . 


HARRISBURU: 

LANE    S.    HART,    STATE    PRINTER. 

1878. 


X 


* 


tf# 


^ 


.** 


^- 


Leg.  Doc]  "'"  [Xo.  20. 


REPORT  OF  THE  COMMITTEE 


APPOINTED    TO   INVESTIGATE    THE 

RAILROAD  RIOTS  IN  JULY,  1877. 


Read  in  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  May  23,  1878. 


Mr.  Reyburn,  from  the  committee  appointed  to  investigate  the  causes 
of  the  riots  in  July  last,  made  a  report ;  which  was  read  as  follows,  viz: 

To  the  Honorable  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Com- 
monwealth of  Pennsylvania : 

The  committee  appointed  on  the  3d  day  of  February  last,  by  virtue  of 
a  concurrent  resolution  of  your  honorable  bodies,  which  resolution  reads 
as  follows,  viz : 

"Resol ved,  That  a  committee  consisting  of  five  members  of  the  House  of 
Representatives  and  three  Senators,  none  of  whom  shall  be  from  any  of 
the  counties  in  which  said  riots  occurred,  be  appointed,  whose  duty  it  shall 
be  to  examine  into  all  the  circumstances  attending  the  late  disturbance  of 
the  peace  in  certain  parts  of  the  Commonwealth,  known  as  the  railroad 
riots,  and  endeavor,  if  possible,  to  ascertain  the  causes,  and  by  what  au- 
thority the  troops  of  the  State  were  called  out,  for  what  purpose,  and  the 
service  and  conduct  of  the  same ;  and  said  committee  shall  have  power,  in 
pursuing  their  investigations,  to  send  for  persons  and  papers,  examine  wit- 
nesses under  oath  or  affirmation,  administer  oaths,  and  employ  a  com- 
petent phonographer  to  take  all  the  proceedings  of  the  committee,  and  the 
testimony;  the  committee  shall  report  in  full,  in  writing,  to  the  Senate  and 
House  of  Representatives  within  twenty  days,  &c," 
Beg  leave  to  submit  the  following  report,  viz : 
On  the  4th  day  of  February,  1878,  the  committee  met  at  Harrisburg, 
and  organized  by  the  election  of  William  M.  Lindsey  as  chairman,  Samuel 
B.  Collins  as  clerk  and  stenographer,  and  J.  J.  Cromer  as  sergeant-at-arms. 
At  said  meeting  it  was  also  decided  to  commence  taking  testimony,  first 
at  Pittsburgh,  that  being  the  point  where  the  first,  and  by  far  the  most 
serious,  riots  occurred. 

Your  committee  arrived  at  Pittsburgh  at  half-past  eleven,  p.  M.,  Febru- 
ary 5th,  and  on  the  6th  instant  met  at  the  orphans'  court-room  in  said  city, 
the  authorities  having  kindly  tendered  the  use  of  the  .s:ime  to  the  commit- 
tee for  the  purposes  of  the  investigation,  and  discussed  the  manner  in  which 
the  testimony  should  be  taken,  and  what  class  of  witnesses  should  be  sub- 
poenaed, whereupon  it  was  decided  that  the  chairman  should  conduct  the 
examination  of  the  witnesses  generally  on  behalf  of  the  committee,  and 
that  all  citizens  who  knew  any  facts  of  importance  should  be  subpoenaed 
to  testify  and  to  furnish  to  the  committee  the  names  of  those  known  to 
possess  valuable  information.  The  taking  of  testimoivv  was  commenced 
on  February  7th,  and  proceeded  with  as  promptly  as  possible.  After  a 
1  Riot. 


<    t    «   <  ;  t  < 


t  r   t 


IvEt'ORT  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 


week's  continuous  work  it  became  evident  to  the  committee  that  they  could 
not  accomplish  the  work  required  of  them  and  report  within  the  time  named 
in  the  above  resolution.  They  therefore  returned  to  the  capital  and  pre- 
sented to  your  honorable  body  a  preliminary  report  setting  forth  what  they 
had  done,  and  what  was  still  necessary  to  be  done  to  complete  the  work 
required  of  them,  when  the  following  resolution  was  adopted  by  the  Sen- 
ate and  House  of  Representatives  : 

Besolved,  (if  the  Senate  concur),  That  the  joint  committee  of  the  Sen- 
ate and  House  of  Representatives,  appointed  to  investigate  the  late  rail- 
road riots,  etc.,  be  and  are  hereby  authorized  to  pursue  their  investiga- 
tions according  to  the  plan  indicated  in  their  preliminary  report,  and  that 
to  this  end  an  extension  of  time  over  and  above  the  limitation  of  twenty 
days  of  the  resolution  under  which  they  are  acting  be  given  and  granted 
under  this  direction,  that  the  committee  make  a  full  and  thorough  inquiry, 
and  report  as  soon  as  practicable.  The  committee  afterwards  took  testi- 
mony at  Harrisburg,  at  Philadelphia,  at  Scranton,  and  at  Reading,  and 
have  made  as  thorough  an  investigation  of  the  matter  submitted  to  them 
as  they  reasonably  could.  As  the  result  of  the  testimony  taken,  your  com- 
mittee is  of  the  opinion  that  the  following  state  of  facts  has  been  proved, 
viz : 

The  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  some  time  after  the  panic  in  1873, 
reduced  the  wages  of  its  employes  ten  per  cent.,  and  on  account  of  the  gen- 
eral decline  in  business  made  another  reduction  of  ten  per  cent.,  which 
took  effect  on  the  1st  day  of  June,  A.  D.  1877  ;  these  reductions  to  apply 
to  all  employes,  from  the  president  of  the  company  down  to  those  whose 
wages  by  the  month  or  otherwise  amounted  to  one  dollar  per  day  or  less. 

These  reductions  applied  not  only  to  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  proper, 
but  also  to  the  roads  which  were  run  by  the  Penns3dvania  Company,  a  cor- 
poration controlling  several  railroads,  including  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort 
Wayne  and  Chicago  railroad  and  the  Pan  Handle  railroad,  each  having 
one  of  its  termini  at  Pittsburgh,  and  running  these  railroads  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Pennsylvania  railraod,  and  all  being  practically  under  one 
management. 

These  were  not  the  only  railroads  in  the  country  to  reduce  the  wages  of 
emplojes,  a  reduction  often  per  cent,  having  gone  into  effect  on  the  New- 
York  Central  railway  on  the  1st  day  of  Jul}',  A.  D.  1877,  and  a  similiar 
reduction  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  on  the  16th  day  of  July,  A. 
D.  1877  ;  your  committee  having  no  information  as  to  whether  or  not  any 
prior  reduction  had  been  made  by  the  last  named  roads.  In  consequence 
of  these  reductions  of  wages  a  great  deal  of  dissatisfaction  was  produced 
among  the  employes  of  the  roads,  especially  those  known  as  trainmen,  con- 
sisting of  freight  engineers,  firemen,  conductors,  brakemen,  and  flagmen. 

These  employes  had  consulted  together  in  relation  to  the  question  of 
wages,  and  as  the  result  of  these  consultations,  a  committee  had  been 
appointed  some  time  the  latter  part  of  May,  composed  principally  of 
engineers,  who  waited  on  Thomas  A  Scott,  President  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  Company,  and  stated  the  position  of  the  men  and  their  alleged 
grievances.  Colonel  Scott  talked  frankly  with  the  committee,  and  stated 
the  position  of  the  railroad  company,  which  was,  in  substance,  that  in  con- 
set  pience  of  the  depression  in  all  branches  of  trade,  commerce,  and  manu- 
factures throughout  the  country,  the  business  of  the  company  had  so  fallen 
off  that  it  became  a  matter  of  necessity  to  reduce  the  wages  of  the  em- 
ploye's, and,  that  as  soon  as  the  business  of  the  company  would  warrant  it 
the  wages  would  be  increased.  The  committee  expressed  their  satisfaction 
at  the  statement  made  by  Colonel  Scott,  and  said  they  would  go  back  to 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  3 

Pittsburgh  and  report  the  same  to  the  employe's,  and  that  everything  would 
be  satisfactory  and  all  right  thereafter.  The  committee  retired,  and  soon 
returned  with  their  views  set  forth  in  writing,  and  signed  by  them,  stating 
that  their  conference  with  Colonel  Scott  had  proved  satis  factory,  and  that 
his  propositions  were  acceptable  to  the  committee.  No  complaint  as  to 
wages  was  made  thereafter  by  any  of  the  employes  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  Company  or  of  the  Pennsylvania  Company  to  any  of  the  proper 
officers  until  after  the  strike  of  July  19th. 

Immediately  after  the  order  for  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction,  to  go  into 
effect  on  June  1st,  1877,  was  issued,  the  employes  of  the  different  railroads 
having  their  termini  at  Pittsburgh,  commenced  agitating  che  question  of 
a  strike  on  account  of  said  reduction,  which  agitation  resulted  in  the  or- 
ganization of''  The  Train  Men's  Union,"  a  secret,  oath-bound  society,  the 
declared  object  of  which  was  the  protection  of  its  members,  in  all  lawful 
ways,  by  combination,  but  more  particularly  to  bring  the  railroad  com- 
panies to  terms   by  all  striking  on  a  given  day,  and  leaving  the   railroads 
with  no  men  of  experience  to  run  the  trains.     The  first  meeting  to  organize 
a  lodge  of  the  society  was  held  in  Allegheny  City,  on  the  2d  day  of  June, 
A.  D.  1877,  and  the  first  person  to  take  the  oath  of  membership  was  R.  A. 
Ammon,  better  known  as  "Boss  Ammon,"  then  a  brakeman  on  the  Pitts- 
burgh, Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  railroad,  who  had  been  in  the  employ  of 
the  company  about  nine  months.     Boss  Ammon  seems  to  have  been  the 
leading  spirit  of  the  society,  and  he  was  immediately  appointed  as  general 
organizer,  to  go  out  and  organize  branches  of  the  Union  on  all  the  leading 
trunk  lines  of  the  country,  especially  on  those  centering  at  Pittsburgh. 
In  a  short  time  the  Union  was  in  full  working  order  on  the  Pennsylvania 
railroad,  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  railroad,  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  railroad,  the  New  York  Central  railroad,  the  Erie  railway,  and 
the  Atlantic  and   Great  Western  railway,  and  some  others,  and  a  general 
strike  by  the  members  of  the  Union  was  arranged  to  take  place  on  the 
27th  of  June,  A.  D.  1X77,  at  twelve  o'clock,  noon.     The  report  of  the  com- 
mittee of  engineers  of  the  result  of  their  conference  with  Colonel  Scott 
was  not  satisfactory  to  the  members  of  the  Union,  they  believing,  or  at 
least  sa^dng,  that  the  engineers  were  only  looking  after  their  own  interests 
and  taking  care  of  themselves,  and  therefore  the  action  of  the  committee 
did  not  arrest  the  preparations  going  on  within  the  Union  for  the  proposed 
strike.     Allegheny  City  was  the  headquarters  of  the  organization,  and  it 
was  here  that  the   general  arrangements  for  the  operations  of  the   Union 
were  perfected,  the  members  claiming  that  at  least  three  fourths  of  all  the 
train  men,  whose  headquarters  were  at  the  two  cities  of  Pittsburgh  and 
Allegheny  City,  belonged  to  the  organization.     The  proposed  strike  on 
the  27th  of  June  was  to  take  place  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  the  Pitts- 
burgh, Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  railroad,  the  Allegheny  Valley  railroad, 
Pan  Handle  railroad,  and  the  branches  of  the  roads  named,  the  Union 
having  been  more  thoroughly  and  better  organized  on  these  roads  than  on 
any  others,  and  the  movements  were  to  be  directed  from  Allegheny  City. 
Other  roads  were  to  be  brought  into  the  strike  as  fast  as  possible,  so  as  to 
make  it  general  and  comprehensive. 

In  ac  ordance  with  this  plan  of  operations,  on  Sunday,  June  21th,  some 
forty  members  of  the  Union  were  sent  out  on  the  different  lines  centering 
at  Pittsburgh,  to  notify  the  members  on  these  roads  of  the  time  for 
the  strike  to  take  place,  and  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements  to 
make  it  a  success.  On  Monday  night,  June  25th,  a  meeting  of  the 
members  of  the  Union  on  the  Pan  Handle  division  was  held,  and  it  was 
there  developed  that  a  portion  of  them  were  dissatisfied  with  the  pro- 


4  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29 , 

posed  strike,  and  trouble  ensued  on  this  account.  It  was  also  ascer- 
tained that  some  member  or  members  had  divulged  the  plans  of  the 
Union  to  the  railroad  officials,  and  that  the(  latter  were  taking  measures 
to  counteract  and  defeat  the  strike.  The  moving  spirits  saw  at  once  that 
with  divided  counsels,  and  their  plans  known  to  the  railroad  officials,  the 
strike,  if  commenced,  would  prove  a  failure,  and  measures  were  at  once 
adopted  to  prevent  it  from  taking  place  by  writing  and  sending  word  to 
all  points  possible  in  the  short  time  left.  The  strike  did  not  take  place 
on  the  27th,  and  the  members  of  the  Union  felt  as  if  the}'  had  met  with  a 
defeat,  which  left  a  sore  spot  in  their  bosoms,  and  which  rankled  for  a  long 
time.  It  may  be  well  to  state  here  that  the  subsequent  strike  on  the  Bal- 
timore and  Ohio  railroad,  at  Martinsburg,  West  Virginia,  on  the  16th  of 
July,  and  the  strike  at  Pittsburgh,  on  July  19th,  was  not  a  strike  of  the 
Trainmen's  Union,  nor  did  the  Union,  as  an  organization,  have  anything 
to  do  with  either,  there  having  been  no  meeting  of  the  society  either  at 
Pittsburgh  or  Allegheny  City,  after  the  27th  of  June,  1877,  up  to  that 
time.  The  main  and  almost  the  only  grounds  for  the  proposed  strike  was 
the  ten  per  cent,  reduction  of  wages,  although  some  complaint  was  made 
of  the  abuse  of  power  and  overbearing  actions  of  the  minor  railroad  offi- 
cials. Some  time  in  July,  1877,  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  is- 
sued an  order  that  all  freight  trains  from  Pittsburgh  east  to  Deny  should  be 
run  as  "double-headers,"  the  order  to  take  effect  on  the  19th  of  that  month. 

A  so  called  '*  double-header  "  consists  of  thirty  four  cars,  and  is  hauled  by 
two  engines,  a  single  train  consisting  of  seventeen  cars,  hauled  by  one  en- 
gine. This  was  one  of  the  measures  of  economy  adopted  by  the  company 
in  consequence  of  the  great  reduction  in  business,  caused  by  the  financial 
situation  of  the  country,  and  the  reduced  rates  at  which  the  business  was 
done,  caused  by  the  great  competition  of  the  different  railroads  to  secure 
business,  and  would  enable  the  company  to  dispense  with  the  services  of 
one  half  of  their  freight  conductors,  brakemen,  and  flagmen  on  the  Pitts- 
burgh division  of  the  road  between  that  place  and  Deny,  as  only  one  set 
of  men,  aside  from  the  engineers  and  firemen,  were  used  on  a  "double- 
header."  One  engine  could  haul  the  same  train  from  Deny  to  Philadel- 
adelphia  that  it  took  two  engines  to  haul  from  Pittsburgh  to  Deny. 
"  Double-headers  "  had  been  previously  run  between  these  two  points, 
especially  coal  trains,  but  no  general  order  for  all  freight  trains  to  run  as 
"  double-headers  "  had  ever  before  been  issued.  In  selecting  men  to  dis- 
charge under  the  order  to  run  "  double-headers,"  single  men,  and  men  who 
had  been  the  shortest  time  in  the  employ  of  the  company,  were  chosen, 
and  the  men  with  families,  and  old  men,  were  kept  so  far  as  they  could  be. 
Quite  a  number  of  men  had  been  discharged  by  the  company  prior  to  this 
time,  some  for  cause,  and  more  on  account  of  the  decrease  in  business 
since  the  panic  of  1873  ;  and  the  company  had  still  in  its  employ  many 
more  men  than  could  be  employed  at  full  time,  keeping  them  along  and 
allowing  them  each  to  work  a  portion  of  the  time,  probably  believing  in 
the  old  adage  that  "  half  a  loaf  is  better  than  no  bread." 

Robert  Pitcairn,  the  general  agent  and  superintendent  of  the  Pittsburgh 
division  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  had  have  of  absence  for  a  short 
time,  to  commence  on  the  19th  of  Jul}-,  and  that  morning  he  left  for  the 
east  with  his  family,  over  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  no  complaint,  as  he 
says,  having  been  made  to  the  officers  of  the  company  by  the  men,  on  ac- 
count of  the  order  to  run  "double-headers," and  he  having  no  knowledge  or 
suspicion  that  any  trouble  was  brewing  or  expected.  The  early  morning 
freight  trains  left  Pittsburgh  as  "  double-headers,"  but  when  the  time 
(8.40  A.  M.)  came  for  the  next  train  to  leave,  the  men   (two  brakemen  and 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18TT.  5 

one  flagman)  refused  to  go  out  on  a  "double-header,"  and  the  train  did  not 
go.  The  conductor  notified  the  dispatcher  that  the  men  had  struck,  and 
the  dispatcher  undertook  to  find  men  who  would  go,  but  all  the  train  men 
refused.  He  then  made  up  two  crews  from  the  yard  men,  and  gave  orders 
for  the  engine  to  back  down  and  couple  on  the  train,  when  the  striking 
men,  led  by  one  Andrew  Hice,  threw  coupling  pins  and  other  missiles  at 
the  brakeman  who  was  attempting  to  couple  on  the  engine,  one  of  which 
hit  him,  and,  in  the  words  of  one  witness,  he  had  to  run  for  his  life. 
There  was  some  twenty  or  twenty-five  men  in  the  crowd  at  this  time  ;  all 
men  in  the  employ  of  the  railroad  company.  The  strikers  took  possession 
of  the  switches  over  which  the  trains  would  have  to  move,  and  refused  to 
let  any  train  pass  out,  and  their  number  was  from  this  time  gradually  in- 
creased by  the  addition  of  the  men  who  came  in  on  freight  trains,  who 
were  induced  to  join  the  strikers  as  fast  as  they  came  in.  Between  ten 
and  eleven  o'clock,  A.  M.,  David  M.  Watt,  chief  clerk  of  the  Pittsburgh  di- 
vision, who  was  acting  in  place  of  Mr.  Pitcairn  in  his  absence,  went  to  the 
mayor's  office  and  asked  for  ten  policemen  to  be  sent  up  to  the  yard  of  the 
company,  to  protect  the  men  who  were  willing  to  go  out  on  the  trains, 
and  arrest  any  one  who  should  commit  a  breach  of  the  peace,  telling  the 
mayor  that,  in  his  opinion,  ten  good  men,  with  his  (the  mayor's)  presence, 
would  be  sufficient  for  the  purpose. 

The  mayor  answered  that  he  did  not  have  the  men  ;  that  the  day  force, 
with  the  exception  of  nine  men,  had  some  time  previously  been  discharged 
by  the  action  of  the  city  council,  and  he  could  not  send  the  night  force, 
and  also  refused  to  go  himself,  saying  he  had  other  business,  and  it  was  not 
necessary  for  him  to  be  there.  He  said,  however,  that  they  might  get  some 
of  the  discharged  men  to  go,  if  Mr.  Watt  would  become  responsible  for 
their  pay,  to  which  Mr.  Watt  assented,  and  the  ten  men  were  found,  sent 
out  under  charge  of  Officer  Charles  McGovern.  This  force  went  along 
with  Mr.  Watt  to  the  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing,  the  scene  of  the  diffi- 
culty, and  five  of  the  police  were  placed  at  one  switch  just  above  Twentv- 
eighth  street,  and  Officer  McGovern  with  the  balance  took  possession  of 
a  switch  just  below  Twenty-eighth  street.  An  engine  was  there  ready  to 
back  down  and  couple  on  to  the  train,  and  Mr.  Watt  gave  orders  to  one  of 
his  men  to  open  the  switch,  so  the  engine  could  run  down  on  the  proper 
track,  but  the  man  refused,  saying  he  was  afraid  he  would  be  injured  by 
the  strikers  if  he  did  so.  Mr.  Watt  then  stepped  up  and  said  "  I  will  open 
the  switch,"  when  a  brakeman  by  the  name  of  Davis  stepped  in  front  of 
him,  and  said  "boys  we  might  as  well  die  right  here,"  and  made  some 
demonstrations.  At  this  moment  a  man  named  McCall,  standing  behind 
Davis,  struck  Mr.  Watt  in  the  eye  ;  that  ended  the  attempt  to  open  the 
switch  at  that  time.  After  some  difficulty  and  considerable  chasing,  Mc- 
Call was  arrested  by  the  police,  and  taken  to  the  lock-up.  At  this  time, 
between  twelve  and  one  o'clock,  p.  M.,  there  was  about  one  hundred  per- 
sons in  the  crowd,  about  one  half  of  which  were  mere  spectators.  Twenty- 
five  or  thirty  of  the  strikers  attempted  to  prevent  McCall 's  arrest  by  dodg- 
ing around  in  the  way,  and  by  coaxing  the  police  to  let  him  alone.  A  few 
stones  were  thrown,  but  no  very  serious  efforts  were  made  beyond  this 
by  the  strikers  at  this  time.  Soon  after  this,  Mr.  Watt  sent  one  of  his 
men  to  the  mayor's  office  for  fifty  more  policemen,  and  in  answer  to  this 
call  some  five  or  six  men  came  out  about  one,  p.  m.,  in  charge  of  Officer 
White.  With  these  men,  Mr.  Watt  went  out  to  the  stock-yards,  at  Tor- 
rens  station,  a  distance  of  five  and  one  tenth  miles  from  the  Union  depot, 
to  see  if  the  stock  trains  at  that  place,  which  had  been  some  time  loaded, 
could  be  got  off. 


6  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

At  this  place  there  was  a  large  crowd  of  persons,  a  large  portion  of 
whom  were  either  present  employes  of  the  railroad  company  or  were  dis- 
charged men,  and  others  were  unknown  to  the  railroad  officials.  One  train 
of  stock  was  coupled  on  by  the  yard  engine,  and  run  out  by  stratagem 
before  the  crowd  were  aware  that  it  was  an  attempt  to  send  the  train  east, 
and  this  was  the  last  freight  train  that  was  forwarded,  until  after  the  troubles 
were  over.  About  four,  p.  m.,  another  attempt  to  move  a  stock  train  from 
Torrens  was  made,  but  the  engineers  all  refused  to  undertake  to  couple  on 
to  the  train,  as  they  had  all  been  threatened  by  the  strikers,  and  were  afraid 
of  their  lives,  and  at  any  move  made  by  the  engineer  the  crowd  would  in- 
terfere, so  that  the  crew  gave  up  their  trains.  Mr.  Watt  returned  to  Pitts- 
burgh, and  the  stock  was  unloaded.  Mr.  Watt,  on  his  return  to  Pitts- 
burgh, went  again  to  the  mayor's  office,  about  five,  p.  m.,  and  asked  for  one 
hundred  or  one  hundred  and  fifty  police.  The  mayor  was  not  in.  having 
gone,  as  he  testified,  to  Castle  Shannon,  to  see  his  wife,  who  was  sick. 
The  mayor's  clerk  was  at  the  office,  and  informed  Mr.  Watt  that  the  men 
could  not  be  furnished,  that  the  day  force  of  nine  men  in  all  were  all  busy, 
that  the  night  force,  which  consisted  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  men, 
were  not  yet  on  duty,  and  could  not  be  spared  to  be  sent  out  to  the  scene 
of  the  disturbances,  as  they  must  be  kept  in  the  thicker  portions  of  the 
city,  and  advised  Mr.  Watt  to  call  on  the  sheriff  of  the  county  for  assist- 
ance. On  Friday  morning,  July  20,  A.  J.  Cassatt  sent  David  Stewart,  of 
Pittsburgh,  to  invite  the  mayor  to  come  to  the  Union  depot,  as  he  wished 
to  consult  him  in  regard  to  the  situation,  and  had  sent  a  carriage  to  con- 
vey him  to  the  depot.  The  mayor  replied  that  he  would  have  nothing  to 
do  with  it;  the  whole  matter  was  taken  out  of  his  hands;  they  had  no 
business  to  bring  troops  there.  Mr.  Stewart  asked  him  if  he  would  see 
Mr.  Cassatt,  if  he  would  biing  him  down  to  the  mayor's  office.  His  an- 
swer was  :  "  No,  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  it,"  and  he  turned  and  left. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  this  was  some  time  before  any  troops  were  brought 
there,  and  a  day  and  a  half  before  the  Philadelphia  troops  arrived.  Tins 
ended  the  call,  by  the  railroad  officials,  on  the  mayor  for  assistance  to  dis- 
perse the  crowd  interfering  with  their  property,  although,  on  that  day, 
warrants  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  police  for  the  arrest  of  some 
fifteen  or  twenty  of  the  ringleaders  of  the  strike,  and  after  this  time  there 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  any  very  serious  attempt  made  bj^the  ma}?or 
or  police  to  assist  in  quelling  the  riots.  The  whole  extra  force  raised  by 
the  mayor,  as  testified  to  by  J.  J.  Davis,  clerk  of  the  chief  of  police,  for 
whom  bills  were  sent  in  for  pay,  was  twenty-nine  men. 

During  the  afternoon  of  the  19th  of  July,  one  or  two  attempts  were 
made  to  start  freight  trains  from  Twenty-eighth  street,  but  when  the  en- 
gine was  started  some  of  the  crowd  would  step  in  front  of  it,  swing  their 
hands,  and  the  engineer  would  leave  his  engine,  and  soon  all  efforts  to 
start  trains  from  this  place  were  abandoned  for  that  day. 

A lthough  the  engineers  and  firemen  and  some  of  the  conductors  and 
brakemen  professed  to  be  willing  to  run  at  any  time,  yet,  on  the  slightest 
demonstration  being  made  by  any  of  the  strikers,  they  would  abandon 
their  engines  and  trains  without  making  one  decent  effort  to  do  their  duty. 
The  railroad  officials  claimed  that  they  had  plenty  of  men  willing  to  run 
out  the  trains  if  they  only  had  the  opportunity,  hut  when  the  opportunity 
was  made  for  them  the  men  did  not  care  to  take  advantage  of  it.  In  the 
meantime  the  crowd  was  increasing  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  Mr.  Watt, 
after  lie  left  the  mayor's  office,  went  to  the  sheriff's  office,  and  not  finding 
him  there  drove  to  his  residence,  but  he  was  not  there.     D  was  ascertained 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  7 

that  he  would  be  back  in  the  course  of  the  evening,  and  Mr.  Watt  returned 
to  his  own  office. 

The  crowd  had  so  increased  at  the  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing  that 
they  had  full  possession  of  the  railroad  tracks  there,  and  the  yard  engines 
could  not  be  moved  to  transfer  the  cars  in  the  yard  from  place  to  place, 
and  orders  were  given  to  the  engineers  to  put  up  their  engines.  Between 
eleven  and  twelve  o'clock,  p.  m  ,  Mr.  Watt  started  for  the  sheriff's  res- 
idence, and  on  his  way  called  at  the  office  of  Honorable  John  Scott,  solic- 
itor for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  to  have  that  gentleman  go 
with  him.  The  sheriff  was  at  home,  and  they  called  on  him  for  protection 
for  the  property  of  the  company,  and  advised  him  of  all  that  had  taken 
place  up  to  that  time.  The  sheriff  went  with  them  to  the  outer  depot,  near 
Twenty-sixth  street,  where  they  found  General  Pearson,  who  had  come  to 
Mr.  Pitcairn's  office  to  ascertain  the  condition  of  affairs,  so  as  to  report 
the  same  to  Adjutant  General  Latta,  who  had  telegraphed  him  from 
Philadelphia,  making  inquiry  if  he  knew  anything  of  the  disturbances  on 
the  Pennsylvania  railroad.  Governor  Hartranft  was  at  that  time  out  of 
the  State,  and  somewhere  in  the  West,  on  his  way  to  California,  and  be- 
fore going  had  given  instructions  to  Adjutant  General  Latta,  that  in  case 
of  trouble  requiring  the  presence  of  the  military,  he  must,  on  the  requisi- 
tion of  the  proper  civil  authorities,  assume  the  responsibility,  and  act  as 
occasion  demanded. 

A  little  after  midnight  the  sheriff,  together  with  General  Pearson,  Mr. 
Watt,  and  some  fifteen  or  twenty  railroad  employes,  walked  out  to  Twen- 
ty-eighth street,  and  there  getting  up  on  a  gondola  or  flat  car  so  as  to  be 
above  the  crowd,  addressed  them,  advising  them  to  disperse  and  go  to  their 
homes,  stating  to  them  his  duty  in  case  they  refused.  The  crowd  refused 
to  disperse,  and  hooted  and  yelled  at  the  sheriff,  and  fired  pistol  shots  in 
the  air  while  he  was  addressing  them.  They  told  the  sheriff  to  go  home, 
that  they  were  not  going  to  allow  any  freight  trains  to  leave  until  the 
difficulty  between  them  and  the  railroad  company  was  settled,  that  the 
mayor  and  policemen  were  on  their  side,  and  that  prominent  citizens  had 
offered  to  assist  them  in  provisions  and  money  to  carry  on  the  strike.  It 
should  be  here  stated  that  there  is  no  proof  that  any  such  offers  of  assist- 
ance were  actually  made,  except  that  tradesmen  with  whom  the  strikers 
were  dealing  offered  to  trust  them  until  they  got  work  again,  and  one 
prominent  citizen,  whose  name  was  used  by  the  mob,  came  forward  testi- 
fied that  he  had  never  made  any  such  offer.  Some  of  the  mob  also  read 
messages  purporting  to  come  from  other  places,  urging  them  to  hold  their 
ground,  and  assistance  in  men  and  means  would  be  sent  them.  There  is 
no  means  of  ascertaining  whether  these  messages  were  really  sent  as  they 
purported  to  be,  or  were  only  bogus  ones,  used  for  the  purpose  of  firing 
up  the  mob,  and  inducing  them  to  hold  out  in  their  purpose.  They  Avere 
probably  bogus,  and  they,  without  doubt,  produced  the  effect  intended  by 
their  authors.  At  this  time  the  crowd  numbered  some  two  hundred  men 
and  boys,  and  was  composed  of  some  railroad  men,  some  discharged  men, 
quite  a  number  of  mill  men,  (that  is  men  from  the  iron  mills,  glass  facto- 
ries, &c.,)  and  some  strangers  as  they  were  called  by  the  witnesses,  repul- 
sive, hard  looking  men,  probably  tramps  and  criminals,  who  always  flock  to 
a  scene  of  disturbance  like  vultures  to  the  carrion.  The  sheriff,  as  he 
testifies,  becoming  satisfied  that  he  could  not  raise  force  sufficient  to  con- 
trol the  crowd,  made  a  call  on  the  Governor,  by  telegraph,  for  military  to 
suppress  the  riot.  The  sheriff  at  this  time  had  made  no  effort  whatever 
to  raise  a  posse  to  disperse  the  mob,  and  in  view  of  subsequent  develop- 
ments it  is  probable  that  such  an  effort  would  have  been  futile.     The  copy 


8  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

of  the  telegram  of  the  sheriff  to  the  Governor  is  given  in  the  report  of  the 
Adjutant  General  for  1877,  as  are  also  copies  of  all  other  telegrams  sent 
and  received  by  him  during  the  troubles,  and  most  of  them  in  the  evidence 
taken  by  your  committee,  and  therefore  they  need  not  be  copied  here. 

In  view  of  the  absence  of  the  Governor,  the  telegram  was  also  sent  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  the  Adjutant  General,  the  one  to 
the  latter  reaching  him  at  Lancaster  on  his  was  to  Harrisburg.  General 
Latta  immediately  telegraphed  General  Pearson,  who  held  the  rank  of  ma- 
jor general,  and  commanded  the  Sixth  division,  Xational  Guard,  with 
headquarters  at  Pittsburgh,  to  assume  charge  of  the  military  situation, 
place  one  regiment  on  duty,  and  if  he  found  one  regiment  not  sufficiently 
strong,  to  order  out  the  balance  of  the  division  and  to  report  generally. 
General  Pearson  immediately  ordered  out  the  Eighteenth  regiment,  Colonel 
P.  X.  Guthrie,  and  this  order  was  soon  followed  by  one  ordering  out  the 
Fourteenth  regiment,  Colonel  Gray,  the  Nineteenth  regiment,  Colonel 
Howard,  and  Hutchinson's  battery  in  command  of  Captain  Breck.  These 
orders  were  responded  to  very  slowly,  as  it  was  in  the  night  time,  and  the 
men  were  scattered  about  the  city,  and  some  companies  were  made  up  of 
men  at  some  little  towns  outside  of  the  cit}-.  Colonel  Guthrie  resides  at 
East  Liberty,  and  received  his  orders  about  half  past  four,  a.  m.,  on  the  20th. 
He  at  once  notified  his  officers,  and  the}r  notified  the  men,  but  as  it  was 
too  early  to  be  able  to  get  messengers  the  colonel  had  to  go  personally 
to  the  officers  and  it  was  about  twelve  o'clock,  noon,  when  the  regiment  re- 
ported at  the  Union  depot  hotel  two  hundred  and  fifty  strong.  This  regi- 
ment was  ordered  out  to  Torrens  Station  to  protect  property  and  clear  the 
track  at  the  stock  yards,  and  on  its  arrival  there,  at  half  past  one,  found  a 
crowd  of  from  twelve  hundred  to  fifteen  hundred  persons  assembled.  The 
regiment  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  into  proper  position,  and  Colonel 
Guthrie  then  lay  in  position  waiting  further  orders.  It  was  understood 
between  General  Pearson  and  Colonel  Guthrie  that  the  Fourteenth  and 
Nineteenth  regiments  and  the  battery  should  clear  the  track  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  and  protect  the  men  on  the  trains  in  getting  them  started, 
and  that  Colonel  Guthrie  should  clear  the  track  at  Torrens  and  protect  the 
trains  in  passing  that  place.  The  Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth  regiments 
assembled  very  slowley,  and  it  was  not  until  about  five  p.  m.,  that  General 
Brown,  commanding  the  brigade,  got  together  three  or  four  companies, 
and  these  not  half  full,  and  marched  out  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  Before 
taking  a  position  there,  he  received  orders  from  General  Pearson  to  return 
to  the  Union  depot,  as  he  had  not  force  sufficient  to  accomplish  anything, 
and  accordingly  he  returned  with  his  command.  ' 

In  the  meantime,  General  Pearson,  fearing  that  the  majority  of  the  men 
in  these  regiments  sympathized  with  the  strikers,  telegraphed  Adjutant 
General  Latta  to  that  effect,  and  suggested  that  troops  from  Philadelphia 
should  be  sent  on,  and  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  two  thousand  troops 
would  be  needed  to  disperse  the  mob,  as  it  was  now  (six  thirty-five,  i*.  M.,) 
very  large  (four  thousand  to  five  thousand  men)  and  increasing  hourly. 
General  Latta  at  once  telegraphed  Major  General  Brinton,  commanding 
the  First  division  of  the  National  Guard,  at  Philadelphia,  to  get  his  com- 
mand ready  to  move  to  Pittsburgh.  General  Brinton  received  this  order  in 
the  evening,  and  at  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  21st  he  had  six 
hundred  men  at  the  railroad  depot  ready  to  start.  At  Harrisburg,  Gen- 
eral Brinton  received  some  ammunition  and  twoGatling  guns,  and  reached 
Pittsburgh  at  one,  p.  m.,  and  reported  to  General  Latta  at  the  Union  depot 
hotel,  and  there  distributed  twenty  rounds  of  ammunition  to  his  men.  In 
order  to  understand  the  situation  of  things  and  the  future  movements  of 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  9 

the  troops,  a  description  of  the  depots,  buildings,  tracks,  and  surroundings 
of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  property  at  Pittsburgh  is  here  necessary. 
The  Union  depot  was  situated  between  Seventh  and  Eighth  streets,  and 
from  this  place  the  line  of  the  railroad  ran  eastwardly,  at  the  foot  of  a  steep 
bluff,  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  feet  high  on  the  right, 
and  with  Liberty  street  on  the  left.  There  were  a  great  number  of  tracks 
running  side  by  side  out  to  and  some  distance  beyond  Twenty-eighth  street, 
with  numerous  switches  in  order  that  the  tracks  might  be  used  conveniently, 
and  many  of  these  tracks  were  filled  with  cars,  passenger  and  baggage  cars 
near  the  depot,  and  freight  cars  further  out.  The  onter  depot,  lower  round 
house,  machine  shops,  &c,  were  situated  at  and  near  Twenty-sixth  street, 
about  a  mile  from  the  Union  depot,  some  other  shops  were  scattered  along 
there  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  near  which  street  was  what  was  called  the 
upper  round-house.  From  Twenty-eighth  street  down  to  the  Union  depot 
the  tracks  were  several  feet  higher  than  Liberty  street,  and  a  strong  wall 
was  built  up  at  the  side  of  Liberty  street  to  support  the  embankment  and 
keep  it  from  caving  into  the  street.  At  Twenty-eighth  street  there  was  a 
crossing  much  used,  the  bluff  not  being  as  steep  or  as  high  kei*e  as  it  is 
further  down,  and  the  hill  is  ascended  by  a  diagonal  road  or  path  from  the 
crossing. 

About  two  o'clock,  A.  m.,  of  the  21st,  the  Nineteenth  regiment  and  Breck's 
battery  were  sent  out  to  Twent}T-eighth  street,  the  battery  to  take  a  position 
at  the  foot  of  the  bluff,  near  the  crossing,  and  the  regiment  a  position  on 
the  side  hill,  a  little  above  and  commanding  the  crossing.  About  four, 
A.  M.,  of  the  same  day,  the  Fourteenth  regiment  was  sent  out,  and  ordered 
to  take  a  position  higher  up  the  hill,  and  above  the  Nineteenth  regiment, 
and  the  orders  given  by  General  Pearson  were  to  hold  this  position,  and 
keep  the  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing  and  the  tracks  in  the  vicinity  clear 
of  the  crowd.  This  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing  was  the  gathering  point 
of  the  mob,  and  but  very  little  effort  seems  to  have  been  made  during  the 
day  (the  21st)  to  carry  out  General  Pearson's  order.  A  few  times  in  the 
forenoon  one  or  two  companies  were  ordered  down,  across  the  tracks  at 
the  crossing,  and  back  again,  and  for  the  time  would  clear  away  the  crowd 
in  their  immediate  path,  but  as  no  effort  was  made  to  hold  the  crossing, 
nor  to  clear  the  tracks  on  each  side  of  it,  the  effort  amounted  to  nothing, 
and  when  the  soldiers  went  back  to  their  position  on  the  hill  the  crowd 
would  again  resume  possession  of  the  ground  cleared.  The  soldiers  also 
fraternized  with  the  mob.  Most  of  the  time  their  arms  were  stacked,  and 
they  were  mingled  indiscriminately  with  the  crowd,  lying  about  on  the 
ground  talking  with  them,  and  when,  about  four,  p.  m.,  the  Philadelphia 
troops  were  marched  out  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  a  dense  crowd  filled  the 
Twenty-eighth  street  crossing  and  vicinity,  and  was  so  mixed  up  with  sol- 
diers that  no  lines  of  regiments  or  companies  could  be  observed,  and  it 
was  with  difficulty  that  soldiers  could  be  discovered  at  all.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  20th  warrants  had  been  issued  for  the  arrest  of  some  fifteen  or 
twenty  of  the  ringleaders  of  the  strikers,  and  were  placed  in  the  hands  of 
police  officer  McGovern  and  his  men  to  be  executed.  His  orders  were  not 
to  attempt  to  execute  the  warrants  in  the  crowd,  as  they  were  excited,  and 
a  collision  might  be  provoked,  and  if  arrests  were  made  at  all  they  must 
be  made  quietly.  If  the  opportunity  for  quiet  arrests  occurred,  it  was  not 
taken  advantage  of,  for  no  arrests  were  made,  and  no  attempts  seem  to 
have  been  made  to  spot  the  men,  or  ascertain  their  whereabouts,  or  to  do 
anything  towards  executing  the  warrants  while  they  were  in  the  hands  of 
the  officers.  On  the  morning  of  the  21st,  bench  warrants  for  the  arrest  of 
the  same  persons  were  issued  by  Judge  Ewing,  and  these  were  placed  in 


10  Report  op  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

the  hands  of  Constable  Richardson,  who  called  on  the  sheriff  for  a  posse 
to  assist  in  making  the  arrests.  The  sheriff  sent  ont  ten  of  his  deputies 
to  raise  a  posse  for  the  purpose,  and  the  deputies  claim  they  were  vigilant 
and  thorough  in  their  efforts  to  find  men  willing  to  serve,  but  were  unable 
to  raise  any  considerable  number  of  persons.  All  sorts  of  excuses  were 
made,  and  not  over  ten  persons  in  all  responded.  No  peremptory  sum- 
mons or  call,  such  as  it  was  his  right  and  duty  to  make,  was  ever  issued 
by  the  sheriff,  and,  as  testified  by  him,  when  he  reached  the  Union  depot 
with  his  deputies  and  posse,  a  short  time  before  the  Philadelphia  troops 
arrived,  all  but  six   of  his  posse  had  left. 

On  Saturday  it  is  the  custom  for  the  different  mills  and  shops  at  Pitts- 
burgh and  vicinity  to  shut  down  about  noon,  or  soon  after  ;  and  on  that 
eventful  Saturday,  July  2 1st,  those  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Twent}-- 
eighth  street  crossing  saw  the  crowd  at  that  point  suddenly  and  largely 
increased  soon  after  the  hour  for  shutting  down  the  mills.  A  prominent 
manufacturer  of  Pittsburgh  was  at  the  Union  depot  on  Saturday,  about  the 
time  of  the  arrival  of  the  Philadelphia  troops,  and  had  a  talk  with  Mr.  A. 
J.  Cassatt,  third  vice  president  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  and,  in  this 
conversation,  told  him  that  Saturday  was  an  idle  day  with  their  workmen 
in  Pittsburgh,  and  that  it  would  be  great  wisdom  in  him  to  wait  until  Mon- 
day, when  the  laboring  men  would  be  at  their  work,  before  attempting  to 
open  their  road  ;  that  it  was  natural  that  their  home  troops  should  sym- 
pathize with  the  strikers,  and  they  could  not  be  fully  depended  on  in  case 
of  a  riot.  Mr.  Cassatt  refused  to  give  any  directions  to  delay  the  move- 
ments of  the  military,  saying  they  had  already  lost  a  great  deal  of  time, 
and  it  was  the  duty  of  the  government  to  put  them  in  possession  of  their 
property  at  once.  General  Brinton,  with  his  command,  arrived  at  Pitts- 
burgh atthree,p.  m.,  and,  after  being  furnished  with  coffee  and  sandwiches 
at  the  Union  depot,  were  formed  and  marched  out  along  the  tracks  to  the 
Twenty-eighth  street  crossing.  Before  starting  from  the  depot,  General 
Brinton  gave  orders  that  the  mob  must  not  be  fired  upon,  even  if  they  spat 
in  the  soldiers'  faces,  but  if  they  were  attacked,  however,  they  must  de- 
fend themselves. 

The  plan  adopted  for  the  afternoon's  operations  was  for  a  portion  of  the 
Philadelphia  troops  to  take  possession  of  the  premises  of  the  railroad 
company  at  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Twenty-fifth  and  Twenty-sixth  streets, 
where  the  freight  trains  that  had  been  prepared  to  send  out  stood,  and 
clear  this  portion  of  the  tracks  from  the  crowd,  so  that  when  the  tracks 
and  switches  at  Twenty-eighth  street  were  cleared  and  put  in  possession 
of  the  company,  the  trains  could  at  once  be  moved,  as  the  engineers  and 
men  were  said  to  be  ready  to  start  with  the  trains.  The  balance  of  the 
Philadelphia  troops  were  to  move  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street  and  cooperate 
with  the  Pittsburg  troops  in  clearing  the  tracks  at  that  point,  and  when 
this  was  done  the  trains  were  to  be  started,  and  after  a  few  trains  had  been 
run  out  it  was  believed  that  the  strike  would  be  broken  up;  that  the 
strikers  would  see  the  futility  of  trying  to  resist  the  law  when  backed  up 
by  the  military,  and  would  give  up  the  contest. 

The  sheriff  and  his  deputies  (he  had  no  posse  to  speak  of)  stinted  from 
the  Union  depot  towards  Twenty-eighth  street,  to  execute  the  warrants  in 
the  hands  of  Constable  Richardson,  a  little  in  advance  of  the  Philadelphia 
troops,  but  were  delayed  on  the  way  out,  somewhat,  by  looking  after  men, 
and  before  arriving  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  were  overtaken  by  the  troops, 
but  no  arrests  were  made  by  them.  The  second  division,  in  command  of 
Brigadier  General  E.  De.  C.  Loud,  was  left  on  Twenty-lift  li  and  Twenty- 
sixth  streets,  with  orders  to  disperse  the  crowd  at  that  point  and   protect 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*71.  11 

the  employe's  in  starting  the  trains.  The  order  was  promptly  executed  by 
throwing  out  skirmish  lines  and  clearing  the  tracks  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
trains.  The  first  division  brigade,  under  the  command  of  General  E.  W. 
Mathews,  and  the  battery  of  Gatling  guns,  all  under  command  of  General 
Brinton,  marched  out  to  near  the  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing.  The  com- 
mand marched  out  by  column  far  into  the  crowd  as  far  as  possible,  and  then 
General  Brinton  gave  the  command  to  wheel  into  line  by  the  right  flank, 
which  brought  one  line  lengthwise  of  the  tracks,  below  the  Twenty-eighth 
street  crossing,  facing  Liberty  street,  and  another  line  was  formed  parallel 
with  the  first,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  tracks  facing  the  hill.  The  crowd 
was  ordered  to  disperse  by  the  sheriff,  and  he  was  answered  by  hoots,  jeers, 
and  rough  language.  The  move  made  by  the  troops  had  cleared  the  tracks 
between  the  two  lines,  and  the  crowd  now  began  forcing  itself  down  from 
Twenty-eighth  street,  between  the  lines  formed  each  side  of  the  tracks. 
General  Brinton  ordered  two  companies  to  form  across  the  tracks  at  right 
angles  with  the  two  lines  already  formed,  and  between  them,  facing  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  and  to  march  up  and  press  the  crowd  back  and  clear  the  cross- 
ing. The  sheriff  and  his  deputies  had  been  in  front  up  to  this  time,  but 
they  now  took  a  position  in  rear  of  the  two  companies.  General  Pearson 
had  been  with  the  command  until  this  time,  when,  seeing  the  size  of  the 
crowd,  and  its  determination,  he  went  back  to  Mr.  Pitcairn's  office  to  tele- 
graph General  Latta,  for  the  purpose  of  having  more  troops  ordered  to  the 
place.  The  two  companies,  in  carrying  out  their  orders,  marched  up  against 
the  crowd,  with  their  pieces  "arms  port,"  and  endeavored  to  press  them  back 
in  this  way,  but  no  impression  could  be  made  on  them.  General  Mathews, 
at  this  juncture,  seeing,  as  he  said,  that  the  mob  was  firm  and  determined, 
and  would  not  bear  temporizing  with,  gave  his  men  orders  to  load. 

The  two  companies  were  then  ordered  to  charge  bayonets  ;  many  of  their 
guns  were  seized  and  some  of  the  bayonets  nearly  twisted  off,  but  no  im- 
pression was  made  on  the  crowd.  While  these  movements  were  being 
made,  the  mob  was  becoming  more  and  more  nois}^.  defiant,  and  boister- 
ous, and  were  throwing  stones  and  other  missiles  at  the  troops,  several  of 
the  latter  having  been  hit,  and  one  or  two  seriously  injured.  Several  pis- 
tol shots  were  also  fired  by  the  crowd,  and  immediately  after  the  pistol 
shots  the  troops  commenced  firing  on  the  mob.  The  firing  was  scattering, 
commencing  at  a  point  near  where  the  pistol  firing  took  place,  and  running 
along  the  line  in  a  desultory  manner,  until  it  became  almost  a  volley  for  a 
moment.  The  officers  ordered  the  firing  to  cease,  and  stopped  it  very 
soon.  There  is  a  conflict  in  the  evidence  as  to  whether  or  not  an  order 
was  given  the  troops  to  fire,  but  the  great  weight  of  the  testimony  is  that 
no  such  order  was  given.  The  most  "of  thosewho  testify  that  such  an  or- 
der was  given,  say  it  was  given  by  General  Pearson,  but  General  Pearson 
was  not  present  when  the  firing  took  place,  but  was  at  the  superintendent's 
office.  Every  person,  however,  from  General  Pearson  down,  who  have 
given  an  opinion  on  the  subject,  say  that  an  order  to  fire  was  justi- 
fied and  should  have  been  given,  and  the  officers  in  command  say  that  the 
order  would  have  been  given  very  soon.  The  filing  had  the  effect  to  dis- 
perse the  crowd  at  once,  they  scattering  in  all  directions,  and  leaving  the 
troops  in  full  possession  of  the  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing  and  the 
tracks  in  the  vicinity.  Several  persons  were  killed  and  wounded,  and  as 
is  usually  the  case,  a  number  of  innocent  people  suffered.  The  coroner 
held  inquests  on  the  bodies  of  twenty-two  persons  in  all,  the  most  of  whom 
were  killed  by  the  soldiers  at  this  time  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  but  a  few 
were  killed  the  following  night  and  Sunday  morning  at  or  near  Twenty- 
sixth  street.     The  number  cannot  be  ascertained  with  any  certainty,  but 


12  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

several  were  seriously  injured.  It  is  believed,  by  those  best  situated  to 
know  the  facts,  that  a  number  of  the  mob  were  secretly  disposed  of  or 
taken  care  of  by  their  friends,  and  whose  names  have  never  been  given. 
If  men  had  been  ready  and  willing  to  man  the  trains,  they  could  have  been 
sent  out  after  the  dispersal  of  the  crowd,  but  the  occurrence  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street  seems  to  have  thrown  everybody  into  confusion,  and,  as 
usual,  the  engineers  and  train  men  were  glad  to  find  some  excuse  for  not- 
going.  No  attempt  seems  to  have  been  made  to  move  the  trains,  which 
were  supposed  to  be  ready  at  Twent}?-sixth  street,  and  the  cars  remained 
there  until  they  and  their  contents  were  burned.  The  troops  remained  on 
the  ground  from  the  time  of  the  firing  (about  five,  p.  m,)  until  about  dusk, 
when  they  were  ordered,  by  General  Pearson,  to  move  into  the  lower 
round-house  and  machine-shop,  near  Twenty-sixth  street,  and  remain  for 
the  night,  as  all  attempts  to  move  trains  had  been  abandoned,  and  the 
troops  needed  rest  and  food. 

The  crowd  had  come  together  again  gradually,  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Twenty-eighth  street  crossing,  but  whenever  the  troops  made  any  move 
towards  them,  they  would  scatter,  and  when  the  troops  marched  into  the 
lower  round  house  and  machine  shop,  the  mob  took  possession  of,  and 
had  full  sway  again  at  the  crossing.  General  Pearson  had  ordered  the 
Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth  regiments  to  go  down  and  take  possession  of 
the  transfer  depot  as  it  was  called,  about  two  hundred  yards  below  the 
lower  round  house,  and  these  regiments  marched  down  there  about  the 
time  that  General  Brinton's  command  went  into  the  round  house  and  ma- 
chine shop.  Colonel  Gray,  at  request  of  Colonel  Howard,  assumed  com- 
mand at  the  transfer  depot,  and  held  possession  until  about  ten  p.  m,  when 
General  Brown  came  and  told  Colonel  Gray  that  the  place  was  untenable, 
and  could  not  be  held ;  that  he  had  information  which  made  it  necessary 
for  them  to  get  out,  and  ordered  the  command  to  go  to  the  Union  depot. 
Colonel  Gray  had  been  disgusted  at  the  order  to  leave  the  side  hill  above 
the  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing,  thinking  it  a  great  mistake,  and  was 
also  disgusted  at  the  order  to  move  down  to  the  Union  depot.  Colonel 
Gray,  received  orders  from  General  Brown  to  disband  his  command,  and 
at  once  called  around  him  his  officers,  and  protested  against  it.  Said  it 
was  a  disgrace  to  do  so,  with  the  mob  in  force  in  the  vicinity,  and  a  dis- 
grace to  desert  the  Philadelphia  troops,  but  the  order  was  obeyed,  and  the 
men  dispersed  to  their  homes,  carrying  their  guns  with  them  ;  about  eleven 
P.  M.,  General  Brown  testified,  that  leading  citizens  and  military  men  ad- 
vised him  that  it  was  best  to  disband  these  troops,  that  their  being  kept 
under  arms  aggravated  and  exasperated  the  mob,  and  that  this  advice  co- 
incided with  his  opinion,  and  therefore  the  order  was  given.  About  two 
hundred  men  were  present  at  the  time  they  were  disbanded,  nearly  as  many 
more  having  left  from  time  to  time,  during  the  day  and  evening,  and  it  is 
General  Brown's  opinion,  that  they  were  absent  on  account  of  their  sym- 
pathy with  the  strikers,  and  not  on  account  of  fear.  When  these  troops 
marched  down  to  the  transfer  depot,  the  mob  did  not  jeer  or  rail  at  them, 
as  they  did  at  all  times  at  the  Philadelphia  troops,  and  it  does  not  seem 
from  the  evidence,  that  anything  had  been  done  by  them  to  aggravate  or 
exasperate  the  mob  in  the  least.  General  Pearson  entered  the  round  house 
with  General  Brinton's  command,  and  left  them  about  half  past  eight,  to 
see  about  getting  provisions  for  the  men,  who  had  received  no  regular 
meal  since  leaving  Philadelphia.  They  had  been  furnished  with  coffee  and 
sandwiches  at  Altoona,  and  the  same  at  Pittsburgh. 

On  leaving,  General  Pearson  gave  General  Brinton  orders  to  hold  the 
position  until  he  returned,  which  he  thought  would  be  within  an  hour. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*77-  13 

On  reaching  Union  depot  General  Pearson  was  informed  that  the  mob  was 
very  much  exasperated  against  him,  as  they  held  him  responsible  for  the 
firing  on  them  by  the  troops,  and  was  advised  by  General  Latta  and  others 
that  his  presence  would  still  further  aggravate  the  crowd,  and  that  he  had 
better  retire  to  some  place  of  safety  until  the  excitement  was  over,  which 
advice  was  followed,  and  he  therefore  did  not  return  to  General  Brinton. 
The  effort  to  provision  General  Brinton's  troops  was  a  failure,  as  the  mob 
seized,  used,  and  destroyed  the  food  which  was  sent  out  for  the  purpose. 
The  round  house  and  machine  shop  overlooked  Liberty  street  on  one  side, 
on  the  other  side  were  the  tracks,  many  of  them  filled  with  cars,  and  near 
the  machine  shop  were  piles  of  lumber  and  materials  used  in  repairs. 
Pickets  were  put  out  on  this  side  of  the  machine  shop  so  as  to  prevent 
the  mob  from  taking  shelter  behind  the  piles  of  lumber,  and  firing  on  the 
troops  from  these  places.  The  mob  had  broken  into  two  or  three  gun 
stores  in  the  city  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  that  evening,  and  had,  by 
this  means,  secured  guns  and  ammunition,  and  soon  after  dark  commenced 
firing  on  the  round  house  and  machine  shops,  firing  in  at  the  windows  and 
at  any  soldiers  they  could  get  sight  of,  one  of  the  mob  firing  an  explosive 
bullet,  which  the  troops  could  see  explode  every  time  it  struck  anything 
in  their  vicinity. 

Two  of  the  soldiers  were  wounded,  one  in  the  arm  and  one  in  the  leg, 
during  the  night,  which  is  all  the  casualties  that  occurred  among  them 
until  after  they  left  the  round  house  and  shop  in  the  morning.  About  ten 
o'clock  P.  m.,  the  mob  began  setting  fire  to  the  cars,  and  running  them 
down  the  track  nearest  the  round  house,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  set  it 
on  fire,  and  thus  drive  out  the  troops.  From  some  distance  above  Twenty- 
eighth  street  to  below  Twenty-sixth  street  it  is  down  grade,  and  the  cars 
will  run  of  their  own  gravitation,  on  being  started,  down  to  and  below  the 
buildings  in  which  the  troops  were  located.  The  first  car  fired  was  a  car 
of  coal,  and,  after  being  set  on  fire,  it  was  started  on  the  down  grade  with 
one  of  the  mob  on  it,  and  he,  on  arriving  at  the  round  house,  broke  up 
the  car  and  stopped  it.  Other  cars  were  fired  and  run  down  against  the 
first  one,  and  there  was  soon  a  string  of  fire  the  whole  length  of  the  shops 
on  the  side  next  the  tracks.  The  round  house  was  well  supplied  with 
water,  and  the  troops  were  enabled  to  keep  the  fire  from  communicating 
with  the  buildings  during  the  night.     . 

About  one  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  the  22d,  (Sunday,)  it  was  discov- 
ered that  the  mob  had  a  field  piece  on  Liberty  street,  ready  to  fire  on  the 
round  house.  By  General  Brinton's  orders  his  men  were  stationed  at  the 
windows  ready  to  fire,  and  the  mob  were  notified  to  abandon  the  gun  and 
not  attempt  to  fire  it,  or  they  would  be  fired  on.  They  paid  no  attention 
to  the  warning,  and  when  one  of  them  was  seen  with  the  lanyard  in  his 
hand  ready  to  discharge  the  piece,  orders  were  given  the  troops  to  fire, 
and  several  of  the  mob  fell,  and  the  rest  ran  away.  Several  attempts  were 
made  by  the  mob  during  the  night  to  creep  up  and  discharge  the  gun,  but 
the  soldiers  kept  close  watch  on  it  and  allowed  them  no  opportunity  to  do 
so.  General  Brinton  succeeded  in  communicating  with  General  Latta  dur- 
ing the  night  by  sending  out  one  of  his  men,  Sergeant  Joseph  F.  Wilson, 
who,  by  disguising  himself,  succeeded  in  getting  out  and  back  twice,  but 
would  not  undertake  it  again.  He  brought  orders  from  General  Latta  to 
hold  on  as  long  as  possible,  that  Guthrie  had  been  ordered  to  report  to  him, 
and  ought  to  reach  him  at  five  or  six  o'clock,  but  if  compelled  to  escape 
at  last,  to  do  so  to  the  eastward,  to  take  Penn  avenue  if  possible,  and  make 
for  Colonel  Guthrie,  at  Torrens.  The  scout,  Wilson,  brought  in  the  last 
dispatch  about  two  o'clock,  a.  m.,  the  22d,  and  this  was  the  last  communi- 


14  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

cation  that  reached  General  Brinton  while  in  the  round  house.  The  or- 
deal through  which  these  men  passed  that  night  was  fearful.  Tired,  hungry, 
worn  out,  surrounded  by  a  mob  of  infuriated  men,  yelling  like  demons, 
fire  on  nearly  all  sides  of  them,  suffocated  and  blinded  by  smoke,  with  no 
chance  to  rest,  and  but  little  knowledge  of  what  efforts  were  being  made 
for  their  relief,  with  orders  not  to  fire  on  the  mob  unless  in  necessary  self 
defense,  the  wonder  is  that  they  were  not  totally  demoralized  ;  but  the  evi- 
dence of  all  the  officers  is  that  the  men  behaved  like  veterans,  obeyed  all 
orders  cheerfully  and  with  promptness,  and  during  the  whole  night  but  one 
company  manifested  any  spirit  of  insubordination,  and  these  proposed  to 
lay  down  their  arms  and  quit,  as  they  were  not  allowed  to  use  them  on  the 
mob,  while  the  latter  were  taking  every  opportunity  of  shooting  down  the 
soldiers.  This  insubordination  was  quickly  brought  to  an  end  as  soon  as 
the  attention  of  the  proper  officer  was  called  to  it,  and  when  the  troops 
marched  out  in  the  morning,  no  one  could  tell  b}r  their  actions  which  of 
the  men  had  wavered  during  the  night.  About  half-past  seven,  Sunday 
morning,  the  22d  instant,  the  machine  shop  caught  fire  in  many  places,  the 
roof  of  the  round  house  also  was  on  fire,  and  it  became  necessary  to  evac- 
uate the  buildings.  The  two  Napoleon  guns  could  not  be  removed,  and 
were  spiked,  and  about  eight,  A.  M.,  the  command  marched  out  into  the  street 
in  jrood  order,  taking  their  Gatling  guns  with  them.  The  mob  scattered 
in  every  direction  at  sight  of  the  troops  coming  out,  and  no  attempt  was 
made  to  molest  the  soldiers  until  they  began  their  march  eastward  by  Fenn 
avenue,  in  pursuance  of  the  orders  received  from  General  Latta. 

After  marching  two  or  three  squares,  the  troops  were  harrassed  by  a  fire 
in  their  rear.  They  wei'6  fired  at  from  second  story  windows,  from  the  cor- 
ners of  the  streets,  and  from  every  place  where  one  of  the  mob  could  tire 
from  under  cover  so  as  to  be  safe  himself  from  a  return  tire.  They  were 
also  fired  at  from  a  police  station,  where  eight  or  ten  policemen  stood  in 
uniform,  as  they  passed,  and  when  they  were  a  convenient  distance  from 
the  station,  shots  were  fired  at  them  from  the  crowd  there  assembled.  It 
is  hard  to  believe  charges  of  this  kind,  but  the  evidence  is  too  positive 
and  circumstantial  to  leave  room  for  doubt.  At  one  point,  just  before 
reaching  the  United  States  arsenal,  there  was  some  confusion  among  the 
men  in  the  rear  of  the  column,  caused  b\-  an  attack  by  the  mob  that  was 
following  up,  and  a  halt  was  made,  and  the  Gatling  guns  used  on  the  at- 
tacking party,  which  dispersed  them,  and  this  ended  all  attacks  on  the 
troops.  In  this  retreat,  three  of  the  soldiers  were  killed  and  several 
wounded,  one  of  whom,  Lieutenant  Ashe,  died  a  few  days  afterwards,  at 
the  United  States  arsenal.  On  arriving  at  the  arsenal  several  of  the  sol- 
diers climbed  over  the  fence,  into  the  grounds,  and  General  Brinton  called 
on  the  commandant,  Major  Buffington,  for  leave  to  W't'd  and  shelter  his 
troops  there.  General  Brinton  and  Major  Buffington  disagreed  as  to  what 
occurred  between  them  at  that  time,  which  question  of  veracity  the  pur- 
poses of  this  report  does  not  require  us  to  decide,  but  General  Brinton  is 
corroborated  by  the  testimony  of  one  of  his  officers,  and  Major  Buffington 
has  no  corroborating  witness.  The  result  of  the  conference  was,  that  Gen- 
eral Brinton  and  his  well  men  went  on,  and  his  wounded  were  left,  and  well 
cared  for,  at  the  arsenal.  General  Brinton,  hearing  nothing  from  Colonel 
Guthrie,  continued  his  march  out  to  and  through  Sharpsburg,  and  finally 
brought  up  in  the  vicinity  of  the  work-house,  and  encamped  on  the  grounds 
near  that  institution,  where  he  was  furnished  with  rations  for  his  men,  and 
gave  them  a  chance  to  get  the  rest  they  so  much  needed.  These  rations 
reached  General  Brinton's  command  during  Sunday  afternoon,  through 
the  personal  exertions  of  A.  J.  Cassatt,  who,  from  the  time  of  the  occupa- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  181 1.  15 

tion  of  the  round-house  by  the  troops,  had  been  unwearied  in  his  endeavors 
to  get  provisions  to  them.  The  command  was  also  furnished  with  blankets 
and  other  necessary  camp  equipments,  by  Colonel  Thomas  A.  Scott,  who 
had  also  been  vigilant  in  looking  after  the  welfare  of  the  men,  and  all  ne- 
cessary transportation  needed  on  their  behalf,  after  their  departure  from 
Philadelphia,  unprepared  for  a  campaign,  on  account  of  the  brief  notice 
given  them.  To  these  two  gentlemen,  the  friends  of  the  National  Guard 
owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  the  personal  interest  taken  by  them,  at  all 
times,  during  the  campaign,  to  render  any  service  that  lay  in  their  power 
to  make  the  men  comfortable. 

The  destruction  of  the  railroad  property  by  the  mob  had  been  continued 
all  night,  the  cars  and  goods  contained  in  them  that  could  not  be  carried 
off  being  burned  as  fast  as  they  could  be  broken  open,  the  goods  thrown 
out  and  "the  cars  set  on  fire.  Crowds  of  men,  women,  and  children  were 
engaged  in  the  work  of  pillage,  and  everything  portable,  of  any  value,  was 
seized  as  fast  as  thrown  from  the  cars,  and  carried  away  and  secreted. 
One  feature  of  the  mob  at  Pittsburgh  is  new  in  this  country.  A  large 
number  of  women  were  in  the  crowd  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  on  Saturday, 
the  21st  instant,  and  according  to  testimony,  they  talked  to  the  sheriff, 
and  others  who  tried  to  get  the  crowd  to  disperse,  worse  than  the  men, 
used  viler  epithets,  and  more  indecent  language,  and  did  everything  in 
their  power  to  influence  and  excite  the  mob  to  resistance.  They  also,  dur- 
ing Saturda}7  night  and  Sunday,  brought  out  tea  and  coffee  for  the  men 
engaged  in  the  destruction  of  property,  and  were  the  most  active  in  carry- 
ing away  the  goods  taken  from  the  cars.  This  work  of  pillage  and  de- 
struction continued  all  day  Sunday,  and  the  actual  destruction  was  par- 
ticipated in  by  only  thirty  to  fifty  men,  the  citizens  in  the  meantime  stand- 
ing looking  helplessly  on,  and  no  effort  made  to  stay  the  damage  by  the 
bystanders.  There  was  a  very  large  crowd  in  the  vicinit}'  of  the  burning, 
who  were  supposed  to  be  in  sympathy  with  the  destruction,  and  this  prob- 
ably deterred  any  one  from  interfering  to  put  a  stop  to  it.  The  police,  on 
Sunday,  arrested  some  seventy-five  persons  who  were  carrying  off  goods, 
the  arrests  being  made  some  distance  from  the  place  where  the  articles 
were  taken.  Those  arrested  were  taken  before  Deputy  Mayor  Butler,  and 
most  of  them  were  by  him  discharged.  This  seems  to  be  all  that  the  po- 
lice did  to  restrain  the  rioting  that  day,  and  it  is  in  evidence  that  one  po- 
liceman in  uniform  got  into  one  of  the  cars  and  threw  goods  out  to  the  mob. 

On  Saturday  morning,  General  Latta  had  sent  written  orders  by  Captain 
Aull  to  General  Brinton,  for  the  latter  to  make  a  junction  with  Colonel 
Guthrie,  at  Torrens,  and  with  the  whole  force  to  march  to  Pittsburgh,  and 
fearing  that  Captain  Aull  might  fail  to  reach  General  Brinton,  the  order 
was  read  to  Colonel  Norris,  who  volunteered  to  go  in  search  of  General 
Brinton. 

Colonel  Norris,  in  company  with  J.  M.  Stewart,  overtook  General  Brin- 
ton's  command  a  little  beyond  Sharpsburg,  and  they  both  testify  that 
Colonel  Norris  told  General  Brinton  that  Captain  Aull  had  been  sent  by 
General  Latta  in  search  of  him  with  orders,  and  communicated  to  him, 
(General  Brinton,)  the  substance  of  the  orders,  and  that  General  Brinton 
retused  to  go  back,  saying  that  his  men  had  been  fired  at  from  houses, 
street  crossings,  and  police  stations,  and  were  almost  famished  for  want  of 
food,  and  he  was  going  into  the  open  country  where  he  could  intrench  and 
defend  himself,  and  procure  food  for  his  men,  but  that  if  he  received  posi- 
tive orders  he  might  return. 

General  Brinton  and  several  of  his  officers  testify  that  although  Colonel 
Norris  visited  him  at  the  time  and  place  stated,  yet  that  he  delivered  no 


16  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

orders  whatever,  and  stated  that  his  errand  was  to  find  out  where  the  com- 
mand was.  In  regard  to  these  counter-statements  your  committee  will 
have  something  to  say  under  the  head  of  "  conduct  of  the  militia."  It  is 
proper  to  state  here,  however,  that  the  written  order  given  to  Captain  Aull 
to  take  to  General  Brinton  was  not  delivered  to  him  till  the  1st  day  of 
August,  a  week  from  its  date. 

Soon  after  the  first  car  was  set  on  fire,  Saturday  night,  the  alarm  of  fire 
was  given,  and  the  firemen  with  their  engines  at  once  turned  out  and  ar- 
rived in  the  vicinity  of  the  fire  about  eleven  o'clock,  but  were  not  allowed 
to  attempt  to  stop  the  destruction  of  the  railroad  company  property. 
They  tried  several  times  to  lay  their  hose,  so  as  to  play  on  the  fire,  but  the 
mob  cut  their  hose  and  threatened  them  with  death  if  they  persisted. 
Some  of  the  police  testify  that  they  cleared  away  the  mob  at  one  place  and 
notified  the  firemen  that  they  were  ready  to  protect  them  if  they  would  go 
to  work  and  put  out  the  fire  ;  but  the  firemen  deny  this,  and  testifiy  that 
no  such  offer  was  made,  and  that  at  no  time  did  they  see  half  a  dozen 
police  together. 

Ie  view  of  the  general  failure  of  the  police  to  do  what  must  be  consid- 
ered their  duty  in  regard  to  the  rioters,  during  the  whole  time  of  the 
trouble,  they  need  not  think  it  strange  if  the  majority  of  people  are  in- 
clined to  believe  the  statements  of  the  firemen.  The  officers  of  the  fire 
department  testify  that  the  firemen  were  well  organized  at  the  place  of 
danger,  ready  to  do  their  duty  at  all  times,  and  that  this  department  was 
the  onty  one  in  the  city  that  was  organized  trying  to  do  its  duty  during 
the  time  of  the  riot.  The  firemen,  after  some  remonstrance  on  the  part  of 
a  portion  of  the  rioters,  were  allowed  to  save  private  property,  and  to  this 
fact  may  be  ascribed  the  safety  of  a  good  portion  of  the  city ;  for  the  fire 
from  the  railroad  property  communicated  to  the  adjoining  property  of  in- 
dividuals, and  but  for  the  labors  of  the  firemen  there  must  have  been  a 
very  extensive  conflagration  throughout  Pittsburgh.  The  destruction  of 
property  did  not  cease  until  about  five  o'clock,  p.  M.,  on  Sunday,  the  22d. 
and  then  only  when  the  limit  of  the  corporation  property  had  been  reached 
at  Seventh  street  by  the  destruction  of  the  Union  depot,  Union  depot 
hotel,  and  the  grain  elevator.  The  latter  did  not  belong  to  the  railroad 
company,  but  it  was  believed  by  the  mob  to  be  owned  by  a  corporation, 
and  therefore  it  was  doomed  to  destruction  with  the  rest.  Several  times 
during  the  day — Sunday— the  cry  of  "  police  "  was  made  by  some  one  in 
the  crowd,  and  whenever  this  was  done  the  mob  would  scatter  in  all  di- 
rections, but  as  soon  as  it  was  ascertained  to  be  a  false  alarm  they  would 
again  return  to  the  work  of  destruction.  It  was  demonstrated  also  that 
whenever  any  citizen  gave  a  determined  and  positive  order  to  any  of  the 
mob  it  was  usually  obeyed. 

A  notice  had  been  published  in  the  Sunday  morning  papers,  and  had 
also  been  given  out  in  the  various  churches,  that  a  meeting  of  the  citizens 
would  be  held  at  the  old  city  hall,  at  noon,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing 
to  protect  the  city.  Some  citizens  met  at  the  old  city  hall,  according  to 
notice,  but  there  seemed  to  be  no  head  to  the  movement,  and  it  adjourned 
to  meet  at  the  new  city  hall  immediately.  At  this  place  a  committee  of 
safety  was  appointed,  and  a  sort  of  an  organization  for  defense  commenced, 
but  in  the  language  of  a  prominent  witness  engaged  in  the  movement,  : 
"  They  were  all  day  doing  very  little;  there  was  no  head  anywhere  ;  the 
mayor  did  nothing,  and  seemed  to  be  powerless,  and  the  sheriff  had  run 
away.  The  mayor  seemed  to  be  confused  ;  he  ran  around  some,  but  really 
did  "nothing."  A  nucleus  for  an  organization  of  the  responsible  citizens 
of  the  city  was  formed,  however,  which  on  the  following  day  developed 


Leg  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  17 

into  vigorous  action,  and  the  best  men  of  the  city  came  forward  and  sub- 
scribed liberally  to  a  fund  to  pay  an  extra  police  force,  and  pledged  them- 
selves to  subscribe  any  amount  necessary  to  put  the  city  in  a  complete 
state  of  defense  against  the  mob  element.  Some  sixty  thousand  dollars 
was  actually  subscribed,  of  which  about  fifteen  thousand  dollars  was  used 
to  pay  the  extra  police  force  called  into  existence  by  the  action  of  the  citi- 
zens during  the  emergency. 

About  four  to  five  o'clock,  p.  M.,  a  body  of  fity  or  sixty  men,  composed 
of  professional  and  business  men,  were  organized  under  the  lead  of  Doctor 
Donnelly,  and  armed  at  first  with  ax-helves,  and  afterwards  with  some 
old  muskets  and  no  ammunition,  and  with  white  handkerchiefs  on  their 
left  arms,  appeared  at  the  scene  of  the  trouble,  near  the  Union  depot  and 
elevator,  but  it  was  too  late  to  save  these  buildings,  as  they  were  already 
burned.  The  crowd  gave  way  to  this  force,  but  as  the  destruction  was 
completed  here  but  little  could  be  accomplished.  The  doctor  ordered  the 
mob  to  take  hold  and  tear  down  a  fence  so  as  to  stop  the  spread  of  the  fire, 
and  they  obeyed  orders. 

There  was  such  an  apathy  among  the  citizens,  that  it  took  all  the  day 
to  raise  this  force  led  by  Doctor  Donnelby,  and  after  being  on  the  ground 
a  short  time,  and  finding  nothing  for  them  to  do,  they  disbanded. 

During  the  day  (Sunday)  a  car  load  of  whisky  or  high  wines  was  broken 
open  by  the  mob,  and  they  drauk  very  freely  of  it,  and  towards  night,  at 
the  time  the  Union  depot  and  elevator  were  burned,  most  of  the  active 
rioters  were  so  drunk  as  to  be  unable  to  continue  the  work  of  destruction, 
if  they  had  been  so  disposed.  Whisky  had  done  good  service  in  this  case, 
if  never  before.  The  fatigue  consequent  upon  the  labors  of  Saturday  night 
and  Sunday  was  also  producing  its  effect  upon  the  rioters,  and  taken  in 
connection  with  the  fact,  that  most  of  them  must  have  been  filled  to  satiety 
with  rioting  and  destruction  of  property,  shows  a  good  cause  for  the  wan- 
ing of  the  riot  on  Sunday  afternoon.  A  few  of  the  rioters,  between  five 
and  six  o'clock,  p.  M.,  went  to  the  Duquesne  depot,  (the  property  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,)  at  the  junction  of  the  Allegheny  and 
Monongahela  rivers,  with  the  intention  of  burning  it  and  the  cars  in  the 
vicinity.  One  car  was  set  on  fire  and  an  attempt  made  to  set  the  depot 
on  fire,  but  some  six  or  eight  of  the  citizens'  safety  committee  arrived  there 
about  the  time  the  rioters  did,  and  they  interfered  at  once  to  put  a  stop 
to  destruction,  and  had  no  difficulty  in  doing  so,  as  the  rioters  desisted 
and  left  as  soon  as  they  saw  any  authority  exerted  in  opposition  to  their 
schemes. 

The  Eighteenth  regiment  (Colonel  Guthrie)  had  remained  at  Torrens 
station,  keeping  the  track  clear  at  that  point,  and  waiting  for  the  expected 
trains.  The  crowd  at  that  place  numbered  about  fifteen  hundred  men, 
composed  of  mill  men,  some  railroad  men,  boys,  roughs,  arid  tramps.  The 
passenger  trains  were  allowed  to  run  by  the  mob,  but  between  Pittsburgh 
and  Torrens  they  were  filled  to  overflowing  by  the  roughest  of  the  crowd, 
who  traveled  backwai'ds  and  forwards  between  those  pieces  on  the  trains 
at  their  pleasure,  and  no  one  dared  to  interfere  with  them.  They  even 
climbed  on  the  engine  and  tender,  and  roofs  of  the  cars,  and  controlled  the 
movements  of  the  trains  whenever  they  chose  so  to  do  between  those  two 
points.  At  Torrens,  the  crowd  would  occasionally  become  demonstrative 
and  defiant,  and  Colonel  Guthrie  was  obliged  to  charge  bayonets  on  them 
several  times,  and  each  time  had  no  difficulty  in  dispersing  them.  Twice 
he  ordered  his  men  to  load  in  presence  of  the  crowd,  and  this  of  itself 
dispersed  them.  Colonel  Guthrie's  troops  were  not  allowed  to  fraternize 
with  the  mob,  but  were  kept  entirely  aloof  from  them,  and  this  regiment 
2  Riots. 


18  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

does  not  seem  to  have  become  demoralized,  as  the  Fourteenth  and  Nine- 
teenth regiments  were.  About  four  o'clock,  P.  M.,  Sunday,  Colonel  Guthrie, 
hearing  that  the  Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth  regiments  had  been  disbanded, 
and  being  unable  to  ascertain  the  exact  condition  of  affairs  at  Pittsburgh, 
went  there  and  consulted  with  General  Latta,  and  his  regiment  was  ordered 
to  march  to  that  place,  where  they  arrived  about  dark,  and,  of  course,  too 
late  to  be  of  any  service  in  stopping  the  destruction  of  property,  which 
had  all  taken  place  before  their  arrival.  They  marched  to  the  armory  and 
stayed  all  night,  and  on  Monday  forenoon,  the  Twenty-third,  together  with 
the  Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth  regiments,  which  had  been  ordered  to  re- 
assemble that  morning,  marched  through  the  principal  streets  of  the  cit}r 
for  the  purpose  of  overawing  any  riotous  disposition  that  might  still 
remain  in  those  who  had  been  engaged  in  the  work  of  destruction  the  day 
before.  Colonel  Guthrie  assumed  command  of  the  division,  his  commis- 
sion being  older  than  Colonel  Gray's  or  Colonel  Howard's,  and  when  Gen- 
eral Brown  wished  to  assume  command  Colonel  Guthrie  refused  to  recog- 
nize his  authority,  on  account  of  the  manner  in  which  he  had  managed 
matters  on  Saturday,  the  21st.  On  Saturday  night,  a  few  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  had  suggested  to  the  mayor  that  it  would  be  well  to  call 
out  all  of  the  old  police  force  that  had  been  discharged,  and  in  accordance 
with  this  suggestion  the  chief  of  police  caused  a  notice  to  be  published, 
calling  on  them  to  report  at  his  office  and  they  would  be  assigned  to  duty. 
During  the  day  several  reported  and  were  emploj'ed,  and  afterwards  most 
of  the  old  force  were  taken  back  and  assigned  to  duty  for  a  time.  This 
extra  force,  together  with  the  force  of  citizens  organized  for  the  purpose, 
patrolled  the  city  that  Sunday  night,  and  succeeding  nights,  until  the 
danger  had  passed. 

From  the  first  commencement  of  the  strike,  the  strikers  had  the  active 
sympathy  of  a  large  portion  of  the  people  of  Pittsburgh.  The  citizens 
had  a  bitter  feeling  against  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  on  account 
of,  as  they  believed,  an  unjust  discrimination  by  the  railroad  compan}- 
against  them  in  freight  rates,  which  made  it  very  difficult  for  their  manu- 
facturers to  compete  successful^  with  manufacturers  further  west,  and  this 
feeling  had  existed  and  been  intensified  for  years,  and  pervaded  all  classes. 
A  large  portion  of  the  people  also  believed  that  the  railroad  company  was 
not  dealing  fairly  by  its  men  in  making  the  last  reduction  in  wages,  and 
the  tradesmen  with  whom  the  trainmen  dealt  also  had  a  direct  sympathy 
with  the  men  in  this  reduction,  for  its  results  would  affect  their  pockets. 

The  large  class  of  laborers  in  the  different  mills,  manufactories,  mines, 
and  other  industries  in  Pittsburgh  and  vacinity,  were  also  strongly  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  railroad  strikers,  considering  the  cause  of  the  railroad  men 
their  cause,  as  their  wages  had  also  been  reduced  for  the  same  causes  as 
were  those  of  the  railroad  men,  and  they  were  not  only  willing  but  anxious 
to  make  a  common  fight  against  the  corporations.  This  feeling  of  aversion 
to  the  railroad  company  and  sympathy  with  the  strikers  was  indulged  in 
by  the  Pittsburgh  troops  to  the  same  extent  that  it  was  by  the  other  class- 
es, and  as  many  of  them  had  friends  and  relatives  in  the  mob,  it  is  not  much 
to  be  wondered  at  that  they  did  not  show  much  anxiety  to  assist  in  dispers- 
ing the  crowd  and  enforcing  the  law. 

With  the  repulse  of  the  attempt  to  set  fire  to  the  Puquesne  depot  ended 
all  active  efforts  by  the  mob  to  dcsti'oy  property,  and  after  that  Sunday 
night  no  mob  of  any  size  was  again  assembled,  although  it  was  several  days 
before  complete  order  was  fully  restored,  as  the  people  had  lost  confidence 
in  all  the  laboring  men,  and  no  one  knew  who  to  trust  or  what  to  expect 
from  others  on  account  of  the  extent  to  which  the  demoralization  had  gone. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  19 

About  sixteen  hundred  cars,  (mostly  freight,)  including  passenger  and 
baggage  cars,  with  such  of  their  contents  as  were  not  carried  away  by  the 
thieves  ;  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  locomotives,  and  all  the  shops'  ma- 
terials and  buildings,  except  one  or  two  small  ones,  of  the  railroad  com- 
pany, from  above  Twenty-eighth  street  to  the  Union  depot,  were  burned 
on  that  Saturday  night  and  Sunday. 

It  has  been  estimated,  by  a  competent  person,  that  the  damage,  includ- 
ing loss  of  property  and  loss  of  business,  consequent  upon  the  interruption 
of  business,  which  was  inflicted  by  the  mob,  at  Pittsburgh  alone,  was 
$5,000,000.  This  may  be  a  large  estimate,  but  if  the  consequential  damages 
could  be  correctly  arrived  at,  the  total  damage  would  fall  but  little  short 
of  the  figures  given.  The  actual  loss  of  property  by  the  railroad  company 
alone,  not  including  the  freight  they  were  transporting,  is  estimated  at  two 
million  dollars,  by  the  officers  of  the  company,  from  actual  figures  made. 
The  authorities  of  Allegheny  county  adopted  thorough  measures  to  ascer- 
tain the  extent  of  the  loss  of  property,  and  to  that  end  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  investigate  claims  of  those  claiming  damage.  One  hundred  and 
sixty-nine  claims  were  settled  by  the  committee,  that  is,  the  amount  of 
each  claim  of  this  number  was  adjusted  and  agreed  upon  by  the  commit- 
tee and  the  parties,  and  the  total  amount  thus  adjusted  is  about  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  thousand  dollars,  and  all  this  is  strictly  private  property. 
Some  persons  refused  to  adjust  the  amount  of  their  claims  with  the  com- 
mittee, among  which  is  the  claim  of  the  elevator  company,  amounting  to 
the  sum  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Property  that  was  stolen  was 
also  recovered  and  returned  to  the  railroad  company,  amounting  in  value 
to  at  least  sixty  thousand  dollars. 

The  tracks  from  Union  depot  out  to  and  bej^ond  Twenty-eighth  street 
were  nearly  all  ruined  by  the  fire,  the  rails  being  warped  and  twisted  and 
the  ties  burned  ;  they  were  also  covered  with  the  debris  of  the  burned  cars, 
and  it  was  about  a  week  after  the  destruction,  or  until  July  30th,  before  the 
railroad  company  were  enabled  to  get  their  trains  all  running  regularly 
again  over  this  portion  of  the  track. 

During  the  troubles  of  the  20th  and  21st,  efforts  were  made  by  the 
strikers  to  come  to  an  understanding  or  compromise  with  the  railroad 
officials,  and  a  committee  to  confer  with  the  officials  was  appointed. 

Some  time  on  Friday,  the  20th,  the  committee  met  Mr.  Pitcairn,  the 
superintendent  of  the  Pittsburgh  division,  and  presented  him  with  a  writ- 
ten statement  of  the  demand  made  by  the  strikers,  of  which  the  following 
s  a  copy,  viz  : 

"Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers, 

Pittsburgh  Division,  No.  50, 
Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  July  20,  1877. 

To  the  Superintendent  Western  Division,  Pennsylvania  Bailr o ad  : 

First.  We,  the  undersigned  committee  appointed  by  the  employes  of 
the  western  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  do  hereby 
demand  from  the  said  company,  through  the  proper  officers  of  said  com- 
pany, the  wages  as  per  department  of  engineers,  firemen,  conductors, 
brakemen,  and  flagmen  as  received  prior  to  June  1,  1877. 

Second.  That  each  and  every  employ^  that  has  been  dismissed  for  taking 
part  or  parts  in  said  strikes  to  be  restored  to  their  respective  positions. 

ThiT  d.  That  the  classification  of  each  of  said  department  be  abolished 
now  and  forever  hereafter. 

Fourth.  That  engineers  and   conductors  receive  the  wages  as  received 


20  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

by  said  engineers  and  conductors   of  the  highest  class  prior  to  June  1, 

1817. 

Fifth.  That  the  running  of  double  trains  be  abolished,  excepting  coal 
trains. 

Sixth.  That  each  and  every  engine,  whether  road  or  shifting,  shall  have 
its  own  fireman. 

Respectfully  submitted  to  you  for  immediate  consideration. 

J.  S.  McCauley, 
D.  H.  Newhard, 
John  Shan  a, 
G.  Harris, 
J.  P.  Kessler. 

Committee." 

Mr.  Pitcairn  informed  the  committee,  that  these  terms  could  not  be  ac- 
cepted by  the  railroad  company,  and  that  he  could  not  send  such  a  prop- 
osition to  Colonel  Scott,  the  president  of  the  company,  and  the  negotiations 
were  broken  off.  An  attempt  was  made  on  Sunday,  by  some  of  the  citi- 
zens, to  induce  the  railroad  officials  to  submit  some  proposition  for  a  com- 
promise to  the  strikers,  but  the  officials  refused,  saying  that  the  men  had 
taken  the  law  into  their  own  hards,  and  that  no  proposition  could  be  made 
to  them  until  their  property  was  restored,  and  all  opposition  had  ceased, 
and  that  it  was  now  a  matter  of  law,  and  the  State  authorities  must  settle 
the  question  with  the  men  first. 

The  propositions  embraced  in  the  papers  submitted  by  the  committee  of 
engineers,  proposed  that  the  railroad  company  should  make  concessions 
that  had  never  been  asked  before.  The  first  and  second  explain  themselves 
fully,  and  had  been  grounds  of  complaint  before.  The  third,  requiring 
the  abolishment  of  the  classification  of  conductors  and  engineers,  had  never 
been  a  ground  of  complaint  by  the  men.  The  conductors  were  divided 
into  three  classes:  The  first  of  which  received  a  certain  rate  of  pay  per 
month  the  first  year  of  service ;  an  addition  of  ten  per  cent,  for  the  second 
year,  and  another  addition  of  the  ten  per  cent,  for  the  third  year.  The  engi- 
neers were  divided  into  four  classes,  and  received  an  advance  often  per  cent, 
for  each  year  of  service  after  the  first  until  the  fourth  class  was  reached. 
This  classification  was  adopted  at  the  request  of  the  men  themselves,  some 
years  previous,  and  no  complaint  in  regard  to  it  had  ever  reached  the 
officers  of  the  company. 

This  principle  of  classification  had  been  practiced  by  other  railroads,  and 
has  worked  well,  and  is  a  good  rule  for  both  the  men  and  the  l-ailroads,  as 
its  tendency  is  to  secure  and  retain  better  men  to  run  the  trains. 

The  fourth  proposition,  if  accepted,  would  have  placed  the  new,  inexpe- 
rienced men  on  the  same  footing  as  the  men  of  experience,  and  to  give 
them  at  once  the  highest  wages  paid  the  older  and  more  experienced  men. 
The  fifth  proposition  was  for  the  railroad  company  to  back  down  and 
rescind  the  order  made  to  run  double-headers  and  the  sixth  that  the  com- 
pany should  employ  a  fireman  on  all  shifting  engines,  a  place  where  they 
are  not  usually  needed,  as  the  engine  is  not  engaged  in  steady  work,  and 
the  engineer  can  do  his  own  firing  without  trouble  or  over-work.  N<>  pro- 
position of  compromise  was  submitted  to  the  strikers  on  the  part  of  the 
railroad  company,  and  what  would  have  been  the  result  if  one  had  been 
made,  it  is  useless  to  speculate  about. 

As  tending  to  show  the  feeling  of  the  people  of  Pittsburgh  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  difficulties  between  the  Penns3dvania  Railroad  Company  and  its 
employes  and  in  regard  to  the  strike,  some  copies  of  editorials  from  several 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18TT.  21 

of  the  newspapers  of  the  city,  written  and  published  at  the  time  of  the 
strike,  have  been  inserted  in  the  evidence  accompanying  their  report. 

More  space  has  been  given  to  the  history  of  the  riots  at  Pittsburgh  than 
to  any  other  place,  as  it  was  here  the  troubles  first  commenced  in  this 
State ;  here  was  the  greatest  loss  of  life,  and  it  was  here  that,  by  far,  the 
greatest  destruction  of  property  took  place.  We  turn  now  to  Allegheny 
City,  just  across  the  river  from  Pittsburgh,  and  the  termini  of  the  Pitts- 
burgh, Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  railroad,  the  Allegheny  Valley  railroad, 
the  Pan  Handle  railroad,  and  the  Connellsville  division  of  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  railroad.  On  Friday  morning,  July  20th,  the  freight  conductors 
and  brakemen  on  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  railroad  refused 
to  go  out  with  their  trains,  and  the  railroad  officers,  fearing  trouble,  sent 
up  to  the  mayor's  office  for  some  policemen  to  preserve  the  peace,  and  ten 
were  sent  them.  The  ma}Tor  was  not  at  his  office  at  the  time,  but,  on  his 
return,  he  immediately  went  up  to  the  depot  to  look  after  the  troubles  him- 
self. At  the  time  the  mayor  arrived  on  the  ground  there  was  a  crowd  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred  and  fifty  men  assembled  and  no 
man  could  be  found  to  man  the  trains.  One  engineer  came  out  with  his 
engine,  which  was  surrounded  by  the  crowd,  but  no  violence  was  used  and 
there  is  no  evidence  of  any  threats  being  made  at  the  time,  but  he  returned 
with  his  engine  to  the  round  house.  After  this  time  no  attempt  to  run  a 
freight  train  was  made  on  this  road  until  the  troubles  were  all  over  and  the 
men  had  given  up  the  strike. 

The  strikers  here  were  under  the  leadership  of  one  R.  A.  Amnion,  bet- 
ter known  as  Boss  Amnion,  and  declared  their  intention  to  use  no  violence 
to  prevent  trains  from  running ;  that  if  the  railroad  company  could  get 
"scabs"  (as  the  strikers  called  any  man  who  was  willing  to  work  during  a 
strike)  to  run  their  trains,  they  were  willing  the  trains  should  run,  but  as 
the  company  was  unable  to  find  men  willing  to  go  out  on  the  trains,  the 
good  intentions  of  the  strikers  were  not  tested.  As  this  road  was  run  di- 
rectly in  connection  with  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  on  the  general  western 
through  traffic,  it  was  but  little  object  to  force  the  freight  trains  out  as 
long  as  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  was  blockaded,  and,  hence,  no  effort  was 
made,  after  the  first  day,  to  run  freight  trains.  The  main  efforts  were  in 
the  direction  of  keeping  the  peace  and  preventing  the  destruction  of 
property.  The  strikers  delared  their  intentions  to  keep  the  peace,  and 
prevent  the  destruction  of  property,  and  not  interfere  with  the  running  of 
passenger  trains,  and  they  were  told  that  so  long  as  they  did  this  in  good 
faith,  they  would  not  be  interfered  with.  Mayor  Phillips  immediately  or- 
dered out  all  his  police  to  patrol  the  city,  organized  an  extra  force  of  citi- 
zens, and  swore  them  in,  made  a  requisition  on  the  Secretary  of  War  for 
five  hundred  guns,  and  got  them,  and  placed  them  in  the  hands  of  the  citi- 
zens, and  generally  had  everything  so  well  organized  and  arranged  that 
any  attempt  at  a  riot  could  have  been  met  and  quelled  at  once.  It  was 
rumored  that  the  mob  had  broken,  or  was  going  to  break,  into  the  armory 
and  get  the  guns  (about  forty)  stored  there,  and  the  mayor  at  once  sent 
and  had  the  guns  all  removed  to  a  place  of  safety.  It  was  also  rumored 
that  the  mob  from  Pittsburgh  intended  to  come  over  into  Allegheny  City, 
and  destroy  the  railroad  property  there,  and  the  mayor  had  the  bridges 
all  guarded  by  armed  men,  with  two  field  pieces  at  the  principal  ones, 
which  he  was  enabled  to  get,  and  there  being  no  balls  with  them,  he  caused 
them  to  be  loaded  with  square  iron  burs,  an  inch  or  so  in  size. 

The  city  had  fifty-five  policemen,  and  these  were  kept  on  duty  as  much 
of  the  time  as  it  was  possible  for  men  to  be  out,  and  no  opportunity  was 
given  any  of  the  Pittsburgh  mob  to  cross  over  to  Allegheny. 


22  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

At  the  time  it  was  alleged  that  the  Pittsburgh  mob  was  coming  to  Alle- 
gheny City,  to  destroy  the  property  of  the  railroad  company  there,  an  ar- 
rangement was  made  with  Ainmon  and  his  men  to  take  the  freight  cars  out 
of  the  city,  which  was  accordingly  done,  and  ten  miles  of  cars  were  hauled 
out  from  the  city  some  miles,  and  stowed  away  on  the  side  ti*acks,  until 
the  troubles  were  over,  Avhen  the  same  men  brought  them  back  and  turned 
them  over,  in  good  order,  to  the  railroad  authorities.  It  was  also  ar- 
ranged with  Ammon  and  his  men,  that  as  long  as  the  men  behaved  them- 
selves and  protected  the  property  of  the  company,  no  soldier  should  be 
brought  there  to  interfere  with  them,  and  if,  at  any  time,  they  found  them- 
selves unable  to  preserve  the  peace  and  take  care  of  the  property,  they 
were  to  notify  the  mayor,  who  would  then  furnish  a  force  to  preserve  order. 
The  mayor  also,  at  the  commencement  of  the  troubles,  sent  his  policemen 
around  to  notify  the  saloon-keepers,  and  others,  to  close  their  bars,  and 
sell  no  sti'ong  drink  to  an}*'  one,  and  afterwards  sent  the  force  around  to 
see  that  the  order  was  obeyed.  Although  not  legally  binding,  the  order 
was  very  generally  observed,  and  no  trouble  was  experienced  on  account 
of  the  crowd  using  strong  drink.  The  mayor  had  notices  posted  through- 
out the  city  that,  if  necessity  required  it,  ten  taps  of  the  bell  was  to  be 
the  signal  for  the  general  assembling  of  the  citizens  at  a  given  place  for 
defense,  which  signal,  fortunately,  was  not  required  to  be  given. 

Mayor  Phillips  considered  himself  as  the  chief  peace  officer  of  the  city, 
and  if  the  sheriff  or  military  had  been  called  on  for  assistance,  he  did  not 
consider  either  or  both  superseded  him,  but  that  it  would  have  been,  his 
dut}^  to  have  cooperated  with  them  to  the  full  extent  of  his  power. 

"  Boss  "  Ammon  and  his  party,  which  consisted  of  about  one  hundred 
railroad  men  and  a  crowd  of  two  or  three  hundred  outsiders,  roughs,  and 
laborers,  continued  to  run  the  Pittsburgh  division  of  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort 
Wayne  and  Chicago  road  until  Tuesday  evening,  the  24th  instant,  at  which 
time  Governor  Hartranft  arrived  from  the  West.  When  Ammon  heard 
that  the  Governor  was  on  the  train,  coming  to  Pittsburgh,  he  telegraphed 
him,  welcoming  him  to  the  State,  and  assuring  him  a  safe  passage.  On 
the  Governor's  arrival  he  was  met  by  Ammon  and  introduce:!  to  the 
crowd,  and  gave  them  a  short  talk,  counselling  obedienee  to  the  laws,  which 
was  well  received.  It  was  now  felt  by  all  that  the  strike  must  come  to 
an  end  immediately  ;  that  there  was  a  man  at  the  head  of  affairs  who  knew 
his  duty  and  would  not  be  trifled  with,  and  that  all  parties  would  be  fairly 
and  justly  treated.  Boss  Ammon  immediately  made  arrangements  to  turn 
over  the  railroad  to  the  proper  authorities,  he  seeing  very  clearly  that  the 
proper  time  to  do  so  had  now  come,  and  that  further  delay  was  dangerous. 
Some  of  his  men  could  not  agree  with  him  that  it  was  best  to  make  terms 
while  they  could,  and,  at  a  meeting  of  the  men,  he  was  hissed,  and  they 
refused  to  hear  him  speak. 

Thus  fell  from  his  position  of  boss  the  man  who,  with  only  eleven  months' 
experience  as  a  brakeman,  for  four  or  five  days  successfully  ran  one  divi- 
sion of  a  great  railroad. 

It  has  by  some  been  considered  an  extraordinary  performance  for  a 
young  man  of  twenty-five,  with  the  small  experience  he  had,  to  control  the 
men  he  did,  and  keep  the  passenger  trains  running  regularly  without  acci- 
dent on  such  a  railroad ;  but  when  the  circumstances  are  considered  it  is 
nothing  wonderful.  In  the  first  place,  a  mob  or  crowd  are  always  willing 
to  follow  any  person  who  has  nerve,  and  is  willing  to  assume  the  respon- 
sibility and  take  the  lead.  Amnion  had  the  nerve;  was  naturally  shrewd 
and  sharp,  and  knew  how  to  control  men,  and  they  had  been  used  to  look 
up  to  him  as  the  organizer  of  the  Trainmen's  Union.     The  mob  always 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  23 

wants  a  dictator,  and  in  Ammon  they  had  one.  In  the  next  place,  the  great 
railroads  of  the  country  are  so  organized,  and  their  trains  are  run  by  such 
a  regular  system  in  connection  with  the  telegraph,  that  the  trains  can  be 
run  for  days  without  a  break  if  the  superintendent  should  abandon  the 
road  entirely.  Amnion  was  a  king  so  long  as  he  led  in  the  direction  the 
crowd  wished  to  go  ;  when  he  undertook  to  put  on  the  brakes  and  get  them 
to  reason  about  their  situation,  and  ran  counter  to  their  opinions,  he  was 
dethroned  with  as  little  ceremony  or  compunction  as  one  school  boy  shows 
in  knocking  of  the  hat  of  another. 

Human  nature  is  the  same  everywhere ;  in  politics,  society,  or  with  the 
mob,  the  leader  must  go  in  the  direction  his  followers  would  have  him  go, 
or  he  is  replaced  for  one  more  subservient.  From  Wednesday,  the  25th 
of  July,  the  officers  of  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  railroad 
began  to  be  able  to  get  control  of  their  road,  and  in  a  few  days  all  the 
trains  were  running  regularly.  The  other  railroads  running  into  Allegheny 
City  had  nearly  the  same  difficulty  with  their  men  as  did  the  Pittsburgh, 
Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  railroad,  and  their  trains  for  a  few  days  were  not 
regularly  run,  but  they  got  along  without  any  rioting  or  destruction  of 
property,  and  were  soon  able  to  start  all  their  trains  again. 

On  Friday,  July  20th,  the  freight  conductors  and  brakemen  on  the  Penn- 
sylvania railroad,  at  Philadelphia,  began  to  be  uneasy,  and  on  Saturday, 
the  21st,  a  strike  was  in  full  operation  among  them.  They  gathered  in 
crowds  at  the  yards  of  the  company  where  the  freight  trains  were  made  up 
to  start  out,  and  they,  as  in  other  places,  were  joined  by  a  large  crowd  of 
idle  men,  tramps,  and  vagabonds,  such  as  are  found  around  a  large  city, 
and  who  scent  out  a  chance  for  trouble  or  a  riot,  as  a  crow  scents  carrion. 
The  officials  called  on  Mayor  Stokley  for  policemen  to  keep  the  peace,  and 
protect  the  property  of  the  compan}^.  The  mayor  at  once  acted  vigorously  ; 
sent  out  his  police  with  orders  to  disperse  any  crowd  that  might  gather 
on  the  grounds  of  the  railroad  company,  and,  on  advising  with  the  citizens, 
he  was  authorized  to  call  out  an  extra  force,  which  he  did  at  once.  His 
action  was  so  thorough  and  efficient,  that  no  serious  interruption  of  traffic 
was  experienced  at  that  place,  although  crowds  of  rough  men  had  gathered 
to  the  number  of  two  or  three  thousand,  and  at  one  time,  as  estimated,  to 
the  number  of  four  thousand  to  five  thousand.  They  were  dispersed  by  the 
prompt  and  vigorous  action  of  the  police,  who  would  charge  into  the  crowd, 
using  their  clubs  freely  and  scattered  them  at  once.  It  was  the  policy 
of  the  mayor  not  to  allow  a  mob  to  collect,  and  this  prevented  a  serious 
rioting. 

To  Mayor  Stokley  and  his  police  force,  the  State,  as  well  as  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  is  greatly  indebted,  and  to  their  efforts  may  be  ascribed  the 
salvation  of  that  city  from  the  disgraceful  scenes  enacted  at  Pittsburg. 

On  Saturday,  July  21st,  an  uneasiness  among  the  trainmen  at  Harrisburg 
and  Scranton  was  observed,  which,  within  the  following  two  or  three 
clays,  ripened  into  a  strike.  The  first  crowd  which  gathered  in  Harris- 
burg was  on  Saturday  evening,  the  21st  of  July,  at  the  Pennsylvania  rail- 
road depot,  to  prevent  the  shipping  of  ammunition  to  Pittsburgh.  The 
mayor  was  notified  about  ten  o'clock,  p.  m.,  of  what  was  going  on,  and  he 
immediately  sent  for  the  chief  of  police,  to  make  arrangements  to  meet 
the  threatened  danger.  A  lieutenant  of  police  and  another  policeman 
being  the  only  members  of  the  force  then  available  for  prompt  service, 
were  sent  to  the  scene  of  the  trouble,  and,  by  arrangement,  arrested  a  man 
and  started  for  the  mayor's  office  with  him,  to  draw  the  crowd  from  the 
depot.  This  ruse  proved  successful,  and  the  ammunition  was  shipped  be- 
fore the  crowd  returned.     Some  three  hundred  or  four  hundred  persons 


2f  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

followed  the  policemen  with  their  prisoner  to  the  mayor's  office,  and,  on 
their  arrival  there,  the  mayor  went  out  and  asked  them  to  disperse,  when 
about  one  half  of  the  crowd  left.  The  person  arrested  then  appeared  at 
the  door,  and  informed  the  crowd  that  he  had  been  arrested  for  drunken- 
ness and  disorderly  conduct,  and  the  balance  of  them  dispersed. 

On  Sunday,  the  22d,  the  trainmen,  whose  head-quarters  were  at  Harris- 
burg,  struck,  and  in  consequence  thereof  a  large  crowd  gathered  on  the 
common,  and  listened  to  harangues  from  some  of  their  number,  among 
whom  was  an  insane  man  from  the  lunatic  asylum.  From  the  common, 
the  mob  went  to  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  depot,  and  prevented  a  train 
from  going  out,  and  the  mayor,  having  notice  of  their  movements,  ap- 
peared upon  the  scene  and  found  some  bo}Ts  uncoupling  an  engine  from 
the  train,  which  the  mayor  put  a  stop  to,  and  requested  the  engineer  to 
move  on,  which  he  refused  to  do,  giving  as  an  excuse  that  he  was  told 
there  were  obstructions  on  the  track  a  short  distance  out  of  town.  The 
crowd  at  this  time  was  composed  of  all  kinds  of  citizens,  good,  bad,  and 
indifferent,  and  they  soon  dispersed,  and  no  violence  took  place.  On  Mon- 
day,  the  23d,  the  mob  gathered  in  large  force  about  the  railroad  premises, 
and  there  being  a  larger  number  of  roughs  and  tramps,  became  more  tur- 
bulent and  interfered  with  the  running  of  the  trains.  The  mayor  consulted 
the  leading  men  about  raising  a  posse  to  assist  the  police,  there  being  only 
seventeen  in  the  service  of  the  cit}^  and  it  was  determined  to  raise  a  force 
of  citizens,  to  be  called  the  "  law  and  order  posse,"  who  were  to  assemble 
at  the  mayor's  office,  on  a  given  signal  from  the  court-house  bell. 

The  sheriff  of  the  count}'  was  at  Atlantic  City  at  the  commencement  of 
the  trouble,  and  was  telegraphed  to  when  matters  began  to  assume  a  seri- 
ous aspect,  and   he  arrived  at  Harrisburg  on  the  evening  of  the  23d. 
At  this  time  the  mob  had  increased  largely,  and  was  becoming  demonstra- 
tive.    The  sheriff  was  informed  as  to  what  measures  had  been  taken  so 
far,  and  the  mayor  requested  him  to  take  charge  of  the  situation  and  con- 
trol the  movements  generally,  which  the  sheriff  assented  to,  and  at  once 
prepared  a  proclamation,  ordering  all  good  citizens  to  turn  out  and  assist 
in  enforcing  law  and  order,  which  proclamation  was  published  in  the  papers 
the   next  morning.     In  the  evening  of  the  23d   a  portion   of  the  mob 
had  gone  to  Aultmeyer's  gun  store,  on  Second  street,  and  demanded  ad- 
mittance, and  the  proprietor  had  opened  the  doors  to  them.     Word  was 
sent  to  the  mayor  of  the  occurrence,  and  he  took  his  police  and  repaired 
to  the  place  immediately.     He  found  the  store  full  of  men  and  bo}'S,  who 
had  helped  themselves  to  guns  and  knives.     The  mayor  formed  his  police 
in  front  of  the  store  and  went  in  and  talked  with  them,  and  after  a  little 
parleying  they  delivered  up  the  weapons  they  had  seized  and  left.     About 
eleven  o'clock,  p.  m.,  the  mob  gathered  in  large  numbers  on  Market  street, 
where  it  crosses  the  railroad,  and  working  up  Market  street  they  broke 
into  two  or  three  stores.     The  signal  for  the  assembling  of  the  citizens 
was  given,  and  they  assembled  immediately  at  the  corner  of  Third  and 
Market  streets  to  the  number  of  three  hundred  to  four  hundred,  together 
with  the  sheriff,  the  mayor,  and  the  police.     The  sheriff  being  a  man  of 
considerable  military  experience,  had  caused  the  citizens  to  adopt  company 
and  regimental  organizations,  by  reason  of  which  they  were  more  quickly 
assembled  and  more  easily  handled  and  moved.     The  sheriff  and  mayor 
went  down  to  the  mob  and  ordered  them  to  disperse,  which  they  refused 
to  do,  and  then  the  police  and  citizens,  armed  with  pistols  and  clubs,  were 
marched  toward  the  mob,  the  police  and  mayor  at  the  head  of  the  column. 
The  mob  numbered   from  seven  hundred  to  one  thousand,  and  two  thirds 
of  them  dispersed  on  seeing  the  force  marching  against  them,  but  some 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18T7.  25 

two  hundred  stood  their  ground.  The  force  in  command  of  the  nuayor 
and  sheriff  marched  into  this  body,  using  their  clubs  freely,  and  completely 
dispersed  them  without  firing  a  shot.  Several  of  the  rioters  were  arrested 
at  the  time,  and  quite  a  number  during  the  week ;  in  all  some  forty-five 
or  fifty  of  the  leaders  were  arrested,  many  of  them  being  taken  in  their 
beds  that  night. 

This  determination  on  the  part  of  the  civil  authorities,  backed  by  the 
citizens,  broke  the  spirit  of  the  mob,  and  they  did  not  again  assemble  in 
any  great  number,  or  commit  any  further  breaches  of  the  peace,  although 
the  citizens' organization  was  kept  up  for  several  days,  and  a  special  force 
of  some  fifty  men  was  employed  to  be  on  the  watch  for  some  time,  and 
until  matters  became  quiet  throughout  the  State.  The  whole  number  of 
citizens  enrolled  was  about  fifteen  hundred,  and  more  than  one  thousand 
were  out  on  a  parade  at  one  time.  On  receiving  news  of  the  uneasiness 
manifested  at  Harrisburg,  General  Latta,  then  at  Pittsburgh,  telegraphed 
Major  General  J.  K.  Sigfried,  commanding  Fourth  division  National  Guard, 
with  head-quarters  at  Pottsville,  to  put  the  City  Grays,  of  Harrisburg,  on 
duty  at  the  arsenal  at  once,  and  order  his  whole  division  under  arms, 
and  move  to  Harrisburg.  He  also  received  a  similar  telegram  from  Gov- 
ernor  Hartranft,  from  Medicine  Bow,  Wyoming  Territory.  The  telegrams 
were  dated  July  22d.  General  Sigfried  had,  on  the  previous  day,  as  a  pre- 
cautionary measure,  ordered  Captain  Maloney,  of  the  Harrisburg  City 
Grays,  to  ship  his  arms  and  ammunition  to  the  State  arsenal,  located  just 
outside  of  the  city,  and  to  stay  there  and  guard  the  same,  to  prevent  it 
from  falling  into  the  hands  of  any  mob  that  might  undertake  to  capture  it. 
General  Sigfried  arrived  at  Harrisburg  with  nine  companies  of  the  Sev- 
enth and  Eighth  regiments  on  the  23d,  and  was  there  joined  by  eight 
other  companies,  making  a  force  under  his  command  of  some  eight  hun- 
dred men.  These  troops  were  stationed  at  the  arsenal  at  the  time  the 
mob  was  dispersed  by  the  police  and  sheriff's  posse,  on  the  night  of  the 
23d,  but  were  not  called  on  by  the  civil  authorities,  they  evidently  under- 
standing their  duty,  which  was  to  attempt  to  enforce  the  law  by  the  means 
within  their  power,  before  calling  on  the  military  for  assistance.  Had 
this  been  done  as  promptly  in  some  other  places,  much  expense  to  the 
State  might  have  been  saved,  and  the  riot  nipped  in  the  bud,  instead  of 
being  allowed  to  become  strong  and  organized,  while  waiting  for  troops  to 
arrive.  The  mayor  testified  that  when  the  disturbance  first  commenced 
the  citizens  were  lukewarm,  and  seemed  to  have  considerable  sympathy 
with  the  strikers,  but  as  soon  as  affairs  began  to  assume  a  serious  aspect, 
they  came  forward  and  enrolled  themselves  freely  in  the  law  and  order 
posse,  and  urged  prompt  and  vigorous  action,  and  by  so  doing  they  no 
doubt  prevented  the  enacting  at  this  place  of  the  terrible  destruction  of 
life  and  property  which  took  place  in  other  localities. 

At  Reading,  on  Saturday,  July  21st,  the  idle  men  began  to  gather  in 
small  bodies  and  talk  of  strikes,  and  showed  a  disposition  to  interfere  with 
railroad  property,  but  no  overt  act  was  committed  until  Sunday  the  22d. 
The  mob  at  this  place  was  composed  primarily  of  discharged  employes  of 
the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Company,  who  had  been  discharged 
in  the  month  of  April  preceding.  The  officers  of  that  road  learning  that 
the  society  called  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers  intended  to 
make  the  company  trouble,  commenced  preparing  for  it,  and  when  in  April 
the  engineers  demanded  an  advance  in  wages  of  twenty  per  centum,  they 
were  notified  that  any  pei'son  who  belonged  to  the  brotherhood  could  not 
remain  in  the  employ  of  the  company  unless  he  severed  his  connection  with 
that  society,  and  that,  as  the  society  was  a  beneficial  one,  and  had  a  fund 


26  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

for  its  members  to  draw  on  in  case  of  sickness,  the  company  would  estab- 
lish such  a  fund  for  its  engineers.  In  consequence  of  this  demand,  and  the 
circular  of  the  company,  some  four  hundred  engineers,  firemen,  and  brake- 
men  left  the  service  of  the  company,  whose  places  were  filled  by  promoting 
firemen  and  hiring  new  men,  and  those  coming  from  other  roads  who  held 
certificates  of  competency  and  good  behavior.  Many  of  these  men  who 
left  the  employ  of  the  company  had  remained  in  and  about  Reading,  and 
on  hearing  of  the  riots  at  Pittsburgh,  thought  it  would  be  a  good  time  to 
take  their  revenge  on  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Company, 
and  these,  with  other  idle  men,  composed  the  nucleus  of  the  mob,  and 
were,  as  in  other  places,  soon  joined  by  all  the  tramps  and  criminals  in  the 
vicinity.  None  of  the  regular  employes  of  the  railroad  company  struck 
at  that  time,  nor  were  they  engaged  in  the  riots.  On  Sunday  trains  were 
interfered  with  near  the  depot,  and  one  or  two  cars  burned,  and  on  Sunday 
night,  the  22d,  the  Lebanon  Valley  railroad  bridge,  which  is  a  very  high 
one,  crossing  the  Schuylkill  at  Reading,  and  costing  a  large  sum  of  money, 
was  burned.  On  the  evening  of  July  22d,  Adjutant  General  Latta  tele- 
graphed to  Major  General  William  J.  Bolton,  commanding  the  Second 
division  National  Guard,  with  head-quarters  at  Norristown,  to  concen- 
trate the  Sixteenth  regiment,  under  arms,  at  once  at  Norristown,  and  the 
Fourth  regiment,  at  Allentown,  which  was  done  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
the  Fourth  regiment,  General  Reeder,  reported  on  the  morning  of  the  23d, 
that  all  the  companies  were  in  hand  except  company  A,  which  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  mob  at  Reading. 

At  3.50,  P.  M.,  of  that  day,  J.  B.  Wootten,  general  manager  of  the  Read- 
ing Railroad  Company,  telegraphed  General  Bolton,  that  they  were  in  need 
of  protection  at  Reading,  and  asked  that  General  Reeder  be  sent  to  that 
place  with  his  command,  which  request  was  complied  with,  and  General 
Reeder  ordered  to  proceed  to  Reading  at  once.  General  Reeder,  with  the 
the  Fourth  regiment,  Colonel  Good,  arrived  at  Reading  about  seven  o'clock, 
p.  M.,  of  the  23d,  and  instead  of  finding  the  mob  in  possession  of  the  depot 
of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  railroad,  as  he  expected,  found  it  in  pos- 
session of  a  squad  of  the  coal  and  iron  police.  The  mob  had  had  pretty 
much  its  own  way  all  day,  and  had  stopped  the  running  of  all  freight 
trains,  and  interfered  with  the  passenger  trains.  The  sheriff  of  the  county, 
George  R.  Yorgey,  who  was  out  of  the  city,  had  been  telegraphed  to  by 
the  chief  of  police,  in  regard  to  the  trouble,  and  having  been  furnished  an 
extra  train,  arrived  in  the  city  about  five,  a.  m.,  of  the  23d. 

On  his  arrival,  he  refused  to  take  any  steps  to  raise  a  posse,  although 
men  were  offered  him  by  the  railroad  officials,  and  the  only  step  taken  by 
him  to  disperse  the  rioters,  and  preserve  order  during  the  troubles,  was  to 
issue  a  proclamation  at  night,  on  the  23d,  requesting  all  good  citizens  to 
remain  at  their  homes.  When  the  chief  executive  officer  of  the  count}',  so 
fails  in  his  duty,  it  is  no  wonder  that  mobs  become  defiant  and  destroy  life 
and  property. 

The  mayor  was  absent  from  the  city,  and  the  chief  of  police,  Peter  Cul- 
len,  was  the  only  civil  officer  who  did  any  thing  to  preserve  order.  He, 
with  the  police  force  of  twenty-seven  men,  did  all  that  men  could  do  under 
the  circumstances.  On  Sunday  night,  with  a  few  police,  he  tried  to  pre- 
vent the  burning  of  the  cars,  and  stopped  it  after  a  short  time.  On  Mon- 
day, with  his  force  he  cleared  the  crossing  at  Seventh  and  Penn  streets, 
so  that  the  street  cars  and  people  could  pass,  although  the  crowd  numbered 
several  thousands.  He  also  sent  out  his  men  to  raise  a  posse  of  two  hun- 
dred men  among  the  citizens,  but  they  all  refused,  and  laughed  at  the  po- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  27 

lice,  and  he  did  not  consider  that  he  had  the  authority  to  summon  them  op 
order  them  out. 

The  police  force  was  still  at  the  Penn  street  crossing  when  General 
Reeder  arrived  at  the  depot.  The  railroad  officials  requested  General 
Reeder  to  move  into  the  railroad  cut  to  release  a  train  that  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  mob, and  as  that  was  on  the  direct  route  to  Penn  street  cross- 
ing, the  point  to  which  he  wished  to  go  with  his  force,  he  commenced  his 
march  through  the  cut.  The  cut  is  some  three  squares  long ;  the  banks 
about  thirty  feet  high  at  the  highest  place,  and  at  the  ends  tapering  down 
to  nothing,  with  streets  crossing  it  by  bridges  in  two  places,  and  walks  at 
each  side  near  the  top  of  the  bank,  with  a  stone  wall  down  the  face  of  the 
bank,  and  a  parapet  three  or  four  feet  high  to  protect  the  walks. 

On  nearing  the  cut,  General  Reeder's  force  was  met  by  a  large  crowd 
hooting  and  jeering  at  the  soldiers,  and  throwing  stones,  and  the  General, 
seeing  the  temper  of  the  mob,  ordered  his  musicians  to  the  rear  and  his 
men  to  lead.  The  mob  gave  away,  but  as  the  troops  entered  the  cut  the 
mob,  which  lined  both  sides  of  the  cut,  began  to  throw  brickbats,  paving 
stones,  and  other  missiles  down  on  them,  which  the  soldiers  bore  until  the}5- 
were  two  thirds  of  the  way  through  the  cut,  when  one  or  two  pistol  shots 
were  fired  at  them,  and  one  soldier  fired  his  piece  in  the  air,  which  was 
followed  by  scattering  shots,  and  then  by  a  regular  volley,  and  firing  was 
kept  up  until  they  reached  the  Penn  street  crossing,  where  the  police  were 
stationed.  Of  the  two  hundred  and  fifty-three  soldiers  only  about  fifty 
escaped  being  hurt,  but  none  were  seriously  injured.  Of  the  crowd  eleven 
were  killed,  and  over  fifty  wounded,  two  of  the  killed  and  some  of  the 
wounded  being  mere  lookers  on,  and  not  engaged  in  the  riots. 

It  being  so  dark  that  no  one  could  be  i*eadily  distinguished,  seven  of  the 
policemen  who  were  in  line  across  the  railroad  at  the  Penn  street  crossing 
were  wounded  by  the  fire  of  the  troops,  some  of  them  quite  seriously,  but 
they  all  recovered.  This  collision  broke  the  spirit  of  the  mob,  and  no 
destruction  took  place  after  that  at  this  place.  But  the  mob  was  threat- 
ening for  several  days,  so  much  so  that  five  companies  of  the  Sixteenth 
regiment  were  immediately  sent  to  General  Reeder,  from  Norristown. 
This  did  not  improve  the  condition  of  affairs,  as  the  men  of  the  Sixteenth 
regiment  openly  fraternized  with  the  rioters,  and  declared  their  intention, 
in  case  of  further  trouble,  of  siding  with  them,  and  furnished  them  with 
ammunition.  This  soon  destroyed  the  morale  of  the  Fourth  regiment, 
and  General  Reeder  asked  leave  to  move  them  to  Allentown,  which  was 
granted,  and  General  Bolton  started  for  Reading  on  a  special  train,  after 
giving  orders  for  the  movement  and  disposition  of  the  balance  of  the  men 
of  his  division.  On  arriving  at  Reading  he  found  matters  rather  quiet  at 
the  depot,  with  the  Sixteenth  regiment  in  possession.  The  authorities 
fearing  trouble  that  night,  and  the  police  having  been  out  that  day  again 
trying  to  raise  extra  men  for  the  force,  and  failing,  General  Bolton  tele- 
graphed to  General  Reeder,  who  was  at  Temple  station,  six  miles  distant, 
to  return  at  once  with  the  Fourth  regiment ;  to  which  General  Reeder  an- 
swered that  "  the  men  positively  refused  to  return  to  Reading  to-night ; 
the  regiment  and  company  officers  are  perfectly  helpless ;"  and  from  Col- 
onel Good  :  "  The  men  of  the  Fourth  positively  refuse  to  return  to-night ; 
I  can't  get  twenty-five  men,"  and  General  Bolton  finally  ordered  General 
Reeder  to  rendezvous  at  Allentown  and  await  further  orders.  It  is  enough 
to  say  that  three  hundred  United  States  troops  arrived  that  day  at  Read- 
ing, and  no  further  serious  trouble  was  apprehended  or  occurred  ;  that 
General  Bolton  ordered  the  Sixteenth  regiment  to  return  to  Norristown  ; 
but  company  I  mutinied  and  refused  to  return,  and  was  disbanded  in  dis- 


28  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

honor  by  the  general.  He  afterwards  issued  an  order  to  disband  com- 
panies C,  D,  E,  and  H,  of  the  Sixteenth  regiment,  subject  to  the  approval 
of  the  Governor,  for  general  insurbordination  and  mutinous  conduct  while 
under  orders. 

At  Scranton,  the  railroad  men  began  to  feel  the  effects  of  the  strikes  in 
other  places,  and  on  Monday,  the  23d  of  July,  rumors  were  circulated  that 
a  strike  was  to  be  inaugurated  on  the  roads  running  through  that  place. 
Mayor  R.  H.  McKune  was  at  Ocean  Grove,  and  seeing  the  accounts  of  the 
troubles  at  Pittsburgh  in  the  newspapers,  hurried  home,  where  he  arrived 
on  the  evening  of  the  23d.  On  the  24th,  he  tried  to  get  the  city  council 
together  to  prepare  for  the  emergency,  as  the  strike,  according  to  rumor, 
was  to  take  place  the  next  day,  the  25th ;  but  the  council  were  opposed  to 
doing  anything  in  that  direction,  and  refused  to  take  any  action.  On  Wed- 
nesday, the  25th,  a  committee  of  trainmen  waited  on  the  superintendent  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western  railroad,  and  informed  him  that 
no  trains  would  be  allowed  to  leave,  except  the  engine  with  a  mail  car. 
The  superintendent  asked  the  mayor  for  a  force  to  protect  the  trains,  but 
the  regular  police  force  of  the  city  had  been  reduced  to  ten  men,  which 
was  entirely  insufficient,  and  the  superintendent  was  advised  to  run  the 
mail  cars  for  the  present,  and  not  undertake  to  move  regular  trains  until 
more  assistance  could  be  got,  which  advice  was  finally  followed. 

On  the  26th  of  July,  the  miners  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  and  Coal  Company 
held  a  meeting  at  the  Round  woods,  at  which  from  six  thousand  to  eight 
thousand  persons  were  present,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  confer 
with  the  general  manager  in  regard  to  wages,  and  the  crowds  began  to 
gather  in  the  streets.  The  mayor  called  an  advisory  committee  of  seven 
of  the  leading  citizens,  on  Thursday  morning,  the  26th,  and  it  was  agreed 
to  raise  and  swear  in  a  special  police  force  of  the  citizens,  to  act  during 
the  emergency,  which  arrangement  was  carried  out,  and  quite  a  number  of 
them  raised  that  day,  and  placed  under  the  command  of  officers  who  had 
seen  service  in  the  army.  A  room  was  procured  at  the  company  store,  as 
it  was  called,  for  this  special  force  to  meet  and  organize  in,  and  meetings 
were  held  and  necessary  arrangements  made  to  meet  any  emergency. 

The  miners  had  resolved  to  quit  work  and  not  allow  the  mines  to  be 
pumped,  and  there  was  great  danger  that  they  would  be  flooded  and  im- 
mense damage  inflicted.  On  Sunday,  the  29th,  the  authorities  met  a  com- 
mittee of  the  miners  and  represented  to  them  that  the  damage  of  flooding  the 
mines  would — a  great  portion  of  it — fall  on  them,  as  the  mines  could  not 
then  be  woi'ked  for  a  long  time  if  once  flooded,  and  it  was  finally  con- 
cluded that  the  pumps  might  be  worked,  so  that  on  Monday  the  pumps  were 
generally  going  again.  On  Monday  the  city  council  met,  and  resolved  that 
no  necessity  existed  for  special  police,  and  that  none  would  be  paid  by  the 
city.  The  mayor  on  that  day  sent  for  the  executive  committee  of  the  train- 
men, and  informed  them  that  on  Tuesday,  the  31st,  it  was  proposed  to  start 
the  regular  trains  at  nine,  A.  M.,and  if  resisted  the  mayor  would  use  all  the 
force  at  his  command  to  put  the  trains  through.  In  the  afternoon  the 
trainmen  had  a  meeting  and  resolved,  by  a  large  majority,  to  resume  work, 
and  by  evening  of  that  day  all  fears  of  any  further  trouble  had  passed. 
The  special  force  of  citizens  which  had  been  sworn  in  were  armed  partly 
with  Remington  rifles  and  partly  with  muskets,  and  it  was  arranged  that 
they  should  assemble  at  headquarters  on  a  given  signal  through  the  church 
bells.  Wednesday  morning,  August  1st,  a  meeting  of  the  laboring  men  of 
the  vicinity  was  held  at  the  silk  works,  a  mile  or  so  below  the  city,  at  which 
some  seven  thousand  or  eight  thousand  men  were  present.  Accounts  con- 
flict as  to  the  purpose  of  this  meeting,  some  contending  that  it  was  called 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  29 

to  hear  a  report  of  some  committee,  and  some  that  no  object  was  specified 
in  the  call,  which  was  by  word  of  mouth  from  man  to  man.  No  commit- 
tee made  any  report,  but  a  letter  was  read  by  some  demagogue,  purporting 
to  be  written  by  W.  W.  Scranton,  general  manager  of  the  Lackawanna 
Iron  and  Coal  Company,  saying  that  he  meant  to  have  the  men  at  work  for 
fifty  cents  a  day,  and  when  they  died  bury  them  in  a  culm  pile.  Mr.  Scran- 
ton denies  having  written  any  such  letter,  but  it  answered  the  purpose  of 
its  author  by  inflaming  the  minds  of  those  at  the  meeting,  and  they  broke 
up  with  the  cry,  "let  us  clean  out  the  company's  shops."  About  half-past 
ten,  a.  M.,  the  mayor  was  informed  that  a  crowd  of  men  was  coming  up  from 
the  silk  works.  The  mayor,  with  a  friend,  started  out  to  see  what  was  the 
trouble,  and  on  his  wav  notified  some  of  the  special  police  to  meet  at  head- 
quartei's. 

On  arriving  at  the  corner  of  Lackawanna  and  Washington  avenues,  they 
saw  a  crowd  of  from  three  to  four  thousand  coming  up  the  latter  street, 
and  swarming  about  the  machine  and  other  shops,  and  about  the  railroad. 
The  mayor  went  clown  into  the  crowd,  which  opened  for  him,  and  he  went 
as  far  as  the  machine  shop,  and  turned  and  came  back  to  the  roadway  of 
the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western  shops.  He  had  said  to  them  : 
"  Boys,  you  are  doing  wrong  ;  you  must  disperse  and  go  home."  On  ar- 
riving at  the  roadway,  a  company  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hun- 
dred, who  had  been  driving  the  men  from  the  shops,  and  beating  and  mal- 
treating them,  came  along,  and  the  leader  asked  who  that  was.  On  being 
told  it  was  the  mayor,  he  said,  "  kill  the  son  of  a  bitch ;  he  has  no  business 
here,"  and  immediately  two  shots  were  fired,  and  the  mayor  was  struck 
between  the  shoulders  by  a  club,  or  some  heavy  weapon,  so  hard  as  to 
cause  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs :  a  stone  struck  him  in  the  small  of  the 
back,  and  several  persons  struck  him  with  sticks.  Several  friends  gath- 
ered about  the  mayor,  and  Father  Dunn,  a  Catholic  priest,  came  along  to 
assist  him.  He  was  slipped  out  under  the  railroad  bridge  and  toward 
Lackawanna  avenue,  followed  by  the  crowd.  The  mayor  had,  before  enter- 
ing the  crowd,  given  orders  to  have  the  signal  given  for  the  assembling  of 
the  extra  police  force,  which  order  had  not  been  executed,  but  word  had 
been  passed  to  a  number  of  men,  and  when  he  got  back  to  the  avenue  he 
saw  a  body  of  them  coming  down  towards  him.  At  this  point  the  mayor 
was  hit  by  some  heavy  instrument,  which  broke  his  jaw  and  knocked  him 
senseless  for  a  time,  but  he  went  a  short  distance  down  the  street  and 
back  again  to  where  the  mob  and  extra  force  of  citizens  were  just  about 
to  meet.  The  mob,  on  leaving  the  machine  shops,  had  cried  out,  "  now 
let's  clean  out  Lackawanna  avenue,"  (the  principal  street  of  the  city.) 
"  Let's  clean  out  the  town."  The  force  of  citizens — about  fifty  in  number — 
were  passing  Washington  avenue  just  as  the  mob  came  up  it  and  struck 
Lackawanna  avenue,  and  they  closed  in  behind  the  citizens  and  on  both 
sides  of  the  street  around  them ;  then  a  large  number  of  stones  and  other 
missiles  were  thrown  at  the  special  police,  with  cries  of  "  kill  them  ;  take 
their  guns  from  them,"  and  similar  threats,  and  shortly  two  or  three  pistol 
shots  were  fired  by  the  mob,  and  then  the  order  was  given  the  citizens  to 
fire,  which  was  immediately  done,  and  three  of  the  ringleaders  killed  the 
first  fire.  This  dispersed  the  mob,  which  fled  in  every  direction.  The 
citizens  gathered  again  at  the  company  store  to  the  number  of  two  hun- 
dred, and  a  policeman  soon  reported  the  crowd  gathering  again. 

The  mayor,  at  the  head  of  twenty-five  of  his  men,  immediately  went  to  the 
crowd  and  ordered  them  to  disperse,  which  order  they  obeyed.  This 
force  of  citizens  kept  up  their  vigilance,  not  allowing  any  crowd  to  gather 
until  the  troops  arrived  on  August  2d,  and  took  charge  of  the  military 


30  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

affairs  at  that  place.  A  great  deal  of  ill  feeling  and  dissatisfaction  still  ex- 
isted among  the  miners  and  mill  men,  but  no  open  outbreak  occurred,  and 
before  the  troops  left  that  section  quiet  and  order  was  fully  restored.  Too 
much  praise  cannot  be  awarded  the  mayor  and  citizens'  special  police  force 
of  Scran  ton  for  the  admirable  organization  they  created,  and  for  the 
prompt  and  vigorous  measures  taken  when  the  emergency  arrived.  Had 
the  action  of  the  city  council  been  approved  and  its  advice  taken,  no  spe- 
cial police  force  would  have  been  raised,  or  had  there  been  timidity  among 
them  when  called  out,  Scranton  would,  no  doubt,  have  suffered  as  badly  as 
did  Pittsburgh  ;  for  nowhere  in  the  State  was  there  a  harder  set  of  men 
than  at  Scranton  and  vicinity,  many  of  the  Molly  Maguires,  driven  out  of 
Schuylkill  county,  having  gathered  in  and  about  that  city,  besides  the 
scores  of  other  hard  cases  who  had  been  there  for  years.  Riotous  demon- 
strations were  made  at  several  other  points  in  the  State,  but  none  of  them 
assumed  any  great  magnitude,  except  at  Altoona  and  a  few  places  in  the 
anthracite  coal  region,  and  the  occurrences  at  these  places  being  described 
in  the  movements  of  the  military  as  reported  in  the  report  of  the  Adju- 
tant General  for  the  year  1871,  and  being  so  similar  to  those  that  took 
place  at  the  points  particularly  described  herein,  except  as  to  magnitude, 
it  is  not  deemed  necessary  to  further  notice  them  in  this  report. 

Your  committee  has  not  thought  it  necessary  to  give  a  detailed  account 
of  the  general  movements  of  troops,  except  so  far  as  they  relate  to  the 
troubles  at  some  particular  point,  where  the  same  was  necessary  to  a  cor- 
rect idea  of  all  the  circumstances  occurring  at  such  point,  these  general 
movements  being  all  detailed  fully  in  the  Adjutant  General's  report  above 
referred  to. 

As  it  is  made  the  duty  of  your  committee  to  report  "by  what  authority 
the  troops  of  the  State  were  called  out,  for  what  purpose,  and  the  service 
and  conduct  of  the  same,"  we  approach  this  part  of  our  labors  with  con- 
siderable diffidence,  on  account  of  the  peculiar  situation  of  affairs  at  many 
of  the  points  to  which  troops  were  sent ;  the  fact  that  this  kind  of  service 
was  new  to  most  of  them,  and  that,  unaccustomed  as  our  people  are  to  the 
use  of  the  military  to  enforce  the  laws,  the  opportunities  for  forming  a 
correct  judgment  are  few,  and  the  chances  for  being  mistaken  are  many. 
It  is  perhaps  eas}r,  after  a  thing  has  happened,  to  criticise  the  actions  of 
those  engaged  in  the  transaction,  to  point  out  where  they  failed,  and  to  say 
where  they  ought  to  have  done  different,  but  if  the  theories  of  the  critic  had 
been  tested  by  actual  experience,  he  too  might  have  produced  no  better  re- 
sults than  did  those  he  criticises.  Bearing  this  in  mind,  and  endeavoring 
to  treat  the  whole  subject  fairly  and  conscientiously,  we  proceed  to  give 
our  views  upon  this  part  of  the  matter  under  consideration.  And  first, 
the  troops  of  the  State  were  called  out,  in  the  first  instance,  by  orders 
from  James  W.  Latta,  Adjutant  Genei'al  of  the  State,  on  a  call  from  the 
sheriff  of  Allegheny  county,  the  orders  being  signed  by  him,  the  Adjutant 
General,  the  Governor's  name  not  being  attached  thereto,  the  Governor, 
:is  before  stated,  being  absent  from  the  State.  He,  with  his  family,  started 
for  California  on  the  16th  of  July,  and  before  leaving  had  a  conference 
with  the  Attorney  General,  Adjutant  General,  and  Secretary  of  the  Com- 
monwealth, as  to  whether  there  was  any  reason  why  he  should  not  go.  It 
was  agreed  by  all,  that  everything  in  the  State  was  quiet  at  the  time,  and 
no  prospects  of  any  disturbance,  and  that  there  was  no  reason  whatever, 
why  he  should  not  take  the  contemplated  trip.  Before  leaving,  however, 
he  instructed  Adjutant  General  Latta  that  if  there  was  any  trouble  in  his 
absence  he  should  exercise  the  authority  vested  in  the  Commander-in- 
Chief,  in  accordance  with  the  same  rule  and  principles  previously  estab- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  31 

lishecl,  which  were  that  on  a  call  from  the  sheriff  of  a  county  for  troops 
to  assist  in  enforcing  the  law,  the  military  should  only  be  sent  after  he 
became  satisfied  that  the  sheriff  had  exhausted  his  powers  and  authority 
to  suppress  the  disorder,  and  that  the  lawless  element  was  too  strong  to 
be  controlled  by  the  civil  authorities. 

General  Latta,  after  directing  General  Pearson,  at  Pittsburgh,  to  order 
out  one  regiment,  and  to  take  command  of  the  military  situation,  reported 
what  had  occurred,  and  his  order  to  General  Pearson,  to  the  Governor, 
which  dispatch  reached  the  latter  at  Antelope,  on  the  Union  Pacific  rail- 
road, July  20,  before  noon,  which  was  answered  by  the  Governor  from 
Cheyenne,  at  half  past  one,  p.  M.,  the  same  day,  directing  General  Latta 
to  "order  promptly  all  troops  necessary  to  support  the  sheriff'  in  protect- 
ing moving  trains  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad,  and  go  to  Pitts- 
burgh and  keep  supervision  of  all  troops  ordered  out."  From  this  time 
communication  by  telegraph  was  kept  up  by  the  Governor  until  his  return, 
and  all  troops  were  ordered  out  in  pursuance  to  general  orders  given  by 
him.  The  Governor  received  a  telegram  from  C.  N.  Farr,  his  private  sec- 
retary, and  General  Latta,  at  2.20,  P.  M.,  the  20th  instant,  that  everything 
was  going  on  well,  and  the  riot  would  be  suppressed,  and  for  him  to  go  on. 
He  accordingly  pursued  his  journey  to  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  received 
a  telegram  Saturday  evening,  the  21st,  at  nine  o'clock,  giving  an  account 
of  the  collision  between  the  troops  and  the  mob  at  Pittsburgh,  when  he 
immediately  procured  a  special  train,  and  started  on  his  return.  These 
facts  show  that  the  troops  were  called  out  by  the  proper  authority  of  the 
State,  on  a  requisition  of  the  civil  authorities  of  the  locality  where  the 
troops  were  to  be  sent. 

We  believe  that  neither  the  mayor  of  Pittsburgh,  nor  the  sheriff  of  Alle- 
gheny county,  had  exhausted  their  powers  under  the  law  to  disperse  the 
mob  before  calling  for  troops,  and  that  under  the  rules  adopted  by  the 
commander-in-chief  the  steps  prerequisite  to  ordering  out  the  troops  had 
not  been  properly  taken  by  the  civil  authorities.  The  purpose  for  which 
the  troops  were  called  out  was  to  assist  the  civil  authorities  in  enforcing 
the  law,  and  preserving  the  public  peace,  and  it  was  at  no  time  supposed 
by  any  one  of  the  military  officers  that  they  superseded  the  civil  power, 
although  at  some  places  they  were  obliged  to  act  in  the  absence  of  the 
civil  officers,  the  latter  having  run  away,  or  refused  to  do  anything  to  sup- 
press the  riotous  disturbances. 

The  service  and  conduct  of  the  troops  was  generally  good,  considering 
the  circumstances  under  which  they  went  into  service,  except  in  a  few  in- 
stances, which  will  be  more  particular^  specified  hereafter.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  never  before  were  the  militia  of  the  State  placed  in  so 
trying  a  position  as  that  in  which  the}'  were  placed  in  July  last.  Rarely, 
if  ever,  were  regular  soldiers  placed  in  more  trying  circumstances.  Called 
upon  without  a  moment's  warning,  they  left  their  homes,  with  but  little  or 
no  preparation,  and  hastened  to  the  scene  of  the  troubles.  Nothing  had 
occurred  to  give  the  people  of  the  State  or  the  railroad  officials  any  indi- 
cations of  an  outbreak  at  that  time,  but  all  at  once  the  storm  burst  upon 
the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  and  threatened  its  destruction^  Tn  this  emergency 
the  National  Guard  was  called  out,  and  most  of  the  commands  arrived  at 
the  scene  of  the  troubles  with  great  promptness,  and  there  met  a  foe  more 
formidable  than  they  had  any  expectation  of  meeting.  The  active  Na- 
tional Guar;!  of  the  Commonwealth,  being  made  up  of  volunteers  from  the 
people  of  the  locality  in  which  the  military  organization  exists,  is  usually 
composed  of  all  classes  of  the  citizens  of  the  locality,  and  the  members  of 
the  military  will,  therefore,  naturally  be  impressed  with  all  the  feelings  of 


32  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

the  community  in  which  they  reside,  and  be  infected  with  anjr  spirit  of  re- 
sistance to  constituted  authority  that  may  exist  among  any  great  class  of 
their  neighbors. 

Hence  it  is  that  this  guard  cannot  be  always  relied  upon  to  do  its  full 
duty  in  case  of  troubles  at  home,  requiring  the  intervention  of  the  military. 

Not  being  brought  up  to  the  profession  of  soldiers,  and  the  officers  being 
their  friends  and  neighbors,  and  when  at  home  being  no  better  and  having 
no  more  authority  than  themselves,  they  are  sometimes  loth  to  obey  orders 
when  these  orders  run  contrary  to  their  wishes  and  inclinations.  The  mili- 
tary  discipline,  which  comes  from  actual  service,  is  wanting,  and  being 
accustomed  to  do  their  own  thinking,  having  an  opinion  on  all  matters 
that  come  before  them,  and  freely  expressing  it,  it  is  very  hard  to  come 
down  to  the  condition  of  executing  orders  without  a  why  or  wherefore, 
even  in  ordinary  cases;  but  when  it  comes  to  using  their  weapons  against 
their  friends,  neighbors,  and  perhaps  relatives,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
if  they  sometimes  waver  in  their  duty.  Every  member  of  the  active  Na- 
tional Guard  ought,  however,  to  be  taught  that  as  a  soldier  it  is  his  duty 
to  obey  the  orders  of  his  superior  officers  without  question ;  that  in  case 
of  a  mob  or  riot  in  his  neighborhood,  strong  enough  to  defy  the  civil 
authority,  the  organization  of  which  he  is  a  member  is  the  first  to  be 
called  upon,  and  that  this  aid  to  the  civil  powers  is  one  of  the  principal 
duties  which  devolve  upon  him,  and  one  of  the  principal  reasons  for  main- 
taining such  an  organization.  Taking  into  account  the  difficulty  of  over- 
coming these  natural  feelings  of  men,  a  large  majority  of  the  troops  called 
out  in  July  last  may  be  said  to  have  behaved  nobly.  General  Pearson 
has  been  severely  censured  for  having  (as  was  alleged)  given  the  command 
to  the  troops  at  Twenty-eighth  street  to  fire  on  the  mob,  and  the  troops 
have  also  been  denounced  for  the  firing  which  occurred  at  that  point. 

Your  committee  have  found,  from  the  evidence,  that  General  Pearson 
did  not  give  the  orders  to  fire,  but  we  are  of  the  opinion  that  he  would 
have  been  justified  in  so  doing,  and  that  if  he  had  been  present  at  the  time, 
he  would  not  have  been  justified  in  withholding  such  an  order  for  a  mo- 
ment later  than  the  firing  actually  occurred.  Neither  can  any  blame  be 
attached  to  the  troops  themselves.  They  had  been  pelted  with  clubs,  stones, 
and  other  missiles  by  the  mob,  and  this  was  continually  growing  more 
severe,  when  some  persons  in  the  mob  fired  pistols  into  the  ranks  of  the 
men,  and  others  were  trying  to  wrench  their  guns  from  their  hands,  and  it 
had  become  a  question  of  submission  to  the  mob  on  their  part,  or  to  fire 
in  self-defense  before  a  gun  was  discharged  by  them. 

As  it  is  usually  the  ease  in  such  occurrences,  some  innocent  persons  were 
killed  and  others  injured,  but  for  this  the  soldiers  were  not  to  blame.  Be- 
ing where  they  ought  not  to  be,  their  presence  whether  so  intended  or  not 
encouraged  the  mob,  and  the  soldiers  could  not  in  such  a  crowd  distinguish 
friend  from  foe.  Spectators  ought  to  keep  away  from  such  molts  at  all 
times  and  not  let  their  curiosity  get  the  better  of  their  judgment  ami  dis- 
cretion. It  has  been  questioned  whether  it  was  a  wise  movement  to  order 
General  Brinton's  command  into  the  round-house  and  shops  on  the  eve- 
ning of  the  21st.  The  move  itself  we  do  not  care  to  criticise,  hut  having 
been  made,  we  think  a  stronger  picket  guard  should  have  been  thrown  out, 
all  approaches  more  thoroughly  guarded,  communication  kept  up  with  the 
Union  depot,  where  the  supplies  of  ammunition  and  food  were  stored,  ami 
whenever  the  mob  began  to  assemble  in  the  neighborhood  a  sufficient  force 
should  have  been  ordered  out  to  disperse  them,  which  could  have  been 
done  with  the  means  at  General  Brinton's  command. 

The  great  mistake  was  made  by  General   Pearson  in  ordering  General 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  I8tf.  33 

Brinton  not  to  allow  his  men  to  fire  on  the  mob  when  they  began  to  re- 
assemble, and  showed  their  murderous  disposition  by  firing  on  the  troops, 
and  the  other  measures  taken  by  them  in  the  early  evening.  General  Brin- 
ton asked  for  leave  to  fire  on  the  mob  when  they  began  to  assemble  around 
the  round  house  and  fire  on  his  men,  but  General  Pearson  would  not  allow 
it.  It  was  of  no  use  to  march  out  for  the  purpose  of  dispersing  such  a 
mob  unless  the  men  were  allowed  to  fire,  if  necessary,  as  blood  had  been 
shed,  the  mob  had  become  enraged  by  this  and  emboldened  by  the  position 
and  apparent  inactivity  of  the  troops,  and  nothing  but  the  most  severe 
measures  would  now  be  sufficient  to  overawe  and  disperse  them.  General 
Pearson  was  evidently  intimidated  by  the  denunciation  which  he  received, 
at  the  hands  of  the  press  and  people  of  Pittsburgh,  as  the  supposed  author 
of  the  order  to  fire  on  the  mob  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  In  his  evidence 
he  states  that  if  he  had  given  the  command  to  fire  at  Twenty-eighth  street, 
and  it  had  not  been  followed  by  the  frightful  destruction  of  property  which 
ensued,  he  would  have  been  tried,  convicted,  and  hung  for  murder,  such 
was  the  sentiment  of  the  people  of  Pittsburgh  at  that  time.  We  think  he 
should  have  taken  vigorous  measures  against  the  mob  after  the  occurrences 
at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  not  have  allowed  it  to  assemble  again  in  that 
vicinity,  and  that  he  ought  not  to  have  left  the  round  house  at  the  time  he 
did.  For  what  occurred  after  that  time  he  is  blameless,  for  on  reaching 
the  Union  Depot  Hotel  he  was  practically  relieved  from  his  command  by 
General  Latta.  We  think  this  was  a  mistake  also  •  that  it  was  giving  way 
to  the  sentiment  still  prevailing  in  Pittsburgh  that  the  attempt  to  disperse 
the  mob  at  Twenty-eighth  street  was  wrong,  and  the  killing  of  the  persons 
at  that  place  nothing  less  than  murder.  The  military  had  commenced  a 
move  to  accomplish  a  certain  purpose  under  the  lead  of  the  sheriff,  and  as 
his  posse;  a  collision  had  occurred,  the  sheriff  had  left,  the  mayor  refused 
to  cooperate  with  the  sheriff  or  military,  and  it  was  the  duty  of  the  mili- 
tary officers  to  carry  out  the  movement,  (to  wit:  dispersing  the  mob,)  in 
a  vigorous  manner,  and  not  in  any  way  be  swayed  from  their  dmy  by  the 
sentiment  above  spoken  of. 

We  think  the  order  given  by  General  Latta,  sent  by  Sergeant  Wilson  to 
General  Brinton  in  the  round  house,  which  closed  as  follows,  viz  :  "  If  com- 
pelled to  escape  at  last,  do  so  to  the  eastward ;  take  Penn  avenue  if  possi- 
ble, and  make  for  Guthrie,  at  Torrens,"  was  a  mistake.  Some  question 
has  arisen  as  to  the  right  of  General  Latta  to  give  orders  to  General  Brin- 
ton at  all.  We  think  that  it  is  enough  to  say  that  General  Latta  was  di- 
rected by  the  commander-in-chief  to  "  go  to  Pittsburgh  and  keep  super- 
vision of  all  troops  ordered  out ;"  that  he  went  there  in  pursuance  of 
these  directions,  issued  orders  as  if  he  understood  himself  to  be  at  the 
head  of  military  affairs  after  General  Pearson  left,  was  so  recognized  by 
all,  and  his  orders  obeyed  as  if  coming  from  the  commander-in-chief,  and 
that,  therefore,  he  cannot  escape  the  responsibility  of  any  orders  issued  by 
him,  or  the  failure  to  take  such  steps  as  a  military  commander  should  have 
taken  under  the  circumstances.  If  General  Brinton  was  to  leave  the  round 
house  he  should  have  been  ordered  to  the  Union  depot,  where  he  could 
have  fed  his  men,  and  received  a  supply  of  ammunition,  and  from  there  he 
could  have  taken  the  most  available  position  to  disperse  the  mob  and  pro- 
tect property.  Of  General  Brinton's  ability  to  have  made  this  movement, 
if  so  ordered  at  any  time,  there  can  be  no  doubt. 

Life  would  probably  have  been  sacrificed  in  making  such  a  move,  but  law 

and  order  must  be  upheld,  even  at  the  sacrifice  of  the  lives  of  such  persons 

as  composed  that  lawless  mob,  or  those  who  innocently  mingled  with  it.    The 

loss  of  life  on  the  part  of  the  troops  could  not  have  been  greater  than  it 

3  Riots. 


34  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

was  by  pursuing  the  course  afterwards  taken,  and  it  probably  would  have 
been  much  less,  as  mobs  are  always  cowardly,  and  every  demonstration 
made  against  this  mob  after  the  collision  at  Twenty-eighth  street  by  any 
persons  having  authority,  either  civil  or  military,  scattered  it.  Colonel 
Guthrie,  with  the  Eighteenth  regiment,  should  have  been  ordered  from 
Torrens  to  Pittsburgh  Saturday  night,  and  the  only  excuse  we  can  con- 
ceive for  not  doing  this  promptly,  without  waiting  for  the  troops  from 
Walls  Station,  is  the  fear  that  being  Pittsburgh  men  they  would  refuse  to 
obey  any  orders  which  would  bring  them  in  collision  with  the  mob.  This 
is  not  sufficient  excuse.  The  proper  order  should  have  been  given,  as  this 
regiment  had  not  shown  any  insubordination,  was  not  allowed  to  mix  or 
talk  with  the  mob,  and  would  no  doubt  have  obej'ed  all  orders. 

The  conduct  of  the  Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth  regiments  has  been 
severely  criticised  by  some,  but  many  considerations  are  to  be  taken  into 
account  in  coming  to  a  just  conclusion  in  regard  to  these  men.  The  mob 
was  made  up  in  part  of  their  neighbors  and  their  fellow-laborers,  and  it 
was  hard  for  them  to  take  up  arms  to  assist  the  sheriff  in  enforcing  the 
law  as  against  men  having  so  much'  of  their  sympathy.  This  accounts  for 
their  dilatory  movements  in  assembling  when  first  called  out,  and  the  failure 
to  report  of  many  of  their  men.  Their  officers  were  to  blame  for  allowing 
them  to  mingle  with  the  mob,  or  rather  for  allowing  the  mob  to  mirfgle 
with  them,  and  for  the  lack  of  strict  discipline  on  Saturday,  the  21st  of 
July.  Neither  the  officers  nor  men  were  to  blame  for  their  mismanagement 
•on  the  night  of  the  21st,  General  Brown  being  alone  responsible  for  that 
order. 

This  conduct  of  General  Brown  was  unaccountable,  until  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  he  had  been  for  some  time  previous  suffering  from  severe 
physical  ailments  which  had  seriously  affected  his  mind,  and  that  he  was 
mot  responsible  for  a  failure  in  judgment  at  the  time.  It  is  no  wonder  the 
•  oixler  called  forth  the  indignant  protest  of  Colonel  Gray,  but  coming  as  it 
did  from  a  superior  officer,  it  was  reluctantly  obeyed.  These  regiments 
were  afterwards  sent  to  the  coal  fields,  and  there  acquitted  themselves  like 
•true  soldiers. 

As  to  the  dispute  between  Colonel  Norris  and  General  Brinton,  it  is 
important  only  in  treating  of  the  conduct  of  General  Brinton.  The  Ad- 
jutant General,  in  his  evidence  before  your  committee,  stated  that  his  duty 
was  to  assemble  the  troops,  and  that  the  command  devolved  upon  the 
senior  major  general,  (in  the  absence  of  the  commander-in-chief,)  who  was 
General  A.  L.  Pearson.  He  further  stated  that  when  General  Pearson 
came  to  the  Union  depot  hotel,  before  relieving  him  of  his  command,  he 
was  particular  to  ask  him  if  he  had  left  General  Brinton  in  command,  and 
that  General  Pearson  replied  that  he  had  left  him  in  full  command.  If 
General  Brinton  was  in  command,  he  had  a  right  to  act  on  his  own  judg- 
ment. But  while  General  Latta's  statement  is  correct  when  applied  to 
him  as  Adjutant  General,  yet  it  must  be  remembered  that  he  had  assumed 
to  act  for  the  commander-in-chief,  and  gave  orders  to  General  Brinton 
during  the  night,  and  assumed  the  direction  of  the  troops.  It  is  evident 
that  General  Brinton  considered  himself  bound  to  obey  the  orders  of  the 
Adjutant  General,  and  we  take  it  for  granted  that  lie  was.  The  important 
question  then  is,  did  General  Brinton  disobey  the  orders  of  General  Latta? 
It  is  clearly  proven  and  conceded  by  all  parties  that  General  Brinton  did 
not  receive  the  written  order  given  to  Captain  Aull  to  convey  to  him  until 
the  1st  day  of  August,  a  week  or  more  after  it  was  dated.  Colonel  Nor- 
ris says  in  his  testimony  that  he  did  not  deliver  it  as  an  order  to  General 
Brinton  ;  that  he  did  not  consider  he  had  a  right  to  do  so,  but  that    he 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  35 

told  him  that  Captain  Aull  was  on  the  way  to  him  with  an  order  from 
General  Latta,  and  communicated  to  him  the  substance  of  the  order.  He 
further  said  General  Brinton  said  he  might  return  if  he  got  positive  orders 
to  do  so.  This  remark  shows  that  General  Brinton  did  not  receive  it  as 
an  order. 

And  further,  Captain  Aull  not  reaching  General  Brinton  during  the 
day,  in  the  evening  he  sent  Major  Baugh,  a  member  of  his  staff,  to  the 
Adjutant  General's  head-quarters,  at  the  Monongahela  House,  for  orders. 
The  Adjutant  General  gave  Major  Baugh  a  written  order,  which  he  de- 
livered to  General  Brinton,  who  obeyed  it  promptly.  If  Colonel  Norris 
had  reported  it  to  General  Brinton  as  an  order  coming  from  General  Latta, 
and  General  Brinton  had  received  it  as  such,  lie  would  not  have  sent  to 
head-quarters  for  orders,  as  he  did.  As  your  committee  understand  the 
evidence,  all  that  Colonel  Norris  claims  is,  that  he  told  General  Brinton 
that  Captain  Aull  had  an  order  for  him,  and  communicated  the  substance 
of  it  to  him,  and  that  General  Brinton  understood  it.  True,  that  in  this 
he  is  disputed  by  General  Brinton,  but  it  is  not  necessary  for  your  com- 
mittee to  settle  this  question  of  veracity  between  them.  The  only  ques- 
for  us  to  settle  is,  did  General  Brinton  disobey  the  order?  We  do  not 
think  that  he  did.  Colonel  Norris  does  not  say  he  gave  him  the  order. 
He  simply  told  him  Captain  Aull  had  an  order,  giving  him  the  substance 
of  it.  General  Brinton,  it  seems,  did  not  consider  it  his  duty  to  act  until 
the  order  reached  him.  Captain  Aull  not  reaching  him,  he  did  what  was 
very  proper,  sent  to  headquarters  for  orders. 

General  Brinton  has  been  censured  for  going  so  far  out  from  the  city, 
and  not  staying  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  No  one  in  his  position  could 
be  expected  to  do  differently.  Ordered  into  the  round  house,  not  allowed 
to  fire  on  the  mob  which  was  gathering  around  with  the  avowed  purpose 
of  killing  his  men,  hooted  at  by  the  same  mob  which  cheered  the  Pitts- 
burgh troops,  the  Pittsburgh  troops  disbanded  at  a  time  when  the  mob 
had  surrounded  and  besieged  the  shops  in  which  his  command  was  sta- 
tioned, fired  at  from  the  windows  of  the  houses,  street  corners,  and  even 
from  a  police  station,  not  an  official  (except  the  sheriff)  or  citizen  of  the 
place  to  come  near  him  at  any  time,  or  express  a  word  of  sympathy  or 
encouragement  in  the  disagreeable  and  delicate  duty  he  was  bound  to  per- 
form, and  after  all,  rebuffed  at  the  United  States  arsenal,  where  he  ex- 
pected aid  and  sympathy,  he  had  good  reason  to  believe  he  was  not  wanted 
in  the  city,  and  needs  no  excuse  for  putting  a  reasonable  distance  between 
his  command  and  that  place. 

The  Sixteenth  regiment  seems  to  have  been  the  most  unreliable  of  all 
the  reeiments  called  on  for  service  during;  the  time  of  the  troubles.  Com- 
pany  I  was  disbanded  in  dishonor,  for  insubordination,  cowardice,  and 
mutinous  conduct  in  disobeying  orders  and  furnishing  ammunition  to 
rioters  at  Reading,  by  Mnjor  General  Bolton,  and  he  afterwards  disbanded 
companies  C,  D,  E,  and  H  for  mutinous  conduct,  subject  to  the  approval 
of  the  Governor.  The  bad  conduct  of  these  companies  commenced  before 
they  left  home,  in  refusing  at  first  to  go  aboard  the  cars,  and  continued 
until  they  got  back  again.  The  Fourth  regiment,  after  having  a  serious 
collision  with  the  mob  at  Reading,  and  behaving  like  men  through  that 
trouble,  became  badly  demoralized  by  the  action  of  the  above  named  com- 
panies of  the  Sixteenth  regiment,  and,  for  a  day  or  two,  was  entirely  un- 
reliable, but  afterwards  recovered  its  morale  and  did  good  service.  A 
squad  of  some  fifteen  or  twenty  men,  of  General  Brinton's  division,  (com- 
pany and  regiment  not  known,)  which  failed  to  report  in  time  to  leave  with 
him  for  Pittsburgh,  afterwards  came  on  and  were  stopped  near  Altoona, 


36  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

and  being  unable  to  go  further  came  back  to  a  short  distance  above  Har- 
risburg,  and  then  left  the  cars  to  pass  that  place  on  foot  by  a  circuitous 
route,  as  it  was  reported  that  the  mob  was  in  possession  of  the  railroad, 
and  would  allow  no  soldiers  to  pass  through.  This  squad  stopped  at  some 
place  across  the  river  from  Harrisburg.  Some  two  hundred  to  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men  and  boys,  on  the  23d  of  July,  went  across  the  river  and 
came  back  escorting  this  squad  of  soldiers,  a  lot  of  boys  carrying  their 
guns,  and  they  were  taken  to  some  place  near  the  railroad,  fed  and  after- 
wards put  on  the  cars  for  Philadelphia.  Such  an  isolated  instance  as  this 
ought  not  to  condemn  the  command  to  which  it  belongs,  but  it  is  dis- 
creditable to  those  engaged  in  it,  and,  it  is  learned,  a  court-martial  has 
been  ordered  to  sit  on  their  case. 

The  National  Guard  of  the  Commonwealth  is  a  necessity,  and  in  a  State 
like  ours,  with  large  numbers  of  illiterate  and  unprincipled  men  concen- 
trated in  certain  localities,  many  of  whom  are  foreigners,  and  imbued  with 
the  spirit  of  foreign  communism,  which  is  spreading  in  this  country,  the 
Guard  must  occasionally  be  called  on  as  a  posse  to  assist  in  enforcing  the 
law  ;  but  it  never  should  be  called  on  until  all  other  means  are  tried  and 
exhausted.  It  has  become  too  common  to  call  on  the  Governor  for  troops, 
in  case  of  a  mob,  and  the  experience  of  the  summer  of  18*77,  demonstrates 
that  in  any  community  where  the  civil  authorities  and  the  citizens  wish 
the  law  enforced,  and  act  together  harmoniously  and  vigorously,  order  may 
be  maintained  and  mobs  dispersed  without  the  intervention  of  the  military. 
At  Philadelphia,  large  and  angry  mobs  were  dispersed  hy  the  police,  which, 
if  allowed  to  have  been  together  for  a  day  or  two,  would  have  become  so 
strong,  as  to  defy  the  ordinary  anthorities,  and  the  result  would  have  been 
riot  and  destruction.  It  was  the  same  at  Harrisburg,  and  also  at  Scranton, 
except  at  the  latter  place  the  city  council  refused  to  cooperate  with  the 
mayor  and  citizens,  but  notwithstanding  this  disadvantage,  the  wisdom  of 
the  measures  of  the  mayor  was  vindicated  at  the  first  collision  with  the  mob. 
It  is  but.  just  to  the  people  of  Pittsburgh  to  say  that  the  above  places  had 
the  example  of  the  latter  place  before  them,  and  had  learned  the  danger  of 
temporizing  or  in  any  way  sympathizing  with  anything  like  a  mob,  how- 
ever just  they  may  believe  their  original  demands  to  be. 

In  conclusion  your  committee  adopt  the  following  clause  of  the  Govern- 
or's message,  which  fully  coincides  with  their  views,  viz : 

"  I  have  been  thus  solicitous  to  present  the  conditions  of  a  militia  cam- 
paign, because  the  conduct  of  our  troops  during  the  late  crisis  has  elicited 
eyery  variety  of  criticism,  from  mild  censure  to  absolute  condemnation, 
and  because  there  has  grown  up  in  Pennsylvania  a  spirit  of  caviling  at  its 
militia,  in  marked  contrast  with  the  kindly  feeling  and  pride  manifested 
by  other  States  towards  their  citizen  soldiery.  Now,  that  a  temperate  re- 
view of  the  facts  may  be  made,  I  believe  it  will  not  be  considered  a  partial 
judgment  to  say  that  during  the  conduct  of  the  State  troops  during  the 
late  strike  was,  upon  the  whole,  commendable  and  creditable.  In  Pitts- 
burgh before  a  final  decision,  many  considerations  must  modify  our  judg- 
ment. The  conditions  were  not  purely  military.  It  was  not  simply  a  ques- 
tion of  preserving  a  body  of  soldiery  intact,  of  holding  a  position  or  defeat. 
ing  an  enemy.  Expecting  to  march  into  a  friendly  community,  whose 
moral  support  would  be  cheerfully  given  them,  they  entered  a  practically 
hostile  city,  were  denounced  and  threatened  by  press  and  people,  and  at- 
tacked by  men  who  lurked  in  the  security  of  a  sympathetic  crowd,  and 
used  women  and  children  as  shields  and  instruments.  If,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, their  action  lacked  the  energy  and  severity  that  purely  mili- 
tary canons  would  have  justified,  it  cannot  be  a  matter  of  surprise,  that 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  37 

having  so  long  been  accustomed  to  peace,  they  were  unable  to  comprehend 
at  once  the  sudden  conditions  of  war.  As  it  was,  though  not  executed 
with  the  skilled  precision  of  regular  troops,  the  movement  accomplished 
its  purpose,  and  the  failure  to  move  the  freight  trains  out  of  the  city,  to 
which  more  than  any  fact  the  subsequent  burning  is  attributed,  was  the 
result  of  the  want  of  cooperation  of  an  adequate  and  competent  police, 
and  the  desertion,  at  the  critical  moment,  of  the  railroad  employes. 

"  The  behavior  of  the  Pittsburgh  troops,  in  a  military  sense,  is  without  ex- 
cuse ;  but  was  it  any  worse  than  the  defection  of  officers  and  men  in  the 
regular  army,  who,  in  1861,  deserted  their  comrades  in  arms  to  join  the 
communities  in  which  they  were  born  and  bred  ?  Such  things  are  not 
military,  they  are  political  or  social ;  and  it  cannot  be  expected  that  they 
should  be  judged  by  the  severest  military  code.  It  was,  in  fact,  the  tem- 
porary excitement  of  unthinking  men,  carried  away  by  the  universal  clamor 
around  them.  For  that  reason,  when  the  burst  of  passion  was  over,  I  re- 
instated them  ;  otherwise,  new  troops  would  have  had  to  be  enlisted,  while 
these  might  be  trusted  to  have  a  keener  sense  of  duty,  from  a  desire  to  re- 
trieve their  fame.  In  the  case  of  the  Philadelphia  troops,  although  dis- 
heartened by  being  placed  on  the  defensive,  and  a  part  of  the  command 
demoralized  by  a  too  precipitate  retreat,  the  general  steadiness  and  obe- 
dience to  orders,  under  comparative  hardships,  and  in  real  danger,  show 
them  to  have  been  composed  of  the  best  of  soldiery  material.  The  failure 
to  subdue  a  city  in  insurrection  against  the  laws  is  not  to  be  attributed  to 
the  want  of  courage,  capacity,  or  fidelity  in  the  officers  and  men,  but  to  a 
natural  disinclination  to  take  life  indiscriminately,  and  the  uncertainty  as 
to  how  far,  under  the  laws,  they  could  exercise  a  purely  military  discretion. 
For  myself,  I  have  every  corfidence  in  the  Guard,  and  shall  not  hesitate, 
if  another  occasion  should  unhappily  arise,  to  rely  upon  its  fidelit}'  and 
courage.  The  after  service  of  the  Guard,  when  assembled  together,  pre- 
pared for  active  campaigning,  was  all  that  could  be  desired.  The  fact  that 
as  many  answered  the  call  for  a  service  likely  to  be  long  and  dangerous,  as 
assembled  in  the  pleasant  encampment  at  the  centennial,  is  conclusive  proof 
of  the  general  zeal  and  fidelit}*-  of  the  troops." 

The  causes  which  led  to  the  riots  are,  in  the  opinion  of  your  committee, 
as  follows,  to  wit :  The  riots  grew  out  of  the  strike  of  the  railroad  men, 
and  the  strikers  themselves  were  the  protest  of  the  laborer  against  the  sys- 
tem by  which  his  wages  were  arbitrarily  fixed  and  lowered  by  his  employer 
without  consultation  with  him,  and  without  his  consent.  There  are  many 
other  causes  that  combined  to  bring  about  the  strikes,  but  the  cause  men- 
tioned underlies  the  whole  question,  and  it  is  the  foundation  of  all  the 
trouble. 

Instead  of  capital  and  labor  working  together  in  harmony,  as  their  com- 
munity of  interests  would  dictate,  a  conflict  has  been  growing  up  between 
them,  which,  if  not  averted  or  discontinued,  will  lead  to  more  serious 
troubles  than  any  that  have  yet  occurred,  and  which  must  result,  as  all 
such  conflicts  do,  in  the  defeat  of  the  labor  interests  and  in  consequence 
thereof  placing  labor  at  a  still  greater  disadvantage  than  it  now  occupies. 
This  conflict  has  been  engendered  and  kept  up  by  demagogues  who,  for 
their  own  advantage,  seek  to  control  the  votes  of  the  laboring  men  for 
base  and  partisan  motives  and  who,  in  order  to  more  surely  secure  their 
ends,  profess  to  be  the  only  and  true  friends  of  the  laborer,  and  persistently 
misrepresent  the  capalist.  It  is  much  easier  to  move  a  body  of  men  (which, 
like  a  large  portion  of  the  laboring  class,  has  but  little  time  to  investigate 
the  problem  of  the  true  position  of  labor  and  capital  towards  each  other) 
by  appealing  to  passion  and  prejudice,  and  in  this  respect  your  demagogue 


38  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

knows  the  material  he  has  to  work  upon  and  allows  no  scruples  of  either 
honesty  or  modesty  to  restrain  him.  He  is  the  leading  spirit  in  organiz- 
ing and  keeping  up  so-called  labor  organizations  of  one  kind  or  another, 
and  which  organizations,  as  heretofore  managed  in  this  country,  have  never 
resulted  in  any  advantage  to  the  men  in  whose  ostensible  interests  they 
are  gotten  up,  but,  on  the  contrary,  have  inflicted  untold  damage  on  them. 
The  demagogue  likes  to  be  appointed  to  some  position  in  the  labor  organ- 
izations, and  is  not  slow  in  suggesting  a  traveling  agent  or  lecturer,  with 
some  supposed  duty,  where  he  can  travel  about  the  country,  living  :it  his 
ease  on  the  fruits  of  the  hard  labor  of  his  comrades,  and  spending  freely 
the  money  that  is  as  freely  furnished  him. 

Why  cannot  the  laboring  men  of  the  country  see  through  the  flimsy 
disguise  of  these  men,  and  look  at  them  as  they  are,  the  leeches  and  vam- 
pires who  prey  upon  the  life-blood  of  the  interest  they  profess  to  befriend. 
There  are  men  in  all  parties  who  have,  or  claim  to  have,  some  reputation 
as  statesmen,  who  are  not  above  the  arts  of  the  common  demagogue,  and 
who  seem  at  times  to  be  running  a  race  with  him  to  see  which  can  stoop 
to  the  lowest  tricks  to  secure  the  votes  of  the  dear  laborer.  By  the  efforts 
of  these  men,  and  the  tricks  they  practice,  this  conflict  has  been  brought 
on.  But  the  capitalist  himself  has  not  been  blameless ;  instead  of,  in  the 
common  phrase,  meeting  his  workmen  half-way,  and  trying  to  come  to  a 
fair  understanding  with  them,  he  has  put  himself  on  his  dignit}^,  and  has 
placed  all  the  blame  of  the  results  brought  about  by  the  demagogue  upon 
the  laborer  himself.  He  must  remember  that  the  laborer  is  human,  with 
hopes  and  aspirations  as  well  as  passions  and  prejudices,  and  that  it  is 
much  better  to  cultivate  the  former  by  fair,  frank,  and  courteous  treatment, 
than  to  inflame  the  latter  by  the  opposite  course.  The  laborer  believes,  as 
he  has  a  right  to  believe,  that  his  wishes  should  be  sometimes  consulted, 
and  that  he  should  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  parties  to  the  contract,  and 
as  such,  fully  consulted  whenever  the  same  is  to  be  changed  or  abrogated. 
We  believe  it  is  in  the  power  of  the  capitalist  who  is  an  employer  of  men, 
by  fair,  frank,  and  just  treatment  of  his  employes,  not  only  in  the  imme- 
diate question  of  wages,  but  also  in  looking  after  their  social  and  educa- 
tional interests,  to  completely  undermine  and  destroy  the  occupation  and 
influence  of  the  demagogue  spoken  of,  and  create  that  mutual  trust  and 
friendship  which  ought  to  exist  between  labor  and  capital,  and  thereby  put 
an  end  to  the  frequently  recurring  strikes  which  inflict  such  serious  dam- 
age on  the  business  of  the  country,  and  do  no  man  or  set  of  men  the  least 
particle  of  good. 

Many  instances  of  the  favorable  results  following  such  action  might  be 
given,  but  we  will  only  refer  to  one  instance,  which  occurred  in  Yorkshire, 
England.  Titus  Salt,  whose  father  was  a  woolen  manufacturer  at  Brad- 
ford ,  in  Yorkshire,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  started  out  in  business  for 
himself,  by  hiring  a  small  mill  and  one  or  two  men,  who,  with  himself,  did 
the  work  of  the  establishment,  and  so  diligently  and  wisely  were  his  affairs 
managed  that  in  a  few  years  he  found  himself  doing  a  successful  and  rapidly 
increasing  business,  and  by  a  lucky  discovery  of  the  value  of  the  wool  of 
the  Alpaca  sheep,  and  its  manufacture  in  dress  goods,  he  soon  acquired  a 
fortune.  This  necessitated  the  enlargement  of  his  mill,  and  to  do  this  the 
more  conveniently,  he  moved  some  two  miles  from  town  and  erected  a 
large  manufactory,  in  which  he  gave  employment  to  some  four  thousand 
operatives.  Having  been  a  laboring  man  himself,  he  knew  the  needs  and 
wants  of  the  laborer,  and  he  accordingly  erected  neat  and  convenient  cot- 
tages for  the  use  of  his  employes,  which  were  rented  to  them  at  a  moderate 
rental,  with  the  privilege  of  buying  to  those  who  were  able,  thus  assisting 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  39 

them  to  procure  a  home  of  their  own,  and  giving  them  a  substantial  in- 
terest in  the  success  of  the  business  they  were  employed  in.  He  also 
caused  to  be  erected  churches  which  all  could  attend,  and  also  school- 
houses,  wherein  every  child  could  receive  a  good  and  thorough  education. 
A  public  park  was  laid  out  and  completed,  bath-houses  built,  and  clubs  and 
lyceums  established,  Mr.  Salt  taking  the  lead  and  encouraging  his  people 
to  carry  out  and  sustain  these  institutions.  In  a  short  time  a  thriving 
town  was  built  up  which  was  named  Saltaire,  in  honor  of  its  founder,  and 
here  the  laborer  has  an  opportunity  to  enjoy  himself  like  other  human 
beings,  with  no  thought  of  occasion  for  strikes,  the  employer  or  capitalist 
and  employes  all  feeling  a  common  interest  in  the  fortunes  of  their  place, 
and  with  none  of  the  jealousies  or  prejudices  now  commonly  existing  be- 
tween these  two  classes.  Mr.  Salt  has  been  created  a  baronet,  but  this 
can  add  no  additional  honor  to  the  name  of  a  man  who  has  successfully 
solved  the  problem  of  the  true  relations  between  labor  and  capital,  and 
who  has  taught  the  capitalist  to  what  noble  duties  it  is  possible  to  devote 
himself,  and  the  laborer,  that  the  barrier  between  the  sympathies  of  the 
master  who  employs  and  overlooks,  and  the  man  who  woiks,  may  be  broken 
down  in  other  and  better  ways  than  by  hostile  combination.  Such  a  town 
as  Saltaire,  with  its  neat  cottages,  pleasant  parks,  clean  streets,  fine  churches 
and  schools,  where  labor  is  respected,  and  intemperance  banished,  is  a  bet- 
ter monument  than  any  made  of  marble  or  stone,  and  will  perpetuate  the 
name  of  its  founder  more  surely  and  completely  than  if  he  had  made  a 
fortune  by  grinding  down  his  human  help  to  the  last  farthing,  and  then  on 
his  death-bed  bequeathing  it  to  some  public  institution. 

The  immediate  cause  of  the  first  strike  which  took  place  in  Pennsylvania, 
in  July,  1877,  to  wit:  that  at  Pittsburgh,  July  19th,  was  the  order  by  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  to  run  "double-headers  "  from  that  place 
to  Deny.  This  order  of  itself,  had  there  been  no  previous  reductions  of 
wages  or  dismissals  of  men  on  account  of  the  depression  in  business,  would 
probably  have  caused  no  strike,  but  following  so  soon  after  the  second  re- 
duction, while  the  ill  feeling  engendered  thereby  was  still  having  its  effect 
on  the  men,  together  with  the  spirit  of  independence  and  probably  reck- 
lessness which  was  brought  about  by  the  organization  of  the  Trainmen's 
Union,  with  its  general  plan  for  a  strike  on  the  27th  of  June,  and  the  feel- 
ing of  uneasiness  and  dissatisfaction  existing  among  the  laboring  men  of 
the  country  general^,  caused  by  the  want  of  labor  and  the  low  price  there- 
of as  compared  with  a  few  years  previous,  all  together  combined  to  set  in 
motion  this  strike,  which  was  followed  by  results  so  disastrous  as  to  be 
forever  memorable  in  the  history  of  the  State,  results  unforeseen  and  un- 
anticipated at  the  commencement  by  the  actors  therein.  The  few  train- 
men who  refused  to  take  out  the  freight  trains  on  the  morning  of  July  19th, 
while  not  intending  or  wishing  to  cause  any  destruction  of  property  or  loss 
of  life  by  their  action,  still  cannot  escape  the  primary  responsibility  of  the 
fearful  scenes  enacted  at  Pittsburgh  during  the  few  following  days.  The 
order  which  the  railroad  company  made  was  one  it  had  «i  right  to  make,  and 
if  the  men  did  not  wish  to  work  under  the  order,  they  had  a  right  to  refuse 
to  do  so.  So  far  there  can  be  no  question  among  reasonable  men.  The 
order  having  been  promulgated  several  clays  before  it  was  to  go  into  effect, 
gave  the  men  plenty  of  time  to  consider  its  effect,  and  if  they  did  not  wish 
to  go  out  on  double-headers,  fair  treatment  would  have  dictated  that  they 
should  have  given  the  officers  of  the  company  reasonable  notice  of  their 
decision  prior  to  the  time  at  which  the  order  was  to  take  effect,  but  this 
did  not  comport  with  the  intentions  of  the  men.  They  not  only  did  not 
intend  to  work  themselves  under  that  order,  but  they  did  not  propose  to 


40  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

allow  those  who  might  be  willing  to  accept  service  of  the  company  on  the 
double-header  trains  to  do  so,  and  when  they  combined  together  and  raised 
their  hands  to  prevent  other  men  from  working,  they  committed  an  act  for 
which  there  can  be  no  excuse. 

It  was  hard  for  them  to  see  not  only  their  wages  cut  down,  but  also  to 
see  an  order  issued,  which,  if  carried  out,  would  result  in  the  discharge  of 
one  half  of  their  number,  at  a  time  when  work  was  not  to  be  had,  but  this 
does  not  justify,  and  cannot  excuse  their  interference  with  the  right  of  a 
corporation  to  take  such  measures  as  it  may  think  most  beneficial  for  its 
own  interest,  so  long  as  it  does  not  interfere  with  the  rights  of  others,  and 
especially  can  it  be  no  excuse  for  one  man,  or  set  of  men,  who  do  not  wish 
to  work  under  certain  regulations,  to  interfere  with  those  who  are  willing 
to  do  so.  The  property  of  all  citizens  must  be  protected,  and  the  laws 
must  be  enforced,  and  those  who  undertake  to  interfere  with  the  one,  or 
stand  in  the  way  of  the  enforcement  of  the  other,  must  learn,  however  se- 
vere the  lesson,  that  these  things  cannot  be  tolerated  in  a  land  of  liberty 
and  of  law,  and  that  however  much  trouble  and  expense  they  may  succeed 
in  inflicting  on  the  subjects  of  their  spite,  in  the  end  law  and  order  will 
triumph,  and  those  who  stand  in  the  way  are  those  who  suffer  the  most. 

Every  violation  of  law,  if  suppressed  or  punished,  is  done  so  at  the 
expense  of  the  community  where  the  violation  occurs,  and  the  greater  the 
violation  the  greater  the  expense.  This  expense  must  be  met  by  taxation, 
and  as  taxation  is  so  arranged  as  to  reach  every  member  of  the  commu- 
nity, the  result  of  this,  therefore,  is  that  the  person  who  creates  a  disturb- 
ance or  commits  a  crime  which  requires  the  intervention  of  the  officers  of 
the  law,  is  forced  to  pay  from  his  own  pocket  a  portion  of  the  expense  in- 
curred in  its  vindication. 

The  practice  of  a  little  arithmetic  ought  to  convince  any  one  that  vio- 
lating the  law  is  a  very  expensive  luxury,  besides  bringing  him  into  dis- 
grace and  subjecting  him  to  a  penalty.  This  argument  is  not  intended 
for  the  professional  criminal,  as  it  is  not  expected  that  he  can  be  reached 
by  any  argument,  but  it  is  hoped  that  it  may  reach  those  who  usually  in- 
tend to  be  law-abiding  citizens,  and  whose  fortunes  are  affected  by  the 
good  or  evil  fortune  of  the  community  in  which  they  reside,  and  that  this 
class  may  be  induced  to  pause  and  consider  before  they  attempt  to  use  un- 
lawful means  to  redress  any  grievances,  however  great  it  may  seem  to 
them.  The  destruction  of  property,  although  it  may  belong  to  a  corpora- 
tion, results  in  a  direct  loss  to  the  labor  of  the  country.  It  is  conceded 
that  all  property  and  capital  is  created  or  produced  by  labor,  and,  there- 
fore, any  absolute  loss,  by  the  destruction  of  either,  must,  in  the  end,  fall 
upon  the  laborer.  The  argument  sometimes  used,  that  if  property  is  de- 
stroyed its  replacement  gives  employment  to  the  laborer,  and  that,  there- 
fore, it  is  a  benefit  to  him,  is  fallacious,  for  the  reason  that  the  capital  ne- 
cessary to  pay  for  the  reproduction  of  the  property  destroyed  must  be 
originally  created  by  labor.  The  capitalist  who  loses  his.  property  by  lire 
is  much  less  able  to  furnish  employment  than  he  was  before,  and  if  this 
destruction  overtakes  the  property  of  a  whole  community,  capital  to  replace 
what  is  lost  must  be  drawn  from  some  other  locality  by  borrowing,  and 
while  times  may  seem  prosperous  during  the  time  the  re-building  is  being 
done,  yet  there  has  been  an  actual  loss  to  the  community,  which,  sooner  or 
later,  'must  be  felt.  The  draining  of  capital  from  one  place,  to  any  great 
extent,  causes  its  loss  to  be  felt  there,  and  there  is  no  way  in  which  the 
destruction  of  property,  in  one  place,  can  be  made  good  there,  without 
the  loss  being  felt  somewhere,  and  in  the  end  most  fully  and  completely 
realized  at  the  locality  where  it  occurred. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  41 

The  effects  of  such  destruction  of  property  may  be  temporarily  pre- 
vented by  bringing  capital  from  other  localities,  as  before  suggested,  and 
business  affairs  may,  for  a  time,  seem  even  more  prosperous  than  ever  ;  but 
when  the  capital  thus  brought  is  to  be  repaid,  comes  the  re-action,  and  the 
loss  is  felt  even  worse  than  it  would  have  been  had  no  such  borrowing 
have  taken  place.  Witness  the  city  of  Chicago,  as  a  notable  instance  in 
the  recent  history  of  the  country.  The  buildings  destroyed  by  the  great 
fire  at  that  place  were  speedily  rebuilt,  a  good  portion  being  done  by  bor- 
rowed capital,  and  it  was  really  surprising  to  see  with  what  amazing  ra- 
pidity the  losses  seemed  to  be  replaced,  and  the  city  rise,  as  the  phrase 
goes,  "  Phoenix  like  from  its  ashes."  Business  went  on,  seemingly,  as 
brisk  as  ever,  and  it  was  boastingly  proclaimed  that  Chicago  beat  any  city 
on  the  continent  in  recuperating  power,  and  that  it  was  a  greater  city  than 
before  the  fire.  But  pay  day  must  come.  The  property  destroyed  had 
been  replaced,  but  not  by  the  creation  of  capital  by  labor.  The  seeming 
wealth  had  no  substantial  foundation,  the  re-growth  having  been  too  rapid 
to  come  from  this  source,  and  how  stands  that  city  to-day  ? 

The  city  treasury  bankrupt,  with  a  very  serious  question  arising  whether 
the  municipal  government  can  be  maintained  much  longer,  and  private 
bankruptcy  on  every  hand,  for  the  pay  day  has  come  to  considerable  of  the 
indebtedness,  and  the  shift  of  borrowing  cannot  be  resorted  to  forever. 
The  lesson  to  be  drawn  by  the  striking  laborers  of  Pittsburgh,  from  this 
illustration  is  obvious,  and  it  should  be  taken  to  heart  and  pondered  on  by 
all  labor  organizations  throughout  the  country,  lest,  by  their  unwise  and 
hasty  action,  they  may  strike  a  blow  which  will  re-act  on  themselves  with 
treble  the  force  with  which  it  is  aimed  at  some  corporation  or  capitalist. 
It  may  be  expected  that  an  opinion  will  be  given  as  to  whether  or  not  the 
Pennsjdvania  Railroad  Company  were  justified  in  making  the  reduction  in 
wages  of  ten  per  cent,  on  June  1 1,  1877,  and,  ordinarily,  the  question  might 
be  answered  that  this,  or  any  other,  corporation  or  individual  has  the  right 
to  pay  such  wages  as  it  or  he  pleases,  and  to  require  such  services  for  the 
money  paid  as  it  or  he  may  choose.  This  rule  must  be  received  with  con- 
siderable modification,  in  the  case  of  a  great  corporation,  receiving  special 
privileges  from  the  State,  and  employing  thousands  of  men,  scattered 
from  one  end  of  the  State  to  another. 

If  such  corporation  should  execute  a  written  contract  with  all  of  its  em- 
ployes on  taking  them  into  its  service,  specifying  fully  and  particularly 
the  hours  and  service  required  from  them,  the  length  of  time  for  which 
each  was  hired,  and  the  causes  for  which  he  could  be  discharged,  no  one 
would  claim  that  they  could  vary  the  terms  of  that  contract,  without  the 
assent  of  the  employe.  From  the  manner  of  the  employment  of  the  rail- 
road employes  in  this  country,  and  especially  of  the  trainmen,  there  is  in 
good  faith  an  implied  contract  that  the  emploj^e  shall  continue  to  receive 
the  wages  the  company  is  at  that  time  paying  for  the  particular  duty 
which  he  discharges,  until  the  price  is  changed  by  mutual  consent,  and  that 
his  term  of  service  shall  continue  as  long  as  he  behaves  himself  well  and 
performs  the  services  required  of  men  in  his  position.  This  ought  to  be, 
and  is  in  equity  the  implied  contract  between  the  parties,  although  not  le- 
gally enforceable.  But  the  railroad  employe  has  a  right  to  expect  such 
treatment  by  the  company  into  whose  employ  he  enters.  He  is  required 
to  be  on  hand  whenever  called  for,  to  give  his  entire  attention  to  the  busi- 
ness of  the  corporation,  and  he  settles  down  with  his  family  in  such  place 
as  will  make  it  most  convenient  for  him  to  attend  to  the  business  of  the 
company.  His  whole  services  are  theirs,  his  arrangements  are  all  made 
with  reference  to  their  business,  and  when  he  is  discharged,  without  any 


42  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

reasonable  cause,  without  any  prior  notice,  or  his  wages  reduced  while  his 
labor  is  not  reduced,  and,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  increased  without  his 
consent,  and  the  order  for  that  purpose  made  without  consulting  him  in  any 
manner,  he  has  a  right  to  find  fault.  He  is  like  a  soldier,  whose  whole  time 
has  been  spent  in  the  service.  His  occupation  is  more  dangerous  than  that 
followed  by  others,  and  the  kind  of  services  he  has  to  perform  unfits  him 
for  other  duties,  and  railroad  officers  should  always  take  these  facts  into 
consideration  in  dealing  with  him. 

The  wages  of  the  trainmen,  after  the  reduction  in  June,  1 87*7,  were  as 
follows,  to  wit :  Freight  conductors:  first  class,  two  dollars  and  twelve 
cents  per  day ;  second  class,  one  dollar  and  ninety-one  cents  per  day;  brake- 
men,  one  dollar  and  forty-five  cents  per  day,  and  the  day's  work  averaged 
from  seven  hours  and  twenty-five  minutes,  the  shortest  time,  to  eight  hours 
and  thirty-five  minutes,  the  longest  time.  These  wages  were  good  wages 
for  the  amount  of  labor  performed  per  day.  and  if  the  men  could  make  full 
time,  would  amount  to  thirty-eight  dollars  and  seventy  cents  per  month  for 
brakemen,  and  fifty-five  dollars  and  twelve  cents  for  first  class  conductors. 
This  was  higher  wages  than  the  same  class  of  men  could  get  in  other  em- 
ployments and  seemed  to  be,  as  stated  by  the  president  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  Company,  some  twenty  per  cent  higher  than  the  wages 
paid  in  other  lines  of  business,  the  company  intending  to  keep  the  wages 
of  its  men  about  so  much  more  than  is  paid  in  other  occupations  on  account 
of  the  risk  taken  by  the  trainmen.  It  is  claimed  by  the  railroad  officials 
that  the  depression  in  freight  traffic  on  the  railroads,  both  in  amount  and 
in  price,  required  a  consequent  reduction  in  the  expenses  of  the  railroads, 
and  the  reduction  of  June,  1877,  they  asserted  to  be  justifiable,  under  all  the 
circumstances,  and  it  is  the  opinion  of  your  committee  that,  if  before  it  had 
gone  into  effect,  the  men  had  been  made  fully  acquainted  with  the  reasons 
for  the  step  taken,  and  the  necessity  of  it,  in  short,  treated  as  if  they  were 
reasonable  men  and  entitled  to  consideration,  very  much  of  the  dissatisfac- 
tion would  not  have  existed,  and  the  country  might  possibly  have  been 
spared  the  troublous  scenes  through  which  it  passed  at  that  time.  No 
doubt  the  fact  that  a  strike  of  the  trainmen  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
railroad  had  taken  place  at  Martinsburg.  West  Virginia,  on  the  16th  of 
July,  and  was  gaining  strength  and  headway,  had  its  influence  in  determin- 
ing the  trainmen  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  at  Pittsburgh,  to  commence 
their  strike  at  that  place,  and,  in  consequence  thereof,  a  much  less  grievance 
was  needed  than  would  othei*wise  have  sufficed,  as  an  excuse  for  their 
action.  The  fact,  also,  that  the  trainmen  on  other  railroads  were  rapidly 
following  suit,  and  stoping  the  running  of  freight  trains  on  such  roads,  en- 
couraged the  men  to  persist  in  their  course  to  stand  out  and  prevent,  b}T 
force,  trains  from  being  run  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad. 

There  seemed  at  this  time  to  be  an  epidemic  of  strikes  running  through 
the  country,  not  only  among  the  railroad  men,  but  among  all  classes  of 
laborers,  and  this  helped  to  precipitate  and  bring  about  strikes  at  all  tlie 
places  about  which  this  report  will  treat.  The  general  feeling  of  uneasi- 
ness existing  among  the  laboring  classes  of  the  country  before  mentioned, 
and  the  sympathy  felt  by  these  classes  for  each  other  made  them  very  sus- 
ceptible to  anything  which  affected  their  fellow  laborers,  and,  to  use  a  med- 
ical phrase,  the  labor  system  was  in  a  good  condition  to  receive  the  epi- 
demic which  was  spi'eading  over  the  country,  and  in  a  very  poor  condition 
to  resist  and  throw  off  the  disease.  The  strike  once  inaugurated  at  Pitts- 
burgh, was  strengthened  and  encouraged  by  the  sympathy  the  strikers  re- 
ceived from  nearly  all  classes  of  the  citizens,  and  more  especially  by  the 
sympathy  shown  by  the  city  officials.     Had  the  community  frowned  on 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  43 

the  attempt  of  the  strikers  to  prevent,  by  force,  the  running  of  freight 
trains,  as  it  should  have  been  done,  and  had  the  civil  authorities  shown  a 
firm  determination  to  enforce  the  law  at  the  outset,  as  it  was  their  sworn 
duty  to  do,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  the  mob  would  have  been  dispersed 
without  bloodshed  and  riot,  as  it  was  in  Philadelphia,  Scranton,  and  other 
places.  Philadelphia  and  Scranton  are  particularly  mentioned,  for  at  these 
places  there  is  a  much  larger  proportion  of  the  turbulent  class  than  at 
Pittsburgh,  and  consequently  a  great  deal  more  of  the  material  of  which 
riotous  mobs  are  composed.  When  any  community  winks  at  a  small  vio- 
lation of  the  law,  by  any  person,  and  more  especially  by  a  combination  of 
persons,  it  is  laying  the  foundation  for  trouble  and  difficulty.  A  crowd 
of  people  assembled  for  the  purpose  of  accomplishing,  however  worthy,  a 
purpose  in  a  questionable  manner,  is  very  easily  converted  into  a  riot,  and 
when  a  crowd  proposed  to  carry  out  an  unlawful  object  by  violence  it  soon 
becomes  an  uncontrollable  mob,  if  encouraged  in  its  purposes  by  the  sym- 
pathy, either  expressed  or  passive,  of  the  community  and  the  civil  author- 
ities. The  small  show  of  force  made  by  the  police  in  the  spasmodic  man- 
ner, it  was  on  July  19th  and  20th,  was  worse  than  if  no  police  force  had 
ever  appeared  on  the  ground,  for  the  strikers  knew  they  had  nothing  to 
fear  from  them,  and  the  lawless  characters,  who  had  begun  to  gather  around, 
construed  this  action  as  a  sort  of  license  to  do  what  they  chose  as  long  as 
they  interferred  with  nothing  but  railroad  interests. 

The  refusal  of  the  mayor  to  go  to  the  scene  of  the  disturbance  himself,  when 
specially  requested  to  do  so,  and  to  raise  a  special  police  to  meet  the 
emergency,  is  inexplicable  on  any  theory  of  a  wish  on  his  part  to  do  his 
duty  and  enforce  the  law,  and  when  contrasted  with  the  vigorous  measures 
taken  by  the  mayor  of  the  sister  city  of  Allegheny,  and  of  nearly  every 
other  place  in  which  riots  occurred,  must  be  most  humilitating  to  the  peo- 
ple who  elected  such  a  man  as  their  chief  magistrate.  Had  he  shown  a 
proper  appreciation  of  his  duty  by  going  to  the  grounds  of  the  railroad 
company  when  requested,  he  would  have  known  better  the  extent  of  the 
troubles  threatened,  and  if  determined  to  enforce  the  law,  could  have  pre- 
pared to  do  so  by  swearing  in  special  policemen,  as  was  done  in  all  other 
places.  If  he  chose  to  rely  on  a  subordinate  to  do  what  was  manifestly 
his  duty,  and  that  subordinate  failed  from  any  cause,  either  incapacity  or 
sympathy  with  the  mob,  to  appreciate  the  danger,  and  take  measures  to 
prepare  for  it,  the  responsibility  must  still  rest  on  him.  His  evidence,  that 
he  received  reports  from  his  officers  through  the  night  of  the  19th  and  20th, 
that  all  was  quiet,  is  belied  by  all  the  testimony  in  the  case.  When  a  call 
was  first  made  by  the  railroad  officials  for  ten  policemen,  and  for  his  per- 
sonal presence,  followed  in  a  short  time  by  a  call  for  fifty  policemen,  and 
that  by  a  call  for  one  hundred  and  fifty,  most  men  would  have  concluded 
that  all  was  not  quiet,  even  if  the  police  should  report  to  the  contrary. 
This  taken  in  connection  with  the  fact  that  the  morning  papers  of  the  20th, 
contained  the  call  of  the  sheriff  on  the  Governor  for  troops,  and  the  orders 
for  the  troops  to  assemble,  and  that  this  was  done  only  after  an  appeal, 
soon  after  midnight,  by  the  sheriff  in  person  to  the  crowd  to  disperse,  and 
their  answer  to  him  by  blasphemy,  and  hooting,  and  yelling,  and  other  in- 
dignities would  leave  the  people  generally  to  believe  that  the  mayor  had 
willfully  shut  his  eyes  to  what  was  transpiring  on  the  premises  of  the  rail- 
road company. 

Very  blind  or  confiding  policemen  they  must  have  been  that  night  of 
the  19th  and  20th,  and  very  confiding  was  the  mayor  to  go  to  Castle 
ghannon,  a  distance  of  six  miles,  and  let  matters  take  care  of  themselves. 
The  mayor,  to  excuse  himself  for  doing  nothing  after  the  sheriff  made  a 


44  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

call  for  the  troops,  says  that  he  considered  himself  superseded  by  the 
sheriff  and  by  the  military.  It  has  usually  been  considered  that  the  mili- 
tary was  subordinate  to  the  civil  authority,  and  that  the  clause  of  the 
Constitution,  which  reads  :  "  The  military  shall,  in  all  cases,  and  at  all 
times,  be  in  strict  subordination  to  the  civil  power."  means  something, 
and  was  placed  in  the  Constitution  for  a  purpose.  If  the  construction  of 
the  law,  given  by  the  mayor,  is  to  prevail,  people  have  been  very  much 
mistaken  in  their  understanding  of  what  is  the  law,  and  that  all  the  mili- 
tary need  do,  under  the  mayor's  dispensation,  is  to  get  some  authority  to 
call  them  out,  and  then,  as  they  supersede  the  civil  authority,  they  have 
full  control,  and  can  decide  for  themselves,  when  the  necessity  for  their 
services  has  ceased,  and  can,  therefore,  take  charge  of  the  affairs  of  the 
community  as  long  as  any  ambitious  officer  may  elect.  It  is  a  new  doc- 
trine, this  of  the  mayor's,  in  this  country,  and  he  must  excuse  this  com- 
mittee if  the}7  fail  to  take  any  stock  in  it.  The  other  excuse  given  by  the 
mayor  for  his  inaction,  to  wit:  That  the  men  (meaning  the  sheriff  and 
military  officers,)  who  had  charge  of  matters  after  the  19th,  were  narrow 
gauge  men,  and  he  could  not  cooperate  with  them  in  their  views,  and  the 
measures  necessary  to  be  taken  in  the  emergency,  is  also  untenable.  It 
does  not  appear  that  he  ever  consulted  with  these  men,  or  any  one  of  them, 
in  regard  to  what  should  be  done,  while  it  does  appear  that  he  was  sought 
after,  and  frequent  attempts  made  to  consult  with  him  by  the  railroad  offi- 
cials, until  they  learned  that  nothing  could  be  expected  of  him.  If  his 
excuse  for  neglecting  his  duty  in  the  matters  within  his  immediate  juris- 
diction, (  to  wit:  Keeping  the  peace,  dispersing  a  mob,  and  enforcing  the 
law  in  the  city  of  which  he  was  chief  executive  officer,)  is  a  valid  one,  the 
others  might,  with  the  same  propriety,  claim  that  his  gauge  did  not  suit 
them,  and,  therefore,  they  could  not  cooperate  with  him,  to  keep  the  peace 
in  his  bailiwick,  and  refuse  to  do  anything,  and  the  mob  allowed  to  have 
its  own  way. 

If  the  officers  referred  to  were  superior  to  the  mayor,  he  should  have 
done  what  he  could  to  cooperate  with  them,  in  dispersing  the  mob,  and 
suppressing  the  riot,  and  on  them  would  rest  the  responsibility  for  the 
measures  thejr  adopted ;  if  they  were  not  superior  to  him,  then  even  he 
will  not  claim  that  he  had  a  right  to  do  nothing.  All  peace  officers  (and 
the  military  when  called  out  to  suppress  a  riot,  is  only  a  posse  for  the 
peace  officers)  are  expected,  and  it  is  their  duty,  to  cooperate  for  the  pur- 
pose of  keeping  the  peace.  An  officer,  willing  and  anxious  to  do  his  duty, 
will  never  object  to  do  what  he  can  to  enforce  the  law  because  some  other 
officer  or  officers  are  trying  to  assist  in  the  same  object,  even  if  they  do 
not  consult  him,  while  one  who  is  looking  for  some  excuse  for  evading  his 
duty  is  very  apt  to  find  one  that  will  satisfy  himself,  although  it  may  be 
satisfy  no  one  else.  Mayor  McCarthy,  at  any  time  on  the  19th  day  of 
July,  at  the  head  of  a  determined  posse  of  fifty  men,  could  have  dispersed 
the  strikers,  and  allowed  trains  to  go  out,  and  the  trains  once  running,  the 
strikers  would  have  given  up  the  contest.  On  the  20th  of  -Inly,  the  mayor, 
with  one  hundred  men,  could  have  dispersed  the  crowd,  and  by  the  arrest 
of  a  few  ringleaders  broken  the  strength  of  the  strike. 

These  statements  are  made  on  the  supposition  that  the  mayor  had  been 
in  earnest,  and  acted  with  the  vigor  that  characterized  several  of  the 
mayors  who  were  called  upon  for  the  same  duty  in  their  respective  cities 
at  nearty  the  same  time. 

The  mob  knows  instinctively  the  feelings  of  the  bystanders  and  officers, 
and  a  little  encouragement  makes  it  very  hold,  while  a  determination  to  en- 
force the  law  by  a  few  brave  officers  will  cause  the  same  mob  to  disperse,  for 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  45 

it  is  an  old  and  true  saying  that  mobs  are  cowardly.  This  report  has  already 
stated,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  proved  by  the  evidence  before  the  committee, 
that  all  classes  of  the  citizens  of  Pittsburgh  sympathized  with  the  train- 
men in  their  strike.  Some  of  the  citizens  claim  this  is  hardly  true,  but 
most  of  them  admit  it,  but  deny  that  any  of  them  sympathized  with  the 
riotous  conduct  of  the  mob  and  the  destruction  of  property  by  it.  The 
best  description  of  the  feeling  of  that  community  was  given  by  Sheriff 
Fife,  who  testified  that  there  was  a  general  sympathy  with  the  strikers ; 
the  entire  laboring  class  sympathized  with  them  ;  the  merchants  sympa- 
thized with  them  to  a  certain  extent;  that  the  responsible  portion  of  the 
people  of  Pittsburgh  were  not  in  sympathy  with  the  riot,  but  that  it  took 
a  certain  amount  of  riot  to  bring  them  to  their  senses.  That  this  sympa- 
thy with  the  strikers  pervaded  the  whole  community  does  not  admit  of  a 
reasonable  doubt.  There  may  have  been,  and  no  doubt  were  persons  who 
did  not  sympathize,  but  they  were  isolated  cases,  and  so  few  as  to  be  of  no 
use  in  controlling  or  directing  public  sentiment.  There  are  a  great  many 
evidences  of  this  aside  from  the  direct  testimony  of  most  of  the  witnesses 
who  were  asked  the  question.  The  fact  that  Sheriff  Fife  testifies  to  that 
he  did  not  undertake  to  raise  a  posse  to  disperse  the  mob  before  calling  on 
the  Governor  for  troops,  as  it  would  have  been  folly  to  have  tried  it  in  the 
city  for  he  knew  the  feeling  of  the  people,  he  might  possibly  have  raised  a 
posse  in  the  county,  if  he  had  had  time,  is  one  evidence.  On  Saturday, 
the  21st,  he  sent  out  twenty  deputies  to  raise  a  posse  to  assist  in  arresting 
the  ringleaders,  and  they  did  not  raise  an  average  of  one  each,  after,  as 
they  testify,  making  a  vigorous  effort.  The  action  of  the  Pittsburgh  troops, 
also  shows  that  the  same  feeling  of  sympathy  pervaded  them,  and  the  ac- 
tions of  the  mayor  and  police  show  conclusively  the  same  thing,  so  far 
as  they  were  concerned.  The  editorials  in  the  newspapers  of  the  city  show 
as  strongly  as  any  evidence  can,  where  the  sympathy  of  the  community 
was,  these  being  the  best  exponents  of  public  sentiment  when  not  repudi- 
ated by  the  people.  The  prejudice  among  the  shippers  over  the  Pennsyl- 
vania railroad  against  that  company  on  account  of  the  alleged  discrimina- 
tion in  freight  against  them,  caused  them  also  to  S3^mpathize  with  the 
trainmen,  and  the  general  feeling  was,  after  the  commencement  of  the 
strike,  to  let  the  company  take  care  of  itself.  No  one  can  doubt  that  the 
existence  of  this  feeling  in  the  community  was  well  known  to  the  strikers, 
and  that  it  encouraged  them  to  hold  out  in  their  purposes  and  make  them 
more  bold  in  their  adoption  of  measures  to  resist  the  company,  and  pre- 
vent by  force  any  freight  trains  from  leaving  Pittsburgh. 

This  feeling  of  boldness  and  confidence  in  disregarding  the  law  com- 
municated itself  to  the  new  comers  in  the  crowd,  many  of  them  being  the 
worst  criminals  and  tramps,  until  the  mob  became  so  confident  that  they 
could  do  as  they  pleased,  that  they  did  not  believe  any  serious  attempt 
would  be  made  to  disperse  them,  until  the  railroad  company  had  yielded 
to  the  demand  of  the  strikers,  and  that  if  such  an  attempt  should  be  made 
they  could  easily  repel  it.  None  of  the  citizens  had  the  remotest  idea  that 
the  strike  would  culminate  in  any  serious  riot  or  destruction  of  property, 
neither  did  the  strikers  themselves  expect  this  would  be  the  result,  but  the 
resistance  to  law  once  started,  the  original  movers  soon  lost  all  control  of 
the  movement,  and  the  consequences  were  such  as  to  astonish  the  most 
reckless  among  them.  No  one  could  have  foreseen  the  result,  and  the  ex- 
perience of  the  people  of  Pittsburgh,  with  strikes  prior  to  that  time,  had 
not  been  such  as  to  lead  them  to  anticipate  anything  serious  in  this 
case.  There  being  many  manufacturing  establishments  in  and  around 
that  place,  employing  a  large  number  of  men,  strikes  were  quite  familiar 


46  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

to  them,  but  as  they  were  usually  confined  to  the  men  of  one  establishment, 
or  one  branch  of  trade,  they  were  arranged  without  serious  disturbance  of 
the  public  peace,  and  no  one  realized  the  danger  in  winking  at  the  course 
of  the  strikers  in  this  case.  No  strike  had  ever  before  taken  place  under 
such  favorable  circumstances  to  make  trouble.  Never  before  were  so  many 
of  the  resident  laborers  out  of  work,  never  before  was  the  country  so  filled 
with  tramps  to  flock  to  such  a  scene  of  disturbance,  never  before  was  the 
laboring  class  of  the  whole  country  so  ready  to  join  in  a  move  of  that  kind, 
and  never  before  were  the  civil  authorities  of  the  city  so  utterly  incom- 
petent to  deal  with  such  an  outbreak,  or  if  not  incompetent,  then  crimi- 
nally negligent,  in  not  making  an  earnest  effort  to  enforce  the  law.  The 
railroad  riots  of  1877,  have  by  some  been  called  an  insurrection,  for  the 
reason  that  strikes  occurred  at  nearly  the  same  time  on  several  of  the 
main  trunk  lines  of  the  country,  that  several  Governors  of  States  issued 
proclamations  warning  the  rioters  to  disperse,  &c,  some  of  them  calling 
on  the  President  of  the  United  States  for  troops  to  assist  the  civil  authori- 
ties in  dispersing  the  mobs  and  enforcing  the  law,  and  the  large  number  of 
men  engaged  in  these  troubles  in  the  different  parts  of  the  county.  Insur- 
rection is  defined  to  be  aa  rising  against  civil  or  political  authority;  the 
open  and  active  opposition  of  a  number  of  persons  to  the  execution  of  law 
in  a  city  or  State ;  a  rebellion  ;  a  revolt." 

The  railroad  riots  in  Pennsylvania  were  not  a  rising  against  civil  or 
political  authority ;  in  their  origin  were  not  intended  by  their  movers  as 
an  open  and  active  opposition  to  the  execution  of  the  law.  Most  of  the 
riots  were  the  result  of  the  strikes  by  a  portion  of  the  railroad  men,  the 
strikes  being  intended  to  bring  the  railroad  officers  to  a  compromise  with 
the  strikers,  of  the  differences  between  them.  In  some  places  the  men 
merely  proposed  to  quit  work,  and  not  interfere  with  the  running  of  trains 
by  any  men  the  railroad  authorities  could  get ;  in  other  places  they  would 
not  allow  other  men  to  work  in  their  places,  nor  railroad  officials  to  send 
out  freight  trains,  if  in  their  power  to  prevent.  It  was  in  no  case  an  up- 
rising against  the  law  as  such,  but  a  combination  of  men  to  assert  an  illegal 
right  as  between  them  and  the  railroad  company.  There  was  no  organized 
movement  throughout  the  country,  no  pi'e-arranged  plan  of  the  trainmen 
to  prevent  the  running  of  freight  trains  by  violence  or  combination,  under- 
standing or  agreement  between  the  men  on  any  one  railroad  and  the  men 
on  another.  Each  strike  was  independent  of  those  on  other  roads,  each 
having  a  local  cause  particularly  its  own.  As  before  stated,  there  was  a 
sort  of  an  epidemic  of  strikes  running  through  the  laboring  classes  of  the 
country,  more  particularly  those  in  the  employ  of  large  corporations,  caused 
by  the  great  depression  of  business,  which  followed  the  panic  of  1873,  by 
means  whereof  many  men  were  thrown  out  of  work,  and  the  wages  of  those 
who  could  get  work  were  reduced  to  correspond  with  the  reduction  in  the 
prices  of  all  commodities  and  the  reduced  amount  of  business  to  be  done. 
Each  strike,  except  at  Reading,  although  commenced  originally  by  men 
then  at  work  for  a  railroad  or  some  other  corporation,  to  carry  out  their 
own  purposes,  was  soon  joined  by  all  the  idlers  and  vagabonds  in  the 
vicinity,  and  these  being  by  far  the  largest  in  number,  soon  took  the  move- 
ment out  of  the  hands  of  the  originators  and  carried  it  clear  beyond  any- 
thing they  ever  anticipated.  The  vagabonds  having  no  object  but  plunder, 
and  having  no  particular  interest  in  anything  else,  were  ready  to  resort  to 
violent  measures  to  accomplish  their  object. 

The  immediate  cause  of  the  strike  at  Pittsburgh  was  not  similar  to  any 
other  that  has  come  to  the  knowledge  of  this  committee,  it  being  the  order 
to  run  double-headers.     No  such  cause  existed  anywhere  else,  ami,  there- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  47 

fore,  the  troubles  there  could  not  be  considered  as  a  part  of  any  general 
understanding  between  trainmen.  At  Reading,  the  railroad  men  were  not 
engaged  in  any  strike,  nor  did  they  take  any  part  in  the  riots  there.  The 
troubles  there  were  caused  solely  by  idle  men,  who  had  some  time  previ- 
ously been  discharged  from  the  employ  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Railroad  Companj',  and  for  the  purpose  of  venting  their  spite  on  the  com- 
pany. At  Scranton,  although  there  had  been  a  strike  of  the  railroad  men, 
this  had  been  adjusted,  and  the  men  were  at  work  again,  when  the  riots 
occurred,  the  riots  being  engaged  in  by  the  idle  men  and  striking  miners 
and  mill  men.  If  a  riot,  growing  out  of  any  of  these  isolated  movements, 
is  to  be  called  an  insurrection,  or  if  these  movements,  altogether,  are  to 
rise  to  the  dignity  of  an  insurrection,  then  the  word  must  be  given  a  new 
definition,  for  as  it  now  stands,  there  must  have  been  some  pre-concerted 
arrangement  between  the  men  at  the  different  points,  to  resist  the  laws  of 
the  country,  or  the  move  at  some  point  must  have  been  for  the  purpose  of 
resisting  constituted  authority,  and  not  the  mere  purpose  of  forcing  rail- 
road companies,  or  any  other  corporations,  to  come  to  terms  with  the  strik- 
ers, by  obstructing  the  business  of  the  railroad  or  other  corporation.  No 
pre-concerted  arrangement  of  any  kind  has  been  proved  before  your  com- 
mittee, although  such  persons  as  might  be  supposed  to  know  the  fact,  if 
it  existed  at  all,  were  subpoenaed  and  testified  before  us,  and  all  of  them 
positively  deny  that  there  was  any  concert  of  action  whatever,  among  the 
trainmen,  for  a  strike  after  the  27th  of  June,  and  a  local  cause  for  the  dif- 
ferent strikes  in  Pennsylvania  is  given  by  them  all.  It  has  been  asserted 
by  many  that  no  rioting  or  destruction  of  property  would  have  taken  place 
at  Pittsburgh,  if  the  troops  had  not  been  called  out,  and  had  not  fired  on 
the  mob.  The  trifling  with  the  mob,  at  this  place,  by  the  civil  authorities, 
and  the  sympathy  shown  by  the  citizens,  with  the  original  strikers,  had 
emboldened  and  encouraged  it  to  such  an  extent,  that  when  the  Philadel- 
phia troops  arrived  on  the  ground,  it  had,  no  doubt,  got  beyond  the  con- 
trol of  the  civil  power,  as  then  constituted,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  of 
the  necessity  for  the  presence  of  those  troops.  Such  mobs  as  that  at  the 
Twenty-eighth  street  crossing,  on  Saturday  evening,  July  21st,  at  the  time 
the  Philadelphia  troops  were  marched  out  there,  would  never  have  dis- 
persed without  making  serious  trouble,  troops  or  no  troops. 

How  long  it  would  take  a  mob  to  disperse  and  melt  away  of  its  own 
accoixl,  which  on  Thursday  numbered  from  fifty  to  two  hundred  men, 
on  Friday  from  five  hundred  to  fifteen  hundred,  and  on  Saturday  from  two 
thousand  in  the  morning  to  seven  or  eight  thousand  in  the  afternoon,  and 
which  was  growing  all  the  time  more  turbulent  and  excited,  we  leave  for 
the  advocates  of  the  do  nothing  policy  to  determine  if  they  can.  The  firing 
on  the  mob  by  the  troops,  and  the  subsequent  inaction  precipitated  and 
aggravated  its  action,  but  did  not  create  the  riots.  When  a  great  line  of 
public  travel  and  traffic  like  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  is  blockaded  by  a 
mob,  the  public  interests  suffer  more  than  the  railroad  interests,  and  every 
dajr  that  it  is  allowed  to  continue,  damages  the  commnnit}7  to  the  extent 
of  thousands  of  dollars,  and  it  was  the  duty  of  the  local  civil  authorities 
to  adopt  the  most  vigorous  measures  to  break  the  blockade,  but  if  instead 
of  doing  this,  they  temporize  with  the  mob  until,  in  consequence  thereof, 
it  becomes  too  strong  to  be  suppressed  by  them,  and  the  troops  of  the 
State  are  called  on  for  assistance,  the  latter  cannot  be  said  to  have  caused 
the  riots,  or  held  responsible  for  the  consequences  of  an  honest  effort  to 
enforce  the  law.  If  the  rioting  was  caused  by  the  calling  out  of  the 
troops,  and  their  subsequent  actions,  then  the  claim  that  that  was  an  in- 
surrection falls  to  the  ground,  and  if  there  was  an  insurrection,  then  the 


48  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

troops  cannot  have  been  the  cause  of  the  rioting,  as  the  two  positions  are 
inconsistent,  although  held  and  advocated  by  a  number  of  prominent  men. 
All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

JOHN  E.  REYBURN, 

Chairman. 
E.  D.  YUTZY, 
W.  L.  TORBERT. 

Committee  of  the  Senate. 
W.  M.  LINDSEY, 
Chairman  Joint  Committee. 

D.  C.  LARRABEE, 
A.  F.  ENGELBERT, 
SAMU'L  W.  MEANS, 
P.  P.  DEWEES, 

Committee  of  the  House. 
Laid  on  the  table. 


Leg.  Doc.  No.  29. 


PROCEEDINGS  AND  TESTIMONY. 


Senate  Committee  Room, 
Harrtsburg,  February  4,  1878. 

The  committee  met  and  organized  by  the  election  of  the  following  officers : 

W.  M.  Lindsey,  Chairman. 

Samuel  B.  Collins,  Clerk  and  Stenographer. 

J.  J.  Cromer,  Sergeant-at-Arms. 

,  Messenger, 

Adjourned  to  meet  in  Pittsburgh,  an  the  6th  instant. 


Orphans'  Court  Room, 
Pittsburgh,  Wednesday,  February  6,  1878. 

The  committee  met  at  half  past  ten  o'clock,  A.  m.,  this  day,  in  the  orphans' 
court  room,  city  of  Pittsburgh. 

The  roll  of  members  being  called,  it  was  found  that  all  the  members  were 
present. 

The  committee  engaged  in  a  consultation  as  to  the  mode  of  procedure 
in  taking  testimoity — as  to  whether  the  sessions  of  the  committee  should 
be  public,  and  as  to  whether  counsel  should  be  admitted  to  represent  parties 
who  might  be  summoned  as  witnesses. 

Gr.  H.  Geyer,  Esquire,  counsel  for  the  county  commissioners,  was  invited 
before  the  committee  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  what  the  commissioners 
desired;  also  W.  13.  Rogers,  Esquire,  counsel  for  the  city  of  Allegheny, 
was  invited  before  the  committee  for  the  same  purpose.  The  county  com- 
missioners in  person  also  appeared  before  the  committee. 

The  committee  was  waited  upon  by  Mr.  Johnson,  a  member  of  the  cham- 
ber of  commerce,  who  gave  information  that  the  chamber  had  appointed  a 
committee,  of  which  he  had  been  elected  chairman,  for  the  purpose  of  giving 
aid  in  obtaining  information  relative  to  matters  being  investigated  by  the 
committee.  On  behalf  of  the  chamber  of  commerce,  he  also  tendered  the 
use  of  their  hall  for  the  sittings  of  the  committee. 

Upon  motion  of  Senator  Reyburn,  it  was  ordered  that  a  session  should 
be  held  this  afternoon,  from  three  to  six  o'clock. 

Adjourned. 


Orphans'  Court  Room, 
Pittsburgh,  Wednesday ,  February  6,  1878. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  re-assembled  at  three  o'clock, 
P.  M.,  this  day. 
4  Riots. 


50  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

The  debate  was  resumed,  as  to  the  mode  of  procedure  in  taking  testimony. 

Upon  motion  of  Senator  Reyburn,  the  chairman  of  the  committee,  Mr. 
Lindsey,  was  selected  to  conduct  the  examination  of  witnesses  on  behalf 
of  the  committee. 

Adjourned. 


Orphans'  Court  Room, 
Pittsburgh,  February  7,  1878. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  met  at  ten  o'clock,  a.  m.,  this 
day. 

The  committee  proceeded  to  the  examination  of  witnesses.  The  first 
witness  called  was  : 

John  Scott,  sworx  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  am  still  a  citizen  of  Pittsburgh,  although  I  have  been  attending  to 
my  business  for  the  last  three  months  in  Philadelphia. 

Q.  What  is  your  official  relation  to  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  ? 

A.  At  present  I  am  the  general  solicitor  of  the  company. 

Q.  What  was  it  iu  July  last  ? 

A.  I  was  then  what  was  called  the  general  counsel  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  Company,  resident  at  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Can  you  tell  the  committee  whether,  prior  to  July  last,  there  were 
any  differences  existing  between  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  and 
its  emplo3res  ? 

A.  On  that  subject  I  have  no  personal  knowledge.  An}'  differences,  if 
they  did  exist,  between  the  employes  and  the  company  were  known  to  the 
operating  officers  of  the  company,  over  whom  I  have  no  control.  I  only 
know  it  as  a  matter  of  public  history,  as  other  persons. 

Q.  Were  you  present  at  the  disturbances  of  the  peace  within  the  city  of 
Pittsburgh  in  July  last? 

A.  I  was  during  a  portion  of  those  disturbances,  but  not  during  all  of 
them.  If  it  is  desired  that  I  should  give  you  a  connected  statement  of 
what  I  did  see,,  I  would  begin  with  where  my  personal  knowledge  of  the 
transactions  commenced. 

Q.  That  is  what  the  committee  desire  ? 

A.  On  the  morning  of  Thursday — that  week  in  which  the  disturbances 
occurred — I  cannot  recollect  the  date — on  that  morning  there  was  no  ap- 
pearance of  disturbance.  I  state  this  from  the  fact  that  Mr.  Pitcairn,  the 
superintendent  of  the  western  division,  and  I  live  within  a  very  short  dis- 
tance of  each  other.  We  take  trains  at  the  same  station,  and  when  I  went 
there  that  morning  I  found  him  there  with  his  family,  preparing  to  go,  for 
a  visit  of  some  length,  to  Long  Branch.  The  strike  which  had  occurred 
on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  was  the  subject  of  conversation  between 
us  during  the  few  moments  that  we  were  together  there,  and  I  know,  at  that 
moment,  he  had  not  the  most  remote  apprehension  of  any  disturbance. 
I  came  into  town  on  the  train,  and  knew  nothing  of  any  disturbance  until 
about  noon,  when  I  heard  of  the  assault  having  been  made  upon  Mr.  Watt. 
I  did  not  see  it,  or  I  would  narrate  it. 

Q.  Who  was  Mr.  Watt  ? 

A.  He  was  the  chief  clerk,  or  assistant  to  Mr.   Pitcairn.     About  nine 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  51 

o'clock  that  evening  I  received  a  dispatch,  stating  that  Messrs.  Hampton 
and  Dallzell,  the  local  solicitors,  who  took  charge  of  the  local  business,  were 
absent  from  the  city,  and  requesting  me  to  come  to  the  outer  depot.  I  did 
so.  I  got  off  at  the  Twenty-eighth  street  station.  There  was  quite  a  large 
crowd  of  people  at  that  station.  Just  when  1  got  off,  an  engine  was  coming 
up  from  the  direction  of  the  Union  depot.  I  do  not  know  from  whence  it 
had  started.  Immediately,  there  was  a  cry  that  it  must  be  stopped,  and  there 
was  a  rush  of  a  large  number  of  that  crowd  towards  the  engine.  It  did 
stop,  and  a  loud  halloo  went  up  from  that  crowd. 

Q.  Who  composed  that  crowd,  so  far  as  you  observed  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  tell.  My  point  was  to  reach  the  outer  depot,  and  I 
spent  no  more  time  there  than  was  necessary.  At  the  outer  depot  I  found 
that  Mr.  Pitcairn  had  not  yet  reached  the  city,  although  he  had  been  tele- 
graphed for.  I  found  Mr.  Watt  there,  his  assistant,  and  learned  from  him 
the  extent  to  which  the  disturbance  had  gone.  That  he  can  give  you  per- 
sonally. Finding  from  that  statement  that  a  call  had  been  made  upon  the 
mayor  for  assistance  to  regain  the  propert3T  of  the  company,  and  that  it 
had  been  ineffectual,  I  went  up  to  my  office  for  the  purpose  of  looking  at 
the  act  of  Assembly  passed  in  1877,  and  also  the  law  providing  for  calling 
out  the  military  by  the  Governor.  I  spent  some  time  in  doing  that,  leaving 
word  for  Mr.  Watt  to  come  to  my  office,  so  we  might  call  upon  the  sheriff 
for  the  purpose  of  dispersing  the  mob,  and  regaining  possession  of  the  com- 
pany's property.  He  came  up  in  a  short  time,  and  we  rode  to  the  sheriff's 
residence,  and  woke  hi  in  up  out  of  bed. 

Q.  Where  is  his  residence  ? 

A.  In  Washington  street,  between  Wylie  and  Fifth  avenue. 

Q.  What  time  was  that? 

A.  That  was,  probably,  between  ten — no  I  am  not  certain  about  the  hour 
— about  ten  or  eleven  o'clock.  I  stated  to  the  sheriff  that  the  property  of 
the  company  was  in  the  possession  of  a  large  number  of  the  employes  and 
of  citizens — the  information  was  that — I  had  no  personal  knowledge  of  it 
— Mr.  Watt  was  with  me — and  that  an  effort  had  been  made,  through  the 
mayor,  to  regain  possession,  which  had  not  succeeded,  and  that  we  called 
upon  him,  as  officers  of  the  company,  to  ask  him  to  go  to  the  outer  depot 
and  exert  his  power,  as  sheriff  of  the  county,  to  disperse  the  crowd  assem- 
bled there,  and  to  restore  possession  to  the  company  of  its  propert}-.  I 
said  I  came  as  counsel  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  and,  that 
as  it  would  probably  be  one  of  the  most  delicate  exercises,  of  power  he 
could  be  called  upon  to  make,  I  insisted  he  should  send  for  his  own  counsel 
to  acorn pany  him,  as  if  he  found  his  power  insufficient  to  disperse  the  mob, 
and  to  restore  to  the  company  possession  of  its  property,  we  would  ask  him 
further  to  advise  the  Governor,  so  he  might  exercise  his  power,  if  he  found 
it  necessary.  The  sheriff  l-eplied  that  Mr.  Carnaham  was  his  counsel,  and 
that  he  resided  at  East  Liberty,  and  that  he  could  not  get  him  in  time  to 
go  to  the  depot.  He  went  for  a  deputy,  who  lived  across  the  street — Mr. 
Haymaker,  I  think — and  we  all  drove  to  the  outer  depot,  on  the  way  find- 
ing Mr.  Pitcairn,  who  had  arrived  in  a  train  from  the  East.  When  we 
reached  the  outer  depot,  General  Pearson  was  there.  He  had  been  apprized 
by  the  Adjutant  General.  The  sheriff  was  again  informed  of  the  desire 
of  the  company  to  obtain  possession  of  its  property,  and  have  the  crowd 
dispersed. 

Q.  Can  you  give  the  date  of  this  ? 

A.  I  have  said  this  was  on  the  Thursday  preceding  the  actual  burning 
and  destruction.  As  a  matter  of  memory,  my  recollection  is  that  it  was 
the  19th,  although  I  am  cautious  about  dates,  as  I  have  not  a  good  re  col- 


52  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

lection  about  dates.  The  sheriff  then  went  out  with  General  Pearson  to 
Twenty-eighth  street.  I  did  not  go  with  him.  He  came  back  after  the 
lapse  of  probably  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  reporting  that  he  found  him- 
self unable  to  disperse  the  mob,  and  that  he  could  get  no  force  to  enable 
him  to  disperse  it.  I  then  said  to  the  sheriff  that  it  was  a  question  for  him 
to  determine  whether  he  had  exhausted  his  power  for  the  protection  of 
the  company's  property.  He  said  he  had  exhausted  it,  and  that  he  had 
made  up  his  mind  to  ask  the  Governor  to  call  out  the  troops  to  disperse 
the  mob.  At  his  request,  I  wrote  a  dispatch  to  the  Governor,  and  sub- 
mitted it  to  him,  General  Pearson,  being  present  as  I  understood,  acting 
as  his  counsel  at  the  time.  Some  requests  had  come  to  send  a  dispatch  to 
the  Lieutenant  Governor.  I  was  satisfied  that  it  was  not  such  an  occasion 
as  authorized  the  Lieutenant  Governor  to  act ;  but  public  information  in 
the  newspapers  being  that  the  Governor  was  absent  from  the  Common- 
wealth, I  suggested  to  the  sheriff,  as  a  matter  of  prudence,  that  a  dispatch 
should  be  sent  to  the  executive  office,  at  Harrisburg,  addressed  to  the  Gov- 
ernor ;  that  a  copy  of  it  should  be  sent  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  who  was 
then  in  Beaver,  we  understood,  with  information  that  it  had  been  sent  to 
executive  office  ;  that  another  copy  should  be  sent  to  the  Adjutant  General, 
who  was  understood  to  be  in  Philadelphia,  and  that  the  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor should  be  informed  of  the  fact  that  such  a  dispatch  had  been  sent  to 
the  Governor,  that  he  might  have  that  information,  and,  if  he  had  the  au- 
thority to  act,  might  exercise  it. 
Q.  Who  signed  that  dispatch  ? 
A.  The  sheriff: 
Q.  At  what  time  ? 

A.  That  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  twelve  o'clock  that  night.  I  am 
giving  my  judgment  about  those  hours.  Those  dispatches  signed  by  the 
sheriff  were  sent.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  telegraphing  that  evening 
there,  between  myself  and  the  officials  of  the  railroad  company,  Mr.  Pit- 
cairn  and  others,  the  details  of  which  I  cannot  now  recollect.  In  the  course 
of  several  hours  after  that  dispatches  were  received  from  Mr.  Quay  and  the 
Adjutant  General  by  the  Sheriff,  informing  him  that  the  Governor  had  or- 
dered out  the  troops.  Dispatches  were  also  received  there  by  General 
Pearson,  from  the  Adjutant  General,  giving  him  the  same  information.  I 
cannot  give  the  hour  of  those  dispatches ;  but  I  know  before  we  left  the 
office,  probably  about  five  o'clock  in  the  morning — four  or  five  o'clock, 
perhaps — the  sheriff  and  General  Pearson  had  both  received  dispatches  to 
the  effect  that  the  Governor  had  ordered  out  the  military  to  the  assistance 
of  the  sheriff,  and  that  General  Pearson  had  drawn  an  order,  in  pursuance 
of  those  dispatches,  for  one  of  his  own  regiments  of  this  city  to  turn  out. 
Probably  about  five  or  six  o'clock  that  morning  several  of  us  left  the  of- 
fice and  went  to  bed  at  the  Union  depot.  That  was  Frida}r  morning.  Now 
as  to  the  actual  progress  of  the  strike.  What  occurred  at  the  outer  depot 
during  Friday,  I  believe,  I  have  no  personal  knowledge,  and  I  do  not  know 
that  I  had  any  intercourse  with  any  of  the  officials  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  Company,  and  not.  probably,  with  the  military  officers,  until 
about  four  or  five  o'clock  that  evening.  There  was  delay  in  the  military 
responding  to  the  general's  orders.  Some  information  reached  our  office, 
where  I  was  engaged  in  other  business  in  the  office  of  the  Penn  company, 
that  General  Pearson  was  about  to  open  the  tracks  with  the  military,  and 
was  starting  for  that  purpose  from  Union  depot.  Mr.  Thaw  and  i  went 
up  there  together.  When  we  arrived,  there  was  a  company  ready  to  go  to 
Twenty-eighth  street.  Mr.  Cassatt  was  there,  one  of  the  vice-presidents 
of   the    Pennsylvania    Railroad    Company.       1    do    not    know    what    was 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*7*7.  53 

said  when  I  got  there;  but  in  some  way  my  opinion  was  asked  as  to  the 
propriety  of  the  movement.  Somebody  asked  me,  I  do  not  know  who. 
There  were  a  great  many  people  around  the  dispatcher's  office,  where  Gen- 
eral Pearson  was.  I  was  asked  the  question.  I  said  in  reply,  that  as  an 
officer  of  the  Pennsylvania  Radroad  Company  I  had  no  opinion  at  all  to 
give,  that  the  civil  power  of  the  country  having  been  called  upon,  and  the 
sheriff  having  been  called  upon,  and  the  military  being  there  with  general 
Pearson  in  command  of  them,  I  certainly  would  not  give  any  instructions 
that  would  interfere  with  the  discretion  either  of  the  sheriff  or  of  General 
Pearson.  I  might  reply,  as  a  citizen  of  Pittsburgh,  that  there  was  no  need 
of  repeating  the  old  maximum,  which  had  got  very  trite,  that  there  was 
no  use  in  firing  blank  shot  at  a  mob ;  but  that  when  they  were  ready  to 
strike,  they  should  do  it  effectually,  and  disperse  the  mob.  The  General 
stated  to  me  there  the  force  he  had,  some  sixty  men  in  that  company  and 
a  battery  called  Breck's  Battery,  the  remainder  of  his  force  was  at  Torrens 
station.  He  also  stated  he  had  a  number  of  men  then  at  Twenty-eighth 
street. 

Q.  What  is  the  distance  of  Torrens  station  from  Twenty-eight  street? 

A.  Out  to  East  Liberty  is  four  miles,  and  Torrens  station  is  probably 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  beyond  that.  From  the  length  of  time  that  had  elapsed, 
and  a  number  of  the  men  not  having  responded,  1  felt  satisfied  it  would  be 
prudent  to  have  more  troops  before  striking,  and  I  so  telegraphed  to  Phila- 
delphia. General  Pearson,  at  that  point,  said  :  I  believe  I  could  take  this 
battery  up  there  and  open  the  track  at  that  point,  but  it  would  be  with 
very  great  sacrifice  of  life. 

Q.  To  whom  did  }^ou  telegraph  to  Philadelphia  ? 

A.  To  the  president  of  the  road — Colonel  Scott.  I  said  in  that  dispatch, 
from  the  dilatory  way  in  which  the  troops  were  coming,  I  thought  that  the 
troops  ought  to  come  from  some  other  quarter  than  from  Pittsburgh.  Gen- 
eral Pearson  was  evidently  reluctant  to  sacrifice  life,  even  if  he  could  open 
the  road  by  doing  so,  and  wished  Mr.  Thaw  and  myself,  as  officers  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  to  sign  a  request  asking  him  to  delay  his 
movement.  I  refused  to  do  so,  saying  that  I  would  not  control  his  discre- 
tion as  a  military  man — that  what  should  be  done,  at  that  time,  should  be 
left  to  him  to  decide.  I  left  then  and  went  out  home  that  evening,  and 
staid  at  home  Friday  night  and  saw  nothing  more  of  the  riot  than  a  pas- 
senger would  see  in  passing  out  through  the  large  crowd  assembled  at  and 
about  Twenty-eight  street.  I  cannot  estimate  the  number  there,  but  the 
road  was  blocked  and  the  hill  was  largely  covered,  when  we  went  out  on 
Friday  evening.  I  returned  to  the  cityr  on  Saturday  morning,  but  did  not 
see  what  transpired  along  the  Pennsylvania  railrord  during  that  morning, 
as  I  was  busy  in  my  own  office  at  Tenth  and  Penn  streets.  There  was  a 
great  deal  of  communicating  back  and  forth  between  the  officials  of  the 
road,  between  Philadelphia  and  here,  and  west  of  this  point,  in  reference 
to  the  strike.  I  was  not  present  when  the  troops  arrived  from  Philadel- 
phia. I  was  pursuing  my  business  in  my  department  that  evening  until  I 
went  over  to  go  out  to  my  home,  at  Shady  Side.  The  train  I  took  was 
delayed,  the  firing  having  already  commenced  at  Twenty-eight  street. 
Word  had  come  by  telegraph,  before  that  train  started,  that  the  firing  had 
occurred.  I  went  out  in  that  train,  through  a  dense  crowd,  both  of  civil 
and  military  men,  at  Twenty-eight  street ;  and  I  was  at  my  home  during  that 
night.  The  firing  began  that  night,  probably  about  eight  or  nine  o'clock. 
I  came  into  the  city  the  next  morning,  and  went  to  the  Union  Depot  Hotel 
with  some  ladies  who  had  been  left  on  the  train  that  could  not  get  in  the  night 
before.     It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  say  what  occurred.     I  found  a  place 


54  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

of  safet}'  for  them.  I  found  that  the  Union  Depot  Hotel  was  not  a  safe 
place  at  that  time.  I  saw  at  that  time  the  fire  progressing  up,  but  I  was 
not  any  nearer  to  the  scene  of  the  riot  at  that  time  than  the  Union  Depot 
Hotel.  Secretary  Quay  and  Adjutant  General  Latta  were  in  the  Union 
Depot  Hotel  making  preparations  to  leave  it. 

Q.  State  the  distance  of  your  residence  from  the  Union  depot. 

A.  The  station  where  I  get  off  is  a  fraction  over  three  miles  from  the 
Union  Depot  Hotel,  and  my  residence  is  probably  four  or  five  hundred 
yards  from  the  station. 

Q.  State  whether  at  this  time  there  was  any  rioting  nearer  to  the  Union 
depot  than  Twenty-eighth  street,  at  the  time  you  speak  about  when  Gen- 
eral Latta  and  Secretary  Quay  were  in  the  Union  Depot  Hotel. 

A.  The  fire  had  progressed,  and  was  then  progressing  on  this  side  of 
Twenty-eighth  street  up  toward  the  Union  Depot  Hotel.  I  cannot  say 
where  the  fire  first  originated,  but  looking  up  Liberty  street  from  the 
Union  Depot  Hotel,  when  1  was  there,  I  should  say  the  fire  was  then  some 
six  or  seven  blocks  from  the  Union  Depot  Hotel.  I  could  see  it  distinctly 
spreading  across  the  street.  I  was  not  at  the  seme  of  the  riot  during 
Sunday;  I  was  with  the  officers  of  the  railroad  company  in  Allegheny 
City,  in  conference  as  to  the  best  mode  of  preventing  further  trouble,  de- 
struction, and  rioting  over  portions  of  the  road  west  of  Pittsburgh.  I  do 
not  know  that  I  can  give  any  further  information  in  giving  my  personal 
knowledge  of  what  I  saw  of  the  actual  disturbances. 

Q.  Have  you  airy  knowledge  as  to  what  was  done  by  the  railroad  com- 
pany after  that  time  ? 

A.  In  the  way  of  suppressing  the  riot  ? 

Q.  Yes. 

A.  I  might  state  upon  that  subject,  that  upon  Saturday  afternoon,  while 
the  officers  of  the  western  lines  were  in  Allegheny  Cit}r,  a  committee  of  citi- 
zens— at  least  a  committee  appointed  at  a  citizens'  meeting — a  representa- 
tive of  Bishop  Twigg — one  of  his  clergymen,  whose  name  I  do  not  recol- 
lect— and  Reverend  Mr.  Scovel,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  James  I. 
Bennett,  came  to  see  what  we  could  do  in  the  way  of  suppressing  the  riot, 
and  asking  that  some  concession  should  be  made  to  the  men  on  the  road. 
We  replied  to  them  substantially,  that  so  far  as  the  railroad  company  was 
concerned,  we  thought  the  mob  had  done  about  its  worst.  This  was  when 
the  Union  depot  was  burning — at  least  Mr.  Thaw  and  I  were  on  the  hill 
a  short  time  before,  and  saw  the  fire  so  near  that  we  supposed  it  was  then 
burning.  We  said  it  had  now  ceased  to  be  a  question  between  the  railroad 
company  and  the  employes,  and  was  one  between  the  public  authorities 
and  the  mob,  between  government  and  anarchy,  and  that  so  far  as  we  had 
anything  to  do  with  the  question,  we  were  now  in  an  utterly  defenseless 
position,  and  we  thought,  being  in  that  position,  if  we  were  to  make  the 
concessions  which  had  been  demanded  in  the  beginning,  we  would  be 
breaking  down  the  only  barrier  between  anarchy  and  their  propert}-,  and 
that  now  the  question  for  the  citizens  to  determine  was  whether  they 
would  make  any  effort  to  stop  that  lawlessness  which  would  next  reach 
them  after  it  had  spent  its  fury  on  the  railroad  compan}-.  So  far  as  the 
efforts  to  stop  the  rioting  by  negotiations  or  compromising  with  the  men 
were  concerned,  I  had  no  direct  connection  with  them.  That  occurred  be- 
tween others — friends  of  the  road,  the  general  management,  and  the  rep- 
resentatives of  the  men — and  I  knew  of  them  only  in  a  general  way,  from 
hearing  what  was  said  by  the  officers,  which  was  substantially,  that  while 
the  men  were  in  the  position  of  law  breakers,  ami  holding  control  of  the 
company's  property,  we  could  not  yield  to  the  demands  extorted  by  that 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  13T7.  55 

kind  of  violence ;  but  that,  if  things  were  restored  to  their  normal  condi- 
tion, the  company  was  perfectly  willing  to  meet  the  men,  and  negotiate 
with  them  in  regard  to  this  matter  just  as  in  regard  to  any  other  differ- 
ence. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Upon  this  Thursday  you  speak  of,  3'ou  say  3*011  found,  at  a  certain 
stage,  that  the  road  was  in  possession  of  the  mob — substantially  a  mob — 
that  then  you  went  to  the  sheriff,  and  then,  with  him,  to  the  depot,  and 
found  General  Pearson  there.  Now,  can  you  state  to  us  who  called  for,  or 
who  sent  for  the  militia — who  called  upon  the  State  Government  ? 

A.  I  have  already  stated  that  the  call  for  the  militia  was  made  by  Sheriff 
Fife,  after  he  had  gone  out  with  General  Pearson,  and  endeavored  to  dis- 
perse the  mob  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  He  then  came  back  and  reported 
his  inability  to  do  so,  and  that  he  had  no  further  power  at  his  command, 
and  announced  his  decision  that  he  would  call  upon  the  Governor,  and,- at 
his  request,  I  wrote  a  dispatch  to  the  Governor,  announcing  his  conclusion, 
and  asking  for  the  Governor's  aid. 

Q.  At  the  request  of  the  sheriff? 

A.  Yes ;  he  signed  that  dispatch  sent  to  the  Governor. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  call  upon  the  rnayor  for  assistance  before  you  called  upon 
the  sheriff? 

A.  I  did  not  personally.  Mr.  Watt  informed  me  he  did.  He  can  give 
you  that. 

Q.  Was  General  Pearson  connected  with  the  sheriff's  office  at  that  time 
as  a  deputy  ? 

A.  I  don't  know. 

Q.  You  stated  he  was  counsel  for  the  sheriff? 

A.  Oh,  no.  I  stated  to  the  sheriff  that  I  was  calling  upon  him  as  coun- 
sel for  the  railroad  company,  and  I  insisted  that  he  ought  to  have  his  own 
counsel  to  guide  him  in  determining  his  duty  in  this  emergency;  but,  say- 
ing that  Mr.  Carnaham  was  his  regular  counsel,  and  that  he  could  not  send 
for  him,  he  went  to  the  depot  without  him,  with  a  deputy  named  Haymaker. 
When  we  reached  the  depot  General  Pearson  was  there,  saying  he  had  been 
requested  by  the  Adjutant  General  to  be  there.  When  Sheriff  Fife  saw 
him  there,  he  turned  to  me  and  said :  "  Mr.  Scott,  I  know  him,  and  for  this 
occasion  I  will  be  governed  by  his  counsel."  General  Pearson  was  not  there 
as  a  deputy  or  a  clerk,  but  in  obedience  to  the  dispatch  of  the  Adjutant 
General,  and  the  sheriff,  finding  him  there,  was  governed  by  his  counsel  at 
that  time. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Have  yon  any  knowledge  as  to  who  sent  for  the  troops  at  Philadel- 
phia, who  ordered  them  here  ? 

A.  I  have  no  other  knowledge  of  it  than  that  which  came  in  the  dispatches 
that  night,  which  was  that  the  Adjutant  General  had  ordered  them.  A  dis- 
patch came  from  Mr.  Quay  saying  that  the  Governor  had  ordered  out  the 
militia. 

Q.  The  Philadelphia  troops  of  the  First  division  ? 

A.  I  have  no  actual  knowledge  as  to  who  ordered  them  out,  except  in  a 
general  way;  the  Adjutant  General  was  here  afterwards,  and  when  those 
troops  came  it  was  my  understanding,  derived  from  my  intercourse  with 
General  Latta  and  all  the  others,  that  the  military  had  been  ordered  out 
by  the  Adjutant  General,  he  being  the  military  officer  of  the  State  under 
the  Governor.  In  speaking  of  all  this,  I  am  giving  what  occurred  by  the 
dispatches  in  the  outer  depot  while  I  was  there. 


56  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Can  you  give  the  extent  of  the  destruction  of  the  railroad  property 
by  the  fire  ? 

A.  I  cannot,  with  any  accuracy. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.   Approximately  ? 

A.  I  have  been  informed  that  the  officers  of  the  road  are  yet  engaged  in 
making  up  a  full  statement  of  the  losses  of  the  company,  and  any  estimate 
I  might  make  would  be  so  entirely  unreliable  that,  if  it  is  important  to  the 
committee,  I  prefer  sending  for  those  who  have  that  subject  in  charge. 

Q.  Can  you  give  the  extent  of  the  burning,  the  destruction  of  property 
in  general ? 

A.  My  statement  would  be  simply  from  observation — that  the  burning 
of  property  commenced  at  or  very  near  the  station  of  Lawrenceville. 

Q.  How  far  from  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  I  would  suppose  a  mile  and  a  quarter  or  a  mile  and  a  half.  That  is 
an  estimate.  1  do  not  know,  I  ma}7  be  wrong  about  that.  It  is  the  second 
stopping  place  out  from  the  Union  depot.  The  destruction  on  the  track, 
of  cars  that  were  there,  and  buildings  extending  from  Lawrenceville  all 
along  past  the  Union  depot  and  embracing  property  of  the  Pittsburgh, 
Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis  Railroad  Company,  on  Seventh  street,  in  this 
city,  the  number  of  cars  burnt,  the  number  of  locomotives  destro}red  or 
disabled,  the  value  of  the  goods  in  those  cars,  and  the  value  of  the  build- 
ings that  were  destined,  and  the  injury  done  on  the  road  are  all  matters 
of  computation  upon  which  my  estimate  would  not  be  worth  anything.  It 
will  have  to  be  obtained  from  actual  examiuation  of  those  who  inspected 
the  in. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.   Was  the  first  burning  of  cars  or  of  buildings  ? 

A.  I  cannnot  say,  except  as  a  matter  of  public  information.  I  was  not 
present.  I  have  already  stated  I  was  at  Shady  Side  on  Saturday  evening, 
when  the  fire  commenced. 

Q.  Have  you  an}r  knowledge  about  what  time  that  fire  commenced  ? 

A.  I  saw  the  light  in  the  evening  about  nine  or  ten  o'clock,  and  sent  my 
son  in  to  ascertain  the  state  of  things. 

Q.  Of  your  own  knowledge  3-011  do  not  know  whether  it  was  a  car  that 
was  first  burned  or  a  building? 

A.  Of  my  own  knowledge  I  cannot  say  at  what  point  the  fire  began,  or 
by  whom  it  was  kindled. 
B37  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Can  you  state  of  your  own  knowledge  what  classes  of  men  composed 
the  rioters  during  the  burning.  Whether  the  mob  was  composed  of  rail- 
road emploj-e's  or  of  others  than  those,  and  if  of  others,  of  what  class  ? 

A.  That  would  be  in  part  my  personal  knowledge,  but  1  could  not  give 
an  answer  to  that  without  confounding  together  my  personal  knowledge 
and  matters  of  information.     I  will  give  the  result,  if  you  wish  it. 

Q.   State  it? 

A.  The  first  difficulties,  which  were  brought  on  by  the  employe's  of  the 
company  taking  possession  of  the  engines  and  trains,  were,  so  tar  as  I 
could  judge,  or  saw.  exclusively  by  those  who  had  been  railroad  employe's 
tip  to  that  point.  The  action  which  Mr.  Pitcairn  took  with  reference  to 
that  when  they  took  that  possession  I  cannot  state.  Things  wenl  on,  with 
a  great  crowd  accumulating  from  that  Thursday  morning,  and  while  I  say, 
as  a  lawyer,  that  there  was  a  riot  and  mob  there  from  Thursday  morning 
down  until  the  firing  began,  with  a  crowd  constantly  accumulating,  as  it 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  57 

would  on  account  of  any  disturbance  that  had  occurred,  }Tet  there  seemed 
to  be  a  feeling  that  it  was  not  that  kind  of  a  riot  or  mob  that  called  for  the 
interposition  of  a  very  vigorous  public  sentiment  to  put  it  down ;  but,  when 
the  military  were  brought  for  the  purpose  of  regaining  possession  of  the 
property,  and  the  collision  was  actually  brought  on,  I  can  say  that  the 
mob  was  made  up  of  a  great  many  other  people  than  railroad  employes. 
I  did  not  see  them,  nor  was  actually  among  them  so  I  could  identify  any 
of  the  railroad  employes,  or  any  persons  outside,  but  from  my  knowledge 
of  the  immense  crowd  which  was  assembled  at  Twenty-eight  street  as  I 
went  in  and  out,  there  were  undoubtedly  a  great  many  other  than  railroad 
employes  about  the  scene  of  violence,  and  I  have  no  doubt  participating 
in  it. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee: 

Q.  You  say  that  while  the  employes  were  in  possession  of  the  cars  of 
the  compan}',  there  seemed  to  be  no  such  riot  as  required  the  intervention 
of  public  sentiment  to  put  it  down  ? 

A.  I  did  not  intend  so  say  that,  but  that  while  it  was  confined  to  rail- 
road employes  public  sentiment  did  not  seem  to  manifest  itself  as  requir- 
ing any  decided  interposition  to  put  that  down.  In  other  words,  I  am 
bound  in  candor  to  say,  when  asked  for  it.  that  public  sentiment  here  very 
clearly  distinguished  between  the  act  of  breaking  the  law  on  the  part  of 
the  employes  in  taking  possession  of  the  railroad  property,  and  stopping 
commerce  at  this  point,  and  the  act  of  rioting  and  incendiarism  which  fol- 
lowed in  consequence  of  that  initial  breaking  of  the  law. 

Q.  That  is,  that  public  sentiment  did  not  assert  itself  vigorously  against 
the  employes  taking  possession  of  the  cars  and  engines  prior  to  the  actual 
outbreak  and  destruction  of  property  ? 

A.  That  is  what  I  metin. 

Q.  In  other  words,  public  sentiment  sympathized  with  the  rioters  ? 

A.  I  am  a  citizen  of  Pittsburgh,  and  here  along  with  the  rest  of  them, 
am  bound  to  say  that  the  newspapers  pretty  fairly  reflected  the  public  sen- 
timent in  what  they  said.  If  you  wish  to  see  what  it  was,  instead  of  ask- 
ing my  opinion,  owing  to  my  relation  with  the  railroad  company,  if  you 
will  take  the  editorials  of  the  various  morning  and  evening  newspapers 
from  the  19th  of  July,  from  the  day  on  which  this  thing  occurred,  down 
until  some  days  after  the  actual  firing  occurred,  I  think  you  will  find  that 
the  editors  evidently  tried  to  reflect  the  public  sentiment,  and  I  think  they 
succeeded  pretty  well  in  doing  it.  If  you  wish  to  get  that  you  had  better 
ask  the  sheriff  what  responses  the  people  made  to  him  when  he  asked  them 
to  become  part  of  his  posse.  I  did  not  hear  what  was  said,  but  the  sheriff 
knows. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  the  sheriff  succeed  in  raising  a^osse  comitatus  ? 

A.  He  said  to  us  in  the  Union  depot  he  could  not,  and  reported  to  me 
the  next  morning  that  he  could  not  do  it. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert: 

Q.  Have  you  any  knowledge  whether  the  mayor  tried  to  subdue  the  riot 
or  assist  the  sheriff  in  trying  to  subdue  the  riot  ? 

A.  I  have  not  any  personal  knowledge  of  the  mayor's  action. 

Q.  Was  he  in  the  city  during  the  time,  or  not  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  personal  knowledge,  again.  I  did  make  one  effort  to  have 
accomplished  what  I  thought  would  have  conduced  somewhat  to  the  pub- 
lic peace  that  afternoon,  Saturday  afternoon.  That  is  the  onby  fact  within 
my  own  knowledge.  About  one  o'clock,  Saturday,  seeing  a  large  number  of 
people  attracted  to  the  depot,  and  knowing  that  a  large  number  of  oper- 


58  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

atives  were  free  from  work  that  afternoon,  I  thought  it  a  measure  of  pre- 
caution for  the  mayor  to  close  the  drinking  saloons  in  the  city.  I  drew  up 
a  paper,  stating  this  fact,  as  politely  as  I  could,  and  that  paper  was  signed 
by  Mr.  Thaw  and  Mr.  McCullough,  officers  of  the  company,  and  I  took  it 
over  and  had  Secretar}^  Quay  and  Adjutant  General  Latta  sign  it  also,  and 
then  sent  it  up  to  the  mayor,  and  the  messenger  reported  to  me  that  he  had 
left  it  at  the  mayor's  office  in  the  hands  of  his  chief  clerk,  I  think  he  said  ; 
I  never  heard  any  more  of  it. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Who  was  that  messenger  ? 

A.  His  name  I  cannot  give  you,  but  I  placed  it  in  the  hands  of  D.  H. 
Rudy  ;  he  can  give  you  the  name  of  the  messenger  who  sent  it  up.     That  is 
the  answer  that  I  got,  that  he  left  it  in  the  mayor's  office.     What  was  done 
with  it  I  do  not  know. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  he  complied  with  it  or  not  ? 

A.  I  can  only  say  that  the  drinking  saloons  were  not  closed,  and  I  did 
not  see  any  proclamation  closing  them. 

Q.  So  if  you  were  not  a  citizen  of  Pittsburgh,  do  you  suppose  you  would 
think  that  the  mayor  had  done  his  duty,  as  an  officer  ought  to,  at  that  par- 
ticular time  ? 

A.  Being  a  citizen  of  Pittsburgh,  I  cannot  put  myself  in  the  position  of 
not  being  one.     I  will  have  to  leave  you  to  judge. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  At  the  time  you  first  spoke  of  meeting  the  crowd  of  employes,  and 
their  taking  possession  of  the  engines  on  Thursday — the  first  outbreak 
you  spoke  of  what  was  done  on  the  part  of  the  railroad  company  to  ascer- 
tain the  cause  of  that  commotion  ? 

A.  I  did  not  understand  that  there  was  any  secret  about  the  causes  of  it 
all.  I  am  giving  now  the  public  understanding.  •  My  understanding  was 
simply  this:  That  an  order  had  been  made — Mr.  Pitcairn  can  tell  you 
more  fully  about  that — an  order  requiring  the  running  of,  what  are  called 
double  header  trains — two  engines  to  one  train,  and  some  of  the  employes 
alleged  that  that  imposed  on  them  additional  work  without  additional  pay. 
I  believe  that  is  the  short  of  it,  and  rather  than  comply  with  it,  they  struck. 
I  understood  that  was  made  the  cause  of  beginning  the  disturbances  here. 

Q.  Did  you  or  any  one,  on  behalf  of  the  railroad  company,  commuuicate 
with  those  men  ? 

A.  I  did  not.  I  understood  the  operating  officers  did,  but  I  cannot  tell 
what  occurred  between  them. 

Robert  Pitcairn,  sworn  with,  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  is  your  residence  ? 

A.  Shady  Side. 

Q.  AYhat  is  your  official  connection  with  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company  ? 

A.  General  agent  or  superintendent  of  the  Pittsburgh  division. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  held  that  position  ? 

A.  I  came  here  the  last  time  in  the  spring  of  1865.  I  have  been  here 
three  times.     Since  that  spring  I  have  been  superintendent  of  the  division. 

Q.  Now  give  us  your  statement  about  the  riots.  Tell  us  whether  there 
were  any  differences  of  opinion  or  disagreements  between  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  Company  and  the  employes  prior  to  the  20th  of  July  last. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  59 

A.  There  were  no  more  differences  than  there  have  been  since  the  road 
has  been  opened.     There  have  always  been  differences. 

Q.  Was  there  any  difference  existing  at  that  time  ? 

A.  No  more  than  heretofore.  The  company  reduced  the  wages  of  all 
officers  and  employes  ten  per  cent,  in  June. 

Q.  Of  1877? 

A.  Yes.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  friction  and  complaint.  Committees 
called  upon  me,  and  committees  from  the  different  divisions  of  the  road  vis- 
ited Mr.  Scott,  the  president,  and  had  conferences  with  him  on  the  subject. 
They  complained  because  of  the  redaction.  He  explained  that  the  cause 
of  it  was  the  condition  of  the  country,  and  that  as  soon  as  business  would 
become  brighter,  that  then  the  company  would  entertain  their  petitions 
and  would  act  fairly  with  them,  when  the  committee,  as  they  informed  me, 
as  Colonel  Scott  and  others  informed  me.  professed  their  satisfaction,  and 
said  there  would  be  no  trouble,  but  that  they  would  work  harmoniously. 

Q.  That  was  on  what  date  ? 

A.  I  cannot  remember  the  date  ;  it  was  after  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction. 

Q.  What  was  the  date  of  that  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  in  June — May  or  June. 

Q.  Was  there  any  further  reduction  after  that  time,  and  prior  to  the 
riot  ? 

A.  There  was  no  reduction  in  wages. 

Q.  Was  there  an  increase  of  duty  or  work  placed  upon  the  employes  ? 

A.  That  is  a  question  of  opinion  altogether.  The  company  for  many 
years  back — the  officers  have  been  trying  all  in  their  power  to  economically 
manage  the  road,  loading  the  engines  to  their  full  capacity  and  making 
them  up  differently.  There  is  hardly  a  year  passes,  but  that  some  of  the 
officers  finds  some  way  of  more  economically  running  the  road.  There  was 
an  order  given  to  make  up  what  we  call  double-headers  between  Pittsburgh 
and  Deny.  Since  the  road  has  been  opened  we  have  always  run  double- 
headed,  and  sometimes  three  engines  ahead  and  one  behind,  between  Al- 
toona  and  Conemaugh.  The  object  in  running  the  double-headers  to  Derry 
was  for  the  purpose  of  making  the  trains  go  through  to  Philadelphia  with- 
out being  divided  ;  that  is,  it  takes  two  engines  to  haul  a  train  from  Pitts- 
burgh to  Derry,  whether  two  engines  ahead  or  behind,  or  two  separate 
trains ;  and  to  avoid  the  delay  of  running  two  separate  trains  to  Derry, 
one  ahead  waiting  for  the  other,  we  put  two  engines  in  front  of  the  trains, 
when  one  engine  cuts  the  train  going  to  Conemaugh,  and  the  one  put  behind 
goes  down  to  Altoona,  and  goes  through  from  there. 

Q.  What  was  the  date  of  that  order  ? 

A.  The  order  of  running  double-headers  on  all  through  trains  was  the 
morning  of  Thursda}-,  but  we  had  always  run  double-headers  between  Pitts- 
burgh and  Derry,  perhaps  from  one  half  to  two  thirds.  The  order  was  to 
take  effect  on  that  Thursday,  and  was  to  make  them  all  double-headers. 

Q.  Did  the  men  make  any  complaint  about  that  order  ? 

A.  They  made  no  complaint. 

Q.  To  you  or  to  any  other  officer  of  the  road  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  am  aware  of.  Up  to  that  time  we  always  considered  the 
double-headers  a  question  of  econony. 

Q.  Did  that  order  require  the  discharge  of  anjr  number  of  men,  or  did 
it  not  ? 

A.  It  did. 

Q.  By  that  order  }rou  could  run  your  trains  with  a  less  number  of  men  ? 

A.  We  could  run  them  with  a  less  number  of  conductors  and  brakemen. 


60  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

but  not  of  engineers  and  firemen.  As  many  double-headers  as  we  had 
would  take  off  one  single  crew  of  conductors  and  brakemen  each. 

Q.  You  heard  no  complaint  about  that  order  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  am  aware  of;  but  the  men  were  always  complaining  about 
something. 

Q.  That  was  on  Thursday.  What  was  the  first  riotous  occurrence  show- 
ing that  the  men  were  dissatisfied  after  the  issuing  of  that  order? 

A.  I  had  leave  of  absence  on  Thursday  morning  to  go  to  Philadelphia. 
For  a  few  days  previous  I  had  asked  the  men — asked  the  subordinate  offi- 
cers— as  I  always  do  when  I  see  them,  if  there  is  any  trouble.  I  was  assured 
then  that  our  men  were  more  satisfied  and  loyal  than  they  had  been,  and  I 
was  perfectly  free  in  my  mind  in  going  away  on  Thursday  morning.  I  left 
in  the  day  express  on  the  Thursday  morning  when  the  trouble  began. 

Q.  How  far  did  you  go  before  receiving  intelligence  of  the  trouble  ? 

A.  When  I  reached  Altoona  I  got  a  telegram  from  Mr.  Watt,  who  rep- 
presented  me  here,  saying  that  a  few  of  the  men,  after  the  train  I  was  on 
had  left,  had  refused  to  go  out  on  the  double-headers,  and  that  they  were 
trying  to  create  a  disturbance,  and  saying  what  action  he  had  taken,  and 
that  his  idea  was  that  it  would  be  all  right,  and  for  me  not  to  stop  off  but 
to  go  on,  that  the  matter  would  be  all  right. 

Q,.   What  hour  did  you  receive  that  ? 

A.  About  twelve  twenty,  when  I  reached  Altoona.  I  had  no  train  to  i'e- 
turn  on  and  I  thought  I  would  go  on  on  the  day  express  and  think  over 
the  subject,  and  when  I  reached  Lewistown  I  made  up  my  mind  that  I 
would  return.  So  I  arranged  for  my  family,  who  were  accompanying  me,  to 
go  on,  and  I  returned  on  the  fast  line  from  Lewistown,  reaching  here  at 
eleven  thirty. 

Q.  In  the  evening  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  eleven  twenty-five.  On  my  way  wast  I  telegraphed  to  my  sub- 
ordinate officers  to  meet  me  in  Pittsburgh.  I  intended  to  get  off  at  the 
outer  depot,  Twenty-eighth  street,  but  there  was  a  large  crowd  there,  and 
I  came  to  Union  depot,  and  walked  up  to  where  my  office  then  was,  at 
Twenty-sixth  street,  and  on  my  way  I  met  a  carriage  with  the  Honorable 
John  Scott  and  Mr.  Watt  and  the  sheriff.  I  got  in  the  carriage  and  went 
to  my  office,  at  Twenty-sixth  street,  and  there  found  my  subordinate  offi- 
ce rs,  and  General  Pearson  was  there. 

Q.  Who  were  your  subordinate  officers  ? 

Joseph  Fox,  road  foreman;  John  Major,  road  foreman;  David  Garrett, 
assistant  trainmaster ;  Edward  Pitcairn,  trainmaster;  Joseph  McCabe, 
general  dispatcher.  Mr.  Scott,  the  sheriff,  and  all  the  parties  there  were 
consulting  and  talking  together,  when  the  sheriff  made  up  his  mind  to  go 
up  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  where  the  crowd  was  interfering  and  prevent- 
ing trains  from  running.  I  wanted  to  go  up  and  talk  to  the  men,  when  my 
subordinates  prevented  me,  and  said  there  was  no  use  of  my  going  up,  be- 
cause none  of  our  men  were  there.  Few,  if  any,  of  our  own  men  were 
there.  It  was  a  crowd.  They  persuaded  me  to  remain,  while  the  sheriff 
and  General  Pearson  went  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  They  came  hack 
and  reported  the  result  of  their  attempt  to  disperse  the  crowd,  when  the 
communications,  as  staled  by  Mr.  Scott 

Q.   What  did  the  sheriff  and  General  Pearson  report  to  3rou  ? 

A.  They  said  they  went  up  and  went  to  the  crowd  and  called  to  the 
crowd  to  disperse  and  go  to  their  homes,  and  they  made  no  impression, 
and  received  nothing  but  vulgar  abuse. 

Q.   Did  they  go  alone  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  61 

A  Unless  one  or  two  of  my  men  went  with  them.  One  or  two  went  with 
them. 

Q.  At  what  hour  was  that  ? 

A.  About  twelve  o'clock,  Thursday  night. 

Q.  What  then  occurred  ? 

A.  Then  came  the  communications  to  the  different  parties.     The  Gov- 
ernor, and  Mr.  Quay,  and  Lieutenant  Governor  Latta,  and  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral Latta,  and  then  came  the  replies,  and  the  message  to  General  Pearson 
to  order  out  one  of  the  regiments,  I  think,  which  he  did. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  From  whom  did  this  order  come  ? 

A.  Adjutant  General  Latta. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  time  did  he  receive  that  dispatch  from  General  Latta  ? 

A.  Between  twelve  and  half  past  four  in  the  morning.  I  think  the  order 
calling  out  the  troops  came  after  the  Governor's  message.  All  left  the 
office  about  half  past  four.  General  Pearson,  who  had  written  his  orders 
about  the  regiment  before,  and  I  parted  at  the  Union  depot.  General 
Pearson  went  down  town,  and  Mr.  Scott,  Mr.  Watt,  and  myself  went  to 
the  Union  depot  hotel  for  the  purpose  of  retiring. 

Q.  When  you  came  in  from  Altoona  did  you  notice  the  disturbance  a 
Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  To  what  extent  ? 

A.  It  was  dark,  and  I  could  not  see  any  of  the  crowd.  I  do  not  know 
how  many  were  there. 

Q.  What  was  the  crowd  doing  then? 

A.  Yelling — talking  loud. 

Q.  Were  they  stopping  trains  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know;  they  "did  not  stop  our  train.  I  went  to  bed  ;  but  it 
was  not  five  minutes  until  I  received  another  telegram,  and  another,  per- 
taining to  the  business  of  the  road.  So  I  got  up.  There  were  a  number 
of  messages  from  President  Scott  and  the  genei'al  superintendent.  They 
had  an  idea  we  could  move  the  trains  in  the  morning,  and  were  giving 
different  orders  about  stock  and  different  things. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  effort  to  move  a  train  on  Friday  morning  ? 

A.  We  were  continually  making  efforts  ;  we  never  ceased. 

Q.  What  effort  did  you  make  to  move  the  trains  on  Friday  morning? 

A.  The  efforts  to  move  the  trains  on  Friday  morning  were,  securing  the 
crews  and  firing  up  the  engines,  and  having  everything  ready  to  move 
when  we  could  get  through  the  crowd. 

Q.  Did  you  succeed  in  securing  the  crews  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  they  new  men,  or  old  employes  ? 

A.  Old  employes.  I  want  you  to  bear  in  mind,  that  in  starting  the 
trains,  the  crews  were  always  there,  professing  their  readiness  to  go  out, 
and  at  no  time  had  we  not  sufficient  crews  to  take  the  whole  number  of 
cars  out. 

By  Senator  Pveyburn  : 

Q.  AVho  stopped  you  from  running  the  trains? 

A.  The  crowd. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  was  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  did  not  know  them. 


62  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Any  of  your  own  men  ? 

A.  I  was  about  continually,  and  I  do  not  think  I  ever  saw  over  three  or 
four  of  my  own  men  in  any  crowd,  if  you  leave  out  the  sub-officers. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  On  Friday  morning  you  had  crews  enough  to  start  all  the  trains ; 
did  you  give  orders  to  start  ? 

A.  To  be  ready  to  start. 

Q.  But  you  did  not  give  any  order  to  start  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  For  what  reasons  ? 

A.  To  get  assistance  to  keep  the  crowd  off  our  property. 

Q.  Did  you  think  at  that  time  that  the  crowd  was  so  large  that  the 
trains  could  not  run  through  it? 

A.  Not  without  killing  them.     They  had  charge  of  the  switches  there. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  The  crowd  had  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Do  j^ou  think  if  a  train  had  started  you  could  have  run  it  through 
the  crowd,  and  gone  on — in  your  opinion? 

A.  If  the  crowd  had  not  tui-ned  the  switches.  The  switchmen  were 
there,  but  under  the  management  of  the  crowd. 

Q.  Did  you  go  up  there  where  that  crowd  was  Friday  morning,  to  see, 
of  3rour  own  knowledge,  whether  the  trains  could  run  through  or  not  ? 

A.  On  Friday  morning  we  had  a  crowd  at  two  points,  Twenty-eighth 
street  and  at  Torrens  station.     To  both  places  I  went. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  at  Twenty-eighth  street  that  morning — Fri- 
day morning  ? 

A.  On  Friday  morning,  to  connect  my  story,  I  went  up  with  General 
Pearson  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  he  talked  to  the  crowd.  I  think  the 
sheriff  was  along. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  did  you  find  there  ? 

A.  I  never  was  at  Twenty-eighth  street  that  evening. 

Q.  On  Friday  morning  ? 

A.  I  have  very  little  idea  about  the  numbers  of  a  crowd — it  was  a  very 
large  crowd. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.   Was  your  road-way  blocked  up  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  any  of  your  men  among  that  crowd — your  employes  ? 

A.  As  I  said  before,  I  never  recognized,  I  would  be  safe  in  saying  half 
a  dozen  of  our  men  that  I  knew. 

Q.  From  Twenty-eighth  street  did  you  go  out  to  Torrens  ? 

A.  Yes. 

<^.  How  large  a  crowd  was  there  ? 

A.  I  would  say  six  hundred  or  a  thousand.  There  was  a  crowd.  I 
have  no  idea  what  number  a  crowd  is. 

Q.  Did  you  find  any  of  the  railroad  employes  among  that  crowd  ? 

A.  I  found  one  man  that  I  knew  as  an  employe,  but  I  cannot  name  him. 
Hi'  talked  to  me,  that  is  the  reason  I  remember  him. 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  switches  turned,  at  that  time,  at  Torrens  ? 

A.  None,  to  my  knowledge. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  63 

Q.  The  track  was  clear  at  that  time,  so  that  the  trains  could  have  run 
through  if  they  had  allowed  it  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  personal  knowledge. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Who  seemed  to  be  directing  the  crowd.     That  is,  the  mob  ? 

A.  There  seemed  to  be  an  understanding,  from  the  remarks  made  by  the 
crowd,  that  they  had  sufficient  foi'ce  to  prevent  the  trains  going  out.  As 
for  example :  At  Torrens  a  party  told  me  it  was  bread  or  blood,  and  they 
could  get  any  number  of  men  to  come  up  and  prevent  the  running  through 
of  any  train  until  the  matter  was  arranged  with  them. 

Q.  Was  that  man  an  employe  of  the  road  '( 

A.  He  was,  but  I  do  not  remember  his  name. 

Q.  What  position  did  he  hold  on  the  road  ? 

A.  A  train  man.     He  may  have  been  a  flag  man.     I  thought  I  knew  his 
name,  and  came  down  to  see  a  party  arrested,  but  it  was  not  the  man.     I 
have  not  seen  him  since. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  those  threats  made  by  the  crowd  or  by  this  one  man  ? 

A.  By  a  single  man. 

Q.  Were  the  threats  made  about  preventing  the  running  of  the  trains 
by  employes  or  others  ? 

A.  By  outsiders.  They  could  not  get  enough  employes  to  stop  the 
trains. 

By  Mr.  Dewees  : 

Q.  When  you  doubled  up  the  trains,  how  many  men  did  you  relieve. 
That  is,  on  the  morning  of  the  Thursday  that  this  outbreak  occurred  ? 

A.  If  there  were  ten  single  trains  and  I  doubled  up,  I  saved  five  con- 
ductors and  five  flagmen  and  ten  brakemen. 

Q.  What  became  of  those  men  ? 

A.  They  were  suspended. 

Q.  Was  anything  said  to  them,  that  they  were  suspended  for  a  certain 
time,  or  were  they  just  dropped  ? 

A.  Those  ci*ews  were  not  suspended,  but  that  many  men,  and  a  great 
many  more,  because  the  business  had  gone  down,  were  suspended,  and  we 
were  choosing  the  married  men  and  the  old  men.     The  old  men  and  the 
married  men  were  chosen,  in  preference  to  the  single  men. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  But  by  suspension  do  you  mean  discharge,  or  do  you  mean  suspen- 
sion temporarily  ? 

A.  They  were  given  to  understand  that  there  was  no  more  work. 
B\^  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  This  was  one  of  the  causes,  this  doubling  up,  as  I  understood  you 
to  say,  that  created  the  dissatisfaction  here  at  this  point  ? 

A.  That  is  what  they  say. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  you  not  only  reduce  your  crews,  so  far  as  the  conductors  and 
brakemen  and  flagmen  were  concerned,  one  half  of  a  train,  if  it  was  sent 
out  as  a  double-header  ? 

A.  One  half  of  the  trains  we  were  running  single  between  Pittsburgh 
and  Derry. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  discharged  men  among  the  crowd  at  Twenty-eighth 
street  or  at  Torren's  station  that  morning  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  saw  quite  a  number  of  men  who  had  been  discharged  for 
cause  as  well  as  suspended  on  account  of  the  reduction. 


64  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  You  deemed  it  unsafe  from  that  time  on  to  start  your  trains,  from 
the  time  you  visited  Twenty-eighth  street  and  Torren's  station  that  morn- 
ing? 

A.  The  sheriff  and  General  Pearson — the  sheriff  ordered  the  crowd  to 
disperse  and  General  Pearson,  in  fact,  made  a  calm  and  warning  speech, 
and  told  them  what  his  orders  were,  that  the  military  had  been  ordered  out 
and  what  the  consequences  would  be,  and  coaxed  and  pleaded  with  them 
to  disperse  before  the  military  came  up  that  had  been  ordered  out. 

Q.  What  time  did  the  military  come  up  ? 

A.  In  regard  to  the  time  of  any  of  those  occurrences,  from  Thursday 
until  it  was  all  over  I  was  not  in  bed,  and  it  is  kind  of  cloiuty  in  my  mind 
as  to  the  different  houi*s ;  but  as  to  the  hour,  I  should  say  that  this  was 
about  twelve  or  one  o'clock,  Friday. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  When  the  military  came  at  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  many  companies  came  on  the  ground  at  that  time? 

A.  First  one  company — they  were  very  straggling. 

Q.  Who  commanded  the  first  company  that  came  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  It  was  under  the  general  direction  of  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  At  what  point  were  they  stationed  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  tell.  On  Friday — I  cannot  tell.  I  do  not  remember 
if  there  were  any  soldiers  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  I  cannot  tell.  Friday 
night  the  Pittsburgh  troops  were  brought  out. 

Q.  What  time  did  the  first  burning  or  destruction  of  property  by  fire 
commence  ? 

A.  Friday  night  the  troops  were  stationed  at  Torrens. 

Q.  What  time  did  the  first  burning  commence  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that — I  cannot  say. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  it  commenced  ? 

A.  Only  from  hearsay.     A  great  deal  occurred  between  Friday  night 
and  Saturday  night. 
I  >y  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  When  the  sheriff  and  General  Pearson  went  to  the  mob,  was  the  mayor 
of  the  city,  at  that  time,  acting  in  conjunction  with  them  ? 

A.  I  never  saw  the  mayor. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  whether  he  issued  a  proclamation  or  assisted  in  any 
way  whatever  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  whether  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  matter  of 
suppressing  the  riot  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Was  he  called  on  ? 

A.  Only  Mr.  Watt  informed   me  on  Thursday  morning,  and  then  the 
sheriff  was  called  Thursday  evening. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Who  was  called  first? 

A.  The  mayor,  according  to  my  information. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert: 

Q.  He  did  not  respond  ? 

A.  Mr.  Watt  will  tell  you  that. 

Q.  You  have  no  personal  knowledge  about  that  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  65 

A.  No ;  it  was  before  I  arrived  on  Thursday  night. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Do  you  know  when  the  first  call  was  made  on  the  sheriff,  of  your  own 
knowledge  ? 

A.  Thursday  night. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  Did  he  respond  ? 
A.  Yes — in  my  office. 
Q.  With  a  force  ? 
A.  He  had  one  man. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 
Q.  Who  was  the  man  with  him  ? 
A.  I  did  not  know  him  ? 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  effort  he  made  to  secure  a  force  ? 
A.  Only  what  he  told  me. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 
Q    Were  you  there  when  the  dispatch  was  sent  for  troops — the  first  dis- 
patch, when  the  sheriff  made  up  his  mind  to  call  upon  the  military  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 
A.  It  was  about  twelve  o'clock  Thursday  night. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  The  call  upon  the  mayor  and  on  the  sheriff  was  not  made  until  after 
you  returned  ? 

A.  The  call  on  the  mayor  was  made  on  Thursday  morning  and  the  call 
on  the  sheriff  was  made  on  Thursday  evening. 

Q.  Had  you  become  satisfied  then  that  you  could  not  run  your  trains  on 
account  of  the  mob  which  had  assembled  ? 
A.  Yes ;  I  knew  we  could  not  run  the  trains. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  With  safety  ? 
A.  No  way. 

Q.  Did  this  ten  per  cent,  reduction  apply  to  all  the  officers  and  employes 
of  the  railroad  company  ? 

A.  All  the  officers  and  employes,  except  those  who  got  one  dollar  a  day 
or  less,  either  by  the  month  or  day — the  track  men  getting  ten  cents  an 
hour  for  ten  hours.     All  above  one  dollar  were  reduced. 
By  Senator  Torbert : 
Q.  That  took  effect  on  the  1st  of  June  ? 
A.  I  think  so. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  It  applied  to  the  general  superintendent  ? 
A.  He  told  me  so.     It  applied  to  me. 
Q.  To  the  president  of  the  company  ? 
A.  I  believe  so. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 
Q.  In  regard  to  the  dispatch  which  you  received  from  Mr.  Watt — did 
you  receive  any  other  dispatch  except  the  one  you  received  at  Altoona, 
asking  you  to  come  back,  or  which  caused  you  to  make  up  your  mind  to 
return  ? 
A.  No. 

Q.  After  you  got  back  you  say  the  crowd  had  assembled — had  there 
been  any  attempt  by  the  crowd  to  prevent  trains  from  running  ? 
A.  They  told  me  so — no  trains  went  out. 
Q.  At  what  time  was  any  train  stopped  ? 
5  Riots. 


66  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

A.  The  first  double  headers  went  out  from  Pittsburgh  all  right — they 
were  not  troubled. 

Q.  At  what  hour  ? 

A.  From  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  up  to  nine  o'clock  or  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning. 

Q.  What  trains  were  first  prevented  from  leaving  regularly  on  time  ? 

A.  The  trains  that  should  have  left  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock. 

Q.  A  freight  train  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  That  was  prevented  from  leaving  ? 

A.  The  crew  on  that  train  would  not  go  out. 

Q.  It  was  not  the  crowd  that  prevented  that  first  train  from  leaving  ? 

A.  I  was  not  there. 
By  Senator  Re3rburn  : 

Q.  Could  you  have  got  back  any  sooner  ? 

A.  Xo. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  say  the  crew  of  that  train  would  not;  go  out.     Where  they  dis- 
charged then  when  the}'  refused  to  obey  orders  ? 

A.  After  I  got  home,  I  had  too  little  control,  and  wanted  to  get  along 
as  well  as  I  could. 

Q.   Do  you  know  what  your  officers  did  when  that  crew  refused  to  go  ? 

A.  I  understood  that  they  had  either  to  go  out  or  be  discharged. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  I  was  endeavoring  to  ascertain  the  first  time  that  the  crowd  interfered  ? 

A.  I  was  not  here,  but  you  can  get  that  testimony  if  3'ou  want  it. 
B}'  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Can  you  give  any  idea  of  the  loss  to  property  that  occurred  through 
this  riot? 

A.  No ;  not  of  mj-    own   knowledge.     I  have   no  idea.     The  bills  are 
coming  in  every  clay. 

Q.  About  what  was  it  in   round  numbers — the  loss  sustained  by  the 
company  ? 

A.  I  have  iny  own  idea. 

Q.  Who  can  give  us  the  figures? 

A.  I  suppose  our  controller  or  one  of  the  vice  presidents  could  give 
them  as  estimated  up  to  to-day. 
B}'  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  How  many  cars  and  engines  did  you  lose? 

A.  We  lost  one  hundred  and  four  engines,  and  about  sixteen  hundred 
cars. 

By  Senator  Yutz}7 : 

Q.  The  engines  would  average  what? 

A.  I  do  not  think  the  engines  are  all  re-built  yet. 

Q.  The  cars  are  about  how  much  ? 

A.  About  $800  a  piece. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 

<v>.  On  the  freight  cars  could  an}-  of  the  iron  be  re-placed  ? 

A.  I  might  say  no.     Of  course,  occasionally,  :i  wheel  or  two  might  be 
an  exception,  but  none  could  be  used  again. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.   Who  is  your  controller? 

A.  R.  W.  Downing,  of  Philadelphia. 

Q.   He  can  give  us  an  approximate  estimate? 

A.  He  or  one  of  our  vice  presidents. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18YT-  67 

By  Mr.  Engelbert: 

Q.  You  were  here  when  the  troops  arrived  from  Philadelphia  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  saw  all  the  movements  of  the  troops. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Tell  us  now  the  movements  of  the  troops,  the  Pittsburgh  troops  first, 
and  then  the  Philadelphia  troops  ? 

A.  The  Pittsburgh  troops — most  of  them — were  moved  at  night.  One 
regiment  was  moved  or  went  up  the  hill  east  from  here  on  the  arch  of  the 
hill,  and  then  came  down  on  Twenty-eighth  street,  so  as  to  come  down  on 
the  crowd. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  When  was  this  ? 

A.  On  Saturday  morning.  General  Pearson  oi*dered  the  battery  to  be 
taken  up  to  the  same  place.  It  was  loaded  in  the  cars  at  the  Union  depot, 
and  I  was  requested  to  move  it  up  about  two  or  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, to  get  there  when  the  troops  would  be  there.  About  two  and  one  half 
or  three  o'clock,  I  had  just  gone  to  bed  when  they  told  me  that  the}T  would 
not  take  the  gondolas  with  the  guns  up. 

Q.  The  men  would  not  ? 

A.  That  is  it.  I  went  down  and  saw  the  men,  and  asked  them  why  they 
would  not  do  it,  and  they  told  me  they  were  afraid  of  the  crowd,  that  they 
would  like  to  oblige  me.  I  said  if  you  don't  take  those  trucks  up,  I  will 
have  to  discharge  you.  They  told  me  that  they  would  like  to  do  it,  but 
their  lives  were  threatened.  The}'  would  not  do  it,  so  I  had  to  take  them 
up  myself.  I  went  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street  with  the  guns,  and  then  I 
saw  this  large  crowd. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Were  you  interfered  with  when  you  took  up  the  gondolas  ? 

A.  No  one  said  an}- thing  to  me  at  the  Union  depot,  only  the}"  kind  of 
crowded  around.  When  I  got  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  they  made  a  kind 
of  rush,  and  when  they  saw  I  was  running  the  engine,  I  expected  them 
to  attack  me,  but  they  did  not.  They  did  not  say  anything  to  me,  onty 
kind  of  crowded  around.  They  got  on  the  tank  and  saw  no  one  but  my- 
self, and  did  not  say  anything. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Who  got  on  ? 

A.  The  crowd. 

Q.  Emplo3res  of  the  railroad  ? 

A.  I  did  not  recognize  them  as  railroad  men. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Give  us  the  detailed  movements,  now,  of  the  troops  ? 

1.  We  brought  the  troops  to  Twenty-eight  street  with  the  batteiy  on 
Saturday  morning,  and  at  the  same  time  there  was  a  regiment  at  Torrens. 
General  Pearson  and  the  sheriff  and  I  went  to  those  two  places  at  different 
times  to  see  what  we  could  do.  At  Torrens  that  regiment,  apparently, 
had  the  mob  under  control,  that  is  they  would  not  crowd  around  the 
tracks.  The  military  seemed  to  be  by  themselves,  while  at  Twenty-eighth 
street  they  were  all  mixed  up — the  military  and  the  mob.  Then  I  re- 
ceived word  that  General  Brinton's  command  was  coining  on  Friday  night 
or  Saturday  morning.  They  ought  to  have  arrived  about  noon  ;  but  did 
not  get  here  until  about  four  o'clock.  The}'  arrived  at  the  Union  depot 
about  four  o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon.  We  unloaded  them,  and  got 
some  coffee  and  sandwiches,  and  word  was  given  to  them  to  march  to 
Twenty-eighth  street,  and  clear  the  tracks. 

Q.  Who  gave  the  order  ? 


68  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29 , 

A.  Some  of  the  military.  Mr.  Cassatt,  who  arrived  here  on  Friday,  di- 
rected me  to  get  two  crews  together,  that  General  Brinton's  command 
would  clear  the  tracks,  and  that  I  could  slip  t^e  trains  out,  and  that  every- 
thing:, then,  would  go  all  right.  Then  General  Brinton's  command  com- 
menced  to  march,  and  the  sheriff  came  up  with  about  twenty  members  of 
his  jjosse,  and  I  urged  him  to  hurry  up  and  get  there  before  the  troops, 
and  that  if  any  of  our  men  were  there,  1  would  talk  to  them,  and  perhaps 
prevent  trouble.  I  went  up.  The  crowd  kept  coming  in  on  us  all  the  way 
from  the  Union  depot,  so  we  took  a  large  crowd  up  there.  The  crowd  fol- 
lowed us  up.  We  were  so  delayed  in  warning  the  crowd  to  get  away  that 
they  came  up  close  to  us,  and  when  we  got  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  Gen- 
eral Pearson  was  there,  and  the  sheriff  and  his  posse  ahead  of  the  military. 
The  sheriff,  I  think,  attempted  to  arrest  one  man  who  was  very  noisy,  and 
then  there  was  a  general  rumpus,  and  I  was  thi'own  back  by  the  crowd  and 
got  in  among  the  military  companies,  who  had  formed  on  Twenty-eighth 
street.  They  formed  up  and  down  on  the  north  side,  and  up  and  down  on 
the  south  side,  and  brought  a  company  up  between  Then  a  man  threw 
me  back,  and  the  company  coming  up  the  street  allowed  me  to  get  in  be- 
tween.    They  went  up,  I  suppose,  to  disperse  the  mob. 

Q.  Who  threw  you  back  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know;  he  was  a  great  big  man;  he  was  a  friend  of  mine, 
I  know ;  it  was  not  an  attempt  to  hurt  me.  This  compaivy  moved  up,  and 
dispersed  the  mob,  and  the  command  was  given  to  cbarge  baj'onets,  and 
put  the  bayonets  between  the  people  so  as  not  to  hurt  them. 

Q.  Who  gave  that  command  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know. 
By  (Senator  lleyburn  : 

Q.  The  object  was  not  to  use  force,  but  to  try  and  press  the  crowd  back  ? 

A.  That  is  it.  They  were  going  to  push  them  away.  Then  the  crowd 
commenced  cheering,  and  I  saw  two  or  three  ba}ronets  twisted  off,  and  then 
a  lot  of  stones  were  thrown  at  the  military.  General  Pearson  came  back 
to  me  then,  and  said  he  was  going  to  the  office — was  going  to  get  more 
troops.  He  then  went  away.  I  could  not  get  out.  Then  they  commenced 
firing. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  About  five  o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon.    I  could  not  get  out  until 
the  firing  was  all  over  and  the  crowd  dispersed. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Were  not  shots  fired  from  the  crowd  before  the  firing  commenced? 

A.  Yes ;  two  shots  were  tired.     I  was  near  to  the  men. 

Q.  Fired  at  the  military  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  stones  came  around  and  clouded  the  horizon. 

(.£.   Before  there  was  any  firing  by  the  military? 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

Q.   Was  any  command  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  No ;  all  the  officers  i  saw  were  begging  the  men  not  to  fire. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

<).  When  the  soldiers  went  up  they  did  not  attempt  to  injure  the  crowd  ? 
Were  any  of  the  soldiers  hit  and  wounded  at  that  time,  before  the  firing — 
before  they  attempted  to  fire? 

A.  I  saw  two  or  three  wounded  right  around  me. 

Q.  Before  that  firing  began? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  In  other  words,  they  attempted  to  do  it  without  using  f  .>rce.  Just 
by  pressing  hack  the  crowd? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  69 

By  Mr.  Lindsey.: 

Q.  Will  you  describe  the  crowd  ?     Who  composed  it  ? 

A.  The  crowd  immediately  around  Twenty-eighth  street,  on  the  track, 
were  workingmen — mill  men.     The  other  men,  from  their  appearance  on 
the  hillside,  were  citizens.     A  great  many  people  that  I  knew. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Women  and  children  ? 

A.  I  saw  no  children,  but  some  women. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Mixed  in  with  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Close  to  the  railroad  ? 

A.  They  were  apparently  urging  on  the  men.  Some  women  were  on  the 
railroad. 

Q.  Encouraging  the  men  ? 

A.  They  were  yelling,  and  in  through  the  men.     There  were  very  few 
women  that  I  saw.     They  were  all  laughing  and  jeering  at  the  soldiers. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  long  did  the  militia  stand  fire  from  the  mob?  Stand  those 
stones  and  clubs  before  they  fired  ? 

A.  Then  the  company  moved  up  and  got  in  the  crowd,  and  there  was  a 
man  in  the  crowd  hallooed  shoot,  and  two  pistol  shots  and  a  great  many 
stones  followed,  and  then  the  soldiers  commenced  firing,  and  then  there 
was  shooting  just  that  quick. 

Q.  Was  any  order  given  for  the  soldiers  to  shoot  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  it  a  scattering  fire,  or  did  it  appear  to  be  a  volley  ? 

A.  It  was  in  every  way  and  in  every  direction. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  When  those  stones  were  fired,  you  were  among  the  military  ? 

A.  I  was  among  the  military,  in  the  hollow  square. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Proceed  with  the  military  movements  ? 

A.  They  dispersed  the  crowd  by  the  firing,  and  as  soon  as  I  got  out,  I 
went  down  to  my  office,  at  Twenty-sixth  street.  I  there  found  General 
Pearson,  and  I  reported  to  Mr.  Cassatt  what  had  been  done.  He  was 
talking  to  General  Pearson,  and  General  Pearson  was  writing  telegrams 
to  General  Latta  at  the  Union  depot.  Then  General  Pearson  and  General 
Brinton  were  discussing  what  to  do  next,  and  whether  Twent}T-eighth  street 
was  a  proper  position  for  them  to  take,  or  to  go  up  the  hill  or  to  come  into 
the  shops — what  they  had  best  do  with  the  men.  General  Pearson  was 
telegraphing  for  orders.  They  decided  they  would  come  into  the  shops, 
in  order  to  get  under  shelter.  The  crowd  was  congregated  around  my 
office,  and  around  the  shops.  General  Pearson  told  me  he  would  stay  there, 
and  as  he  had  had  nothing  to  eat  that  day,  asked  if  I  would  send  up  some 
provisions.  I  told  him  I  would  go  down  to  the  Union  depot  and  send  all 
the  provisions  I  could.  So  Mr.  Cassatt  and  myself  went  to  the  Union  depot, 
and  I  tried  to  get  provisions  up  to  the  soldiers,  but  they  were  all  confis- 
cated by  the  crowd  before  they  got  any.  I  then  went  up  to  the  room  where 
General  Latta  and  staff  were.  All  this  time  the  drums  were  beating,  and 
crowd  after  crowd  was  moving  up  toward  Twenty-sixth  street.  Mr.  Cas- 
satt said  we  were  powerless  to  do  anything,  and  diriected  me,  or  rather  re- 
lieved me  altogether  of  any — he  said  I  had  no  business  in  Pittsburgh. 


v 


70  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

All  the  time,  during  Friday  and  Saturday,  one  after  ^another  had  come  to 
me  and  said  I  had  better  leave.  At  the  Union  depot,  the}7  had  got  a  report 
that  I  had  given  the  order  for  the  troops  to  fire.  They  had  a  coffin  and  a 
rope  for  General  Pearson.  All  these  reports  were  spreading  about.  Num- 
bers of  people  told  me  to  leave,  and  Mr.  Cassatt  directed  me  to  leave.  I 
afterwards  left  in  company  with  Mr.  Watt  and  Mr.  Cassatt. 

Q.  Where  did  you  go  ? 

A.  We  loafed  around  the  outskirts,  and  then  went  to  Blairsville  and  re- 
ported, and  made  our  headquarters  there  at  the  Blairsville  intersection. 
There  I  remained  until  I  received  word  from  Mr.  Garrett  that  some  of  the 
old  men  wanted  to  see  me  to  see  if  the  matter  could  not  be  arranged,  aud 
to  see  if  the  trains  could  not  be  moved. 

Q.   When  was  it  that  you  received  that  word  ? 

A.  On  Tuesday.  I  was  informed  that  some  of  the  old  men  wanted  to 
see  me,  and  had  other  messages  that  I  should  come,  and  I  came  down  to 
Pittsburgh. 

Y>y  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  jou  meet  any  of  the  men  ? 

A.  I  met  the  men. 

Q.  To  what  number  ? 

A.  About  eight  or  ten. 

Q.  What  proposition  did  they  make  ? 

A.  None.  On  Frida}^  a  committee  of  the  men  met  me,  making  a  certain 
proposition. 

Q.  You  did  not  meet  them  until  Friday  after  you  came  back  ? 

A.  I  mean  I  met  them  the  Friday  of  the  trouble.     I  told  them  I  could 
not  possibly  send  such  a  paper  to  Mr.  Scott.     Then  this  other  committee 
met  me  on  Wednesday  after  I  came  back.     I  met  that  committee,  and  in- 
stead of  what  1  expected,  they  brought  out  the  old  proposition. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  was  the  nature  of  that  ? 

A.  It  was  that  no  double  headers,  and  full  crews,  and,  I  think,  twenty 
per  cent,  advance.     It  was  eveiything.     I  have  got  the  paper.     There  are 
about  four,  or  five,  or  six  demands. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  You  have  that  paper  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Adjourned  to  meet  again  at  three  o'clock,  p.  m. 


SAME  DAY. 

Orphans'  Court  Room, 
Thursday,  February  8,  1878. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  re-assembled  at  three  o'clock, 
P.  M.,  and  continued  taking  of  testimony. 

Robert  Pitcairn,  re-called  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Commence  with  the  troops  at  the  round-house,  and  tell  us  what  troops 
were  quartered  there,  and  give  a  detailed  statement  of  the  movements  of 
the  troops  from  that  point  during  the  continuance  of  the  riot? 

A.  I  said  that  the  Philadelphia  troops  had  dispersed  the  crowd,  and  that 
made  an  opening  for  me  to  get  to  my  office,  where  I  found  Mr.  Cassett 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  71 

and  General  Pearson.  General  Pearson  was  telegraphing  for  more  troops 
to  come  up.  General  Brinton  arrived  just  behind  me,  and  reported  to 
General  Pearson  the  result,  that  the  troops  had  fired  without  orders,  and 
what  had  been  done.  Then  there  was  a  consultation  as  to  the  disposition 
of  the  troops,  whether  they  should  go  up  the  hill  or  remain  on  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  or  come  in  to  the  round-house.  They  were  asking  our  opin- 
ion. I  remember,  they  asked  Mr.  Cassatt's  opinion.  I  told  Mr.  Cassatt 
that  I  did  not  think  he  had  any  opinion.  I  remained  there,  and  Mr.  Cassatt 
with  me.  Before  I  left  they  decided  that  they  were  going  to  take  the  shops 
and  the  round-house  to  protect  their  men.  I  left,  promising  to  send  pro- 
visions, and  went  to  the  Union  depot  where  I  remained  until  some  time 
in  the  night,  and  then  went  to  Blairsville.  When  I  left  Mr.  Cassatt,  we 
had  word  that  Brinton  had  gone  to  the  Allegheny  side,  by  the  West  Penn. 
That  was  what  induced  me  to  go  to  Blairsville.  Xot  knowing  where  to 
go  to,  I  felt  that  was  my  headquarters  for  the  time,  we  being  compelled  to 
run  trains  over  the  West  Penn. 

Q.  When  did  you  arrive  at  Blairsville  ? 

A.  On  Monday  morning. 

Q.  When  did  General  Brinton's  command  arrive  there  ? 

A.  I  think  that  afternoon  or  evening.  It  might  have  been  the  next 
morning,  but  I  think  it  was  that  evening.  The  next  day,  though,  I  was 
ordered  to  remain  at  Blairsville.  I  met  this  committee.  Train-master 
Geyer  wanted  me  to  come  down.  I  came  down  Tuesday,  I  think,  or  it 
might  have  been  Wednesday  morning,  but  I  met  the  committee  with  the 
confidence  that  everything  was  going  to  be  settled,  but  they  brought  this 
paper  out  that  I  told  you  was  presented  to  me  at  Pittsburg,  and  with  the 
committee  that  met  me,  instead  of  being  very  old  men  that  we  considered 
loyal  men,  there  were  some  members  of  the  committee  who  were  among 
the  suspended  men.  Nevertheless,  I  communicated  the  whole  petition  to 
President  Scott,  and  asked  for  a  reply.  Mr.  Scott's  reply  was  in  sub- 
stance what  Senator  Scott  told  you  was  their  reply  to  the  citizens  here, 
namely  :  that  the  welfare  of  the  country  would  not  allow  him  to  give  way 
to  the  men  at  the  present  time;  that  there  were  other  interests  involved, 
and  that  if  they  would  go  to  work  to  start  the  trains  again  he  would  be 
glad  to  receive  them.  The  conference  with  that  committee  amounted  to 
nothing.  The  fact  of  the  matter  was,  I  was  caught  in  a  trap.  I  came 
down  to  see  my  old  loyal  men,  and  found  suspended  men,  who,  in  an  offi- 
cial way,  I  could  not  deal  with,  not  being  in  our  employ.  A  question  was 
put  to  me  this  morning  about  the  number  of  men  suspended.  I  do  not 
know  how  many  suspended  men  we  had  at  that  time.  I  then  came  to 
Pittsburgh.  I  had  orders  to  repair  the  damage,  and  try  to  get  the  main 
track  through  to  the  Union  depot  as  quickly  as  possible,  to  gather  up  the 
force  then  scattered  through  the  city,  and  the  men  who  had  gone  to  their 
homes,  to  repair  the  track  and  get  to  Union  depot  as  quickly  as  possible. 
I  went  to  the  mayor,  and  asked  him  if  we  would  commence  work  there  if 
he  would  give  protection.  He  said  he  would. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  day  was  that  ? 

A.  I  think  Thursday.  I  was  gathering  up  the  men,  but  was  cautioned 
b}-  some  of  the  citizens  not  to  go  out  and  work  too  brash  in  the  beginning 
— not  to  take  too  many  men  about  the  ruins  to  clear  them  off,  but  to  com- 
mence moderately,  explaining  the  feeling  of  the  city,  how  matters  were 
not  quiet  there,  and  that  delayed  me  some  days.  I  met  Governor  Hart- 
ranft  at  Blairsville  before  I  left,  going  to  Harrisburg.  After  he  came  here 
we  got  a  large  force. 


72  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Do  you  recollect  the  day  he  arrived  hei-e  ? 

A.  As  I  have  said,  it  was  all  one  day  to  me.  He  came  here  with  a 
force,  and  we  went  to  work  with  a  large  force  and  commenced  repairing 
the  damage.  On  the  Sabbath  after — that  was  the  Sabbath  after  the  Sab- 
bath succeeding  the  Saturday  of  the  fight,  we  arranged  to  move  our  trains, 
and  we  then  had  force  enough  to  move  all  the  trains,  as  we  had  during  all 
the  time,  with  the  exception  that  this  time  the  men  asked  for  the  military 
to  be  sent  with  each  train,  to  get  them  through  the  coal  regions,  and  through 
Johnstown.  That  matter  was  arranged  with  Governor  Hartranft  to  send 
a  lot  of  soldiers  with  the  men,  to  get  them  through  the  different  points 
where  we  had  trouble.  I  think  it  was  the  first  or  second  train  that  went 
out  from  Pittsburgh  on  that  Sabbath  evening  that  was  wrecked  at  Spring 
Hill,  by  a  switch  being  removed  by  some  parties  while  the  train  was  pass- 
ing over.  From  that  Saturday  night  or  Monday  morning  next,  we  gradu- 
ally sent  more  trains  and  more  trains,  until  we  got  our  road  running  as 
heretofore,  and  gradually  repaired  the  damages.  Governor  Hartranft 
stayed  here  a  few  days,  and  the  committees  urged  them  to  stay  until,  at 
least,  he  left  for  Scranton. 
By  Mr.  Means: 

Q.  You  stated  that  when  you  commenced  woi'k  you  commenced  with  a 
small  force,  and  that  after  Governor  Hartranft  arrived  with  the  troops, 
then  you  increased  your  force  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  to  as  many  men  as  we  could  work. 

Q.  Did  you  feel  perfectly  safe,  after  the  Governor  arrived  with  the 
troops,  in  going  to  work  ? 

A.  Yes.     We  had  a  large  body  of  men. 

Q.  It  was  under  their  protection  that  you  felt  safe  ? 

A.  It  was  only  under  their  protection. 

Q.  Did  you  feel  safe  from  another  demonstration  of  the  railroad  em- 
ployes, or  from  any  other  source  ? 

A.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  we  were  never  afraid  of  our  own 
men.  So  far  as  our  own  men  striking  we  were  not  afraid.  We  were  per- 
fectly able  to  manage  our  own  men,  so  far  as  our  own  employes  were  con- 
cerned, if  you  took  away  from  us  the  men  suspended.  But  I  do  not  pre- 
tend to  say  that  we  were  not  afraid  of  the  party  or  parties  they  brought. 
But  1  know  nothing  about  that,  of  my  own  personal  knowledge.  I  say 
this :  We  always  had  enough  men  to  move  our  trains,  if  other  parties  had 
not  come  in.     Who  they  were  brought  by,  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  Your  own  men  would  never  have  given  you  any  trouble,  had  not 
outsiders  interfered  ? 

A.  I  say  that,  but  do  not  pretend  to  say  who  brought  them. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  It  was  General  Brinton's  command  which  was  present  when  the 
military  dispersed  the  crowd  by  their  fire.  Was  not  any  portion  of  Gen- 
eral Pearson's  command  present? 

A.  General  Pearson's  command  was  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  There  wen1 
very  few  of  the  soldiers  and  some  of  the  officers  at  Twenty-eighth  street-. 
The  battery  I  had  taken  up  on  Saturday  morning  and  some  few  men  were 
there,  and  General  Pearson's  command  was  on  the  hill. 

Q.  Can  yon  tell  me  why  they  did  not  hold  their  position  that  they  then 
occupied — the  militia.  What  necessity  was  there  for  retiring  to  the  round 
house  ? 

A.   I    knew   what  they  thought — it  was  that  they  were   coming  under 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  73 

cover  to  prevent  them  from  being  struck.  I  was  not  a  military  man.  How- 
ever, I  know  what  I  should  have  done. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  motives  actuated  them,  after  dispersing  the  crowd,  in  retiring 
their  troops  to  the  flat  position  of  the  street  ? 

A.  After  dispersing  the  crowd,  immediately  the  crowd — not  that  crowd, 
perhaps,  but  other  crowds  came  back  in  front  of  my  office — a  great  crowd. 
They  were  marching  by  and  gathering  from  all  quarters.  By  dispersing  the 
crowd,  I  mean  they  all  ran  away,  and  then  they  commenced  immediately 
coming  back,  and  I  had  pretty  hard  work  to  come  down  to  the  office.  The 
crowds  were  coming  up  the  railway  as  I  was  coming  down  to  the  Union 
depot.  All  I  can  say  is,  they  said  that  the  reason  for  going  to  the  round 
house  was  to  get  under  cover. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  any  effort  made  by  the  military  to  drive  back  that  crowd  when 
they  commenced  to  reassemble  ? 

A.  I  was  in  the  office  at  that  time. 

Q.  Only  General  Brinton's  command  went  into  the  round-house? 

A.  General  Pearson's  command,  I  think,  was  dispersed,  but  I  do  not 
know  it.  I  know  this,  that  there  were  there  soldiers  that  came  with  Gen- 
eral Brinton's  command,  because  some  of  them  came  down  to  the  Union 
depot  with  messages. 

Q.  Had  any  property  been  fired  or  burned  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Up  to  the  time  that  I  left  no  property  had  been  burned. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Would  it  not  have  been  natural,  under  military  discipline,  for  the 
military  to  have  held  their  position  when  they  had  obtained  a  position  ? 

A.  I  think  they  ought  to  have  gone  up  on  the  hill. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  When  you  returned  from  Blairsville,  you  said  you  expected  to  meet 
your  old  employes.  Now,  during  all  these  negotiations,  were  the  old  men 
and  the  married  men,  that  you  have  spoken  of  as  being  retained  in  your 
employ,  engaged  in  this  riot  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  personal  knowledge  or  observation.  The  majority  of  them 
were  running. 

Q.  Did  they  make  any  complaint  or  any  demand  upon  the  company  of 
any  kind  ? 

A.  The  general  remarks  of  these  men  then  were  that  they  had  nothing 
to  do  with  this  riot.  Some  of  them  said  they  ought  to  have  the  ten  per 
cent,  put  back,  but  all  deprecated  this  trouble,  and  said  they  had  nothing 
to  do  with  it. 

Q.  Were  they  ready  to  go  to  work  at  all  times  when  you  wanted  them  ? 

A.  They  always  professed  to  be,  but  we  never  tried  them  to  Sunday 
night,  and  then  they  wanted  protection,  and  when  we  gave  them  protection 
they  went  out. 

The  following  is  the  paper  of  the  committee  appointed  by  the  employes 
making  certain  demands,  to  which  I  have  already  alluded  in  my  testimony: 

Brotherhood  op  Locomotive  Engineers, 
Pittsburgh  Division,  No.  50, 

•    Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  July  20,  1877. 

To  the  Superintendent  Western  Division  Pennsylvania  Railroad: 

First.  We,  the  undersigned  committee,  appointed  by  the  emplo3^es  of  the 
western  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  do  hereby  de- 


74  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

mand  from  the  said  company,  through  the  proper  officers  of  said  company, 
the  wages  as  per  departments  of  engineers,  firemen,  conductors,  brakemen, 
and  flagmen  as  received  prior  to  June  1,  1877. 

Second.  That  each  and  every  employe  that  has  been  dismissed  for  taking 
part  or  parts  in  said  strikes,  to  be  restored  to  their  respective  positions. 

Third.  That  the  classification  of  each  said  department  be  abolished  now 
and  forever  hereafter. 

Fourth.  That  engineers  and  conductors  receive  the  wages  as  received 
b}r  said  engineers  and  conductors  of  the  highest  class  prior  to  June  1, 
1877. 

Fifth.  That  the  running  of  double  trains  be  abolished,  excepting  coal 
trains. 

Sixth.  That  each  and  every  engine,  whether  road  or  shifting,  shall  have 
its  own  fireman. 

Respectfully  submitted  to  you  for  immediate  consideration. 

J.  S.  McCaully, 
D.  H.  Newhard, 
John  Shana, 
G.  Harris, 
John  P.  Kessler, 

Committee. 

In  regard  to  the  classification  mentioned  in  the  paper,  I  will  say  this, 
that  there  is  no  classification  in  brakemen  or  flagmen.  When  you  come 
to  the  conductors,  they  receive  a  certain  rate,  which  I  do  not  remember, 
for  the  first  year,  and  ten  per  cent  over  that  for  the  second,  and  ten  per 
cent,  over  that  for  the  third,  where  they  remain  so  long  conductors.  Now 
come  the  engineers.  When  promoted  from  firemen  to  engineers,  they  receive 
a  certain  rate,  and  the  second  year  ten  per  cent,  more,  and  the  third  year 
ten  per  cent,  more,  and  the  fourth  year  ten  per  cent,  more — four  classifica- 
tions. That  arrangement  was  made  at  their  request,  some  four  years  ago, 
perhaps  longer. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  These  men  were  men  who  would  have  been  suspended  under  the 
orders  to  run  double-headers  ? 

A.  No.  These  men  had  taken  such  an  active  part  previous  to  this 
Saturday,  that  I  do  not  think  they  would  have  been  kept  in  our  employ, 
but  we  had  no  opportunity  to  discharge  them. 

David  M.  Watt,  sworn  with  uplifted  hand: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  At  East  Liberty,  on  the  line  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad. 

Q.  You  are  in  the  employ  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company? 

A.  Yes  ;  in  the  capacity  of  chief  clerk  of  the  Pittsburg  division. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  been  employed  in  that  capacity  ? 

A.  It  will  be  fourteen  years  in  July  next. 

Q.  You  were  filling  the  place  of  Mr.  Pitcairn  on  the  Thursday  before 
the  riot  occurred  ? 

A.  Yes;  during  his  absence. 

Q.  Have  you  any  knowledge  of  any  disagreements  between  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  Company  and  their  employes  prior  to  that  date'' 

A.  There  are  continually  matters  coining  up  for  settlement  in  the  sup- 
erintendent's office. 

Q.   But  disagreements  leading  to  the  riots  ? 


Leg  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  75 

A.  There  were  none  to  my  knowledge.  Had  there  been,  I  should  have 
known  it. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  reduction  in  wages  ? 

A.  Yes;  a  reduction  often  per  cent.,  which  had  been  notified  in  May,  to 
take  effect  on  all  the  employes  from  and  after  June  1. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  All  emolo3res  ? 

A.  Except  those  whose  pay  amounted  to  one  dollar  per  day,  or  who 
were  paid  by  the  month,  and  whose  pajr  amounted  to  the  rate  of  one  dollar 
per  day  or  less. 

Q.  Did  that  cause  any  complaint  from  the  employe's  ? 

A.  We  were  compelled  to  reduce  our  force  on  account  of  the  condition 
of  business.  The  volume  of  traffic  governs  the  amount  of  wages,  and  the 
number  of  men  we  work.  We  had  more  men  than  we  had  the  opportunity 
to  give  full  time  to.  It  was  decided  to  reduce  the  force  after  the  1st  of 
June,  and  the  idea  was  to  select  the  older  men,  and  the  men  who  by  their, 
services  had  proven  themselves  good  and  capable.  To  retain  these  and 
let  the  single  men  go,  so  as  to  give  the  married  men  a  chance  to  make  all 
the  time  we  could  afford  to  give  them  in  the  running  of  the  traffic.  It  was 
also  decided  to  run  all  the  trains  double-headers.  A  portion  of  them  had 
been  running  for  years  as  double-headers,  but  a  notice  was  issued  in  July, 
advising  all  the  employes  that  on  and  after  a  certain  date — July  19,  was  the 
date  fixed  upon — ill  trains  to  and  from  Deny  would  be  run  as  double  trains. 
No  complaint  in  the  interval,  between  the  date  of  the  issuing  of  the  order 
and  the  date  upon  which  it  was  to  go  into  effect,  had  been  made  at  the 
superintendent's  office,  to  either  the  superintendent  or  myself.  Nor  had 
there  been  any,  so  far  as  we  had  knowledge,  to  any  of  the  subordinate  offi- 
cers, such  as  train-masters  and  others.  Some  of  the  men  complained,  of 
course,  at  not  having  work.  It  was  a  mooted  question  as  to  who  would 
be  the  ones  to  go  off'. 

Q.  What  date  was  that  order  to  go  into  effect  ? 

A.  Upon  July  19;  Thursday.  Mr.  Pitcairn  had  arranged  to  go  east 
on  Thursday,  July  19,  in  the  day  express,  and  I  came  to  town,  reaching 
the  office  about  eight  and  a  half  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  up  to  that 
time  no  trouble  had  occurred,  nor  was  any  anticipated  b}r  the  train-masters 
nor  any  one  in  our  employ.  About  the  time  the  eight-foil's — the  extras — 
were  to  leave,  the  dispatcher  came  to  the  office  and  reported  that  some  of 
the  men  had  refused  to  go  out.  I  made  inquiry  as  to  the  reason  of  their 
refusal,  and  was  told  that  they  refused  to  go  out  on  account  of  its  being  a 
double-header.  Conductor  Ryan  was  the  man  whose  train  did  not  go  out. 
In  the  making  up  of  his  train  he  was  read}'  to  go  out,  but  his  men  refused 
to  go.  I  then  instructed  the  dispatcher  to  call  upon  all  the  men  on  the 
road,  with  those  out  at  the  train-men's  room.  He  called  upon,  I  believe, 
some  twenty-five  men,  brakemen,  who  refused  to  go  out.  They  gave  dif- 
ferent reasons,  some  because  they  were  double-headers,  and  some  because 
they  would  not  go  if  others  did  not  go.  Mr.  Garrett,  the  assistant  train- 
master, came  in  on  the  train  that  reaches  there  about  nine  o'clock.  I  sent 
for  him,  and  told  him  what  had  been  reported  to  me,  and  asked  him  to  go 
out  and  see  the  men  and  see  what  they  wanted,  and  report.  Mr.  Garrett, 
and  Mr.  McCabe,  and  Mr.  Hunter,  dispatchers,  all  three  tried  to  induce 
the  men  to  go  out,  but  these  twenty-five  that  had  first  refused  got  the  bal- 
ance to  join  them  in  refusing  to  man  the  trains.  Mr.  Garrett,  I  believe, 
requested  Mr.  McCabe,  the  general  yard  dispatcher,  to  make  up  a  crew 
from  the  yard  brakemen  to  man  that  train.  Conductor  Ryan  was  at  all 
times  ready  to  go  out,  and  the  engineers  belonging  to  that  train  professed 


<tj  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

a  readiness  to  run.  We  had  a  number  of  conductors  there  ready  to  run, 
and  Conductor  Gordon  was  the  man  who  was  going  to  take  the  train  out 
after  Mr.  McCabe  had  secured  the  crew  among  his  yard  men.  The  crew, 
in  making  up  their  train,  were  assaulted  with  stones,  and  links,  and  pins, 
and  driven  from  the  train  by  a  numbar  of  those  men  who  had  first  refused 
to  go  out.  I  found  that  we  were  unable  to  get  the  train  out.  Then  it 
came  time  for  the  nine-forty's  to  go  out.  In  the  meantime  the  crowd  had 
increased  somewhat,  and  they  had  taken  possession  of  the  switch  which  is 
west  of  Twenty-eighth  street,  leading  on  to  the  main  track,  over  which  a 
train  to  go  east  would  have  to  be  moved.  It  was  reported  to  me  that 
they  would  not  allow  the  engine  to  go  over  that  switch.  The  crowd  was 
increasing.  I  then  started,  after  a  consultation  with  Mr.  Garrett  and  other 
men  there,  to  call  upon  the  mayor.  I  asked  that  he  should  protect  us  in 
the  movement  of  our  trains,  by  removing  from  Twenty-eighth  street,  or 
that  immediate  neighborhood,  those  parties  interfering  with  the  switches. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  call  in  person  upon  the  mayor  ? 

A.  I  did  ;  between  ten  and  eleven  o'clock.  I  drove  to  the  mayor's  office, 
and  stated  the  trouble  to  him,  and  called  upon  him  in  the  name  of  the  com- 
pany for  protection.     He  replied  that  he  had  no  force. 

Q.  Mayor  McCarthy  ? 

A.  Yes ;  he  said  that  the  day-light  force  had  been  taken  off,  probably, 
about  the  1st  of  July,  and  that  he  had  nothing  but  thf  night  force.  I 
asked  him  to  give  me  the  front  office  force.  He  said  he  could  not  send 
them  away.  I  told  him  I  must  have  protection  of  some  kind.  He  said 
that  he  might  send  out  and  gather  up  a  force.  He  wanted  to  know  how 
many  men  I  waited.  I  told  him  if  he  would  send  up  ten  men  in  uniform, 
that  with  our  own  force  from  the  depot,  if  he  could  go  up  to  the  ground 
with  me,  and  I  had  a  buggy  to  take  him,  I  thought  the  trouble  would  be  all 
over  before  twelve  o'clock.  I  thought  the  simple  fact  of  his  presence,  with- 
out the  police,  would  disperse  the  crowd  there  at  that  time.  He  refused  to 
go,  saying  that  he  could  not  leave  the  office.  I  rather  urged  the  matter 
upon  him.  The  mayor  then  said  he  had  been  sick,  and  was  not  fit  to  go. 
He  gathered  a  force  of  some  ten  men,  I  believe,  and  sent  officer  Charles 
McGovern,  one  of  the  front  office  men,  in  charge  of  them.  They  were  to 
report  at  the  Union  depot,  and  be  moved  from  there  by  a  passenger  car 
to  run  especially  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  Before  the  force  was  sent,  the 
question  was  asked  of  me,  who  was  to  pay  for  the  men. 

Q.  By  whom  ? 

A.  The  question  was  suggested  by  Mr.  O'Mora,  and  addressed  to  the 
mayor.  The  mayor  then  addressed  me,  and  desired  to  know  whether  I 
was  in  a  position  to  assume  the  expense.  I  told  him  certainly,  that  I  must 
have  protection,  and  that  if  he  could  not  give  the  force,  and  I  must  pay 
for  it,  1  was  then  ready,  and  would  become  responsible  for  the  payment  of 
the  men.  I  went  to  the  outer  depot,  and  got  there  a  few  minutes  before 
the  squad  of  police  arrived.  I  walked  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  in  com- 
pany  with  one  of  the  dispatchers,  I  think  McCabe,  and  was  then  advised 
that  we  could  not  turn  the  switch,  that  those  parties  held  the  switch, 
and  would  not  allow  the  engine  to  back  down.  The  engineer  was  John 
Sweeny,  and  the  conductor  was  S.  K.  Moore.  We  wanted  to  take  the  en- 
gine down  to  couple  on  to  a  draft  of  cars  to  take  them  out  on  the  Wilkens- 
burg  siding.  1  directed  Moore  to  turn  the  switch.  He  refused,  saying  to 
me  that  he  was  afraid,  that  there  were  men  there  to  shoot  him  the  moment 
he  attempted  to  turn  the  switch.  I  replied:  "Very  good,  1  will  turn  the 
switch,"  and  I  made  a  step  forward  for  the  purpose  of  getting  to  the 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  77 

switch,  when  the  crowd  gathered  around  me,  and  a  brakeman  by  the  name 
of  D.  D.  Davis,  who,  I  believe,  at  the  time  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Pan 
Handle  road,  or  else  a  discharged  employe*  from  there — be  was  not  in  our 
employ — jumped  in  front  of  me,  and  waiving  his  hand,  or  his  hat,  called  out : 
"  Boj^s,  we  will  die  right  here."  I  placed  my  hand  upon  his  coat,  and 
called  upon  officer  McGovern  to  arrest  him.  While  my  hand  was  upon 
his  coat,  some  one  delivered  a  blow,  and  hit  me  in  the  eye.  That  was  from 
behind  this  man  Davis.  Immediately  an  attempt  was  made  on  the  part  of 
the  police  officers  to  arrest  him.  Others  interested  with  him  were  throw- 
ing themselves  in  the  way  of  the  police  officers  to  prevent  the  capture,  but 
he  was  finally  captured,  and  taken  to  the  station-house.  Prior  to  that  time, 
however,  I  ha  1  reported  to  Mr.  Pitcairn  on  the  day  express  east  that  there 
was  trouble,  but  that  I  did  not  anticipate  it  would  amount  to  a  grent  deal, 
and  that  he  need  not  hurry  home,  unless  further  advised  by  me.  The  first 
place  I  could  reach  him  was  at  Altoona.  After  having  been  struck,  and 
finding  the  crowd  increasing,  and  determined  to  prevent  the  running  of 
the  trains,  I  made  a  still  further  report,  stating  the  condition  of  things, 
and  he  came  back  to  Pittsburgh  on  the  next  train  on  which  he  could  reach 
here,  the  fast  line  west  that  night.  After  I  was  struck,  I  believe  I  directed 
Mr.  Smith  to  write  a  message,  either  in  my  name,  or  in  Mr.  Pitcairn's,  I 
do  not  recollect,  and  addressed  to  the  mayor,  calling  upon  him  for  an  ad- 
ditional force  of  not  less  than  fifty  men.  It  may  have  been  a  portion  of 
those  men  who  came  up  on  the  Atlantic  express,  six  or  eight,  in  charge  of 
William  J.  White.  Mr.  Garrett  reported  from  Torrens  an  immense  crowd 
gathered  there.  I  went  up  on  the  Atlantic  with  this  police  force  to  try  to 
endeavor  to  get  the  stock.  There  were  forty-six  cars,  all  loaded  with 
stock,  waiting  for  this  train  to  come  out.  We  expected  every  moment  to 
get  some  train  started.  Mr.  Garrett  had  made  an  arrangement  to  side 
track  some  train  coining  west,  and  to  take  the  engines  and  turn  them  at 
Torrens,  and  go  east  with  the  stock.  They  were  there  interfered  with  by 
quite  a  large  crowd,  who  notified  the  employes  on  the  trains  that  had  come 
west  that  they  must  not  couple  to  or  touch  the  cars,  intimidating  them 
and  threatening  that  they  would  be  killed,  or  that  something  would  happen. 

Q.  Who  composed  that  crowd  ? 

A.  A  number  of  railroad  employe's  of  our  road  and  other  roads  and 
parties  I  did'nt  know,  but  supposed  them  to  be  not  railroad  men. 

Q.  Who  seemed  to  be  leading  the  crowd  at  Torrens  ? 

A..  A  man  who  had  been  in  our  employ  until  the  morning  of  Thursday 
— Andrew  Hice.  He  notified  the  parties  that  he  would  be  damned  if  any 
stock  should  move  there,  and  that  no  train  should  pass  there  until  the 
matter  was  settled. 

Q.  Was  he  an  engineer  ? 

A.  He  had  been  at  one  time  a  conductor  on  the  road.  Up  until  that 
Thursday  morning  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  company  as  a  flagman.  I 
might  here  state  that  when  I  directed  Mr.  Garrett  to  go  out  and  see  the 
men,  he  was  told  to  notify  all  those  employes  who  were  called  upon,  and 
who  refused  to  go  out,  that  the}r  might  consider  themselves  as  discharged. 
One  party  was  paid  off  immediately ;  the  others  had  not  come  for  their 
pay,  and  nothing  was  said  about  paying  or  reporting  them  discharged  un- 
til after  the  troubles  were  over. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  those  men  yourself  at  that 
time  ? 

A.  Which  men? 

Q.  With  that  crowd — those  leaders  ? 

A.  I  did  have  a  conversation  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  before  going  to 


78  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Torrens.  I  called  upon  the  crowd  to  disperse  and  leave  the  ground  of  the 
company,  that  we  proposed  to  move  our  trains,  and  did  not  desire  to  have 
any  trouble. 

Q.  Did  they  make  any  demands  at  that  time,  and  if  so,  what  were  the 
nature  of  those  demands  ? 

A.  They  did  not.  They  simply  said  it  was  a  question  of  bread  or  blood 
with  them.  At  Torrens  I  had  a  conversation  with  the  engineers  and  con- 
ductors of  the  trains  coming  west,  and  tried  to  persuade  them  to  couple 
on  to  the  stock  and  go  ahead.  They,  however,  refused,  and  gave  as  a 
reason,  that  the}7  were  afraid  for  their  lives  to  do  so.  Mr.  Thomas  Scott,  day 
stock  agent  at  East  Liberty,  and  the  dispatcher  both  said  to  the  crews 
that  they  would  couple  the  cars  of  they  would  back  the  engines ;  but  the 
crews  were  too  much  intimidated  to  do  that.  Mr.  Garrett  started  with 
those  engines  to  go  east,  and  was  to  stop  at  Wilkenburg  to  take  there  a 
draft  of  twenty-two  to  thirty-two  freight  cars,  and  start  for  Deny  with 
them.  He  and  I  had  an  understanding  that  I  would  attempt  to  get  the 
stock  from  there  somehow.  I  was  to  advise  him  after  he  left  whether  he 
might  expect  it.  We  gave  it  out  that  the  stock  was  to  be  unloaded,  and 
the  shifting  engine  at  the  station,  thei'e  for  the  purpose  of  shifting  around 
the  yard,  backed  down  against  the  stock,  and,  that  being  coupled  to  the 
train,  they  started  at  once,  and  before  they  discovered  what  we  were  after, 
the  train  was  out  of  reach,  and  this  train  that  Mr.  Garrett  had  taken  east 
stopped  and  took  on  the  stock  at  Walls.  This  was  the  last  stock  that  we 
got  away  from  East  Liberty.  East  Liberty  is  four  and  five  tenths  miles, 
and  Torrens  is  half  a  mile  further  east.  I  staid  at  Torrens  waiting  the 
movements  of  a  train  from  Pittsburgh — the  train  that  should  come  out  in 
the  afternoon.  An  attempt  was  made  about  four  o'clock  to  move  that  train. 
A  crowd  interfered  after  the  engines  had  started,  and  the  engineers  left 
their  engines,  and  the  crews  gave  up  the  trains.  I  then  came  back  to  Pitts- 
burgh and  went  to  the  office,  and  made  a  still  further  report  to  Mr.  Pit- 
cairn.  I  then  drove  again  to  the  mayor's  office.  I  met  Captain  Bachelor 
at  the  office.     He  wanted  to  know  if  he  could  do  me  any  service. 

Q.  He  called  in  the  capacity  of  a  private  citizen  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Who  is  he  ? 

A.  The  president  of  the  Mason's  bank.  I  found,  on  inquiry,  that  the 
mayor  was  not  about  when  I  got  to  his  office.  I  was  informed  by  his 
clerk,  Mr.  Metzgcr,  that  he  had  gone  out  to  Castle  Shannon  in  the  after- 
noon. That  his  wife  was  sick,  and  that  he  had  gone  to  see  her.  I  then 
asked  whether  anything  could  be  done  to  call  out  the  night  force,  fearing 
from  the  way  the  crowd  was  increasing  that  there  might  be  considerable 
trouble.  They  said  they  could  not  send  the  police  force  out  theiv  and 
leave  the  balance  of  the  city  unprotected.  I  then  drove  up  here  bo  the 
sheriff's  office — or  rather  the  captain  drove  up — and  found  all  closed  here. 
I  then  drove  to  the  sheriff's  residence,  on  Washington  street,  and  they 
replied  that  he  was  out  of  the  city,  but  was  expected  back  during  the 
evening.  I  then  went  back  to  the  office,  and  found  that  we  could  not 
make  any  movement  that  night,  though  we  held  the  crews  ready  to  go  in 
case  we  had  a  chance  to  move. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  What  night  was  this  ? 

A.  It  was  on  Thursday  night.  I  reported  the  condition  of  affairs  to 
Mr.  John  Scott,  who  had  called  at  the  office  on  his  way  into  town,  in  pur- 
suance of  a  message  from  the  east,  to  consult  with  Mr    Pitcairn.     During 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187 1.  19 

that  night,  and  before  twelve  o'clock,  the  crowd  was  accumulating,  and 
had  entire  possession  of  the  tracks  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  so  that  we  were 
unable  to  move  even  the  engines  engaged  in  the  yard  transfer  work.  The 
engineers  had  all  been  notified  to  put  up  their  engines,  and  go  into  the 
house,  and  the  movement  of  stock  was  interfered  with.  The  movement  of 
stock  from  the  western  roads — some  was  turned  back.  There  seemed  to 
be  some  trouble  among  the  parties  themselves  as  to  whether  the  stock 
should  go  on  or  be  sent  back.  I  called  at  the  office  of  the  Pennsylvania 
company,  to  get  the  Honorable  John  Scott  to  go  with  me,  and  we  called  upon 
the  sheriff  in  the  name  of  the  company  for  protection,  and  stated  all  that 
had  been  done  up  to  that  time.  The  sheriff  got  his  deputy,  who  lived 
across  the  way,  and  we  all  drove  out  to  the  outer  depot.  On  the  way  out  we 
saw  Mr.  Pitcairn  walking  up,  and  took  him  in  and  rode  to  the  outer  depot 
— I  think  a  little  after  twelve  o'clock,  midnight ;  the  sheriff,  after  a  consulta- 
tion, went  with  General  Pearson  and  some  twenty  or  thirty  men  of  our  em- 
ployes, myself  among  the  number,  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  He  there 
mounted  upon  a  plank  leading  up  on  to  a  gondola,  so  that  his  head  was 
above  the  crowd,  and  addressed  them,  advising  them  to  leave  and  go 
to  their  homes,  stating  what  his  duty  would  be  in  case  they  did  not  go. 
He  was  greeted  with  all  sorts  of  vile  abuse,  and  told  to  go  home.  I  will 
not  repeat  the  language.  He  found  he  could  do  nothing  there  with  them. 
He  was  jeered  at,  and  while  he  was  addressing  the  crowd  pistol  shots  were 
fired  in  the  air.  That  crowd  was  composed  of  some  few  railroad  men,  but 
the  majority  were  not  railroad  men — a  great  number  of  them  were  mill 
men,  and  some  of  them  with  no  occupation  at  all. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  in  the  neighborhood  of  two  hundred  men.  The 
sheriff  then  went  back  to  the  superintendent's  office,  and  entered  into  com- 
munication with  Harrisburg  and  other  points,  sending  the  telegrams  as 
described  by  Mr.  Scott.  There  was  no  other  attempt  made  that  night  to 
move  anything,  except  stock  to  the  stock-yard  from  the  connecting  lines. 

Q.  What  occurred  on  Friday  morning  ? 

A.  We  had  crews  brought  in  from  Derrj' — that  is  the  train-masters. 
They  came  in  as  passengers,  ready  to  take  the  trains  east.  The  majority 
of  the  engineers,  up  to  this  time,  had  professed  their  entire  willingness  to 
run  at  any  and  all  times,  but  the  crowd,  on  Friday,  had  increased  to  such 
an  extent  that  it  was  not  deemed  prudent  to  attempt  to  start  the  trains 
without  some  protection  afforded  to  the  men  running  them,  at  least  through 
the  crowd.  Very  little  was  clone  during  Friday,  except  the  movement  of 
stock.  Friday  night  the  troops  were  moved,  the  Fourteenth  and  Nine- 
teenth regiments,  I  believe,  to  the  neighborhood  of  Twenty-eighth  street. 
I  expected  on  Saturday  morning  that  we  would  start  our  trains  without 
much  trouble.  I  believe  they  took  almost  complete  and  entire  possession 
of  Twenty-eighth  street  and  the  switches  that  we  needed  to  get  our  trains 
out. 

Q.  That  is  the  troops  took  possession  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  had  full  possession  of  Twenty-eighth  street  on  Saturday 


morning. 


Q.  And  all  the  switches  you  needed  to  get  your  trains  out  ? 

A.  Yes.     But  the  crowd  assembled  in  very  large  numbers,  and  it  was 
not  long  before  the  crowd  had  possession  of  them,  and  all  the  ground. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Driving  the  troops  off? 

A.  There  was  no  conflict  at  all.     The  troops  were  stationed,  one  regiment 
on  the  hillside,  probably  some  two  hundred  feet  back  from  the  line  of  the 


80  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

railroad,  with  their  arms  stacked,  and  another  regiment  was  stationed  on 
the  road  leading  up  to  the  hospital  grounds,  east  of  Twenty-eighth  street, 
with  their  arms  stacked,  and  a.  few  men  were  on  the  crossing. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  I  want  to  know  if  those  troops  left  their  arms  stacked  while  the 
crowd  was  still  accumulating  ? 

A.  The  crowd  was  in  and  about  there.  Do  you  mean  whether  or  not 
the  crowd  could  have  taken  possession  of  any  of  those  arms  without  in- 
terference ? 

Q.  No  ;  but  whether  while  the  crowd  was  still  accumulating  the  troops 
had  their  arms  stacked  ? 

A.  The  crowd  was  accummulating,  and  continued  accummulating  up  to 
the  time  of  the  firing. 

Q.  And  the  arms  were  still  stacked  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  while  I  was  there. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  That  is  Friday  evening  ? 

A.  No;  Saturday  morning.  Mr.  Pitcairn,  and  Mr.  Cassett,  and  General 
Pearson,  and  other  officers  were  at  the  Union  depot.  I  remained  at  Twenty- 
sixth  street,  awaiting  any  instruction  that  might  be  sent  me.  I  was  advised 
by  Mr.  Pitcairn  to  hold  nryself  in  readiness  to  move  some  trains  on  Satur- 
day afternoon — that  the  sheriff  and  posse  were  coming  up  the  track,  and 
that  they  would  be  followed  by  the  troops,  and  that  he  expected  that  the 
crowd  would  be  dispersed,  and  that  we  would  be  furnished  a  sufficient 
guard  to  place  upon  each  one  of  those  trains  to  move  them  out  beyond 
Torrens,  or  to  any  other  point  where  we  might  expect  trouble.  I  waited, 
and  met  them  as  they  came  up.  They  were  followed  by  quite  a  large  con- 
course of  persons.  The  troops  held  the  track  about  opposite  Twenty-fifth 
street,  and  there  the  Second  brigade  of  the  Philadelphia  troops  was  left. 
I  do  not  now  remember  the  name  of  the  general  in  command.  However  I 
was  left  with  him.  The  First  brigade  moved  on  to  Twenty-eighth  street. 
This  Second  brigade  threw  out  a  skirmish  line  across  the  entire  yard,  with 
instructions  from  the  general  to"  drive  back  everybody.  It  was  General 
Loud.  He  threw  out  a  skirmish  line  and  drove  all  parties  west  a  sufficient 
distance  for  us  to  couple  together  all  our  cars  and  to  make  up  our  trains  to 
go  out. 

Q.  Drove  them  towards  the  city,  you  mean  ? 

A.  Yes ;  quite  a  crowd  of  the  transfer  clerks,  and  some  of  our  engineers, 
and  oil  men,  and  repair  men  were  on  the  tops  of  the  cars,  who  claimed  to 
be  employe's,  and  had  business  there.  General  Loud  sent  an  officer  to  me 
and  asked  if  they  were  to  remain  there  or  whether  we  wanted  them.  I  told 
him  that  we  did  not  want  anybod}^  within  a  certain  distance.  When  we 
had  made  attempts,  prior  to  that,  to  couple  up  the  trains,  the  links  and 
pins  all  along  had  been  taken  out.  I  went  down  and  advised  the  transfer 
clerks  to  go  into  the  office,  and  I  told  the  officer  that  when  any  of  our  men 
had  business  to  be  inside,  they  should  be  let  through,  and  I  told  them  that 
if  we  wanted  them  we  could  advise  them.  After  having  cleared  off  that 
space,  we  heard  firing.  I  looked  up  in  the  direction  of  Twenty-eighth 
street,  and  saw  a  crowd  coming  down,  a  portion  of  them  coming  down  to- 
wards where  I  was,  right  opposite  the  mouth  of  Twenty-sixth  street.  See- 
ing the  crowd  coming,  I  had  the  gate  thrown  open — the  gate  that  closes 
the  shops  and  the  exit  gate  on  Liberty  street  thrown  open — and  directed 
colonel,  some  one  of  the  Greys,  to  throw  a  body  across  to  prevent  them 
going  down  the  space  he  had  cleared,  and  that  we  could  turn  them  out  at 
that  point  out  on  Twenty-sixth  street.     That  firing  occurred  about  live 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  81 

o'clock.  When  I  speak  of  time  in  my  testimony,  I  speak  altogether  of  rail- 
road time.  There  was  no  farther  attempt  made  that  night  to  start  trains. 
The  excitement  was  so  great,  and  it  was  quite  late,  so  the  men  refused  to 
go  for  fear  of  being  thrown  of  the  track  at  some  point  on  the  road.  I  be- 
lieve that  brings  me  up  to  the  time  of  the  firing. 

Q.  You  had  a  space  sufficient  cleared  to  enable  you  to  get  your  cars  out? 
A.  Our  engines  were  backed  down  from  the  round-house  on  to  those 
tracks  that  the  trains  were  standing  on.     We  had  cleared  off  a  space  there 
from  the  side  hill  to  the  line  of  the  "  transfer  "  clear  of  anyone  and  every- 
one. 

Q.  What  prevented  you  from  moving  out  your  trains  at  that  time  ? 
A.  The  men  got  frightened  at  the  firing,  and  started  off.     They  were 
afraid  that  if  they  made  an  attempt  at  that  time   in  that  excitement  that 
they  would  be  thrown  from  the  track. 
Q.  Where  were  the  militia  then  ? 

A.  General  Loud  was  still  in  his  position  between  Twenty-sixth  street, 
and,  I  should  judge,  Twenty-fourth.     The  First  division  was  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  and  a  considerable  portion  of  the  crowd  was  between  Twenty- 
sixth  and  Twenty-eighth  streets,  between  the  two  bodies  of   troops.     I 
asked  the  colonel  in  charge  of  this  Grey  regiment  not  to  allow  his  men  to 
fire  on  the  crowd  coming  down,  that  they  could  be  turned  out  at  Twenty- 
sixth  street,  and  that  some  of  our  men  were  there  who  were  all  right.     He 
got  in  front  of  his  men  and  cautioned  them.     He  first  gave  the  command 
to  a  captain  to  have  his  men  load  their  pieces.     That  was  done,  and  then 
he  cautioned  his  men,  saying  it  was  a  very  delicate  matter,  indeed,  and  that 
the  men  should  be  very  careful,  and  that  when  there  was  any  necessity  for 
any  firing  that  the  men  must  remember  that  he  would  give  the  command. 
Q.  How  long  did  the  troops  remain  stationed  as  you  have  described  ? 
A.  I  cannotanswer  that  as  to  time.     I  went  to  the  office  and  there  saw 
General  Pearson  and  General  Brinton,  and  some  of  the  others  in  consulta- 
tion.    They  were  all  close  around  the  shops,  and  they  then  turned  and 
moved  into  the  shops.     I  suppose  it  was  then  about  six  o'clock. 
Q.  Whei-e  did  the  troops  stajr  during  the  night  ? 
A.  I  was  not  there  during  the  night. 
Q.  Do  you  know  from  your  own  knowledge  ? 

A.  They  stayed  in  what  we  call  the  lower  round-house  and  lock-shops. 
Q.  What  troops  stayed  there  ? 

A.  I  understand  the  Philadelphia  troops,  General  Brinton's  command, 
and  the  two  pieces  belonging  to  the  battery  here  we  taken  into  the  round- 
house. The  Fourteenth  regiment  had  been  stationed  at  the  transfer  build- 
ing. The  reason,  I  think,  for  their  going  into  the  shops,  as  I  understood 
it,  was  that  the  men  who  were  there  had  come  without  any  preparation, 
and  as  there  were  to  be  no  trains  run  out  that  night,  they  would  go  into 
the  shops  to  be  as  comfortable  as  possible. 

Q.  Was  any  further  effort  made  during  that  night  to  start  any  trains  ? 
A.  We  were  unable  to  make  any  efforts  further. 
Q.  Can  you  tell  us  what  became  of  the  crowd  during  the  night  ? 
A.  The  crowd  around  the  buildings  accumulated  so  that  in  front  of  the 
office,  at  the  corner  of  Twenty-sixth  and  Liberty,  and  for  some  distance 
on  either  side  of  it — that  being  the   headquarters — the  office — they  had 
taken  possession  of  Mr.  Pitcairn's  office  for  the  headquarters — the  crowd 
was  very  dense,  and  packed  down  Twenty-sixth  street,  probably  half  way 
to  Penn,  and  on  Liberty  street,  in  every  direction,  for  a  square — an  im 
mense  crowd  of  people  yelling  with  rage  against  the  troops. 
Q.  How  many  would  you  judge  were  there  at  that  time  ? 
(5  Riots 


82  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

A.  Not  less  than  five  thousand  people. 

Q.  Did  the}'  remain  in  force  during  all  the  night  ? 

A.  I  was  not  there  during  all  the  time,  but  I  understood  they  were  con- 
stantly accumulating. 

Q.  Until  Sunday  morning  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  on  Sunday  morning  ? 

A.  I  cannot  answer  that.  I  was  on  the  side  hill  early  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing, and  I  could  see  immense  crowds  in  all  directions  moving  up  Liberty 
street. 

Q.  Can  you  tell  us  what  the  result  of  that  firing,  at  the  point  cleared, 
was  as  to  loss  of  life  ? 

A.  I  am  not  prepared  to  answer  that.  If  you  will  remember,  I  was  sta- 
tioned at  Twenty-sixth  street,  and  was  not  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  At 
the  time  of  the  firing,  I  was  with  the  second  brigade  of  General  Brinton's 
division.  There  passed  me,  and  were  taken  into  our  office,  several  soldiers 
belonging  to  the  First  regiment,  and  a  boy  who  was  shot  down.  I  should 
judge  a  boy  about  twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  age.  There  were  two 
men  carrying  him.  Quite  a  number  of  wounded  soldiers  were  taken  to 
the  office,  and  they  sent  for  Doctor  Hamilton. 

Q.  Can  you  state  what  efforts  were  made,  after  the  troops  were  taken 
into  the  round-house  and  the  shops,  b}'  the  officers  of  the  militia  to  drive 
back  the  crowd  and  disperse  it  there  that  night  or  Sunday  morning,  or 
during  the  da}*  of  Sunday  ? 

A.  When  they  went  into  the  round-house,  I  understood  they  would 
keep  under  cover.  I  do  not  think,  from  all  I  understood,  it  was  the  in- 
tention of  the  troops  to  come  into  any  collision.  They  felt  that  they  were 
brought  there  to  protect  the  movement  of  trains,  and  that  there  would 
be  a  guard  to  go  out  on  each  train,  after  having  obtained  possession  of 
the  Twenty-eighth  street  switches. 

Q.  What  time  did  the  firing  of  cars  commence  by  the  mob  ? 

A.  I  cannot  answer  that  from  my  own  knowledge.  I  believe  in  the 
neighborhood  of  ten  o'clock. 

Q.  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  any  attempt  made  by  the  officers  of  the  troops,  or  by  the  civil 
authorities,  either  of  the  county  or  city,  to  prevent  that,  and  to  drive  back 
the  crowd  when  they  began  to  fire  the  cars  and  destroy  property  ? 

A.  I  cannot  answer  that.     I  did  not  see  any. 

Q.  B}T  any  of  the  authorities  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  any. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert: 

Q.  Did  it  appear  that  the  citizens  were  in  sympathy  with  the  strikers  ? 

A.  I  am  a  Pittsburgher. 

Q.  But  I  ask  were  the  citizens  in  sympathy  with  the  strikers  ? 

By  Senator  Yutzy :  I  think,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  that  question  ought  to 
be  modified.     All  the  citizens  were  not  present. 
By  the  witness  : 

A.  If  you  asked  me  the  question  whether  or  not  the  citizens,  or  any 
number  of  them,  came  to  me  and  offered'  their  assistance,  then  I  might 
answer  the  question.  The  crowd  certainly  manifested  no  disposition  to 
assist  in  the  running  of  trains.  The  crowd,  of  course,  was  in  sympathy. 
1  speak  of  those  who  were  present  at  Twenty-eighth  street  and  Twenty- 
sixth  street,  on  Liberty  street,  fronting  the  office,  and  I  should  say  there 
were  none  at  all  in  sympathy  with  the  railroad  company,  but  the  soldieis. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  83 

By  Mr.  Engelbert : 
Q.  But  that  does  not  answer  my  question.     I  desire  to  know  whether 
the  citizens  were  not  in  sympathy  with  the  strikers  ? 

By  Senator  Yutzy :  I  repeat,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  I  do  not  think  this 
question  should  be  put  to  the  witness.  I  move  that  the  committee  retire 
for  a  few  moments'  consultation. 

This  motion  being  agreed  to,  the  committee  retired. 
Upon  returning,  the  chairman  of  the  committee  announced  to  the  wit- 
ness that  the  question  would  not  be  pressed  for  the  present. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 
Q.  What  time  did  the  first  firing  occur? 

A.  In  the  neighborhood  of  five  o'clock.  It  was,  probably,  a  few  minutes 
after  five  o'clock. 

Q.  But  when  did  the  first  firing  occur — that  is,  when  was  the  fire  first 
kindled  by  the  mob? 

A.  In  the  neighborhood  of  ten  o'clock. 

Q.  Was  any  effort  made  by  the  railroad  company,  during  the  night,  to 
prevent  the  firing  and  destruction  of  property  ? 

A.  I  would  hardly  know  how  to  answer  that.  The  railroad  employes 
that  we  had  considered  loyal  and  ready  to  run,  when  we  desired  them  to 
go  on  the  trains,  had  gone  to  their  homes,  it  not  being  deemed  prudent  to 
run  any  trains  that  night.  I  left  the  outer  depot  in  the  neighborhood  of 
seven  o'clock,  to  go  down  to  the  Union  depot  for  supper,  and  to  arrange 
for  the  sending  of  supper  for  General  Pearson's  staff,  and  General  Brinton's 
staff,  and  all  his  brigade  generals'  staff.  I  went  to  the  Union  depot  with 
Mr.  Pitcairn  and  Mr.  Cassatt,  and,  I  think,  Colonel  Smith,  on  engine  forty- 
five.  At  that  time  the  military  were  in  possession  of  the  shops  and  round- 
house, and  I  did  not  anticipate  that  anything  would  be  done  until  daylight. 
The  firing  of  the  cars  was,  I  understand,  up  at  Lawrenceville,  or  just  within 
sight  of  there,  and  the  cars  were  dropped  down,  and  the  switches  so  turned 
that  they  would  run  towards  the  round-house — the  burning  cars,  these,  of 
course,  would  communicate  to  other  cars. 

Q.  Would  the  cars  run  themselves? 

A.  It  is  down  grade  from  East  Liberty  to  Lawrenceville,  and  there  a 
moderate  down  grade  until  about  Twenty-sixth  street,  where  there  is  a  short 
level  space,  probably,  two  or  three  squai'es,  and  then  there  is  an  up  grade 
west  of  that  point  until  you  reach  about  opposite  St.  Bridget's  church,  where 
again  it  is  down  grade,  so  that  a  car  started  from  the  east  would  run  to- 
wards the  round-house,  and  a  car  started  from  the  west  end  of  the  yard 
would  run  toward  the  round  house. 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  long  the  troops  remained  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  I  understand  they  left  between  five  and  six  o'clock  that  morning. 

Q.  Sunday  morning  ? 

A.   Y"es. 

Q.  You  were  not  present  there  ? 

A.  Xo. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  what  occured  from  your  own  knowledge  ? 

A.  Except  from  what  I  saw  from  the  hillside. 

Q.  You  were  present  during  the  day — Sunday  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Were  you  where  you  could  see  the  movement  of  the  rioters  ? 

A.  Not  after  four  o'clock,  Sunday  morning. 

Q.  How  long  did  the  riotous  proceedings  continue — in  other  words, 
when  did  the  mob  disperse  and  cease  their  burning  and  destruction  of 
property  ? 


84  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  left  town  on  Sunday  night  at  nine  o'clock,  and  I  understand  they 
were  still  riotous.  Of  nry  own  knowledge  I  know  nothing  after  that  time. 
Our  head-quarters  were  at  Blairsville  intersection. 

Q.  When  did  you  first  get  control  of  your  road  and  property  at  this 
point  ? 

A.  Mr.  Pitcairn  came  west  from  Blairsville  intei'section  on  Wednesday, 
July  25,  I  think  on  the  Johnstown  accommodation.  We  were  then  run- 
ning our  through  connections  over  the  West  Penn  Division,  from  Alle- 
geny  city  to  Blairsville  intersection,  and  on  the  main  line  as  far  as  East 
Liberty,  our  mail  trains,  and  our  passenger  trains,  and  our  Uniontown  ex- 
press over  the  south-west  road. 

Q.  Wei*e  you  present  when  the  troops  fired  upon  the  crowd  ?  If  so,  state 
all  the  circumstances  that  took  place  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  have  already  said  that  I  was  not  at  Twenty-eighth  street  at  the 
time  of  the  firing,  but  was  with  General  Loud  at  Twenty-sixth  street. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  know  nothing  then  as  to  what  transpired  at  Twent\'-eighth  street  ? 

A.  Except  by  seeing  the  crowd  running,  and  hearing  the  firing,  which 
was  of  an  irregular  character — not  a  volley  at  all. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  The  firing  was  something  like  the  firing  of  a  skirmish  line  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Who  composed  the  crowd  at  that  time  ?  Were  they  railroad  employes 
or  stragglers  in  general,  or  were  there  any  other  persons  in  the  vicinity 
mixed  with  the  crowd  to  any  extent  ? 

A.  There  was  quite  a  very  large  number  of  lookers  on,  stationed  on  the 
hill  side  above — men,  women,  and  children,  scattered  all  along,  probably  for 
a  distance  of  fifty  thousand  feet. 

Q.  How  close  were  they  to  the  persons  carrying  on  the  riot  ? 

A.  Probably  from  a  hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  them. 
And  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  east  and  west  of  Twenty-eighth  street, 
and  covering  all  of  the  tracks  before  the  troops  came  up,  there  were  many 
people.  All  our  trains  passing — we  were  running  all  the  accommodation 
trains  east  and  west — were  boarded  at  Twenty-eighth  street  by  the  crowd, 
who  filled  them  up,  and  ran  through  the  cars,  and  piled  upon  the  engines, 
so  as  to  seriously  interfere  with  the  men  in  the  performance  of  their  duties. 
The  crowd,  many  through  curiosity,  went  upon  the  trains  in  such  force 
that  it  was  useless  for  any  of  our  men  to  attempt  to  collect  fare.  The  en- 
gines were  perfectly  black,  both  in  front  of  the  engine  and  the  tank  and 
the  platform.  A  great  number  of  those  men  got  on  and  would  go  through 
the  trains  to  see  who  was  in  them,  before  they  would  let  them  proceed. 

Q.  Were  the  passenger  trains  interfered  with  by  the  mob  '( 

A.  All  were  stopped  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  the  mob  went  through 
and  examined  each  and  every  train  for  soldiers. 

Q.  And  then  allowed  them  to  go  on? 

A.  Sometimes  it  was  a  very  serious  question.     If  we  had  not  had  some 
engineers  determined  that  they  were    going  to  try  to   get  their  trains 
through,  the}'-  would  have  cut  the  passenger  trains  off  and  allowed  nothing 
but  mail  cars  to  go. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  On  the  23d  of  July,  did  the  sheriff  not  throw  a  guard  around  the 
burned  district  ? 

A.  I  was  stationed  then  at  Blairsville  Intersection,  and  I  cannot  answer 
that  question  of  my  own  knowledge. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  85 

Q.  Then  you  do  not  know  whether  on  or  after  the  23d  day  of  July  the 
railroad  company  could  or  could  not  have  had  entire  control,  if  they  had 
seen  fit  ? 

A.  Most  decidedly  they  could  not,  simply  for  the  fact  that  they  could 
not  get  beyond  Lawienceville  station. 

Q.  But  did  not  the  sheriff  throw  a  guard  around  the  burned  district  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.  I  was  not  in  the  city  on  the  23d  of  July.  But  the 
tracks  were  all  burned  between  Thirty-third  street,  or  Lawienceville,  and 
the  Union  depot. 


Obphans'  Court  Room. 
Pittsburgh,  Friday,  February  8,  1878. 

MORNING  SESSION. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  re-assembled  at  ten  o'clock,  A. 
M.,  this  day,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testimony. 
The  first  witness  examined  was  : 

Norman  M.  Smith,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  where  you  reside  and  what  your  official  connection  with  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  is  ? 

A.  I  reside  in  the  Twenty-seconl  ward  of  Pittsburgh.  I  am  manager 
of  the  Pittsburgh  transfer  station. 

_ 

Q.  How  long  have  you  filled  that  position  : 

A.  About  twelve  and  a  half  years. 

Q.  State  to  the  committee,  in  your  own  way,  what  the  causes  were  that 
led  to  the  riot,  or  what  the  disagreements  were  between  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  Company  and  their  employes,  and  give  the  history  of  what  you 
saw. 

A.  My  position  was  not  such  that  I  can  speak  from  personal  observa- 
tion as  to  the  causes.  Of  course,  I  understood  them  to  be  the  ten  per 
cent,  reduction,  which  had  taken  place  on  the  1st  of  June,  and  after  that, 
the  increased  running  of  double-headers  on  freight  trains.  I  understood 
these  to  be  the  causes.  My  more  immediate  connection  with  the  trouble 
commenced  on  the  morning  of  Thursday,  July  19.  About  nine  o'clock 
that  morning  my  foreman  came  to  me,  and  informed  me  that  there  was 
difficulty  in  getting  out  our  east  bound  freights — that  the  train  men  had 
refused  to  go  out,  unless  the  trains  stopped  running  as  double-headers.  I 
went  from  my  office  up  to  the  outer  depot,  and  there  found  that  the  crews 
had  refused  to  run.  Shortly  after  that  I  met  Mr.  Garrett,  the  assistant 
train  master,  and  Mr.  McCabe,  the  general  dispatcher,  and  they  informed 
me  that  they  were  going  to  the  transfer  station  to  detail  our  }Tard  crews 
to  run  along  the  road.  I  remained  there  long  enough  to  see  one  of  the 
crews  arrive.  They  came  and  attempted  to  couple  a  caboose  car  on  one 
of  the  engines.  A  brakeman  by  the  name  of.  Gerry  was  making  the 
coupling,  when  he  was  attacked  by  a  number  of  train  men,  and  driven 
away  with  a  shower  of  stones,  and  links,  and  coupling-pins.  I  saw  him 
struck.  A  further  effort  to  remove  the  train  was  not  made.  About  a  quar- 
ter before  twelve,  I  walked  up  to  the  outer  depot  again,  and  just  at  that 
moment  a  car  came  up  with  some  ten  or  a  dozen  policemen.  I  then  met 
Mr.  Watt,  and  walked  with  him  and  the  policemen  up  to  Twent3r-eighth 


86  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

street.     A  yard  engine  was  standing  on  the  switch  there,  and  an  attempt 
was  made  to  get  it  out.     Mr.  Watt  instructed  a  conductor  named  Moore 
to  turn  the  switch,  in  order  to  let  the  engine  out.     Moore  declined  to  do 
it,  giving  as  his  reason  that  he  had  been  threatened  with  violence  if  he  did 
so.     Mr.  Watt  then  made  the  attempt  to  turn  the  switch  himself.     Just  at 
that  moment,  a  man  standing  there  raised  his  hand,  perhaps  with  his  hat 
in  it,  and  said  :  "  Come  on,  boys,  we  will  die  right  here."     Mr.  Watt  di- 
rected an  officer  to  arrest  him,  and  at  that   moment  he  was  struck,  by  a 
man  named  McCullough,  in  the  eye.     The  policemen  made  a  rush  on  Mc- 
Cullough,  and.  after  being  interfered  with  by  his  friends,  he  was  arrested. 
Mr.  Watt  then  requested  me  to  go  to  the  telegraph  office,  and  telegraph 
to  Ma}ror  McCarthy  for  fifty  additional  policemen.     I  sent  a  message,  as 
near  as  I  recollect,  in  these  words :  "  Please  send  fifty  additional  police- 
men at  once,"  and  signed  Mr.  Watt's  name  to  it.     That  message  went  a 
quarter  before  one,  Philadelphia  time.     I  then  returned  to  Twenty-eighth 
street,  and  remained  there  perhaps  two  hours,  and  then  returned  to  my 
office  about  three  o'clock,  and  then  returned  to  the  outer  depot.     An  ad- 
ditional police  force  of  perhaps  five  or  six  men  had  responded  to  the  call 
for  fifty.     A  train  was  made  up,  two  engines  were  attached  to   it,  and  it 
was  ready  to  move.     When  the  order  was  given  to  go  ahead,  a  number  of 
strikers  got  in  front,  and  signalled  it  to  stop,  when  it  commenced  moving. 
One  of  the  engineers  whistled  down  brakes,  and  the  train  stopped.    There 
was  some  wrangling  there,  and  the  engineer  of  the  forward  engine,  a  man 
named  Woodward,  got  off  the  engine,  and  was  immediately  greeted  with 
cheers  by  the  crowd,  and  made  a  hero  of.     I  had  an  engagement  at  the 
house  then,  and  left.     I  did  not  return  until  the  next  morning.     The  next 
morning  I  found  the  crowd  still  at  Twenty-eighth   street,  and  the  condi- 
tion of  the  yard  the  same  as  the  night  before.    No  trains  had  been  moved. 
About  eleven  o'clock,  a  committee   of  employes  at  the  transfer  station 
came  to  the  office,  and  informed  us  that  they  intended  to  strike,  unless 
the  ten  per  cent,  was  restored.     We  told  them  we  could  only  submit  their 
demand  to  those  in  authority  over  us,  that  we  had  no  function  in  the  mat- 
ter at  all.     The  committee  retired  to  discuss  the  matter  with  their  fellow 
workmen.     About  twelve  o'clock,  perhaps  a  little  before,  a  committee  from 
the  strikers — a  committee  of  brakemen,  I  am  told — I  was  not  present  at 
the  time — came  to  the  men,  and  made  a  speech  to  them,  and  told  them  if 
they  would  strike,  they  would  protect  them,  and  guarantee  places  after  the 
strike  was  over.     A  majority  of  our  men  then  went  with  this  committee 
that  came  down  in  the  direction  of  Twenty-eighth  street.     I  remained  on 
the  platform,  and  saw  such  of  the  men  as  I  could,  and  I  found  those  I 
talked  with  were  opposed  to  striking,  and  ready  to  go  to  work ;  and  one 
b}'  one  the  men  who  had  gone  off  with  the  committee  returned,  or  a  num- 
ber of  them.     These  men  said  they  were  led  into  the  thing  against  their 
wishes  and  judgment,  and  that  they  were  ready  to  work.    Of  course,  they 
did  not  like  the  reduction,  but  they  must  work  if  they  could   get  it.     I 
told  them  to  leave  their  names  with  the  foreman,  directed   him  to  take 
them,  and  told  them  as  soon  as  they  had  ghren  their  names  to  return  to 
their  homes,  and  that  as  soon  as  we  wanted  them  we  would  send  for  them. 
Our  work,  of  course,  had  stopped  with  the  stopping  of  the  trains.     I  re- 
mained about  the  office  until  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  then  Avent 
to  the  Union  depot.     J  there  met  Mr.  Piteairn,  and  he  requested  me  to  re- 
main with  him.     Shortly  after  my  arrival  there,  1    found  that  a  section  of 
artillery  and  a  portion  of  the  Nineteenth  regiment  had  reported  for  duty. 
The  Eighteenth  regiment,  under   Colonel  Guthrie,  I  had  seen  going  east 
on   a   passenger  train,  about  noon,  on   the   way,  1  ascertained,  to  Torrens 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  87 

station.  Break's  two  guns  and  the  Nineteenth  regiment  were  ready  for 
orders.  We  started  out  Liberty  street.  After  we  had  gone  a  square  or 
so,  we  halted,  and  I  heard  Senator  Scott,  and  Mr.  Thaw,  and  Mr.  Cassatt,  and 
Mr.  Pitcairn,  and  General  Pearson  in  consultation.  Certain  of  these  gen- 
tlemen deprecated  the  movement  of  the  troops  at  that  time,  thinking  that 
the  number  was  not  sufficient  to  meet  the  strikers  then  at  Twenty-eighth 
street,  and  fearing  a  precipitation  of  the  conflict.  After  this  consultation, 
those  troops  were  recalled,  and  brought  on  to  the  platform  of  the  Union 
depot.  A  number  of  us,  Mr.  Pitcairn,  Mr.  Cassatt,  General  Pearson,  Mr. 
Watt,  and  myself,  and,  perhaps,  others,  I  do  not  recollect  now,  discussed  the 
matter  there,  and  General  Pearson  said  that  he  would  await  the  arrival  of 
the  Fourteenth  regiment.  When  that  came,  probably  about  nine  o'clock, 
on  Friday  the  20th,  he  proposed  moving  out  the  tracks  to  Twenty-eighth 
street,  and  hauling  his  guns  after  him.  I  objected  to  the  movement,  and 
was  asked  the  reasons  for  my  objection.  I  stated  them  to  be,  that  I 
thought  that  at  eight  or  nine  o'clock  that  night  the  crowd  would  be  very 
large,  and  that  the  movement  would  be  a  mistake.  I  suggested,  instead 
of  that  movement,  to  wait  until  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when 
the  crowd  would  he  at  a  minimum,  and  then  move  out  Bedford  avenue 
with  the  Fourteenth  regiment,  and  so  giye  time  for  the  Nineteenth  regi- 
ment to  arrive  by  the  time  the  ground  was  cleared  by  the  Fourteenth. 
Then,  if  the  crowd  did  not  go  away,  to  drive  them  away,  and  occupy  the 
hill  and  crossing,  and  keep  them  clear.  Then,  I  thought,  we  could  start 
the  trains.  After  considerable  discussion,  that  plan  was  adopted.  I  re- 
mained at  the  Union  depot,  and  met  Adjutant  General  Latta  when  he  ar- 
rived. 

Q.  What  time  did  he  arrive? 

A.  On  the  fast  line,  that  came  in  about  twelve  o'clock  Friday  night — 
ma}r  be  a  few  minutes  later.  General  Latta  was  advised  of  the  proposed 
movement,  and  was  particular  in  his  inquiries  in  regard  to  it.  He  first 
hesitated  in  authorizing  it,  fearing  a  precipitation  of  the  conflict.  We  ar- 
gued that  the  probability  of  a  conflict  would  be  avoided  by  making  that 
movement;  that  perhaps  there  would  only  be  a  couple  of  hundred  men  there 
and  that  we  could  occiqry  the  place  without  difficulty,  and  once  in  control 
could  keep  it  without  further  trouble.  After  the  facts  were  presented,  he 
declined  to  interfere  with  General  Pearson's  arrangement.  About  two 
o'clock,  the  Fourteenth  regiment  was  ordered  to  return  to  the  city,  with 
the  understanding  that  as  soon  as  they  got  to  a  certain  point  they  were  to 
turn  and  go  out  Bedford  avenue.  Before  this,  however,  I  was  directed  to 
arrange  to  have  two  gondola  cars  to  mount  the  guns  on,  and  to  have  two 
engines  to  push  them  up.  I  was  to  man  them  and  run  them  up  on  parallel 
tracks,  with  thie  Nineteenth  regiment  supporting  them.  I  went  to  the 
depot  master,  and  requested  him  to  get  the  gondolas,  and  asked  him  how 
many  engines  he  had.  He  replied  that  he  had  one  yard  shifter.  I  told 
him  to  order  out  two  engines  for  the  Pacific  express,  and  told  him  1  had 
authority  from  Mr.  Pitcairn  to  give  the  order.  The  engines  were  ordered 
out,  but  the  mob  refused  to  allow  but  one  to  go.  The  Fourteenth  regiment 
had  started  out  Bedford  avenue.  After  my  return,  I  started  out  the  track, 
and  went  up  through  the  ravine  there  west  of  Twenty-eighth  street,  over- 
looking the  location  of  the  mob,  then  I  passed  the  Pest  house  and  met  the 
Fourteenth  regiment  on  Bedford  avenue,  and  turned  them  through  the 
ravine  east  of  the  Pest  house,  explaining  the  topography  of  the  hill  to  the 
commanding  officer,  telling  him  how  to  deploy  his  regiment.  We  then 
moved  forward  in  regimental  front.  We  started  a  few  people  on  the  hill, 
and  they  ran  down  the  track.     Just  as  we  got  to  the  lower  bench  of  the 


88  Report  op  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

hill  the  battery  and  the  Nineteenth  regiment  arrived  on  the  ground.  The 
crossing  was  occupied  and  cleared.  We  then  returned  to  the  Union  depot 
to  prepare  some  provision  for  the  troops.  About  seven  o'clock  we  started 
out,  Mr.  Pitcairn,  General  Pearson,  myself,  and  others.  At  Twenty-eighth 
street  we  halted,  and  I  called  General  Pearson's  attention  to  the  hill,  and 
the  general  location.  We  had  some  consultation  about  it,  and  General 
Pearson  admitted  that  it  was  a  position  to  be  occupied  and  held.  He  then 
went  to  the  other  side  of  the  tank  of  the  engine,  and  directed  somebod3'  to 
hold  the  hill  and  allow  nobody  to  go  on  it,  and  to  keep  the  crossings  clear, 
and  to  allow  nobody  to  come  on  them.  We  then  went  on  to  Torren's  sta- 
tion, to  Colonel  Guthrie's  camp.  He  gave  his  orders,  and  he  then  said  he 
would  return  to  the  city  and  await  the  arrival  of  the  Philadelphia  troops. 
The  first  detachment  arrived  at  one  o'clock,  and  the  second  about  half  past 
two  o'clock.  They  were  given  a  lunch  there,  and  at  about  four  o'clock, 
perhaps  a  little  after,  we  started  out  the  tracks.  Sheriff  Fife,  with  a  posse 
of  perhaps  twelve  or  fifteen  men,  marched  ahead  of  the  column  some  dis- 
tance, with  warrants  for  the  arrest  of  certain  parties  who  were  supposed  to 
be  ringleaders,  and  Mr.  Pitcairn  and  myself  accompanied  the  sheriff  to 
point  out  these  men.  When  we  came  opposite  the  transfer  station,  I  pointed 
out  a  couple  of  avenues  leading  in  from  Liberty  street,  and  said  it  might 
be  well  to  guard  them,  and  we  made  a  detail  to  guard  that  place.  The  rest 
of  the  column  then  moved  on.  We  saw,  directly,  that  the  hill  side,  instead 
of  being  kept  clear  was  covered  with  people,  and  also  the  crossings.  The 
troops  marched  up  with  the  First  regiment — I  think  the  regiment  of  Col- 
onel Benson — in  advance,  and  on  Twenty-eighth  street  came  into  line. 
Colonel  Benson  then  formed  two  sides  of  a  square,  making  the  north  and 
south  sides  of  the  square,  and  two  companies  came  up  in  company  front 
and  formed  the  first  side  of  the  square,  facing  east.  The  Gatling  guns  took 
position  in  the  rear  of  the  east  side  of  the  square.  Before  this  square  had 
been  formed,  Mr.  Pitcairn  and  myself  went  with  the  sheriff  among  the 
crowd,  but  were  unable  to  find  the  parties  for  whom  the  sheriff  held  war- 
rants. We  had  some  discussion  there  with  the  strikers,  and  General  Pear- 
son, I  observed,  passed  us  going  up  the  hill  where  the  Pittsburgh  troops 
seemed  to  have  been  formed.  After  the  square  had  been  formed,  we  gave 
up  our  discussion  with  those  people,  and  Mr.  Pitcairn  and  myself  sat  down 
on  some  plank  about  the  center  of  the  square.  General  Pearson  passed  us 
and  made  some  remarks.  I  forget  his  words.  He  referred  to  the  thing 
looking  serious,  that  more  troops  should  be  had,  and  said  he  was  going  to 
telegraph  General  Latta,  and  left  ns,  starting  in  the  direction  of  the  tele- 
graph office. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  That  was  about  five  o'clock.  Mr.  Pitcairn  and  myself  were  chatting 
together  about  the  situation,  when  mjr  attention  was  called  to  an  attempt 
made  by  the  company  that  formed  the  east  side  of  the  square  to  press  the 
crowd  back.  They  formed  with  arms  across,  and  tried  to  push  the  crowd 
back,  but  the  mob  grasped  the  muskets  of  some  of  them.  The  troops 
found  they  could  not  make  any  impression,  and  then  the  order  was  given 
to  charge  bayonets. 

<,}.   Who  gave  that  order? 

A.  I  do  not  know.  I  simply  heard  the  order  given.  The  troops  came 
to  a  charge  baj'onets  on  the  mob.  Then  I  recollect  seeing  one  man — one 
of  the  mob  with  a  musket  in  one  hand  draw  a  pistol  with  the  other, 
and  file,  and  1  saw  a  man  fall — whether  he  was  dodging  only  or  whether 
he  was  struck,  1  do  not  know.  At  the  same  moment  one  or  two  other 
pistol  shots  were  fired,  and  then  a  volley  of  stones  and  pieces  of  clinker 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  89 

came  from  the  hill  on  the  sides  of  the  square.  A  number  of  the  troops 
were  struck  down.  Several  of  them  fell  within  two  or  three  feet  of  me. 
Then  one  or  two  shots  were  fired  from  the  muskets,  and  others  followed, 
and  a  fusilade  was  kept  up  for  a  couple  of  minutes.  Mr.  Pitcairn  and 
myself  were  still  sitting  there,  and  I  said  to  him  it  would  be  prudent  to 
lie  down.  We  kept  close  for  a  moment  or  two,  and  as  soon  as  the  crowd 
broke  we  walked  to  the  north  side  of  the  square,  and  I  told  a  lieutenant 
there,  who  was  in  command  of  a  company,  perhaps,  that  he  had  better 
make  a  right  wheel,  and  drive  some  people  out  who  had  got  behind  a  gon- 
dola car  loaded  with  coal  there.  I  believe  he  acted  on  my  suggestion. 
At  the  first  firing  the  crowd  had  broken  and  run  in  every  direction.  Mr. 
Pitcairn  and  myself  then  returned  to  his  office.  There  I  found  General 
Pearson,  and  I  judged,  by  his  surprise,  that  I  gave  him  the  first  intimation 
he  had  of  the  firing.  Shortly  after  Mr.  Cassatt  came  into  the  room.  A 
few  minutes  after  a  gentleman  on  General  Brinton's  staff.  I  think  Colonel 
Wilson  came  in.  He  was  directed  to  tell  General  Brinton  to  report. 
General  Brinton  reported,  and,  after  some  consultation,  General  Brinton 
suggested  a  move  into  the  round-house.  I  think  I  objected,  but  to  no 
avail,  because,  as  he  said,  the  mob  was  driven  away  and  he  could  go  into 
the  round-house  and  get  shelter  for  his  men  and  give  them  some  rest,  and 
that  he  could  protect  the  property  of  the  company  in  case  of  an  attack 
just  as  well  from  the  round-house  as  from  the  position  he  then  occupied. 
I  said  to  Mr.  Pitcairn  that  I  thought  it  was  a  great  mistake — that  the  hill 
should  be  occupied  ;  but  General  Brinton  and  General  Pearson,  of  course, 
were  the  military  officers  who  were  in  charge  of  the  situation,  and  for  the 
time  the  railroad  officers  had  relinquished  all  control.  We  remained  there 
some  time,  and  the  question  of  supplies  came  up — of  provision  for  those 
men — and  Mr.  Pitcairn,  Mr.  Watt,  Mr.  Cassatt,  and  myself  got  on  an 
engine  and  went  to  the  Union  depot,  and  gave  orders  for  provisions. 
Those  provisions  were  loaded  up  and  started  to  the  outer  depot,  and  I 
afterwards  understood  were  captured  by  the  mob.  We  remained  at  the 
Union  depot  that  evening.  About  ten  o'clock  a  person  came  and  told  me 
I  had  better  leave.  I  asked  for  his  reason,  and  he  said  that  the  mob  were 
then  at  Saint  Pulvia's  church,  at  Fourteenth  and  Liberty  streets,  on  their 
way  to  the  Union  depot,  and  said  they  were  going  to  hang  Mr.  Cassatt, 
Mr.  Pitcairn,  Mr.  Watt,  and  me.  I  did  not  place  much  reliance  on  the 
report,  but  it  was  afterwards  verified  that  the  mob  was  there  and  moving 
down  in  that  direction.  The  other  three  gentlemen  went  away.  I  was  in 
a  different  part  of  the  hotel  at  the  time,  and  remained  there  some  time,  but 
several  friends  came  to  me  and  urged  me  to  leave.  I  went  out  through 
the  front  door  of  the  depot,  and  when  I  got  near  the  elevator,  true  enough 
the  mob  did  come,  but  I  do  not  know  what  for.  I  then  got  into  a  carriage 
and  drove  to  my  house. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  About  a  quarter  after  ten  o'clock  on  Saturday  night.  I  locate  the 
time  from  the  fact  that  after  I  got  to  my  home,  I  threw  myself  on  the  bed, 
and  my  wife  came  to  me  and  said  the  fire  alarm  was  striking  from  box 
sixty-four.  I  said  it  was  the  outer  depot,  and  it  would  be  a  big  fire  in  a 
l\w  minutes,  but  I  did  not  want  to  be  disturbed.  I  looked  at  my  watch, 
and  it  was  a  quarter  to  eleven.  Shortly  afterward  I  was  again  awakened 
to  come  and  look  at  the  fire.  I  saw  at  once  that  it  was  the  oil  cars.  I 
slept  a  few  minutes,  and  then  went  to  the  stock  yards.  At  Torrens  station 
I  met  Colonel  Guthrie,  and  there  we  chatted  a  while,  and  then  I  returned 
to  the  cit}7.  Probably  about  seven  or  eight  o'clock,  I  am  not  sure  about 
the  hour,  in  walking  up  the  track,  I  met  some  of  our  clerks,  and  they  told 


90  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

me  that  my  office  was  on  fire,  and  that  everything  was  burned,  and  there 
was  no  use  to  go  up.  I  went  up  far  enough  to  see  the  fire  there-,  which  was 
then  extending,  and  I  went  then  to  the  west  end  of  the  "Union  depot  in 
the  endeavor  to  get  a  few  men  together  to  throw  some  cars  off  the  track 
to  block  it.  I  feared  they  would  set  fire  to  cars,  and  run  them  down  the 
track  to  burn  the  depot.  I  got  a  number  of  men  together  and  left  them 
in  charge  of  it.  They  succeeded  afterwards  in  throwing  some  cars  off,  and 
blocking  all  the  tracks  but  two.  The  reason  of  my  leaving  was,  that  I 
recollected  that  the  night  before,  Saturday  night,  I  had  been  requested  In- 
General  Latta  to  remove  a  lot  of  ammunition  which  had  been  stored  in 
the  store-room  at  the  east  end  of  the  Union  depot — some  twTenty  or  thirty 
thousand  rounds,  perhaps  more.  I  had  gone  there  the  evening  before  with 
a  few  gentlemen,  and  loaded  this  ammunition  up  on  baggage  hoppers,  and 
stored  it  away  in  the  cellar.  I  thought  of  the  ammunition,  and  knew  it 
was  important  to  be  saved.  I  left  the  parties  at  the  cars  and  went  to 
General  Latta,  and  asked  if  any  arrangement  had  been  made  to  get  the 
ammunition  out.  He  said,  "yes,"  that  he  had  requested  Captain  Breck  to 
attend  to  it,  and  that  he  was  then  at  it,  but  he  asked  me  to  go  and  see  if  I 
could  render  him  any  assistance.  I  went  to  Captain  Breck,  and  found  he 
was  making  some  effort  in  that  direction.  I  offered  him  my  services,  but 
he  said  that  he  had  all  the  assistance  that  he  required,  except  that  he  had 
no  wagon.  I  then  went  to  a  livery  stable  right  opposite  the  depot  and  got 
a  large  express  wagon  and  had  it  brought  over,  and  Captain  Breck  said 
he  had  ample  assistance  to  load  the  ammunition  up  and  get  it  out.  Shortly 
after  I  went  to  the  Monongahela  house,  to  which  General  Latta's  head- 
quarter's  had  been  removed. 

Q.  Was  that  ammunition  for  the  troops  ? 

A.  It  had  been  brought  out  with  General  Brinton's  command. 
Q.  What  time  did  it  arrive  ? 

A.  It  arrived  with  the  troops  that  came  on  Saturday  afternoon.  It 
remained  in  the  store-room,  into  which  they  put  it  first,  until  nine  o'clock 
Saturday  night,  when  those  gentlemen  and  myself  loaded  it  up  and  took  it 
down  into  the  cellar  of  the  hotel.  I  went  to  the  Monongahela  house.  I 
was  anxious  to  see  Mr.  Cassatt  and  Mr.  Pitcairn.  I  found  Mr.  Cassatt 
there.  Previous  to  this,  information  had  been  received  of  General  Brin- 
ton's retiring — that  he  had  gone  east,  and  then  we  heard  he  was  in  the 
Allegheny  cemetery-.  The  question  of  provisions  Avas  uppermost  in  the 
mind  of  everybod}^  for  those  men,  and  orders  were  sent  to  Allegheny  for 
the  different  bakers  to  prepare  sandwiches,  and  get  all  the  provisions 
ready  they  could.  Mr.  Scott,  the  stock  agent  at  East  Liberty,  came  to  the 
hotel  about  noon,  and  said  that  Colonel  Guthrie  was  anxious  about  ammu- 
nition— that  he  had  but  little,  and  had  divided  what  he  had  with  the 
Philadelphia  troops  stopped  at  Wall's  station.  I  wrote  out  an  order  on 
Captain  Breck  to  give  to  Mr.  Scott  what  ammunition  he  wanted,  and  took 
it  to  General  Latta,  who  signed  it.  I  knew  Colonel  Guthrie's  position  in 
regard  to  ammunition,  and  in  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  I  followed  Mr. 
Scott  to  the  Union  depot.  I  found  him,  and  lie  said  that  the  party  with 
whom  he  had  come  in  the  buggy  to  get  this  ammunition  had  become  de- 
moralized and  left,  at  any  rate  lie  could  not  get  the  ammunition.  I  think 
that  was  the  reason  he  gave.  I  walked  through  the  depot,  and  went  to 
the  place  where  the  ammunition  was  stored,  and  I  found  it  all  remaining 
there;  none  of  it  was  removed.  I  walked  on  the  platform,  and  found  the 
upper  end  on  fire.  I  came  down  and  walked  through  the  lower  part  of  the 
depot,  and  then  up  stairs  through  the  hotel.  I  saw  very  few  people — 
scarcely  anybody.     I  then  returned  through  the  crowd,  who  were  dragging 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  91 

every  sort  of  property  away  from  the  robbed  cars — got  through  them,  and 
returned  to  the  Monongahela  house.  General  Latta  then  expressed  an 
anxiety  to  form  a  junction  between  those  troops  at  Wall's  station  and 
General  Brinton's  command,  since  ascertained  to  be  in  the  vicinity  of 
Sharpsburg,  and  expressed  an  additional  anxiety  in  regard  to  the  question 
of  provisions.  After  consultation,  I  volunteered  to  do  what  I  could  to 
effect  a  junction  between  the  two  commands.  Colonel  Guthrie  had 
returned  from  Torrens  station,  in  citizens  dress,  to  consult  with  General 
Latta,  as  he  was  unable  to  make  any  communication  with  him  because  the 
wires  were  burned.  It  was  decided  that  I  should  take  a  buggy  and  com- 
municate between  those  two  detachments,  and  make  what  effort  I  could 
to  get  provisions.  Mr.  Cassatt  was  to  take  the  north  side  of  the  river  with 
a  provision  wagon,  and  get  through  the  best  he  could,  and  I  was  to  take 
the  south  side  of  the  river  and  get  through  the  best  I  could.  I  was  to 
remain  at  General  Brinton's  camp  until  I  heard  from  Mr.  Cassatt.  An 
order  was  also  given  to  Colonel  Guthrie  to  bring  his  regiment  from  Toi*- 
rens  station  into  the  city.  They  thought,  perhaps,  that  that  regiment 
could  stop  the  further  burning.  That  regiment  had  remained  solid  and 
intact  through  the  whole  trouble. 

Q.  What  time  were  these  orders  given  ? 

A.  About  three  o'clock  on  Sunday  afternoon.  T  drove,  then,  first  out  to 
Torrens,  and  left  Major  Sellers  there,  and  returned  to  my  house,  and  changed 
my  clothes,  and  then  started  for  General  Brinton's  camp.  I  went  across  the 
Sharpsburg  bridge,  and  then  returned  and  took  the  river  road.  Being  un- 
acquainted with  the  location  of  General  Brinton's  command,  I  stopped  at 
a  hotel  on  the  road,  and  endeavored  to  make  some  inquiries.  I  was  not 
interfered  with.  In  consequence  of  some  replies  I  got,  I  went  on  to 
Aetna,  and  there  ascertained  the  exact  locality  of  General  Brinton,  and 
met  Mr.  Campbell  Herron,  of  the  firm  of  Spang,  Chalfant,  &  Co..  of  the 
large  works  there.  I  explained  to  him  the  state  of  the  troops  in  regard  to 
food,  and  asked  if  he  could  help  me.  He  sent  for  his  manager,  and  directed 
that  everything  in  the  company's  store  should  be  turned  over  to  my  order. 
I  arranged  with  the  manager  that  provisions  should  be  loaded  up  as  soon 
as  it  was  dark,  and  hauled  out  to  the  camp.  I  then  went  on  to  Claremont, 
and  found  General  Brinton  in  camp  at  that  point.  I  told  General  Brinton 
that  I  had  orders  from  General  Latta  to  effect  a  junction,  if  possible, 
between  his  command  and  the  detachment  of  his  division  at  Wall's  station, 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Rogers.  After  talking  the  matter  over,  we 
concluded  we  had  best  bring  them  across  from  Walls,  by  the  way  of  the 
Fairview  ferry.  General  Brinton  was  to  take  a  detachment  at  dajdight 
to  the  ferry,  and  seize  the  boat,  and  hold  it  until  we  appeared  on  the 
opposite  bank.  I  waited  there,  awaiting  word  from  Mr.  Cassatt.  At  ten 
o'clock  a  citizen  of  Allegheny  came  from  Walls  with  word  for  me  from  Mr. 
Cassatt.  I  then  started  for  Walls  Station,  distant  some  eighteen  miles 
from  that  point.  I  returned  by  way  of  Sharpsburg  bridge.  I  lost  my  way, 
and  got  in  Barren  valley,  but  finally  got  on  the  right  road  again,  and  reached 
Walls  station  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  found  some  men  there, 
and  supposed  it  was  a  picket  post  of  the  troops,  but  found  instead  it  was 
some  men  there,  who,  I  suppose,  were  railrord  men  or  miners.  After  some 
parleying  with  them,  they  permitted  me  to  go  to  the  house  of  one  of  the  pas- 
senger conductors  of  the  road,  and  from  him  I  ascertained  that  the  troops 
had  gone  to  Blairsville.  While  talking  to  them,  this  party  had  taken  my 
horse  and  buggy,  but  after  some  difficulty  I  got  it  back  again,  and  returned 
to  Claremont,  and  got  there  about  six  and  a  half  a'clock,  in  the  morning. 
I  then  found  that  the  First  brigade  of  General  Brinton's  division  was  loaded 


92  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

on  cars,  and  was  just  then  pulling  out  on  the  way  to  Blairsville.  They 
had  been  instructed  during  my  abscence  to  report  there.  I  remained  until 
they  were  all  loaded  up,  and  then  returned  to  my  home,  changed  my  clothes, 
and  returned  to  the  city.  On  my  arrival  at  home,  I  was  told  that  my 
neighbors  had  held  a  meeting,  and  had  organized  a  vigilance  committee, 
and  placed  me  in  command,  and  I  spent  the  day  in  obtaining  arms  and 
ammunition  for  the  committee.  I  remained  on  duty  with  that  committee 
for  the  next  week,  patroling  the  streets — twenty  miles  of  streets.  On  Friday 
morning  or  Saturday,  about  sun  rise,  I  was  on  the  picket  post  at  Torrens 
station,  and  there  met  Governor  Hartranft  and  the  troops  returning  to  Pitts- 
burgh. I  remained  on  duty  with  my  patrol.  The  next  Sunday  morning 
I  was  sent  for  by  Mr.  Pitcairn.  He  told  me  that  he  expected  to  commence 
moving  trains  that  day,  and  wanted  me  to  get  ready.  I  got  a  force  of 
clerks  together,  and  we  commenced  starting  trains,  and  in  a  few  weeks 
things  resumed  there  normal  condition. 

Q.  Did  you  endeavour  to  ascertain  whether  the  outbreak  on  Thursday 
was  the  result  of  a  pre-arranged  plan  among  the  railroad  employes  or  not  ? 

A.  I  made  no  effort  to  ascertain  that.  From  observation,  I  think  there 
was  a  plan  in  course  of  arrangement,  but  I  think  the  execution  of  it  was 
premature  on  their  part.  I  believe  they  did  not  strike  here  intentionally, 
but  that  it  was  precipitated  by  the  crews  that  first  refused  to  go  that  morn- 
ing. 

Q.  What  facts  have  led  3^011  to  that  conclusions  ? 

A.  I  know  from  newspaper  reports,  and  from  rumors  among  the  em- 
ployes, that  they  were  organizing  a  union  of  some  description,  to  oppose 
this  reduction.     I  simply  have  it  from  general  rumor — from  report. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  succeeded  in  getting  anything  from  the  employes 
themselves — any  statement  from  them  that  would  lead  you  to  that  conclu- 
sion ? 

A.  Nothing  that  I  can  re-call.  I  have  heard  them  talking  among  them- 
selves, saying  tliat  they  would  be  organized  by  and  by — some  passing  re- 
mark of  that  description,  but  nothing  very  tangible. 

Q.  Fid  this  commence  prior  to  the  issuing  of  the  order  to  run  double- 
headers? 

A.  My  impression  is  that  it  was  started  with  the  reduction  in  pay — the 
order  for  it.  The  order  for  double-headers  affected  only  the  Pennsylvania 
railroad,  but,  that  for  the  reduction  in  pay  was  general — affecting  all  the 
roads. 

Q.  Have  you  succeeded  in  gathering  any  facts  from  the  men,  or  from 
any  reliable  source,  to  show  whether  or  not  there  was  any  understanding 
among  the  men  on  Thursday  morning,  in  relation  to  a  general  strike  ? 

A.  I  have  not,  but  from  my  observation,  I  should  think  the  thing  was 
not  understood  at  all.  It  was  started  by  one  crew  and  the  others  gradually 
came  in. 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  the  names  of  the  parties  for  whom  the  warrants  were 
issued  ? 

A.  I  cannot  now.  It  is  a  matter  of  record  in  this  court-house.  I  think 
they  were  bench  warrants. 

Q.  What  reply  did  the  mayor  make  to  the  telegram  that  was  sent  call- 
ing for  fifty  more  policemen? 

A.  I  do  not  know  of  a  reply  of  any  description.  If  there  had  been  any 
reply  made  it  would  have  come  to  Mr.  Watts.     I  signed  his  name. 

Q.  Explain  to  us  the  condition  of  tin'  crowd  at  three  o'clock  on  Sunday 
afternoon,  when  the  orders  were  given  to  form  this  junction  between  Brin- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  93 

ton's  men  and  Colonel  Roger's  men — the  crowd  about  the  depot,  and  from 
that  point  out  to  Lawrenceville  ? 

A.  I  went  out  on  this  side  of  the  city.  I  did  not  pass  up  the  railroad. 
At  the  Union  depot,  when  I  was  there,  there  was  a  crowd  of  half  drunken 
men  and  women  dragging  and  hauling  away  every  sort  of  plunder  they 
could  lay  their  hands  on.  I  saw  nobody  that  claims  respectability  among 
the  crowd  committing  any  depredation.  Of  course  there  were  some  lookers 
on. 

Q.  Was  the  riot  still  progressing — was  the  plundering  and  burning  still 
going  on  ? 

A.  It  was  at  its  heighth.  The  fire  was  then  at  the  east  end  of  the  shed, 
at  the  Union  depot,  and  by  the  time  I  crossed  the  Ewalt  street  bridge  1 
looked  back  and  saw  the  elevator  in  flames.  After  that  it  burned  all  the 
way  down  to  Seventh  avenue.  They  were  still  burning  and  destroying 
property  any  carrying  things  away. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  kind  of  property  ? 

A.  For  instance,  I  saw  a  woman  dragging  a  sack  of  salt,  another  woman 
a  bag  of  flour  in  a  wheelbarrow,  and  a  great  many  others  cariying  leaf 
tobacco,  and  some  rolling  tierces  of  lard — railroad  goods  in  general — the 
products  of  the  west  going  east. 

Q.  Was  it  all  railroad  property  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Freight? 

A.  Yes.w 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Can  you  tell  us  whether,  at  that  time,  there  was  any  reason  to  ap- 
prehend further  destruction  of  property,  not  only  of  the  railroad  company, 
but  of  the  city  itself? 

A.  There  were  certainly  such  reasons.  It  looked  then  as  if  half  the 
city  would  be  burned. 

Q.  State  whether  or  not  you  recognized  any  of  the  train  men  among  the 
crowd  assembled  at  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  At  what  time  ? 

Q.  On  Saturday,  I  refer  to  particularly,  but  at  any  time  during  the  pro- 
gress of  the  riot? 

A.  I  know  of  but  one  man  thus  far  that  I  have  been  able  to  recognize, 
and  I  know  their  faces.  For  instance,  I  can  generally  tell  an  employe  of 
the  road  here — in  a  great  many  cases.  But  I  do  not  know  them  all  by 
name.  There  are  one  or  two  now  under  indictment  that  I  have  not  seen 
since  the  riot.  J  expect  to  recognize  one  when  I  am  called  on  to  give  my 
testimony. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  requisition  being  made  on  the  mayor  of  Pitts- 
burgh or  the  sheriff  of  the  county  for  a  force  to  protect  the  company's 
property  prior  to  the  arrival  of  the  military,  and  if  so,  did  either  of  them 
respond  to  the  call  made  ? 

A.  The  only  requisition  that  1  know  of,  to  my  personal  knowledge,  was 
the  telegram  that  I  sent  myself,  that  I  spoke  of  before,  in  which  I  re- 
quested the  mayor,  in  Mr.  Watt's  name,  to  send  fifty  additional  policemen 
at  once.  From  the  number  of  policemen  we  had  that  afternoon,  I  should 
judge  that  perhaps  eight  or  ten  came.  I  know  of  no  other  requisition  of 
my  own  knowledge. 


94  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  You  know  of  no  requisition  being  made  on  the  sheriff,  of  your  own 
personal  knowledge  ? 

A.  I  do  not. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  large  was  the  vigilance  committee  that  was  organized — that  you 
were  at  the  head  of? 

A.  There  were  a  number  of  them.  Mine  was  only  one  of  the  number. 
I  had,  I  should  judge,  over  a  hundred  men  immediately  under  my  command. 
Some  were  armed  with  their  own  arms. 

Q.  When  was  this  committee  organized  ? 

A.  The  first  meeting  was  held  on  Sunday  evening.  I  was  absent,  but  I 
was  informed  the  following  morning  that  they  had  held  a  meeting,  and  we 
were  under  arms  that  day. 

Q.  Monday  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  there  any  other  such  vigilance  committees  organized  ? 

A.  Yes.     One  was  formed  on  my  right  and  another  on  my  left,  in  the 
East  End,  and  I  am  told  there  were  others  in  the  city. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  You  have  stated  that  you  were  advised  to  go  away  for  safety  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  it  a  railroad  employe  or  was  it  railroad  employes,  or  a  citizen  or 
citizens  that  advised  you  and  Mr.  Pitcairn  to  leave  the  city  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  who  advised  Mr.  Pitcairn.  The  advice  was  given  to 
me  by  myself.  I  was  not  with  Mr.  Pitcairn  at  the  time.  To  my  recollec- 
tion, I  think  the  notice  was  given  to  me  by  Mr.  Elder,  the  night  depot 
master. 

Q.  A  railroad  employe  ? 

A.  Yes.  Various  of  my  friends  and  citizens  generally,  advised  me  to 
leave  afterwards. 

Q.  They  considered  your  life  in  danger,  if  you  remained  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  had  notice  sent  to  my  house  that  I  had  better  leave  the  city. 
They  said  they  were  going  to  burn  the  house. 

Q.  Was  the  intimation  that  Mr.  Pitcairn's  life  was  in  danger  along  with 
the  rest  ? 

A.  Yes;  Mr.  Pitcairn's,  Mr.  Watt's,  Mr.  Cassatt's,  and  mine. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Was  any  attempt  made  to  interfere  with  your  property  or  to  burn 
your  house  ? 

A.  Nothing. 

Q.  The  mob  did  not  go  there? 

A.  It  was  too  far  away. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  It  was  said  that  they  would  very  likely  take  your  life  if  you  did  not 
go  away  ? 

A.   Yes. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Who  were  the  men  that  interfered  with  Gerry.     Do  you  know  them  ? 

A.  I  think  I  do;  but  I  am  not  prepared  to  say.     One  of  the  men,  I 
think,  is  still  in  the  criminal  court. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  stated  that  General  Pearson  gave  orders  to  keep  the  hill  clear, 
and  to  let  no  one  on  the  tracks.  At  that  time  was  any  one  besides  the 
military  on  the  hill  side? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  95 

A.  Nobody  except  the  military — not  more  than  half  a  dozen.  Probably 
the  people  living  up  there  were  passing  up  and  down ;  but  there  was  no 
crowd  congregated  there  at  all.  I  am  unable  to  say  to  whom  the  order  was 
given.  He  was  on  one  side  of  the  tank,  and  I  was  on  the  other.  I  pre- 
sume it  was  some  officer  in  charge ;  but  who  it  was  I  cannot  say. 

Q.  The  object  of  the  order  was  to  keep  the  mob  of  people  from  congre- 
gating on  the  hill  side  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  on  the  tracks. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  was  the  name  of  the  person  to  whom  the  order  was  given  to 
move  the  ammunition. 

A.  That  was  Captain  Breck — E.  Y.  Breck,  commander  of  the  Pittsburgh 
battery. 

<,).  Can  you  give  the  reason  why  he  did  not  move  it  ? 

A.  I  cannot.     I  was  not  present  long  enough  to  ascertain. 

Q.  Could  it  have  been  moved  at  that  time  without  much  danger  ? 

A.  I  think  it  could.     He  may  have  had  reasons  or  difficulties  that  I 
know  nothing  about.     He  was  on  the  ground  all  the  time,  and  had  a  better 
opportunity  of  judging  than  I  had. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  troops  were  on  the  hill  when  General  Pearson  gave  the  orders 
to  keep  the  hillside  clear  ? 

A.  I  am  not  positive  about  that,  but  I  think  the  Fourteenth  regiment 
was  on  the  hill,  and  the  Nineteenth  regiment  on  the  track,  and  the  battery 
was  on  the  flat  just  above  the  track. 

Joseph  McCabe  sworn  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  In  the  Twentieth  ward. 

Q.  State  whether  you  are  connected  with  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company,  and  if  so,  in  what  capacity  ? 

A.  I  am  the  general  yard  dispatcher  at  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  As  such,  what  are  your  duties  ? 

A.  I  make  up  trains  and  see  that  they  go  out  properly. 

Q.  Were  you  on  duty  on  the  19th  of  July  last? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  may  go  on  and  give  a  statement  of  what  occurred,  beginning 
with  Thursday  morning  ? 

A.  On  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  July  I  was  in  the  western  part  of  the 
yard.  I  saw  that  the  train  did  not  move  at  the  proper  time,  and  went  to 
the  middle  of  the  yard,  at  Twenty-sixth  street,  to  ascertain  why  it  did 
not  go.  The  yard  dispatcher  there  and  assistant  train  master  told  me 
that  some  of  the  men  had  refused  to  go  out.  I  and  Mr.  Hunter,  then  yard 
dispatcher,  went  to  the  men  and  asked  them  if  the}^  would  go  out,  and  all 
that  we  would  go  to,  said  they  would  not  go  out  on  the  double-headers. 

Q.  About  how  many  men  did  you  see  ? 

A.  All  that  we  could  find.     We  went  into  the  caboose  cars. 

Q.  All  refused  to  go  out  on  the  double-headers  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  except  the  first  train.  The  conductor  was  willing  to  go  out, 
but  not  the  crew. 

Q.  What  classes  of  men  refused — conductors  and  brakemen  '{ 

A.  Yes ;  they  refused  to  go,  and  I  went  then  to  get  up  the  yard  crews 
to  put  on,  and  brakemen  to  go  in  the  place  of  conductors.  I  got  an  en- 
give  out.     We  were  just  going  to  make  a  coupling.     I  had  got  two  crews  and 


96  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

brought  them  up,  and  I  had  told  a  brakeman  named  W.  S.  Gerry  to  couple 
the  engine.  He  made  an  effort  to  do  so,  and  while  doing  so,  they  thi'ew  at 
him  with  pins  and  links  and  stones.  One  of  the  pins  struck  him  on  the 
side,  and  he  had  to  run  for  his  life  to  the  Philadelphia  fast  passenger  train, 
which  was  standing  on  the  track  where  he  was,  and  he  jumped  on  it.  Had 
it  not  been  for  that  they  would  have  been  very  apt  to  have  caught  him. 

Q.  Who  threw  those  missiles  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  who  threw  them,  but  the  whole  crowd  apparently  made 
a  rush. 

Q.  Hoav  large  was  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Not  over  twenty. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Were  they  train  men  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  It  must  have  been  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock. 

Q.  Thursday? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  The  crowd  was  composed  of  about  twenty  men  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Who  were  those  men  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  I  don't  know  the  names  of.  Some  are  up  in  court, 
and  they  are  now  trying  them.     One  of  them  is  "  over  the  river." 

Q.  Name  as  many  as  you  can  ? 

A.  One  was  Andrew  Hice ;  another  Alonzo  Milliner,  and  several  more 
of  them.     1  can't  just  remember  their  names  now. 

Q.  Were  they  all  railroad  employes  ? 

A.  A  s  far  as  I  saw,  they  were  at  that  time. 

Q.  Men  in  actual  emplo}rment  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  there  any  men  there  at  that  time  who  had  previously  been 
discharged  ? 

A.  None  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  What  was  the  next  incident  that  occurred  that  came  under  your  ob- 
servation ? 

A.  The  next  thing,  I  went  to  Twenty-eighth  street  with  Mr.  Watt,  and 
tried  to  get  engine  seven  hundred  and  eighty-five  out — Conductor  S.  K. 
Moore. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  Pretty  close  to  twelve  o'clock.  I  told  him  to  bring  his  engine  out, 
and  he  told  me  that  they  would  not  allow  him  to  turn  the  switch. 

Q.  Who  do  you  mean  by  "  they." 

A.  He  said  all  of  them — the  crowd.  They  would  not  let  him  turn  the 
switch.  Mr.  Watt  said  he  would  turn  it.  While  he  -was  stooping  to  turn 
it,  one  of  them  struck  him.  They  arrested  him.  and  after  they  arrested 
him  I  turned  the  switch  and  brought  the  engine  out  on  the  track  and  down 
the  yard,  and  coupled  her  to  sixteen  cars,  and  sent  her  to  Wilkinsburg  with 
them. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Was  that  the  same  crowd  that  had  assembled  about  ten  o'clock  ? 

A.  Yes;  it  was  Twenty-sixth  street,  and  they  went  to  Twenty-eight li 
street.  The  second  engine  was  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  It  wras  the  same 
crowd. 

Q.  Had  it  increased  in  numbers? 

A.  Yes  ;  in  the  meantime. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  97 

Q.  Who  were  the  men  that  joined  them.  "Were  they  railroad  employes 
too? 

A.  I  cannot  say.  Afterwards  I  went  to  the  west  end  of  the  yard  with 
another  engine.  I  had  the  dispatcher  at  the  west  end  to  get  sixteen  cars 
on  another  track,  and  I  went  there  with  another  engine  at  about  the  time 
the  Atlantic  express  should  leave  the  depot.  We  got  that  train  out,  and 
that  was  the  last. 

Q.  What  time  did  that  train  go  out  ? 

A.  It  left  Seventeeth  street  about  one-five.  I  got  to  Twenty-eighth 
street  before  I  ought  to.  The  engineers  left  their  engines  there  at  Twen- 
ty-sixth street  after  we  had  got  the  trains  ready  to  go.  The  mob  got  in 
front,  and  the  first  engineer  blew  down  brakes,  and  got  off.  Then  the 
second  engineer  did  the  same.  The  assistant  engineer  came  to  me  and 
asked  what  he  was  going  to  do.  I  said  I  didn't  know.  He  said  he  would 
run  that  engine  if  anybody  else  would.  The  road  foreman  came  up,  and  I 
told  him  what  Mr.  Phillips  had  said,  and  he  got  on  one  engine  and  Phillips 
got  on  another.  Then  some  person  hallooed :  "  If  you  move  that  engine 
we  will  blow  your  brains  out."  Then  they  did  not  start.  They  all  went 
out.  There  were  about  sixteen  policemen  there,  but  they  could  not  ap- 
parently do  anj'thing  with  them. 

Q.  How  many  men  got  in  front  ? 

A.  Suppose  forty  or  fifty. 

Q.  Were  they  all  railroad  emplo}-6's  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  they  were. 

Q.  Who  composed  the  balance  of  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  am  not  able  to  say. 

Q.  What  time  was  that? 

A.  I  can't  say  that  positively,  either. 

Q.  As  near  as  you  can  tell  ? 

A.  Somewhere  about  twelve  o'clock. 

Q.  Thursday? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  say  that  some  policemen  came  up  there  ? 

A.  About  sixteen. 

Q.  Who  was  at  the  head  of  the  police  ? 

A.  I  can't  say  who. 

Q.  Just  explain  what  effort  they  made  to  disperse  the  mob  ? 

A.  We  got  the  train  ready  to  start,  and  five  or  six  of  them  got  on  one 
engine  and  the  same  on  the  other,  and  the  balance  of  them  got  on  the 
train.     At  Twenty-eighth  street  they  arrested  McCullough. 

Q.  Who  made  the  arrest  ? 

A.  Four  or  five  of  them  had  hold  of  him. 

Q.  Policemen  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Torbert : 

Q.  He  was  the  person  that  struck  Mr.  Watt  ? 

A.  I  suppose  so. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  not  any  attack  made  on  the  crowd  by  the  policemen  ? 

A.  They  tried  to  get  them  away. 

Q.  How  ?     With  their  clubs  ?  ' 

A.  No.     By  pushing  them  with  their  hands,  I  suppose. 

Q.  What  was  done  next  ? 

A.  The  balance  of  the  day  the  men  could  not  do  anything.     The  crowd 
appeared  to  increase  all  the  time. 
7  Riots. 


98  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  those  men  that  refused  to  go  at 
first  to  ascertain  their  reasons  for  their  refusal  ? 

A.  I  asked  what  their  reason  was  for  not  going,  and  they  allowed  that 
they  would  not  run  on  double-headers. 

Q.  All  gave  that  as  their  reason  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Had  you  any  knowledge  before  Thursday  morning  that  such  a  re- 
fusal would  be  made  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  didn't  have  the  slightest  idea  until  I  went  up  that  morning 
from  the  west  end  of  the  yard. 

Q.  Did  3'ou  talk  with  the  men  to  find  out  whether  there  was  any  pre- 
arranged plan  to  strike  that  morning  ? 

A.  I  did  not  ask  them  anything  about  it.  They  might  have  had  an  idea 
of  striking,  but  I  don't  think  the  time  was  set.  That  being  the  morning 
that  the  double-headers  was  to  go  out,  they  picked  on  that  morning  very 
suddenly. 

Q.  When  was  that  order  first  promulgated  or  known  to  the  men  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  the  date.  I  think  it  must  have  been  a  few  days 
before  that,  but  I  can't  say  how  many. 

Q.  Had  you  heard  anything  said  by  the  men  about  the  order  prior  to 
that  morning  ? 

A.  No.    Whatever  they  did  do  in  the  matter,  they  kept  among  themselves. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  ground  during  the  day  of  Friday  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Relate  to  us  wdiat  occurred.  Had  double-headers  been  run  before  that 
day  on  the  road  ? 

A.  Yes;  the  Union  and  National  lines  were  double-headers,  and  our 
coal  trains  were  double-headers.  Some  trains,  such  as  coal  trains  between 
Deny — they  were  running  them  double  for  a  number  of  years. 

Q.  Had  you  run  through  freight  trains  as  double-headers  before  Thurs- 
day ? 

A.  Yes  ;  the  Union  and  National  lines. 

Q.  That  morning  the  order  to  run  double-headers  on  all  freight  trains 
went  into  effect  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  That  required  the  discharge  of  a  number  of  men,  did  it  not  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  they  intended  to  discharge  them  or  suspend 
them  temporarily. 

Q.  Were  any  of  those  men  who  were  suspended  or  not  retained  in  the 
employ  of  the  company  among  that  crowd  of  twenty  that  you  spoke  of? 

A.  Not  that  I  remember  of  seeing. 

Q.  That  crowd  of  twenty  was  composed  of  men  retained  in  the  employ 
of  the  company  ? 

A.  Principally,  but  there  might  have  been  some  others  scattered  among 
them. 

Q.  How  are  those  men  paid — the  brakemen  and  conductors — by  the  hour, 
or  the  day,  or  the  month  ? 

A.  The3r  are  paid  by  the  dajr. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  the  day  ? 

A.  In  the  yard  a  day  of  twelve  hours  constitutes  a  da}' — eleven  hours — 
they  get  paid  extra  for  the  meal  hour. 
B}r  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  And  over  hours  ? 

A.  In  the  yard. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  99 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  :  . 

Q.  How  do  the  brakemeu  get  paid,  and  the  conductors  ? 

A.  They  get  paid  by  the  trip. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  In  case  they  are  delayed  on  the  trip,  are  the  men  not  paid  extra  for 
the  time  they  are  delaj'ed  ? 

A.  Generally,  when  they  are  delayed  any  ways  long,  the  conductor  re- 
fers his  case  to  the  train  master,  and  if  he  approves  of  it,  they  get  paid  ex- 
tra. 

Q.  Did  the  men  retained  in  the  employ  of  the  company  and  the  discharged 
men  have  any  communication  with  each  other  on  the  morning  of  Thursday, 
that  you  know  of? 

A.  Not  that  I  have  any  knowledge  of. 

Q.  Did  they  not  have  a  secret  organization  ? 

A.  I  believe  they  have  an  order  called  the  Train  Men's  Union. 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  object  of  that  organization  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  do  not. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  those  twenty  men  assembled  there  were  mem- 
bers of  that  organization  or  not  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.     I  have  an  idea  that  they  were. 

Q.  Were  there  any  double-headers  that  succeeded  in  starting  that  morn- 
ing of  Thursday  ? 

A.  No  ;  not  from  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  time  was  the  first  train  regularly  to  start  ? 

A.  Eight-forty. 

Q.  Can  you  tell  us  whether  between  the  hour  of  twelve,  midnight,  and 
eight-forty,  any  double-headers  left  on  Thursday  morning. 

A.  The  four  o'clock  trains  went  out  double. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  many  went  out  at  four  o'clock  ? 

A.  All,  I  believe. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  ground  on  Friday  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  was  around  there. 

Q.  How  was  the  crowd  on  Friday  morning  ? 

A.  It  appeared  to  increase  all  the  time. 

Q.  How  large  was  it  on  Friday  morning  ? 

A.  I  can't  exactly  say  how  large.  They  were  coming  and  going  all  the 
time. 

Q.  Give  us  an  estimate  ? 

A.  In  the  neighborhood  of  a  couple  of  thousand. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  they  noisy  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  were  and  some  of  them  were  not. 

Q.  Were  they  making  threats  '( 

A.  I  just  occasional^  heard  them  making  threats. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  had  it  been  there  during  the  night  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  were  there  all  night  stopping  everythng,  so  that  we 
could  not  get  along.     The  engines  would  stop. 

Q.  Were  they  noisy  and  boisterous  ? 

A.  The  western  engines  coming  up  with  the  live  stock  were  stopped 
and  sent  back  on  the  same  track. 

Q.  Was  the  crowd  on  Friday  morning  composed  of  the  same  men  as  on 
Thursday — were  the  same  men  leading  the  crowd  ? 


100  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  cannot  say  whether  they  were  leading  it  or  not ;  the  crowd  was  so 
big  they  were  all  mixed  up  through  it. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  the  same  men  in  the  crowd  on  Friday  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  that  I  did.  Some  of  the  leaders  of  the  crowd 
there  on  Thursday  night  had  gone  to  Lawrenceville  on  Friday. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  the  train  men  on  Friday  about 
starting  the  trains. 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  try  to  raise  any  crew  on  Friday  ? 

A.  We  had  a  yard  crew  still  there  and  two  or  three  crews  already  to 
go  out,  provided  they  would  let  them  go. 

Q.  Were  you  able  to  take  any  trains  out  on  Friday,  or  if  not,  what 
hindered  them  from  going  out? 

A.  The  mob  at  Twenty-eighth  street 

Q.  Were  you  able  to  take  any  trains  out  on  Friday? 

A.  Xo;  on  account  of  the  crowd  at  Twenty-eighth  street  making 
threats  to  the  men — what  they  would  do. 

Q.  State  the  condition  of  the  crowd  during  the  day,  whether  it  was  in 
creasing  or  not,  and  whether  it  was  demonstrative  and  boisterous  or  not  ? 

A.  Later  in  the  day  it  appeared  to  increase. 

Q.  Did  they  allow  the  passenger  cars  to  pass  ? 

A.  They  allowed  them  to  go.  Some  of  them  were  stopped,  but  they  let 
them  pass  afterwards. 

Q.  What  means  did  they  take  to  stop  those  trains? 

A.  Some  of  them  would  halloo  and  make  threats,  and  others  would  get 
up  and  spring  on  the  engines,  and  the  engineers  would  have  to  stop  to  see 
what  was  the  matter. 

Q.  Did  they  turn  any  of  the  switches  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  remember  of. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  They  just  piled  on  the  trains? 

A.  Yes  ;  they  filled  the  engines  and  cars. 

Q.  Did  they  attempt  any  violence  on  the  men  running  the  trains  during 
the  day  of  Friday  by  throwing  stones  or  clubs  ? 

A.  Not  there,  they  did'nt. 

Q.  Did  they  anywhere  along  the  road  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  they  did  outside  of  Pittsburgh  or  not.  We 
didn't  move  anything  on  Friday  except  live  stock.  They  agreed  that  we 
might  move  that,  but  nothing  else. 

Q,.  You  say  the  live  stock  was  moved  I 

A.  Yes  ;  on  Friday.  First  in  the  morning — then  th'ey  stopped  it.  Then 
Mr.  Garrett,  the  train  master,  and  me  went  up  and  saw  them,  and  he  talked 
to  them.  There  was  a  big  run  of  stock  coming  off  the  Fort  Wayne  road, 
and  some  of  them  said  they  would  let  him  have  one  engine  to  haul  it.  He 
said  that  they  ought  to  know  better,  that  one  engine  was  not  sufficient,  and 
they  agreed  to  let  him  have  two.  So  we  got  engines  enough  to  move  the 
stock  to  East  Liberty. 

Q.  They  said  you  could  have  one  engine.  Who  was  it  that  told  this  to 
Mr.  Garrett? 

A,  I  don't  know  who  it  was. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  the  conversation  between  the  men  and  Mr.  Garrett  ? 
A.   1  was  with  him  in  the  crowd.     We  had  to  go  right  into  it  like  a 
wedge. 

IJ.   Were  they  railroad  men  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  were  railroad  men. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18??.  101 

Q.  Men  then  in  the  employ  of  the  company,  or  who  had  been  up  to  the 
morning  of  Thursday  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  they  were  still  in  the  employ  of  the  company,  so  far  as  I  know. 

Q.  They  were  the  spokesmen  for  the  crowd,  were  they  ? 

A.  One  of  them  was  the  spokesmen.     We  asked  for  the  spokesman  when 
we  went  there. 

Q.  Who  was  that  man  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  now  who  he  was. 

Q.  An  engineer,  conductor,  or  brakeman  ? 

A.  I  think  he  was  a  breakman. 

Q.  What  is  Mr.  Garrett's  first  name  ? 

A.  His  name  is  David  Garrett. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  At  Twenty-eighth  street,  did  the  mob  of  men  stop  the  train  going 
east? 

A.  They  stopped  everything. 

Q.  Who  did  that  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  it  was  by  employes  or  others. 

Q.  They  prevented  the  engines  from  connecting  with  your  stock  trains  ? 

A.  Yes ;  sometimes  they  told  the  engineers  to  go  on  back. 

Q.  They  sent  the  engines  back  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  they  were  sent  right  back  on  going  out  the  track,  and  sent  in 
again  on  coming  out  the  track. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Describe  the  crowd  during  Friday  night? 

A.  I  was  not  there  during  that  night. 

Q.  Were  you  there  during  Saturday  morning  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Describe  things  then  ? 

A.  Early  in  the  morning  there  was  not  such  a  very  large  crowd,  but  to- 
wards evening,  just  before  the  soldiers  came  up 

Q.  How  large  was  it  in  the  morning  early  ? 

A.  I  don't  suppose  there  were  over  two  hundred  people. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  About  seven  o'clock — that  is  outside  of  the  soldiers.  The  Four- 
teenth and  Eighteenth  regiments  were  there  then,  1  believe.  In  the  evening 
along  about  five  o'clock,  at  the  time  the  firing  began,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  railroad,  and  in  the  streets  there  were  from  five  to  seven  thousand 
people. 

Q.  Who  composed  that  crowd  then — what  class  of  men  ? 

A.  They  appeared  to  be  all  classes. 

Q.  Railroad  emploj'es  ? 

A.  Railroad  and  mill  men,  and  I  guess  a  few  of  every  kind. 

Q.  When  you  refer  to  the  crowd  of  five  thousand,  do  you  mean  to  sa}' 
that  all  of  that  crowd  were  riotous  or  engaged  in  riotous  conduct  ? 

A.  I  don't  mean  to  say  that. 

Q.  You  say  that  a  portion  of  them  were  lookers-on  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  many  were  actually  engaged  in  the  riot  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say.  They  were  scattered  around  here  and  there  and 
everywhere. 

Q.  Was  there  any  division  or  separation  between  the  rioters  and  the 
crowd  that  was  looking  on  ? 

A.  I  guess  they  were  scattered  through  the  crowd  everywhere  around 
the  railroad. 


102  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Down  on  the  railroad  were  any  persons  looking  on — were  they  along 
the  railroad  track,  or  were  they  back  on  the  hill  ? 

A.  They  were  standing  on  the  bill  and  on  the  railroad  track,  too.  Some 
of  them  might  be  railroad  men  of  other  roads,  and  I  never  know  it. 

Q.  Were  there  any  women  and  children  mixed  up  with  the  crowd  ? 

A.  There  were  some  on  the  street  and  hill-side. 

Q.  That  crowd  had  been  accumulating  all  day  I  suppose  ? 

A.  Yes 

Q.  How  was  it  in  regard  to  any  boisterous  or  nois}*-  demonstrations  ? 

A.  I  would  say  that  some  of  them  were  pretty  boisterous.  Some  of 
them  would  be  about  half  tight,  and  were  raising  a  little  excitement  here 
and  among  themselves. 

Q.  When  did  the  crowd  begin  to  get  demonstrative  or  boisterous,  at 
what  time  in  the  day  ? 

A.  Along  about  twelve  o'clock  probably,  and  about  five  it  got  worse. 
The  work  shops  and  all  the  mills,  as  a  general  thing,  shut  down  about 
three  o'clock  on  Saturday.    I  suppose  that  helped  to  increase  the  crowd. 

Q.  Were  you  among  the  crowd  during  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Were  you  present  at  Twenty-eight  street  when  the  firing  of  the 
soldiers  took  place  ? 

A.  I  was  between  Twenty-sixth  and  Twenty-eighth  streets  when  the}- 
began  to  shoot — about  half  way. 

Q.  You  were  in  sight  so  that  you  could  see  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  orders  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  No;  I  was  not  near  enough  to  hear,  but  I  saw  one  or  two  missiles 
thrown  from  the  hillside  and  the  shooting  began  after  that. 

Q.  By  whom  were  the  missiles  thrown  ?  ■ 

A.  I  cannot  say  that ;  they  came  from  the  thick  part  of  the  crowd  on 
the  hillside. 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  before  the  missiles  were  thrown  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember;  it  was  a  little  after. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  it  appear  to  be  pistol  shots  or  musketry  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell. 

Q.  Were  any  shots  fired  from  the  hill  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  whether  the}'  came  from  the  hill  or  from  the  soldiers. 
There  were  some  scattering  shots,  and  then  a  kind  of  general  volley. 

Q.  Were  those  shots  pistol  shots  or  musket  shots  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell. 

Q.  What  effect  did  the  firing  have  upon  the  crowd  ? 

A.  It  appeared  to  drive  them  back  for  a  while. 

Q.  Which  way  did  they  go  ? 

A.  They  scattered  in  all  directions — some  went  north,  south,  east,  and 
west — in  every  direction — the  best  way  they  could  get  out. 

Q.  Did  it  clear  the  track  ? 

A.  It  cleared  the  track  for  a  while. 

Q.  For  what  distance  ? 

A.  Near  down  to  Twenty-eighth  sti'eet — that  is  about  the  only  place  that 
was  obstructed. 

Q.  When  did  the  mob  begin  to  reassemble  after  that? 

A.  It  took  place  somewhere  along  about  six  o'clock,  I  suppose.  I  was 
not  there. 

Q.  When  were  you  there  next  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  103 

A.  Sunday  morning  when  I  came  in  everything  was  on  fire — was  burning 
— seven  and  a  half  o'clock. 

Q.  How  far  ? 

A.  To  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  From  what  point  ? 

A.  What  we  call  the  south  yard — the  tracks  south  of  the  main  track 
between  Lawrenceville  and  Twenty-eighth  street — they  were  burning,  and 
they  were  burning  the  upper  round-house  then.  I  was  along  on  the  hill 
side,  within  sight  of  the  track,  from  seven  and  a  half  that  morning  until 
eight  o'clock  that  night. 

Q.  Where  were  the  soldiers  or  troops  ? 

A.  They  had  left  there  then,  and  went  into  the  work-house,  I  believe. 
They  left  the  round-house  between  five  and  six  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Q.  What  took  place  during  the  day  of  Sunday — how  large  was  the  crowd 
Sunday  morning  ? 

A.  The  crowd  that  was  burning  ? 

Q.  Engaged  in  actual  riotous  conduct  ? 

A.  There  were  these  right  in  the  yard — there  appeared  to  be  somewhere 
in  the  neighborhood  of  a  thousand  people.  I  cannot  tell  whether  they  all 
belonged  to  the  crowd  or  not.  They  appeared  to  be  following  after  it — 
breaking  the  cars  open  and  taking  out  what  they  wanted,  and  then  setting 
fire  to  them. 

Q.  Who  was  breaking  open  the  cars  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  who  they  were. 

Q.  Did  you  go  to  see  ? 

A.  I  didn't  go  near  enough  to  recognize  any  of  them. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  From  their  appearance  could  you  form  any  idea  as  to  whether  they 
were  railroad  men  or  not  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell. 

Q.  Was  there  nothing  to  distinguish  them  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Who  was  engaged  in  firing  the  cars  at  that  time? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  that. 

Q.  Were  they  setting  the  cars  on  fire  with  torches  and  fire  brands  ? 

A.  Yes.  Wherever  there  was  a  gap  they  would  carry  the  fire  over  the 
gap  to  the  next  place. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  effort  to  see  who  those  men  were? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  who  they  were. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  kind  of  men  were  they  ? 

A.  They  were  rough  looking  men. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  near  did  3tou  go  ? 

A.  I  was  a  hundred  feet  or  so  from  them.  I  heard  that  detectives  were 
there.  Some  of  them  told  me,  in  fact,  that  they  understood  detectives  were 
among  them  watching  them. 

Q.  Did  j^ou  see  any  of  yo ur  men  among  the  crowd  on  Sunday  morning  ? 

A.  No;  I  did  not. 

Adjourned  to  meet  at  three  o'clock,  P.  M. 


104  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 


SAME  DAY. 

Orphan's  Court  Room, 
Pittsburgh,  Friday,  February  8,  1878 — 3  p.  m. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  re-assembled  at  three,  p.  m.,  this 
day,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testimony. 
The  first  witness  examined  was 

William  Ryan,  sworn  with  uplifted  hand: 

Ry  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  In  the  Fifteenth  ward  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Are  you  in  the  employ  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  been  in  their  employ,  and  in  what  capacity  ? 

A.  I  cannot  state  the  precise  date  when  I  entered  the  service  of  the  com- 
pany ;  but  I  judge  it  is  between  eight  and  ten  years. 

Q.  In  what  capacity  were  you  ernplo}*  ed  in  July  last  ? 

A.  As  freight  conductor. 

Q.  Retween  what  points  ? 

A.  Pittsburgh  and  Deny,  or  between  Pittsburgh  and  Conemaugh. 

Q.  You  were  a  conductor  on  trains  that  ran  double-headers  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  long  have  j'ou  been  running  on  trains  that  run  in  that  way  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  the  length  of  time  precisely,  but  I  was  running  them 
from  the  time  they  started — that  is,  from  the  time  they  started  to  run 
through  freight  as  double. 

Q.  About  how  long  ? 

A.   I  cannot  tell. 

Q.  Two  or  three  years  ? 

A.  I  hardly  fancy  it  could  be  that  long.     I  should  say  a  year. 

Q.  Were  you  at  the  depot  or  about  the  depot  on  the  morning  of  the 
19th — Thursday  morning  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  that  j^our  morning  for  going  out  as  conductor  of  the  train  ? 

A.  It  was  my  train  that  should  have  started  out.     It  was  my  morning. 

Q.  What  was  your  time  for  going  out  ? 

A.  If  I  recollect  right,  it  was  eight-forty. 

Q.  Did  you  start  that  morning  or  make  any  attempt  to  start  ? 

A.  We  made  every  preparation  to  start,  with  the  exception  of  coupling 
up  the  train.  I  examined  the  train  as  I  was  going  into  the  yard.  I  thought 
the  men  were  rather  long  in  getting  the  engine  out.  I  started  up,  and  on 
going  to  the  train  men's  room  met  two  of  my  brakemen,  and  asked  the 
cause  of  the  delay.  They  told  me  they  didn't  intend  to  go  out.  I  asked 
the  reason.  They  said  they  had  either  quit  or  struck — I  don't  recollect. 
I  asked  what  their  object  was  in  striking.  They  said  the}r  didn't  intend 
to  run  on  double-headers — that  they  were  not  making  airy  more  than  a 
living  at  that  time,  and  that  b}T  running  double-headers,  it  would  cause 
some  of  them  to  be  dismissed  or  suspended.  That  they  didn't  know  who  it 
would  be,  and  as  they  had  the  advantage  at  that  time,  they  would  make  the 
best  use  of  it  they  could. 

Q.  Those  were  your  brakemen  ? 

A.  Yes. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  105 

Q.  What  were  their  names  ? 

A.  One  was  named  John  Yensel  and  the  other  I  cannot  give  his  first 
name.     In  giving  in  his  time,  I  always  gave  it  as  M.  Martin. 

Q.  What  time  had  yon  this  conversation  with  them  ? 

A.  I  judge  about  nine  o'clock. 

Q.  They  said  that  some  of  them  would  be  dismissed  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  have  an}>-  further  conversation  with  them  ? 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  What  about  ? 

A.  I  tried  to  advise  them  not  to  strike,  and  showed  them  the  folly  of  it. 
I  told  them  that  the  times  were  hard  at  present  and  that  freight  was  very 
slack,  and  that  the  company  was  trying  to  economize  and  that  their  chances 
were  just  as  good  as  mine.  I  advised  them  to  stay.  They  claimed  "no," 
that  they  had  determined  to  quit,  and  were  going  to  do  it  or  had  done  it. 
I  notified  the  dispatcher  then  that  the  men  had  quit,  and  asked  what  I  was 
to  do.  He  told  me  to  remain,  and  that  he  would  provide  men  for  me.  He 
went  around  and  made  an  effort  to  get  men  but  could  not  «-et  them.  I  then 
asked  permission  to  go  to  dinner,  and  I  went,  and  came  back  about  twelve 
or  one.  There  was  no  change  in  the  affair  at  all,  everything  remained  just 
as  it  had  been. 

Q.  Where  did  these  men  go  when  they  refused  to  go  out  on  the  train  ? 

A.  In  the  yard. 

Q.  They  did  not  go  home  ? 

A.  No;  they  remained  in  the  yard  up  to  the  time  I  left,  and  I  saw  them 
there  in  the  afternoon. 

Q.  Were  there  any  other  men  about  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  men  were  continually  coming  in  off  the  road. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  there  when  you  left  to  go  to  dinner  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  about  eighteen  or  twenty  men  at  that  time. 

Q.  Did  j'ou  have  any  conversation  with  any  other  men  ? 

A.  With  my  flagman. 

Q.  What  did  he  say  ? 

A.  He  thought  as  the  rest  did,  that  now  was  the  time  to  strike  or  quit, 
and  that  they  all  had  concluded  to  do  it,  and  that  all  my  conversation  with 
him  would  not  change  his  ideas  a  particle. 

Q.  What  men  were  coming  in  ? 

A.  The  men  off  the  regular  freight  trains  kept  coming  in  there  during 
the  day. 

Q.  They  joined  the  other  men  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  swelled  the  crowd. 

Q.  Did  you  talk  with  those  men  to  find  out  whether  they  had  arranged 
for  this  strike  previously  ? 

A.  I  did  not.  I  blamed  them  for  it,  but  they  denied  it.  Whether  they 
had  made  an  arrangement  or  not  for  that  day,  I  don't  know. 

Q.  They  denied  an  arrangement  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  many  of  them  denied  it  ? 

A.  Two  or  three  of  them  I  think  denied  it.  They  had  made  an  arrange- 
ment previous  to  this  to  strike,  but  from  some  cause  or  other  it  was  not 
carried  into  effect,  and  my  being  a  non-union  man,  I  concluded  that  they 
had  arranged  it  in  such  a  way  that  the  responsibility  would  fall  on  me, 
and  in  case  it  would  be  a  failure  I  would  be  the  man  discharged,  and  that 
the  union  men  would  not  suffer.  That  was  the  opinion  1  formed  that 
morning. 


106  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  How  long  previous  had  they  made  this  arrangement  ? 

A.  A  month  or  two  months  before. 

Q.  What  prevented  the  carrying  of  the  arrangement  into  effect  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know.  When  a  railroad  man  came  to  me,  and  requested  me 
to  join  them,  I  told  them  I  could  not  do  it ;  that  my  opinion  was  different 
from  theirs  with  reference  to  strikes  ;  that  I  did  not  feel  justified  in  doing 
it.  He  asked  me  if  I  had  any  injury.  I  told  him  I  could  not  say.  He 
said  :  "  I  am  going  to  strike  to-morrow."  I  went  as  far  as  Derry,  and  laid 
over  two  or  three  hours.  The  only  person  there  I  saw  by  himself  was  the 
dispatcher.  I  went  to  him  and  told  him  in  confidence  that  these  men  were 
going  to  strike. 

Q.  When  was  that  ? 

A.  It  was  previous  to  this  affair  of  the  men  going  out — a  month  or  two 
months. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  After  the  reduction  of  ten  per  cent.  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  told  the  dispatcher  that  these  men  had  come  to  the  conclu- 
sion to  strike,  and  told  him  I  wanted  to  let  it  be  known — that  two  thirds 
of  them  were  not  friends  of  mine,  and  it  would  only  cause  me  trouble  by 
their  going  out,  and  I  would  notify  the  proper  officers  in  time  to  give  them 
a  chance  to  prevent  in  case  it  should  occur.  I  returned  to  the  city  that 
morning  with  the  train.  Coming  in,  I  wondered  how  to  get  at  the  super- 
intendent's office  without  being  seen.  I  did  not  care  about  being  known, 
and  after  putting  the  train  away,  I  concluded  I  would  go  out  on  the  accom- 
modation, but  I  met  one  of  my  men,  and  I  got  into  conversation  with  him, 
and  I  asked  him  if  he  knew  anything  about  it.  He  said  he  did,  and  he 
said  it  had  fallen  through.  I  asked  him  if  he  was  positive  of  it,  he  said  he 
was — that  he  knew  it  had.  I  told  him  I  was  very  glad  to  hear  it.  Says  he, 
I  am  not.  I  concluded  then  not  to  go  out.  I  made  inquiries  among  other 
men,  and  found  it  to  be  the  fact,  that  they  had  concluded  not  to  strike  at 
the  time  appointed. 

Q.  Did  this  man  give  you  any  reasons  ? 

A.  He  did  not. 

Q.  Who  was  he  ? 

A.  His  name  was  Sloan. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  other  conversation  or  learn  anything  of  an}^  other 
union  or  organization  to  strike  from  that  morning  until  the  19th? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Had  you  any  knowledge  that  your  men  would  not  go  out  until  you 
met  them — those  two  men  ? 

A.  None  whatever. 

Q.  How  long  before  that  morning  was  it  known  to  the  men  that  the 
order  had  been  issued  to  run  double-headers? 

A.  It  was  known  in  six  hours,  I  should  judge,  to  all  the  men  on  the 
line  after  the  order  was  posted  on  the  bulletin  boards. 

Q.  When  was  it  posted  ? 

A.  I  cannot  give  the  date,  but  fancy  it  was  posted  twenty-four  hours 
before  the  order  should  have  gone  into  effect. 

Q.  Did  you  discover  that  it  produced  any  commotion  among  the  men  ? 

A.  Not  more  so  than  at  other  times.  There  was  general  dissatisfaction 
among  the  men  on  account  of  the  double  trains.  Of  course  it  increased 
it  somewhat.  There  were  several  trains  running  before  this  order  was 
issued,  but  when  this  order  would  go  into  effect  it  would  make  all  trains 
double,  and  this  would  cause  them  to  feel  more  dissatisfied. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  107 

Q.  After  you  returned  from  your  dinner  on  Friday,  how  large  a  crowd 
did  you  find  in  the  yard  ? 

A.  I  judge  about  twenty  men — twenty-five — probably  more. 

Q.  All  railroad  employes  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that,  but  the  greater  portion  of  them  at  that  time  were 
railroad  employes.     The  crowd  gradually  increased  until  evening. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  the  men  after  you  returned  from 
your  dinner? 

A.  With  some  of  them. 

Q.  About  going  out  ? 

A.  I  spoke  to  them,  and  asked  them  who  had  organized  it,  and  what  they 
were  going  to  do  about  it.  They  said  they  did  not  know,  that  they  had 
quit  because  the  rest  had,  and  intended  to  see  it  through. 

Q.  Was  there  any  effort  made  that  afternoon  to  start  the  trains  ? 

A.  I  believe  not  that  afternoon  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  When  was  the  first  effort  made  to  start  the  trains,  to  your  knowledge  ? 

A.  Thursday  morning. 

Q.  Was  there  none  made  on  Friday  morning,  to  your  knowledge  ? 

A.  I  think  not. 

Q.  Or  during  the  day  Friday? 

A.  An  effort  was  made,  I  think,  in  the  afternoon  of  Friday. 

Q.  Were  you  present  when  that  effort  was  made  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  the  number,  but  it  was  a  very  large  crowd. 

Q.  Composed  of  employes  of  your  railroad,  and  of  the  different  roads  ? 

A.  Almost  all  classes  of  men  were  there. 

Q.  Who  seemed  to  be  the  leaders,  at  that  time,  of  the  crowd  ? 

A.  It  would  be  a  very  difficulty  matter  for  me  to  say.     In  fact  they  all 
seemed  to  lead — where  one  would  go,  the  rest  would  follow. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Do  you  mean  helter-skelter  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  there  seem  to  be  any  leader  who  was  taking  charge  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  In  the  beginning  there  was  one  man  that  seemed  to  take  the  lead — 
on  the  morning  of  Thursday,  but  after  that  I  lost  all  trace  of  him. 

Q.  Who  was  he  ? 

A.  His  name  was  Hice.  I  was  in  the  telegraph  office  on  Thursday  morn- 
ing, after  the  strike  occurred,  talking  to  the  train  runner.  He  came  up, 
after  the  conversation  with  me,  and  I  saw  him  in  the  act  of  trying  to  couple 
an  engine  on  to  some  caboose  cars.  They  failed  to  do  so  on  account  of 
the  throwing  of  stones  and  other  missiles. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  I  judge  about  ten  o'clock — along  there  somewhere. 

Q.  Thursday? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  that  the  first  violence  that  was  used  ? 

A.  The  first  I  saw. 

Q.  Who  were  those  persons  who  were  throwing  the  stones  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  who  they  were. 

Q.  How  many  composed  the  crowd  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  fancy  some  fifteen  or  eighteen  men  that  I  saw  there,  but  might  have 
been  more. 

Q.  Were  they  all  railroad  employes  ? 


108  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  cannot  say  that. 

Q.  Were  those  brakemen  who  had  refused  to  go  out  with  you  among 
them? 

A.  That  I  cannot  say.  I  was  not  close  enough  to  see  whether  my  men 
were  among  them  or  not. 

Q.  On  Friday  afternoon,  when  the  attempt  was  made  to  start  the  train, 
will  you  tell  us  what  occurred  then  ? 

A.  As  near  as  I  can  recollect,  the  train  was  made  up,  and  it  was  pulled 
up  out  of  the  freight  yard.  I  rlon't  know  whether  the  caboose  car  was 
coupled  or  not.  I  cannot  recollect,  but  I  saw  the  train  start  as  though  it 
was  going  to  go  out.  I  saw  men  run  in  front  of  the  engines  to  stop  them, 
and  I  saw  the  pai'ties  get  off  of  them,  and  the  train  then  was  backed  into 
the  yard  after  that. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Was  that  on  Friday  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  whether  it  was  Thursday  afternoon  or  Frida}*,  but  it 
was  one  of  those  two  days.  It  seems  to  me  it  was  Thursday  afternoon — 
the  same  day. 

Q.  When  the  resistance  was  made  there,  was  it  a  combined  resistance  of 
all  the  men,  or  did  only  two  or  three  seem  to  be  leading  the  others  ? 

A.  It  was  a  general  rush,  a  swinging  of  hands,  and  a  yelling  and  hooting. 

Q.  Were  any  missiles  thrown  of  airy  kind  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw. 

Q.  Was  any  violence  used  towards  those  who  were  trying  to  take  the 
train  out  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw. 

Q.  Were  any  threats  made  to  the  loyal  men  who  were  willing  to  work  ? 

A.  I  was  not  close  enough  to  hear  the  conversation. 

Q.  Were  you  threatened  at  any  time  if  you  did  not  leave  the  yard  ? 

A.  Not  directly.  Two  or  three  men  came  to  me,  and  asked  me  if  I  was 
going  out.  I  told  them  yes,  if  I  could  get  a  crew,  and  one  of  them  inti- 
mated to  me  that  I  had  better  not  go,  or  words  to  that  effect — that  they 
did  not  want  to  hurt  me,  or  something  like  that.     That  was  about  all. 

Q.  Whom  did  you  report  to  when  your  men  refused  to  go  out  ? 

A.  The  dispatcher. 

Q.  What  is  his  name  ? 

A.  William  Hunter. 

Q.  How  many  trains  were  to  go  out  at  that  hour — eight-forty  ? 

A.  I  think  mine  was  the  only  one  at  that  time,  with  the  exception  of  the 
single  train  going  on  the  branch. 

Q.  When  were  the  next  trains  to  start  ? 

A.  The  next,  I  believe,  would  have  been  eleven  o'clock — no  ;  the  next 
would  have  been  nine-forty. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  the  conductors  of  those  trains  were  all  prepared 
to  start  them  or  not  ? 

A.  I  believe  one  of  them  was  there. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  talk  with  him  ? 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  Was  he  willing  to  go  ? 

A.  No  ;  he  was  not. 

Q.  He  was  among  the  strikers  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  the  engineers  willing  to  go  ? 

A.  That  I  do  not  know.     One  of  them  came  to  me  and  ask  if  I  was  going 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  109 

out,  and  I  told  him  yes,  if  I  could  get  a  crew.     He  turned  around  and 
walked  away,  and  did  not  say  anything  more  to  me  about  it. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  What  was  this  conductor's  name  ? 

A.  Meredith. 

Q.  You  said  that  two  or  three  men  came  and  asked  you  if  you  were  going 
out,  and  you  said  yes,  if  you  could  get  a  crew,  and  that  then  they  intimated 
it  would  be  well  for  you  if  you  did  not.     Who  were  these  men  ? 

A.  One  was  D.  W.  Davis.     The  other  name  I  do  not  recollect. 

Q.  What  was  his  position  at  that  time  ? 

A.  A  brakeman,  I  believe. 

Q.  Had  he  been  discharged  or  was  he  still  in  the  employ  of  the  com- 
pany ? 

A.  He  was  in  the  employ  of  the  company  up  to  that  morning,  so  far  as 
I  know. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  he  is  now  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Has  he  been  in  the  employ  of  the  company  since  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  The  other's  name  you  do  not  remember  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  at  all. 

Q.  Where  is  this  Conductor  Meredith  ? 

A.  I  think  he  is  in  some  part  of  Kentucky. 

Q.  How  many  men  did  you  have  as  trainmen  for  one  train  ? 

A.  Three. 

Q.  Besides  yourself,  and  aside  from  the  engineer  and  fireman  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  fear  of  violence  from  the  employes  of  the  road  if 
you  started  out  ? 

A.  Well,  I  had  a  fear,  but  no  serious  fear.  I  did  not  think  that  they 
would  kill  me. 

Q.  You  did  not  believe  on  the  morning  of  the  riot  that  they  would  do  so  ? 

A.  No ;  besides  I  was  determined  to  protect  myself  in  the  best  way  I 
could. 

John  Plender,  sworn  with  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 
A.  I  am  living  at  Walls  station. 

Q.  Are  you  in  the  employ  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir;  I  am  running  a  passenger  engine — the  "  accommodation" — 
as  engineer. 

Q.  Were  you  in  July  last  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Between  what  points  ? 

A.  Between  Walls  and  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  the  distance  of  Walls  from  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Sixteen  miles. 

Q.  How  often  do  you  make  your  trips  ? 

A.  I  make  three  round  trips  a  day. 

Q.  Were  you  at  the  Union  depot  on  Thursday  morning,  the  19th  ? 

A.  I  came  in  that  morning  from  Walls,  at  eight-fifteen. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  go  out  ? 

A.  At  twelve-five. 


110  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Where  were  you  between  eight-fifteen  and  twelve-five  ? 

A.  In  the  round-house,  at  work  on  my  engine. 

Q.  When  did  you  first  learn  that  any  men  had  refused  to  go  out  on  their 
trains  ? 

A.  I  suppose  it  was  half-past  nine  when  one  of  the  men  told  me.  It  was 
an  engineer  that  told  me. 

Q.  Was  he  one  that  had  refused  to  go  out  ? 

A.  No  ;  he  had  just  come  in. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  anything  more  about  it  between  that  time  and  twelve 
o'clock  ? 

A.  No.  The  "  Yioughiougheny  "  came  in,  and  he  told  me  that  there  was 
a  strike. 

Q.  What  then  took  place  ? 

A.  That  was  all  that  took  place  between  him  and  me. 

Q.  Did  you  remain  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  I  remained  in  there  until  eleven  o'clock,  when  I  backed  out,  and  came 
down  and  took  out  the  train. 

Q.  Were  you  interfered  with  in  any  way  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  the  strikers  that  day  ? 

A.  Not  until  evening. 

Q.  Whom  did  you  see  in  the  evening  ? 

A.  I  had  no  conversation,  no  more  than  a  man' stopped  me  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  and  asked  me  what  I  was  hauling. 

Q.  Were  you  coming  in  or  going  out  ? 

A.  I  was  going  out  on  the  last  trip,  at  eleven-forty.  I  told  him  I  was 
hauling  an  accommodation  train.  He  told  me  I  could  go  on,  and  he  got 
down  off  the  engine. 

Q.  Did  they  stop  you  ? 

A.  No  ;  they  were  all  standing  there,  and  when  I  came  up — we  all  have 
to  stop  there — he  got  on  the  engine. 

Q.  At  what  point  ? 

A.  At  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  How  many  were  standing  there  then  ? 

A.  Quite  a  number — I  suppose  about  thirty-five  or  forty  of  them. 

Q.  Did  you  know  any  of  them  ? 

A.  I  knew  him.     It  was  dark,  and  I  could'nt  see  who  the  rest  were. 

Q.  What  was  the  name  of  that  man  ? 

A.  D.  W.  Davis,  I  think. 

Q.  Did  he  say  anything  more  to  you  ? 

A.  No ;  nothing  more.  He  said  it  was  all  right,  that  I  could  go  on,  after 
I  told  him  what  I  was  hauling. 

Q.  What  was  the  manner  of  the  crowd  at  that  time  as  to  their  being 
boisterous  or  demonstrative  ? 

A.  Indeed,  I  could  not  tell  you.  We  just  stop  for  a  couple  of  minutes, 
and  sometimes  not  that  long. 

Q.  You  had  no  conversation  with  any  other  excepting  the  one  who  got 
on  your  engine  ? 

A.  That  is  all.  He  was  discharged  off  this  road  a  couple  of  times,  and 
off  the  Pan-Handle,  I  believe. 

Q.  Wh}r  was  he  discharged  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell. 

Q.  Where  did  he  live  ? 

A.  Somewhere  about  Twenty-eighth  street. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  Ill 

Q.  Did  3'ou  learn  that  day,  or  any  time  after  that,  when  these  parties  re- 
solved to  strike  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  know  of  any  preconceived  plan  of  striking  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  they  have  a  secret  organization  or  not  ? 

A.  All  I  heard  of  was  the  Train  Men's  Union — that  is  all  I  know  of. 

Q.  What  is  the  object  of  that  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  tell  you.  I  never  was  in  any  of  their  meetings,  and 
know  nothing  about  it. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  there  was  any  other  organization  ? 

A.  The  Engineers'  Brotherhood. 

Q.  What  is  the  object  of  that? 

A.  That  I  cannot  tell  you.     It  is  something  I  never  belonged  to. 

Q.  Did  you  come  in  on  your  regular  trip  in  the  morning  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  you  molested  in  any  way  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  go  out  on  time  and  come  in  on  time  all  day  Friday  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Without  being  molested  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  run  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  Until  eight-fifteen,  Saturday  night. 

Q.  What  stopped  you  then  ? 

A.  I  did  not  go  out  at  eleven-forty,  because  I  could  not  get  out  at  eleven- 
fort}^. 

Q.  Why? 

A.  The  fire  was  too  hot. 

Q.  I  suppose  you  didn't  go  out  for  a  week  or  so  then  ? 

A.  I  went  to  work  on  Tuesday. 

Q.  At  what  time  ? 

A.  I  think  I  went  out  at  six-five  on  Tuesday  night. 

Q.  Was  there  still  a  crowd  about  then  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  large  about  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  how  large  the  crowd  was. 

Q.  Had  the  work  commenced  then,  Irv  the  company,  in  clearing  off  the 
tracks — the  debris  f 

A.  Indeed,  I  cannot  tell  you  whether  it  had  or  not. 

Q.  Were  you  interfered  with  in  any  way  on  Tuesday  night  when  you 
went  out  ? 

A.  Not  on  Tuesday  night. 

Q.  What  was  the  mob  doing  at  that  time  on  Tuesday  night  ? 

A.  The  mob  was  cleared  away  then,  on  Tuesday,  partly. 

Q.  Pai'tly,  you  say  ? 

A.  From  Thirty-third  street.  It  was  as  far  as  we  could  get.  I  went  to 
work  on  Tuesday  after  the  Sunday  of  the  fire. 

Q.  You  run  your  trains  regularly  up  to  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  Yes ;  we  came  in  at  eight-fifteen. 

Q.  Were  you  there  when  any  of  the  demonstrations  were  made  by  the 
crowd  in  firing  or  throwing  stones  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  You  were  not  about  Twenty-eighth  street  then  ? 

A.  No. 


112  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  Did  you  see  any  interference  ? 

A.  I  saw  the  interfering  on  Thursday  with  the  Union  Line  that  they 
were  trying  to  take  out. 
Q.  Stopping  of  the  train  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  there  any  violence  or  assaulting  of  the  engineer,  or  any  train  men 
of  that  train  ? 

A.  No  ;  the  crowd  just  got  in  front  of  the  engines,  and  sprung  on  them. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 
Q.  Who  were  those  men  ? 
A.  They  were  other  men  than  railroad  men. 

B}'  Mr.  Lindsey  : 
Q.  Did  you  know  any  of  those  men  who  got  on  your  train  ? 
A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 
Q.  Couldn't  you  guess  from  their  appearance  what  their  trades  or  occu- 
pations were  ? 
A.  No. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 
Q.  Did  they  get  on  and  off  the  engine  as  if  they  were  men  used  to  being 
around  the  cars  ? 

A.  No ;  some  of  them  would  get  off  and  fall,  and  some  of  them  would 
get  off  pretty  good. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 
Q.  Were  they  sober  or  not  ? 
A.  I  could  not  tell  that. 

W.  A.  Kirk,  sworn  with  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  At  Wilkensburg. 

Q.  What  is  your  connection  with  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  '( 

A.  I  am  a  conductor  on  the  Wilkensburg  accommodation. 

Q.  Were  you  a  conductor  in  July  last  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  far  is  Wilkensbui-g  from  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Seven  miles. 

Q.  How  many  trips  do  you  make  between  these  points  a  day  ? 

A.  Five  round  trips. 

Q.  What  is  your  time  for  leaving  ? 

A.  The  first  trip  in  the  morning  we  leave  Wilkensburg  at  six-fifty-four, 
and  get  there  at  night  at  ten-fifteen. 

Q.  What  time  do  you  get  to  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Seven-thirty  first,  and  leave  at  nine-forty,  going  out  on  the  last  trip. 

Q.  On  the  morning  of  July  19th,  were  you  disturbed  in  coming  in  or 
going  out  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  When  did  you  first  learn  of  any  difficulty  or  any  strike  ? 

A.  When  I  came  as  far  as  Twenty-eighth  street  with  the  twelve-five 
train — coming  in  on  that  trip — with  the  train  due  at  the  depot  at  that  time. 
I  then  heard  of  it.  I  had  heard  remarks  of  a  strike,  but  heard  nothing 
definite  until  I  came  in  on  that  trip. 

Q.  What  occurred  on  Friday? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187?.  113 

A.  I  saw  men  standing  around  there  on  Friday,  I  did  not  see  anything 
at  all,  except  seeing  men  standing  around. 

Q.  Were  you  molested  in  any  way  ? 

A.  Not  on  Friday.  I  did  not  see  anything  unusual  on  Frida}r.  No ;  I 
was  not  molested  on  Thursday  in  any  shape,  but  on  Friday  they  were 
around  by  hundreds.  Parties  that  1  did  not  know  where  they  came  from, 
and  we  could  not  do  anything  with  them.  They  would  get  on  the  trains, 
and  we  could  not  do  anything  with  them.  They  did  pretty  much  as  they 
pleased,  and  I  saw  that  we  had  better  keep  quiet.  They  were  riding  be- 
tween Twenty-eighth  street  and  Lawrenceville  and  Torren's  station,  during 
Friday.  They  were  just  riding  when  it  suited  them. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  did  they  seem  to  be  ? 

A.  They  seemed  to  be  mill  men,  as  much  as  anjr  thing  else,  from  their 
appearance.  They  seemed  to  work  somewhere  where  the  sun  did  not  strike 
them. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  They  refused  to  pay  fare  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  paid  nothing.  On  Saturday  morning,  coming  in  on  the 
first  trip,  I  did  not  see  any  of  them.  I  had  the  usual  run  of  passengers  in 
that  morning.  Going  out  at  nine-forty,  I  got  a  crowd  on  that  covered  the 
engine,  and  tank,  and  train,  and  every  place.  After  I  left  Twenty-eighth 
street,  I  made  up  my  mind  between  there  and  Lawrenceville  that  I  would 
not  go  any  further  until  I  had  got  those  parties  off.  I  got  to  Lawrence- 
ville, and  went  to  the  engine,  and  got  a  big  coal  pick,  and  then  went  to 
them,  and  said  the  first  man  that  refuses  to  get  off  here,  I  am  going:  to 
stick  the  coal  pick  in  him.  I  found  that  the}' all  got  off,  and  seeing  that  I 
had  it  my  own  way  with  those  on  the  engine,  I  thought  I  would  try  it  with 
the  others  on  the  train.  I  did  try  it  on  them,  and  so  pulled  on  to  Millvale, 
when  I  did  not  have  anybody  on  that  did  not  pay  any  fare,  and  I  kept  that 
up  all  day  Saturday,  except  one  trip.  On  the  half-past  three  trip,  they 
were  a  little  too  thick.  I  threw  them  off,  and  knocked  them  off  the  train, 
and  drove  them  off  the  engine  with  the  pick.  At  Liberty,  coming  in  on 
the  twelve  o'clock  trip  that  day,  I  was  about  five  minutes  putting  them  off 
there.  A  crowd  of  them  got  on  at  Torrens.  I  got  them  all  off",  that  did 
not  pay  any  fare.  My  crew  stood  by  me  very  well.  During  the  whole 
trouble,  if  I  had  had  a  few  more  men  on  the  train — I  only  had  two  of  a 
crew — I  could  have  cleaned  them  out  all  the  time.  I  was  not  molested  or 
troubled  at  all  by  the  railroad  men — that  is  on  the  train,  in  that  wa}^.  [ 
was  told  at  Liberty,  on  Saturday  night,  that  I  could  not  run  the  train  out 
the  city  there  by  one  railroad  man  and  one  other. 

Q.  Who  was  the  railroad  man  ? 

A.  His  name  was  Hice,  and  the  name  of  the  other  was  Smith. 

Q.  Smith  was  not  a  railroad  man  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  his  occupation  is  ? 

A.  A  one-horse  stock  dealer.  He  went  around  the  country  buying  up 
calves.  I  do  not  know  what  he  is  doing  now.  He  is  under  indictment  at 
present. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  Hice  in  the  employ  of  the  company  at  that  time  ? 

A.  He  was  when  the  riot  commenced.     He  has  not  been  since. 

Q.  You  say  you  ran  j^our  train  without  carrying  passengers  that  refused 
to  pay  fare  except  once.     What  day  was  that  ? 

A.  It  was  Friday  that  I  could  not  do  anything  with  them. 
8  Riots. 


114  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Did  you  attempt  on  that  day  to  eject  those  men  ? 

A.  I  did,  but  I  concluded  it  was  not  going  to  be  very  health}',  and  I  gave 
it  up.  They  would  not  get  off,  and  made  all  sorts  of  threats.  I  did  not 
know  any  of  them  that  made  the  threats.  They  threatened  that  if  there 
was  any  putting  off,  the}T  would  be  the  parties  to  do  it,  and  I  would  be  the 
one  to  go  off. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Can  you  tell  us  any  of  the  occurrences  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  I  cannot,  for  I  was  just  simpby  running  on  the  train.  I  did  not  stop. 
The  firing  that  took  place  at  Twenty-eighth  street  occurred  while  I  was 
out  on  a  trip.  They  held  me  at  Lawrenceville  until  it  was  all  over  and 
quiet,  so  that  the  track  was  clear  when  I  came  down.  When  I  came  in, 
there  were  not  many  there,  but  there  was  a  big  crowd  there  when  I  went 
out.  I  ran  my  train  every  trip  except  the  last  one,  Saturday  night.  I 
went  for  information  to  the  telegraph  office,  but  could  not  get  any,  and  I 
kept  the  train  out  there  and  did  not  make  the  last  trip. 

Q.  During  all  the  excitement  you  were  free  to  run  in  and  out  ? 

A.  Except  a  little  detention  waiting  for  the  crowds  to  open.  They 
would  always  get  out  of  the  road.  Nothing  was  said  to  me  by  any  person 
— -by  any  employe,  except  this  man  Hice.  He  asked  me  once  if  I  did  not 
think  I  had  better  stop,  and  I  told  him  I  did  not  think  I  had,  that  I  would 
go  on  as  long  as  there  was  a  track  to  run  on,  and  make  the  trips,  if  I  could. 

Q.  Did  yoa  have  any  conversation  with  any  of  these  men  except  Hice, 
or  did  you  hear  any  of  the  strikers  talking  ? 

A.  Two  or  three  railroad  men — I  do  not  know  their  names — went  out 
on  my  train  at  three  o'clock  on  Thursda}'  afternoon  ;  they  were  going  out 
home.  I  asked  them  what  the  trouble  was,  but  I  got  but  little  satisfaction 
out  of  them,  no  more  than  they  were  swearing  at  the  double-headers  ;  that 
was  all  I  could  hear. 

Q.  They  were  not  taking  part  in  the  riot  ? 

A.  No  ;  they  said  they  were  not  going  out,  but  they  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  trouble.  I  think  they  went  home,  for  I  would  see  them  still  out 
down  there  when  I  went  out.     They  were  not  in  the  crowds  at  all. 

Frederick  Fleck,  sxoorn  ivith  uplifted  hand: 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside? 

A.  At  Spring  Hill,  on  the  line  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  am  a  locomotive  engineer. 

Q.  Were  you  so  engaged  during  the  riots  in  July  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  Can  you  give  the  committee  any  information  upon  the  occurrences 
that  came  under  your  observation  ? 

A.  On  the  morning  of  Thursday,  the  19th,  I  started  out  on  my  usual 
time,  at  seven-twenty,  with  a  coal  train.  I  ran  what  is  called  the  Pittsburgh 
coal  train — making  two  round  trips  from  Pittsburgh  to  Brinton's  about 
eleven  miles  out.  We  left  in  the  morning  without  any  indication  or  sign 
of  trouble  on  the  road.  Everything  appeared  to  be  going  on  as  usual. 
There  was  no  intimation  of  any  trouble.  Coming  in  on  the  road,  about 
East  Liberty  or  Torrens,  we  usually  met  the  trains  going  out — the  eight- 
forty's.  We  did  not  meet  them.  We  should  have  passed  them  between 
those  points.  We  did  not  know  what  was  the  matter,  but  thought  there 
was  some  delay  or  no  freight ;  but  when  we  came  to  Torrens,  some  of  the 
men  about  the  stock-yards,  by  signs  in  this  manner,  [indicating,]  showed 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1677.  115 

there  was  a  strike,  as  we  understood  ;  but  we  knew  nothing  definite  until 
we  got  to  Lawrenceville,  and  there  ascertained  there  was  a  strike.  We 
usually  cut  the  engine  loose  on  running  by  the  upper  round-house.  There 
was  a  conductor  came  on  the  engine,  and  asked  me  if  I  was  going  out.  I 
told  him  I  certainly  was,  that  I  had  no  reason  why  I  should  not  go  out. 
He  said  the  bo}rs  were  on  a  strike,  and  they  did  not  propose  to  let  anybody 
go  out. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Who  was  that  conductor  ? 

A.  His  name  was  Leech  Reynolds. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Was  he  an  employe  of  the  railroad  company  ? 

A.  He  was  a  conductor  at  that  time. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  he  resides  ? 

A.  I  think  he  then  resided  in  the  Twelfth  ward.  I  did  not  pay  any  at- 
tention to  him,  whatever,  and  the  train  was  dropped  past,  and  I  pushed  on 
to  the  west  end  of  the  yard,  as  usual.  1  believe  there  were  no  objections 
to  putting  trains  away  that  came  in. 

Q.  Is  Reynolds  living  in  Pittsburgh  now  ? 

A.  I  think  he  is,  although  he  is  not  employed  at  present.  I  paid  no  at- 
tention to  the  threats.  I  asked  what  would'  be  the  consequence  if  I  did  go 
out,  and  he  said  that  I  would  get  my  neck  broke.  I  smiled.  I  told  him  I 
did  not  know — that  it  was  pi'etty  hard  to  break"  as  it  was  short  and  thick 
I  went  on  to  Lawrenceville  with  the  engine  and  crew.  We  carry  four  men 
on  that  train.  It  is  a  train  that  does  a  great  deal  of  work,  and  we  re- 
quire two  flagmen.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  work  to  be  done  on  that 
train,  as  it  is  a  double  train,  and  we  take  local  traffic.  At  Lawrence- 
ville I  started  to  go  down  the  track,  when  the  conductor  and  crew  left  the 
engine.  I  said,  bo}rs  are  you  not  going  out?  They  concluded  not  to  go 
out,  that  they  did  not  want  to  be  black  sheep.  I  told  them  that  I  did  not 
know  that  the  double-header  business  interfered  with  us,  and  it  was  only  a 
question  of  double-headers,  so  far  as  I  knew.  Nevertheless,  they  concluded 
not  to  go  out.  I  then  took  the  engine  down,  and  reported  that  there  was 
no  crew  to  go  out.  This  was  about  eleven  o'clock  on  Thursday  morning. 
In  the  meantime,  there  was  some  scuffling  about  there.  I  saw  men  rush 
back  and  forward,  and  there  wei'e  some  policemen  there.  I  did  not  know 
what  the  trouble  was,  and  went  down  to  make  some  inquiries  from  Mr.  Fox. 
I  asked  what  the  matter  was,  and  was  told  that  they  were  trying  to  arrest 
a  man  that  had  struck  Mr.  Watt.  They  had  got  hold  of  him,  but  he  was 
limber  as  an  eel.  The  engine  was  taken  into  the  round-house.  About  two 
or  three  o'clock  that  afternoon,  an  attempt  was  made  to  take  the  double 
train  out— what  is  called  the  Union  Line.  Conductor  France  was  to  take 
it  out.  He  asked  me  what  to  do  about  the  matter.  I  said  he  ought  to 
judge  for  himself — you  know  3rour  business — but,  if  I  were  you,  I  would 
attempt  to  take  the  train  out,  and  if  they  won't  let  }tou,  then  you  have  done 
3rour  d  uty.  He  is  a  rather  bold,  brave  fellow,  and  sometimes  would  go  further 
than  other  men  would.  He  said,  I  have  got  shooting-irons,  and  if  they  stop 
me  I  may  hurt  somebody.  They  coupled  up  the  train,  but  they  were  stopped 
at  the  lower  round-house.  There  were  some  parkying  there,  and  some  dif- 
ficulty. A  crowd  was  there,  of  twenty  or  thirty  or  forty,  stretched  along 
from  Twenty-sixth  to  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Who  were  this  crowd  ? 

A.  They  were  railroad  men — I  can  hardty  tell  who  they  were — princi- 
pally railroad  men  at  that  time.  The  order  was  given  to  start  the  train.  I 
think  Mr.  Watt  was  there,  and  the  engineers  made  an  effort  to  start,  but 


116  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

the  crowd  got  in  front  and  commenced  swinging  their  hands,  and  I  saw 
one  man  flourishing  a  revolver.  I  think  his  name  was  Harris.  They 
stopped  them,  and  the  engineers  got  off,  and  the  firemen,  and  the  train  did 
not  move.  That  was  on  Thursday,  about  three  o'clock.  On  Thursday 
evening  the  engineers  called  a  meeting  over  Clark's  hotel,  and  I  went  to 
see  what  action  would  be  taken  in  regard  to  the  strike.  Up  to  that  time  I 
understood  the  engineers  had  not  taken  any  part — that  they  were  a  kind 
of  silent  party,  looking  on.  They  met  and  discussed  the  matter  pro  and 
con  for  some  time.  The  older  men  advised  not  to  have  anything  to  do 
with  the  matter,  that  it  was  a  conductors'  and  brakemen's  fight,  and  that 
they  should  be  left  to  fight  it  out  themselves ;  but  some  time  previous 
to  this,  there  had  been  a  reduction  of  ten  per  cent.,  and  the  engineers 
had  sent  a  committee  to  Philadelphia  to  the  general  office,  to  see  what 
could  be  done  about  it.  The  committee  returned,  and  they  had  accepted 
the  reduction  in  good  faith.  I  told  the  meeting  that  the  men  had  con- 
sented to  take  the  reduction,  and  that  so  far  as  the  double-headers  were 
concerned,  they  had  run  them  before,  and  that  there  was  no  objection — 
that  it  did  not  require  any  less  engineers  or  firemen  to  run  the  double- 
headers,  and  that  it  did  not  effect  us  in  that  respect,  but  before  the  meet- 
ing broke  up  some  men  came  in  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  and  got  a  lit- 
tle noisj-,  and  the  thing  dropped  until  Friday  morning.  On  Friday  morn- 
ing they  had  another  meeting,  and  I  also  went  to  that.  The  older  engi- 
neers thought  that  we  couM  keep  the  men  out  of  it — the  engineers  and  fire- 
men— but  it  appeared  to  be  determined  on  the  part  of  the  majority  of  the 
freight  engineers  and  firemen  to  go  into  the  matter,  and  the  meeting  was 
postponed  until  three  o'clock.  They  did  not  come  to  any  conclusion.  The 
majority  of  the  men  there  that  morning  were  opposed  to  the  strike.  They 
concluded  to  have  another  meeting  in  the  afternoon  ;  and  I  saw,  with  a  few 
others,  that  a  resolution  would  be  adopted  that  they  would  go  for  the 
strike,  so  I  did  not  go,  and  I  advised  some  of  the  younger  men  that. I  knew, 
not  to  go  near  the  meeting.  This  was  at  Engineers'  hall.  About  one  o'clock 
they  had  organized  the  meeting,  but  I  was  not  down  there.  They  sent  a 
sub-committee  to  come  up  and  take  me  down  by  force  to  the  meeting.  I 
refused  to  go.  Then  they  organized  and  concluded  to  go  into  the  Train- 
men's Union,  and  they  went  into  it,  and  went  into  the  strike — that  is  the 
majority  of  our  freight  men — engineers.  Up  to  that  time  I  did  not  know 
of  any  organized  committee  or  anything  else  waiting  on  the  officers,  and  1 
told  our  men  in  the  morning  you  cannot  consistently  demand  anything 
until  you  see  the  officers  and  have  a  refusal.  I  told  them  }?ou  have  not 
made  any  request,  and  you  are  going  into  this  thing  without  making  any 
request,  and  that  you  have  violated  the  law  at  the  start,  and  you  cannot 
expect  to  be  successful;  but  they  said  that  the  iron  was  hot,  and  that  they 
were  going  to  strike.  So  after  that  time  until  the  trouble  was  over,  I  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  men.  I  staid  there  until  Saturday  evening,  ready  to 
go  out.  In  fact  on  Saturday  my  engine  was  fired  up  and  ready  to  go  out. 
I  never  refused  to  go  out  because  1  had  never  quit  the  service  of  the  com- 
pany. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  kind  of  a  meeting  was  this? 

A.  It  wras  meeting  of  engineers  and  firemen. 

Q.  A  secret  organization? 

A.  Xo;  it  was  an  open  meeting. 

Q.  Participated  in  by  men  belonging  i>>  thi  tiization  and  others? 

A.   By  tlif  brakemen,  conductors,  engineers,  and  firemen,  and  all  those 
that  wished  to  be  there.     On  Saturday  evening  the  troops  came  up,  and  I 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  117 

was  back  and  forward  to  the  shops.  I  was  up  on  Twenty-eighth  street, 
but  I  saw  no  violent  demonstrations,  although  there  was  a  big  crowd  there. 
I  suppose,  though,  if  there  had  been  any  effort  on  Friday  or  Saturday, 
to  send  trains  out,  there  would  have  been  violence.  Plenty  of  revolvers 
and  fire-arms  were  displayed  there,  by  plenty  of  men  outside  of  railroad 
men. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Was  it  railroad  men  who  flourished  and  displayed  the  revolvers  and 
fire-arms  ? 

A.  1  think  the  majority  were  outsiders. 

Q.  Were  they  citizens  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  or  strangers  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.  I  suppose  they  were  citizens  from  the  East  End — 
from  the  east  of  the  city.  There  were  thieves,  and  robbers,  and  rogues, 
and  tramps  there  from  the  whole  country. 

Q.  Were  they  citizens  of  Pittsburgh,  or  were  they  strangers  ? 

A.  I  think  the  majority  of  them  were  outside  of  the  railroad  emplo}Tes. 
Whether  they  were  glass-blowers,  or  puddlers,  or  citizens  of  any  other  oc- 
cupation, I  could  not  tell.    The  Pittsburgh  troops  were  on  good  terms  with 
the  mob.     Some  were  giving  them  muskets,  and  marching  up  and  down 
with  the  mob,  and  eating  hard-tack  with  them,  and  there  was  a  good  feel- 
ing, generally,  between  them.     The  report  came  that  the  troops  were  com- 
ing from  Philadelphia,  and  that  there  would  quite  likely  be  trouble  with 
them,  because  they  were  strangers  here,  and  would  not  know  the  position 
of  things  here,  but  would  obey  orders.     From  that,  I  inferred  that  the 
Pittsburgh  soldiers  had  not  exactly  obeyed  orders.     I  only  inferred  that. 
This  was  the  kind  of  tone  or  feeling  around  there.     When  the  Philadel- 
phia troops  came  marching  up  through  the  yard,  my  engine  was  out.     I 
think  that  General  Pearson  was  there  at  the  same  time  that  the  Philadel- 
phia troops  came  up  from  Twenty-eighth  street.     I  think  that  General 
Pearson  was,  and  I  am  positive  about  Mr.  Cassatt.     He  said  to  me:  Fred., 
are  you  willing  to  go  out  ?     I  said  :  Certainly.     I  have  never  refused  to 
go  out.     Certainly,  on  condition  that  the  mob  is  dispersed.     I  would  not 
like  to  run  through  it.     I  don't  want  to  hurt  anybody.     He  said  :    We 
don't  want  to  send  anybody  out,  until  the  mob  is  dispersed.     I  thought 
that  if  there  was  any  determination  displayed  on  the  part  of  the  troops, 
jthe  mob  would  go  away.    Shortly  after  that,  I  was  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
sower  round-house,  half  way  between  Twenty-sixth  and  Twenty-eighth 
treets.     After  the  troops  got  up  there,  somebody  made  a  speech — some 
one  of  the  officers,  or  somebody — made  a  little  speech,  warning  the  people 
to  go  away,  and  disperse.     I  couldn't  hear  exactly  what  was  said.     Then 
I  saw  some  of  the  soldiers  come  down  shortly  after  that,  and  one  of  them, 
particularly,  had  the  whole  side  of  his  face  knocked  off  by  a  brick.     They 
were  the  Philadelphia  troops.     Some  of  the  others  came  down  sick.     I 
don't  know  whether  they  were  sunstruck,  or  what  kind  of  struck,  but  they 
were  weak  about  the  knees,  some  of  them.     Then,  by  and  by,  I  heard  a 
little  bit  of  musketry  rattling,  and  then  heard  them  shoot  in  every  direc- 
tion, and  saw  the  crowd  dispersing  in  every  direction — some  running  up 
the  hill,  and  some  up  the  railroad,  and  some  down  Twenty-eighth  street. 
In  a  short  time,  nobody  was  there.     The  troops  came  down  to  the  round- 
house, and  were  quartered  there,  with  the  Gatling  gun  put  in  position,  off 
Twenty-eighth  street.     I  heard  one  of  the  officers  of  the  troops  saying, 
that  they  could  not  stand  it  much  longer — that  they  were  yelled  at  and 
struck — that  they  had  not  come  to  Pittsburgh  to  hurt  anybody,  but  that 
they  couldn't  stand  it  much  longer.     But  General  Brinton  told  them,  in 
my  hearing,  that  they  shouldn't  shoot  at  all.     They  had  barricaded  Twen- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  119 

the  engine  and  left  her  standing  there  by  the  orders  of  the  depot-master, 
and  went  home  by  the  way  of  the  Fifth  avenue  street  cars.     While  waiting 
for  dinner,  my  brother-in-law  heard  a  train,  and  I  went  out  on  the  road, 
and  I  saw  a  train  coming  backward.      I  gave  a  slight  signal  and  the  engi- 
neer stopped.     It  was  not  very  hard  to  stop  a  train  then.     The  conductor 
inquired  what  I  wanted  ;  he  said  that  he  was  going  out  as  far  as  Walls.     1 
said  I  would  like  to  go.     It  seemed  that  some  of  the  troops  were  coming 
in  and  came  as  far  as  Torrens,  and  were  ordered  back.     I  went  to  bed  early 
in  the  afternoon  after  getting  there.     I  came  in  on  Monday,  and  was  at 
our  head-quarters  at  East  Libert}'.     I  thought  our  foreman  was  there.     I 
reported  for  duty.     About  noon  he  asked  me  to  run  the  Walls  accommoda- 
tion train.     I  said,  certainly,  I  will  run  the  train.     I  run  it — no,  I  did  not 
go  out  that  trip,  for  the  man  who  had  the  engine  refused  to  get  off,  although 
he  had  asked  in  the  first  place  to  get  off.     When  I  came  he  refused  to  give 
it  up.     He  pulled  out  a  pistol  and  displayed  it,  and  refused  to  give  the 
engine  up,  }ret  he  had  asked  in  the  first  place  to  be  relieved.     So  I  told 
Mr.  Whetman,  our  foreman  of  the  round-house.     Well,  says  he,  let  him 
run  it,  but  he  told  me  sometime  ago,  that  he  was  tired  and  wanted  to  be 
relieved.     I  remained  there  until  afternoon,  when  I  got  orders  to  take  the 
engine.     I  went  down  again,  and  said,  I  have  orders  to  take  this  engine. 
So  I  took  her  and  run  her  sometime — I  run  her  that  night  from  Thirty- 
third  street  to  Walls  and  back  on  regular  trips.     But  I  didn't  make  the 
last  trip.     In  the  moiming  I  came  in  at  the  usual  time.     When  I  came  in, 
it  appears  that  a  committee  had  waited  on  Mr.  Whetman,  and  told  him  to 
take  me  off  that  engine.     I  believe  the  man  Reynolds  told  him  that  they 
would  not  allow  me  to  run  the  engine.     Then  Mr.  Henry  took  the  engine 
and  run  one  round  trip,  when  Mr.  Plender  took  her.     But  before  this,  I 
was  to  go  to  Lawrenceville  to  take  a  train  down  to  find  a  committee  of 
men  to  have  a  conference  about  the  thing.     Mr.  Garrett  got  on  the  engine. 
I  asked  where  I  was  to  go  at  East  Liberty.    John  Shires  and  McCullough, 
who  were  on,  were  both  of  this  committee,  and  Mr.  Garrett  told  me  that 
these  parties  wanted  to  go  down  for  this  conference.     Shires  spoke  up  and 
said,  we  will  give  you  orders  where  we  want  you  to  go — we  are  running 
this  road  now.     In  fact  I  did  not  know  who  was  running  it.     I  had  noth- 
ing  to  say.     Five  or  six  more  parties  got  on,  and  we  came  to  Pittsburgh. 
Shires  gave  me  orders  to  go  on  down.    Things  went  on  so  all  that  week.    No 
train  went  out  until  the  following  Sundaj^,  when  I  was  ordered  to  take  the 
yard  engine  at  Torrens,  and  load  some  stock. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Who  was  Shires  ? 

A.  He  was  a  conductor  on  a  shifting  engine  at  that  time.  On  Sunday 
we  loaded  some  stock  at  Torrens.  I  took  tbe  engine  that  usually  did  that 
work.  Nobody  was  on  her.  I  examined  the  fire  and  water,  and  found  all 
right,  and  went  to  move  the  engine,  when  the  engineer  that  had  been  on 
her  came  up  and  asked  me  what  I  was  going  to  do.  I  said  I  had  orders 
to  run  this  engine.  He  said,  I  am  running  this  engine.  I  said  all  right, 
and  got  off,  and  reported  to  Mr.  Whetman.  He  said  that  the  man  had  re- 
fused to  move  the  stock  ;  but  said  he  would  move  passenger  cars.  He  was 
not  willing  to  move  stock.  He  went  down  to  the  man  and  talked  to  him  ; 
but  it  appeared  it  had  no  effect.  He  would  not  do  it.  He  came  back  and 
said,  I  want  you  to  take  that  engine.  I  went  down  and  tried  to  persuade 
the  man.  He  was  a  man  of  family,  and  I  thought  he  had  better  sense.  I 
said  to  him  this  thing  is  all  broken  up,  and  it  was  a  mistake  from  the  start. 
This  stock  ought  to  be  loaded,  and  I  said  you  are  taking  revenge  out  of 
innocent  parties.     I  said  I  don't  know  who  will  provide  for  your  family 


120  Report  op  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

if  you  are  out  of  work,  and  I  am  confident  if  you  won't  work  now  they 
won't  give  you  work  when  you  want  it.  He  said  they  would  have  to  take 
him.  He  would  not  take  the  stock,  so  I  took  the  engine  and  loaded  the 
stock. 

Q.  Did  they  resist  ? 

A.  No ;  I  had  no  crew  then  ;  so  Mr.  Scott,  the  agent  at  the  stock-3rar'ds, 
and  Mr.  Gummey,  volunteered  to  couple  the  cars  and  do  the  work.  So  he, 
and  I,  and  Mr.  Scott  did  the  work.  We  loaded  three  or  four  double  trains 
that  afternoon. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  were  engaged  in  the  riot  when  it  first  broke  out  ? 

A.  Well,  so  far  as  I  know,  I  think  it  was  caused  by  one  man  only  refus- 
ing to  go  out — the  flagman  of  that  train. 

Q.  Of  what  train  ? 

A.  Of  the  eight-fort}7. 

Q.  On  Thursday  morning  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  I  think  the  restjTell  in  kind  of  spontaneously  as  they  came 
in  off  the  road. 

Q.  Have  you  been  able  to  gather  anything  from  the  men,  showing  that 
they  had  a  pre-arranged  plan  for  a  strike  that  morning  ? 

A.  Not  that  particular  strike.  I  understood  a  month  or  so  before,  that 
the  Trainmen's  Union  had  organized  a  strike  for  a  certain  time,  but  I 
don't  remember  the  day  or  date.  I  know  there  was  such  talk  among  the 
men,  that  there  would  be  a  strike  that  clay  among  the  brakemen  and  con- 
ductors. There  was  nothing  of  the  kind  among  the  engineers,  that  I  know 
of,  because  had  the  engineers  held  meetings  at  other  places,  I  would  have 
heard  them  speak  of  it.  Previous  to  that  time  there  was  nothing  among 
the  engineers  and  firemen ;  but,  the  day  passed  over,  and  there  was  no 
strike;  and,  of  this  strike  on  Thursday,  the  19th,  I  heard  nothing  of  it — 
I  knew  nothing  of  it,  and  our  crew  knew  nothing  of  it — at  least  they  said 
nothing  to  me,  and  it  appeared  to  be  a  surprise  to  them  when  we  came  in. 
Railroad  men  sometimes  are  very  communicative ;  they  generally  let  one 
know,  directly  or  indirectly,  what  is  in  the  wind.  They  generally  know  one 
among  the  other. 

Q.  Had  they  any  secret  organization  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  what  this  Trainmen's  Union  is.  It  was  a  new  thing  to 
me.  I  heard  of  it,  that  is  all.  I  believe  that  such  an  organization  existed, 
and  had  for  some  time. 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  objects  of  the  organization? 

A.  I  don't  really  know — I  never  heard  particularly — only  from  the  talk 
of  the  men    It  was  kind  of  protective  or  like  all  labor  organizations — some- 
thing of  that  kind — to  unite  the  men  together,  and  get  them  to  act  in  unity. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Was  it  of  a  beneficial  character  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  It  was  not  like  the  engineers'  organization. 

A.  No. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  It  had  no  connection  with  it  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  I  suppose  it  is  secret  ? 

A.  I  think  it  is. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

<v).  At  the  meeting  you  spoke  of,  did  the  engineers  and  firemen  agree  to 
go  into  that  union  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  121 

A.  I  understood  so,  but  I  don't  know  it. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  the  Engineers'  Brotherhood  assisted  or  en- 
couraged this  strike  of  the  Trainmen's  Union  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  that  they  did.  If  they  did,  they  violated  their  obliga- 
tions.    They  might  have  been  in  sj^mpathy. 

Q.  They  took  no  formal  action  in  the  matter  ? 

A.  No ;  not  up  to  that  time. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  have  stated  that  the  strike  was  commenced  by  one  man  refusing 
to  go  out  ? 

A.  As  far  as  I  understand. 

Q.  At  what  time  was  the  first  effort  made  to  prevent  men  from  going 
out  who  were  willing  to  go  ? 

A.  As  far  as  I  know — I  was  out  on  the  road  at  that  time  that  this  re- 
fusal was  made — that  occurred  sometime  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. I  left  Pittsburgh  at  seven-twenty,  and  didn't  get  back  until  eleven 
o'clock.  What  transpired  in  the  meantime,  I  cannot  tell  you.  I  know 
nothing  about  it,  only  from  hearsay. 

Q.  Do  you  know,  of  yonr  own  knowledge,  whether  it  was  discharged  men 
or  men  in  the  employ  of  the  company  who  would  prevent  others  from 
going  out,  either  by  persuasion  or  by  force  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  that.     I  know  that  sometime  in  the  afternoon,  when 
that  attempt  was  made  at  three  o'clock,  or  thereabouts,  there  were  em- 
ployes and  non-employes  among  the  party. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  And  some  of  them  had  been  in  the  service  of  the  company  and  dis- 
charged ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  some  that  had  never  been  in  the  service. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  3'ou  hear  any  talk  about  men  coming  from  a  distance  ? 

A.  It  was  generally  supposed — at  the  time  of  the  fire  and  riot,  I  was  at 
Union  Depot,  and  I  saw  them  carrying  off  goods — hauling  them  off  by 
wagon  loads  and  wheelbarrow  loads — men,  women,  and  children — it  was 
generally  supposed  that  all  the  theives  that  could  get  here  in  two  days, 
from  all  the  country  around,  had  got  here ;  and  I  suppose,  everybody 
thought  that  the  property  had  better  be  carried  off  than  be  burned. 

Q.  Can  you  give  the  name  of  the  flagman  who  first  refused  to  go  out  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  the  strike  was  confined  to  freight  men  entirely? 

A.  I  think  so  ;  although  some  of  the  passenger  men  may  have  been  in 
sympathy  with  them. 

William  Ryan,  recalled  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Please  state  whether  it  was  discharged  men,  or  whether  it  was  men 
who  were  then  in  the  employ  of  the  railroad  company  who  first  prevented 
the  trains  from  going  out,  either  by  pursuasion  or  by  interference  ? 

A.  As  far  as  I  could  see  it  was  men  still  in  the  employ  of  the  company. 
On  the  morning  that  this  occurred  they  conversed  about  it.  I  suppose  in 
that  way  they  pursuacled  them  not  to  go  out. 

Q.  Was  it  known  then  what  men  would  be  discharged  under  this  order? 

A.  No,  sir ;  it  was  a  mystery  to  all. 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  the  name  of  the  flagman  who  refused  to  go  out  first? 

A.  Harris,  his  name  was.  I  gave  his  name  in  as  Gus.  Whether  it  was 
proper  or  not,  I  don't  know. 


122  Report  of  Coaoiittee.  [No.  29, 

John  Alexander,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  am  an  engineer. 

Q.  In  whose  employ  were  you  in  July  last  ? 

A.  In  the  employ  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company. 

Q.  As  a  freight  engineer? 

A.  As  a  passenger  engineer. 

Q.  On  what  train  ? 

A.  On  the  Walls  accommodation. 

Q.  At  what  hours  did  you  leave  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  In  the  morning,  on  the  first  trip,  at  six-twent}',  and  on  the  last  trip 
leaving  Pittsburgh,  at  five-twenty. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  arrive  at  Pittsburgh  in  the  morning  ? 

A.  Eight-twenty-five. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  interfered  with  on  the  morning  of  July  19  ? 

A.  I  was  not. 

Q.  When  did  you  first  learn  there  was  any  disturbance  among  the  men  ? 

A.  About  four  o'clock  that  afternoon. 

Q.  How  did  you  learn  it  ? 

A.  I  was  coming  down  to  go  out  on  the  five-twenty  trip,  and  when  I 
came  to  the  round-house,  above  Twenty-eighth  street,  I  saw  a  crowd  of 
boys  there.  I  asked  wrhat  was  going  on — I  asked  somebody  that  I  was 
acquainted  with,  and  was  told  that  the  freight  men  were  on  a  strike.  That 
was,  as  near  as  I  can  tell,  about  four  o'clock. 

Q.  Who  told  you  that  ? 

A.  Robert  Hardy. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  he  was  among  the  strikers  ? 

A.  I  don't  know. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  assembled  there  ? 

A.  I  suppose  about  fifty  persons.  I  thought  that  somebody  was  hurt 
by  the  Johnstown  accommodation.  It  was  just  such  a  crowd  as  gathers 
when  an  accident  takes  place. 

Q.  Were  they  boisterous  and  noisy  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  didn't  go  into  the  crowd. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  any  of  the  men  ? 

A.  Nothing  further  than  ascertaining  what  was  going  on.  I  went  down 
to  the  lower  round-house  after  my  engine. 

Q.  Did  you  go  out  that  night  ? 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  Were  you  interfered  with  ? 

A.  Not  in  the  least — further  than  having  to  run  carefully  through  the 
crowd. 

Q.  Were  you  present  during  the  riotous  conduct,  on  any  of  those  days 
from  Thursday  morning  ? 

A.  I  made  my  usual  trips  on  Thursday  and  on  Friday  without  any  trouble, 
any  more  than  this  crowd  getting  on  and  off  the  engine  between  Torrens 
and  Pittsburgh. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  kind  of  men  were  those  ? 

A.  The  majority  of  them  were  not  railroad  men.  They  didn't  appear 
to  be  accustomed  to  riding  trains. 

Q.  Did  they  talk  ? 

A.  Only  among  themselves. 

Q.  What  seemed  to  be  their  object? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  123 

A.  They  had  no  object,  that  I  could  see. 

Q.  Merely  curiosity  ? 

A.  More  curiosity  than  anj^thing  else. 

Q.  Have  you  an}7  knowledge  of  new  facts  not  related  by  the  other  engi- 
neers- or  conductors  here  who  have  testified  ? 

A.  Nothing.     They  have  filled  up  all  I  can  say. 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  any  new  light,  as  to  the  organization  of  the  men  or 
their  plans  of  action,  or  the  names  of  the  prominent  strikers  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  the  names  of  many  of  them. 

Q.  What  do  you  know  about  the  causes  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  Nothing,  only  the  double-headers. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  permitted  to  run  the  passenger  trains  without  interference  ? 

A.  Until  Saturday  night. 

Q.  How  about  the  freight  trains.     Were  they  permited  to  run  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  They  were  stopped  ? 

A.  Except  when  I  passed  through  with  the  train.     I  was  not  there.     I 
didn't  see  the  freight  trains  from  that  Thursday  until  the  Sunday  after 
running.     I  was  aware  of  the  fact  that  there  was  a  suspension  of  business. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee: 

Q.  What  was  the  difficult}7  with  the  passenger  trains  on  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  Coming  in  from  the  five-twenty  trip,  they  told  us  that  we  couldn't 
go  out  again.     Some  men  got  on  the  engine  and  told  me  so. 

Q.  Do  }Tou  know  where  those  men  were  from  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.     It  was  night,  and  I  didn't  pa}r  much  attention  to  their 
appearance. 

Q.  Were  they  miners,  or  mill  men,  or  tramps,  or  railroad  men? 

A.  They  were  not  railroad  men  ;  they  didn't  talk  like  it,  or  look  like  it. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  threats  ? 

A.  They  only  told  me  I  was  not  to  go  out  again. 

Q.  They  only  complained  about  the  orders  for  running  double-headers  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  These  men  gave  no  reasons  for  refusing  to  allow  you  to  go  out  again 
on  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  suppose  they  thought  I  knew. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  the  men  know  of  any  reason  why  the  double-headers  were  to  be 
run  ? 

A.  I  was  not  running  freight. 

Q.  You  know  nothing  about  freight  ? 

A.  It  was  about  that  order  I  heard  them  talking. 

Adjourned  until  to-morrow,  at  three  o'clock,  p.  M. 


Orphans'  Court  Room, 
Pittsburgh,  Saturday,  February  9,  1878 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  assembled  at  three  o'clock,  P. 
M.,  this  day,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testimony. 
The  first  witness  examined  was 


124  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Archibald  Jeffrey,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q,.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  iSo.  32  Anderson  street. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  resided  there  ? 

A.  Going  on  three  years. 

Q.  W  hat  is  your  business  ? 

A.  I  am  a  machinist. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  vicinity  of  the  disorders  that  occurred,  commencing 
on  the  19th  day  of  July  last — that  day  or  at  any  time  following  ? 

A.  I  was  out  there  on  the  22d — I  believe  that  is  Saturday  evening. 

Q.  At  what  point  ? 

A.  About  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Tell  us  what  you  saw  there  ? 

A.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  noise  around  there  for  awhile. 

Q.  Made  by  whom  ? 

A.  I  can't  just  exactly  tell  who. 

Q.  There  was  a  crowd  there  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Composed  of  what  classes  ? 

A.  Of  most  every  class. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  there  ? 

A.  I  have  no  idea — I  suppose  a  thousand  or  fifteen  hundred  men — I  sup- 
pose so. 

Q.  How  long  before  the  burning  was  it  that  you  speak  about  ? 

A.  I  went  out  there  in  the  evening  about  five  o'clock — along  there — and 
I  think  the  burning  commenced  about  ten  and  a  half  o'clock. 

Q.  What  was  the  conduct  of  the  crowd  at  five  or  six  o'clock,  when  you 
went  there  first  ?  . 

A.  That  was  after  the  shooting  had  been  done  out  there. 

Q.  After  the  firing  by  the  militia,  you  mean  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  was  the  condition  of  the  crowd  at  that  time  ? 

A.  There  was  a  lot  of  talking  going  on  about  the  soldiers ;  but  not  being 
interested  in  the  thing  at  all,  I  didn't  pay  much  attention  to  it. 

Q.  What  kind  of  talk  was  it  ? 

A.  They  appeared  to  be  angry  about  the  soldiers  firing  at  the  crowd. 

Q.  Where  was  the  crowd  assembled  then  ? 

A.  About  Twenty-eighth  street,  near  the  crossing. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anybody  set  fire  to  any  car  or  building,  or  anything  in 
the  vicinity  of  Twenty -eighth  street? 

A.  I  did  see  one  man.     He  was  the  only  man. 

Q.  Who  was  he  ? 

A.  Matthew  Marshall. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  It  was  in  the  afterpart  of  the  night.     I  can't  say  exactly. 

Q.  What  was  it  he  fired  ? 

A.  A  car  of  coke. 

Q.   Where  was  the  car  standing  ? 

A.  On  the  track,  about  two  squares  above  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Just  describe  how  he  did  it ;  where  he  got  his  fire  ;  how  it  took  place  1 

A.  I  don't  know  where  he  got  his  lire.  When  1  noticed  him  first  he  was 
in  the  car.  He  had  a  bunch  of  shavings,  and  was  in  a  sitting  down  posi- 
tion, and  appeared  to  me  to  be  kindling  a  fire.     When  the  fire  got  kindled 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  125 

he  jumped  out.     I  saw  him  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  afterwards.    He  was 
the  only  person  I  know  of. 

Q.  Did  you  speak  to  him  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Was  anybody  with  him  ? 

A.  I  didn't  notice  anybody  with  him. 

Q.  What  was  the  result  of  the  kindling  of  the  fire  ? 

A.  If  there  had  been  no  other  fire  it  would  have  burnt  that  car  up  ;  but 
there  was  fire  all  around. 

Q.  Other  cars  were  then  on  fire  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  burning  at  the  same  time. 

Q.  What  has  become  of  Mr.  Marshall? 

A.  He  is  in  prison — over  the  river. 

Q.  At  whose  instigation  was  he  arrested  ? 

A.  I  can't  say  that  myself. 

Q.  You  were  not  present  when  the  firing  took  place  by  the  militia  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  other  fires  kindled  ? 

A.  I  don't  believe  I  did. 

Q.  Describe  whether  there  were  other  fires  going  on  then,  and  how  they 
were  kindled,  and  what  the  mob  were  doing,  and  describe  all  the  circum- 
stances that  took  place  at  that  time  ? 

A.  There  appeared  to  me  to  be  a  gang  of  men.    I  don't  know  who  they 
were — whether  railroaders  or  not. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  they  seem  to  have  any  organized  leaders,  or  were  they  directed 
by  anybody  ? 

A.  It  appeared  to  me  thej^  had  at  that  time. 

Q.  Were  they  not  running  helter-skelter? 

A.  They  were  ordering  each  other  around.  I  can't  say  whether  they  had 
an  organization  or  not. 

Q.  Did  it  strike  you  that  they  had  ? 

A.  It  did,  at  that  time. 

Q.  That  it  was  an  organization  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  An  organization  without  a  head — do  you  mean  to  say  that  ? 

A.  It  appeared  to  me  at  that  time  that  it  was  an  organization,  but  I  don't 
say  it  positively  myself. 

Q.  Was  there  any  particular  party  to  command  it  ? 

A.  Yes ;  it  looked  to  me  so. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  did  the  crowd  seem  to  be  aiming  at,  at  that  time — was  it  the 
destruction  of  property  ? 

A.  I  can't  say  that.     There  was  a  great  deal  of  destruction  and  thieving 


going  on. 


Q,.  Pillage  and  plunder  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  was  said  by  the  rioters  ? 
A.  I  can't  state. 

Q.  Was  this  firing  confined  entirely  to  railroad  property? 
A.  It  was  at  that  time. 

Q.  Was  there  any  attempt  made  by  any  one,  so  far  as  you  saw,  to  fire 
private  property  ? 
A.  No. 


126  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  It  seemed  to  be  confined  entirely  to  railroad  property  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  This  man  Marshall  you  spoke  of,  was  entirely  alone  when  you  saw  him 
fire  the  car  ? 

A.  So  far  as  I  know. 

Q.  Nobody  seemed  to  be  acting  in  concert  with  him  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  this  coke  car  stand  entirely  alone  ? 

A.  It  stood  in  a  train.     They  kept  running  cars  down,  six  or  seven  at  a 
time,  against  each  other.     This  came  down  with  the  rest  of  them. 

Q.  Describe  that.     The  firing  of  this  car  would  communicate  toothers? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  After  the  car  was  fired,  was  it  put  in  motion  ? 

A.  Not  that  1  noticed. 

Q.  When  you  speak  of  running  cars  down,  where  were  they  running 
them  from  ? 

A.  From  out  the  road  some  place.     I  think  it  is  down  grade  this  way. 

Q.  Did  the  cars  stop  at  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  Above  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Near  the  round-house  ? 

A.  The  round-house  is  on  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Did  the  cars  stop  near  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Where  were  the  troops  then  ? 

A.  I  suppose  they  were  in  one  of  the  round-houses. 

Q.  Do  you  know  that  to  be  a  fact  ? 

A.  I  walked  down,  and  the  guard  was  standing  there.     I  suppose  so. 

Q.  The  cars  that  were  run  down,  then,  would  stop  somewhere  near  the 
round-house  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  there  any  effort  made  to  fire  the  round-house,  that  you  saw  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  didn't  get  near  enough. 

Q.  Was  there  any  attack  being  made  upon  the  round-house  by  the  mob 
at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  can't  say  that  there  was.     Not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  Was  there  anything  said  by  the  mob  about  the  soldiers  being  quar- 
tered in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  can  remember. 

Q.  How  long  were  you  there  ? 

A.  I  went  out  in  the  evening  about  six  or  seven  o'clock,  along  there. 
I  stayed  along  Liberty  street  and  was  once  or  twice  on  the  railroad,  and 
saw  Marshall,  and  along  Liberty  street  at  four  or  five  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. 

Q.  How  close  to  the  mob  ? 

A.  1  was  twice,  once  or  twice,  upon  the  railroad. 

(.,>.  At  what  point  on  the  railroad  ? 

A.  Just  about  where  I  saw  this  man, 

(£.  How  far  from  the  mob? 

A.  That  just  appeared  to  be — I  stood  along  the  edge  of  the  railroad, 
and  this  car  was  on  the  second  or  third  track,  oil' the  edge  of  the  railroad. 

Q.  How  many  rods  or  feet  from  the  mob? 

A.  Not  more  than  five  or  six  rods — something  like  that. 
By  Mr.  lleyburn  : 

Q.  You  were  in  the  crowd,  were  you? 

A.  No;  not  just  in  the  crowd.     1  was  standing  looking  at  them. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  127 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  You  were  within  five  or  six  rods  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  the  crowd  noisy  and  boisterous  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  did  they  appear  to  be  saying  ? 
A.  I  paid  no  attention  to  that. 
Q.  Did  you  hear  them  say  anything  ? 

A.  I  could  hear  them  say  a  good  bit,  but  it  is  a  long  time  ago. 
Q.  What  did  they  appear  to  be  doing  '{ 
A.  Dragging  things  off. 
Q.  What? 
A.  Goods  and  things. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 
Q.  Was  this  man  Marshall  a  railroad  man  or  an  outsider  ? 
A.  I  never  knew  him  to  be  a  railroad  man. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  him  at  all — you  knew  the  man  ? 
A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee: 
Q.  Where  did  he  reside  ? 

A.  He  lived  in  the  First  ward,  Allegheny,  some  place. 
Q.  Had  you  known  him  for  years  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  He  had  lived  in  Allegheny  for  some  time  ? 
A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  What  was  his  business  ? 
A.  He  was  a  machinist. 
Q.  In  whose  employ  was  he  at  that  time  ? 
A.  I  don't  know. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  What  were  you  doing  there — what  led  you  to  go  there  ? 
A.  I  heard  of  the  excitement,  and  I  went  down  town  and  went  out  to 
see  it. 

Q.  It  was  curiosit}T  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  say  that  other  cars  were  burning  when  this  man  Marshall 
fired  this  coke  car  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  At  that  time  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  It  was  not  the  first  car  burned  ? 
A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Means : 
Q.  Were  you  there  when  the  first  car  was  fired  ? 
A.  No. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  What  kind  of  things  were  they  dragging  off — merchandise  from  the 
cars  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  any  railroad  men  among  that  party  ? 
A.  I  don't  know.     I  didn't  know  anybody  but  the  one  man. 
Q.  Did  they  have  the  appearance  of  railroad  men — familiar  with  tracks 
and  with  getting  on  and  going  about  cars  ? 
A.  I  can't  say  that. 


128  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  You  could  not  judge  anything  from  their  actions  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  How  long  was  Marshall  sent  to  the  penitentiary  for  ? 

A.  Six  years,  I  believe. 
By  Mr.  Linclsey : 

Q.  In  whose  employ  were  you  at  that  time  ? 

A.  In  the  employ  of  Mcintosh,  Hemphill  &  Co. 

Q.  Where  are  their  works  located  ? 

A.  Twelfth  and  Pike. 
By  Mr.  Dewees  : 

Q.  How  far  were  the  other  cars  that  were  burning  from  this  one  ? 

A.  They  were  close.     There  were  cars  all  around,  I  suppose  within  thirty, 
or  fort}r,  or  fifty  feet. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee: 

Q.  The  crowd  of  spectators  was  not  interfering  with  property  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  were  there  until  five  o'clock  in  the  moiming  ? 

A.  About  that  time. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  there  during  the  night — take  an  average — 
I  mean  the  crowd  engaged  in  burning  or  pillaging  or  plundering  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  just  give  an  idea. 

Q,.  What  is  your  opinion  as  to  how  large  the  crowd  was — a  thousand 
men  or  five  thousand  or  ten  thousand  ? 

A.  Two  or  three  thousand. 

Q.  You  mean  that  were  about  in  the  vicinity,  and  seemed  to  be  taking 
part  in  the  destruction  of  property  ? 

A.  If  I  were  to  give  an  estimate  I  would  give  you  something  that  I  don't 
know. 

Q.  Was  there  any  effort  made  to  stop  the  destruction  of  property  during 
the  night  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  Was  there  any  interference  with  it  by  any  person  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw. 

Q.  They  were  running  things  there  themselves  during  the  entire  night  ? 

A.  It  appeared  so  to  me. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  You  did  not  see  any  soldiers,  except  the  guard  at  the  round-house  ? 

A.  I  saw  the  guard  and  two  or  three  standing  there  with  him. 

Q.  There  were  none  active  in  trying  to  beat  back  the  crowd  ? 

A.  No. 

Thomas  M.  King,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside? 

A.  In  Verona  borough. 

Q.  You  are  officially  connected  with  the  Allegheny  Valley  Railroad — in 
what  capacity  ? 

A.  I  am  superintendent  of  the  river  division. 

Q.  Did  you  occupy  that  position  in  J  uly  last  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  whether  there  were  any  differences  between  the  Allegheny  Valley 
Railroad  Company  and  their  employe's,  existing  prior  to  the  19th  day  of 
July  last? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  129 

A.  There  was  some  dissatisfaction  among  the  men  in  regard  to  the  ten 
per  cent,  reduction,  but  they  all  appeared  to  accept  it. 

Q.  When  was  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction  made  ? 

A.  The  1st  of  June. 

Q.  To  what  classes  of  employes  did  that  apply  ? 

A.  To  all  classes  receiving  over  a  dollar  a  day. 

Q.  And  to  the  officers,  from  the  president  down  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  There  was  some  complaint  at  the  time  ? 

A.  Some  dissatisfaction. 

Q.  Between  the  1st  of  June  and  the  19th  of  July,  was  there  any  organi- 
zation among  the  men,  so  far  as  you  could  learn,  or  any  pre-arranged  plan 
to  strike  ? 

A.  There  was  nothing  positive.  I  understood  that  quite  a  number  of 
the  men  were  joining  what  was  called  the  Trainmen's  Union. 

Q.  Did  you  know  the  object  of  the  Trainmen's  Union. 

A.  Of  my  own  knowledge  I  did  not.  I  understood  it  was  being  organ- 
ized for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  strike. 

<4-  Did  you,  as  superintendent,  have  any  communication  with  the  men 
that  you  understood  were  joining  the  organization  in  relation  to  it? 

A.  A  short  time  before  the  strike,  three  or  four  of  our  men,  I  under- 
stood, were  very  active  in  it,  and  I  think  I  suspended  one  or  two  tempo- 
rarily, and  talked  to  some  others  about  it.  My  information  just  previous 
to  the  strike  led  me  to  suppose  that  our  men  were  not  going  to  stand  by 
it,  or  were  withdrawing — that  they  would  not  go  into  the  strike. 

Q.  Did  you  get  that  information  from  conversation  with  your  men  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  With  what  class  of  employes  ? 

A.  Conductors  and  engineers. 

(^.  What  class  seemed  to  be  most  dissatisfied  with  the  reduction  ? 

A.  Generally  those  of  the  lower  grade  of  pay — such  as  brakemen  ;  that 
class  of  men. 

Q.   When  did  the  first  strike  occur  on  your  road  ? 

A.  I  think  on  Monday  morning,  the  23d,  I  believe. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  struck  first  ? 

A.  I  would  qualify  the  other  statement  by  stating  that  on  Saturday, 
about  ten  o'clock,  I  got  a  message  stating  tnat  the  shop  men  had  held  a 
meeting  and  determined  not  to  work  any  longer  without  the  ten  per  cent. 
was  restored.  We  went  out  and  called  the  men  together,  and  Mr.  Shinn, 
our  vice  president,  made  a  speech,  and  explained  the  situation  to  them, 
and  they  held  a  meeting  and  agreed  to  stand  by  the  reduction  and  go  to 
work  again.  That  was  the  first  difficulty  we  had.  On  Monday,  I  think 
was  the  first  refusal,  on  the  part  of  the  train  men,  to  perform  service. 

Q.  What  was  said  and  done  to  get  the  men  to  resume  work  ? 

A.  On  Monday,  I  went  down  with  an  empty  train,  and  turned  up  Pike 
street.  There  they  drew  up,  and  I  went  on  to  the  shops.  We  had  a  street 
engine  that  far.  After  getting  to  the  Thirty-fourth  street  station,  I  was 
surprised  to  see  a  road  engine  standing  there.  I  imagined,  at  once,  there 
was  going  to  be  a  difficulty,  and  I  got  off  the  engine  and  walked  up  to  the 
round-house,  and  there  was  quite  a  large  number  of  our  men  congregated 
there.  I  spoke  to  them,  and  asked  them  what  this  meant.  None  of  them 
made  any  reply.  I  told  them  that  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company 
had  made  some  arrangement  with  their  men,  and  that,  of  course,  we  would 
be  governed  by  any  arrangement  made  on  the  trunk  lines.  I  told  them 
they  were  foolish  to  go  into  the  strike  in  the  midst  of  the  excitement — that 
9  Riots. 


130  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

it  would  do  them  no  good.  I  then  asked  one  of  the  engineers  to  go  on  the 
express  engine  standing  there,  and  take  her  out.  I  got  no  reply.  I  said: 
"Boys,  I  am  very  sorry  you  are  acting  badly,  and. if  3*011  don't  take  the 
engine  out,  I  will  have  to  take  her  myself."  I  got  on  the  engine  and  took 
her  out,  and  made  a  coupling  on  a  train  and  started.  In  the  meantime,  one 
of  the  firemen  came  down  and  got  on  with  me.  By  the  time  I  got  up  to 
the  round-house,  one  of  the  engineers  came  and  took  the  engine  from  me. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  don't  mean  took  it  forcibly  ? 

A.  Oh,  no.  I  went  back  to  the  men,  and  by  that  time  quite  a  crowd 
was  gathered  around,  and  there  was  a  great  deal  of  excitement.  There 
were  a  great  many  people  around  that  I  never  saw  before.  The  men  said 
they  were  going  to  call  a  meeting.  I  told  them  as  a  great  many  strangers, 
apparently,  were  around,  I  would  sooner  they  would  go  away  from  the 
shops,  and  call  their  meeting  at  some  other  place  where  the}-  could  do  it 
quietly.  They  did  so,  and  concluded  that  they  would  not  go  to  work.  I 
succeeded  in  running  all  the  trains  that  day  that  I  cared  about  running. 

Q.  How  did  you  accomplish  that  ? 

A.  By  working  myself,  and  by  calling  on  the  dispatchers  and  two  or 
three  of  the  engineers.  The  next  day  a  great  many  strangers  were  in  our 
yard,  apparently  influencing  our  men.  I  sent  for  some  of  our  men,  and 
told  them  that  1  could  not  understand  their  conduct,  that  we  had  always 
endeavored  to  treat  them  kindly  and  squarely,  then  the}*  said  it  was  not 
their  fault,  that  they  were  forced  into  it,  and  were  doing  what  they  did  by 
intimidation  ;  that  it  would  be  as  much  as  their  lives  were  worth  to  under- 
take to  run  those  trains.  By  Tuesday  noon  I  had  a  great  deal  of  diffi- 
culty in  getting  the  passenger  trains  to  run.  The  men  would  be  scared 
off  and  desert  them.  I  gave  the  men  notice  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  at  three 
o'clock,  that  if  they  wanted  the  onus  of  stopping  all  the  passenger  trains 
on  our  road,  the}*  would  have  to  do  it — that  we  would  not  be  justified  in 
undertaking  to  run  trains  and  run  the  risk  of  having  an  accident  occur  to 
them  by  their  refusing  to  perform  their  duty. 

Q.  What  action  did  they  take  then  ? 

A.  They  called  a  meeting  about  four  o'clock.  I  sent  up  to  that  meeting 
and  asked  them  to  send  me  down  a  man  to  take  out  the  passengers  that 
had  come  into  the  city  that  morning,  so  that  we  could  get  them  home.  I 
could  not  get  any  person  to  do  that,  and  had  to  do  it  mj'self.  1  took  the 
train  out.  That  evening  there  was  a  committee  waited  on  me  with  a  pro- 
posal that  they  would  run  two  of  our  trains — would  select  the  crew  to  take 
charge  of  them.  I  had  been  unable  to  get  any  protection  whatever  either 
from  the  military  or  civil  authorities. 

Q.   Did  they  carry  out  that  arrangement? 

A.  I  sent  a  request  to  the  committee  of  public  safety,  and  had  also  gone 
and  seen  General  Brown,  personally,  to  get  some  protection  Cor  our  shops, 
and  also  some  ammunition  for  a  company  that  we  had  at  Verona  guarding 
our  property  there.  General  lb-own  said  he  could  give  me  n<>  assistance, 
whatever,  and  so  far  as  his  ammunition  was  concerned,  he  had  but  very  lew 
cartridges  for  his  command.  He,  however,  gave  me  forty,  and  an  order  to 
gal  her  up  the  company  at  Verona,  and  place  them  on  duty  there,  lie  said 
he  could  not  allow  any  troops  to  be  sent  out  of  the  city  at  all.  as  he  deemed 
it  of  more  importance  to  keep  them  in  the  city  than  to  send  them  on  the 
outskirts.  From  Mr.  Thaw,  1  learned  also,  that  the  committee  of  public 
safety  had  declined  to  send  any  persons.  After  the  men  had  made  their 
proposal,  1  notified  them  that  I  would  give  them  an  answer  in  the  morning, 
and  started  up  to  the  east  end  and  saw  .Mr.  Shi  1111,  our  vice  president,  and 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  131 

submitted  their  proposal  to  him,  and  explained  the  position  we  were  in — 
that  we  could  get  no  protection  either  from  the  civil  or  military  authorities, 
and  that  if  our  men  were  widing  to  work,  I  thought  it  would  be  prudent,  on 
our  part,  to  submit  to  the  men  until  such  times  as  the  authorities  could  re- 
gain control.  He  agreed  with  me,  and  authorized  me  to  let  the  men  take 
charge  of  the  trains  and  run  them,  so  as  not  to  stop  the  United  States  mails. 
The  trains  were  run  under  the  charge  of  the  men  for  two  days — Wednes- 
day and  Thursday.  On  Friday,  we  took  charge  of  the  trains  ourselves 
again.  We  ran  the  passenger  trains  on  Friday  and  on  Saturday — all  we 
desired  to,  and  notified  the  men  on  Saturday  that  we  proposed  to  commence 
running  trains  on  Monday.  And  I  advised  all  the  men  that  desired  to  re- 
tain their  positions,  and  who  wanted  to  go  to  work  again,  that  if  they  would 
come  down  on  Monday  and  take  their  trains  the}'  could  do  so. 

Q.  How  many  responded  on  Monday  ? 

A.  We  had  some  difficult}-  up  until  two  o'clock,  and  I  was  compelled  to 
employ  a  few  new  men.  After  that,  the  men  saw  that  we  were  determined 
to  start  the  business  on  the  road  again,  and  the  majority  came  in,  and  we 
had  all  the  men  we  wanted. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  assistance  from  the  military  at  any  time  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  ^Vhen  was  it? 

A.  I  think  on  Thursday  night.  I  went  down  to  General  Brown,  and  got 
an  order  from  him  to  bring  the  company  that  was  at  Verona,  doing  duty 
there,  to  Forty-third  street.  He  also  sent  a  detail  of  cavalry  from  the 
city,  and  we  took  charge  of  the  road  on  Friday  morning,  aud  started  our 
trains. 

Q.  I  understand  it  wTas  on  Tuesday  you  made  the  application  to  him. 

A.  On  Monday  night  and  Tuesday  both. 

Q.  The  troops  were  refused  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  When  was  it  you  made  application  to  the  citizen's  protective  com- 
mittee ? 

A.  On  Tuesday,  Mr.  Paul  came  to  me,  and  told  me.  He  said:  "Mr. 
King,  you  are  running  a  great  risk.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  excitement, 
and  I  have  heard  a  great  many  threats,  not  only  against  you,  but  your 
road."  I  think  it  was  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning — between  nine  and 
ten.  I  said  to  him  :  "  Mr.  Paul,  you  see  the  condition  of  things  here.  If 
you  can  do  anything  with  the  committee  of  public  safety,  I  think  you 
should  go  and  explain  our  position  to  them."  He  remarked  to  me  that 
he  had  heard  some  threats  among  the  men  on  Butler  street,  about  burn- 
ing the  bridges  and  destroying  property,  and,  also,  some  threats  against 
me  personally,  on  account  of  my  having  been  running  trains  out.  The 
men  were  afraid  to  take  them  at  the  station,  on  account  of  the  threats 
made  against  them.  I  could  not  get  the  trains  run  out,  but  as  soon  as  I 
would  get  out  of  the  city  limits,  an  engineer  would  come  forward,  and  re- 
lieve me.    In  that  way,  we  were  enabled  to  keep  the  passenger  trains  going. 

Q.  Who  was  Mr.  Paul? 

A.  He  was  a  neighbor  of  mine,  living  at  Yerona — of  the  firm  of  Met- 
calf,  Paul  &  Co. — a  member  of  that  firm. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  the  committee  of  public  safety  ? 

A.  No.  I  was  very  busy,  watching  our  property,  and  could  not  get 
down  town  during  the  day.  Everybody  was  excited,  and  there  were  a 
good  many  outsiders  around. 

Q.  Did  Mr.  Paul  report  to  you  after  seeing  the  committee  ? 

A.  Yes. 


132  Eeport  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  he  saw  of  the  committee  of  public  safety  ? 

A.  He  did  tell  me,  but  I  don't  recollect  now.  I  think  he  went  in  before 
the  committee,  and  made  a  speech  to  them,  and  explained  the  situation — 
at  least,  that  is  my  recollection. 

Q.  What  kind  of  assistance  was  the  committee  of  public  safety  render- 
ing at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  can't  answer  that.  They  were  organizing  the  citzens  into  compa- 
nies, for  the  purpose  of  protecting  the  city. 

Q.  Mutual  protection  ? 

A.  Yes.  The  night  I  drove  out  to  see  Mr.  Shinn  the  whole  city  ap- 
peared to  be  patrolled.  It  was  midnight,  and  I  was  halted  at  almost  every 
corner.     The  citizens  were  all  apparently  out. 

Q.  Were  the}r  armed  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  On  Thursday,  Friday,  and  Saturday,  were  your  men  all  at  work? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  time  did  the  shopmen  quit  work  on  Saturday? 

A.  At  the  usual  hour. 

Q.  What  is  that  hour  ? 

A.  Half  past  five  in  the  evening.  Mr.  Shinn  was  there  at  half  past  two 
or  three,  and  called  the  men  together,  and  made  a  speech.  I  left  then,  and 
1  think  they  all  returned  to  work. 

Q.  Did  1  understand  you  to  say  that  all  the  trains,  both  passenger  and 
freight,  were  running  on   Saturday  ? 

A.  Yes ;  we  sent  out  the  night  trains  on  Saturday  evening,  after  the 
trouble  had  commenced. 

0-  Was  the  same  order  issued  by  your  company  that  was  issued  by  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  as  to  running  double  headers  ? 

A.  There  was  no  necessity  for  it  on  our  road. 

Q.  The  only  reduction  in  any  way  was  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction,  on 
the  1st  of  June,  on  your  road  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Had  you  any  reason  to  apprehend  any  strike,  prior  to  the  breaking 
out  of  the  one  here  among  your  men  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  had  an  assurance  from  quite  a  number  that  they  would  not  go 
into  the  strike. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  order  from  Colonel  Grey  upon  Captain  Patter- 
son to  furnish  you  with  men  ? 

A.  I  think  that  is  the  order  I  referred  to.  I  went  and  saw  General 
Brown,  and  he  gave  me  an  order  to  Captain  Patterson,  to  get  the  men  to- 
gether and  report  for  duty  at  Verona  shops. 

Q.  On  Tuesday  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  am  not  sure  whether  it  was  Monday  night  or  Tuesday.  My 
recollection  is,  it  was  Monday  night,  but  probably  it  was  Tuesday. 

Q.  Did  he  give  you  the  order  when  you  first  saw  him — the  first  time  he 
was  called  upon  ? 

A.  I  was  to  see  him  two  or  three  times  during  that  period,  and  I  am 
not  positive  about  it.  I  think  it  was  the  second  time;  it  may  have  been  the 
first.     I  am  not  positive. 

Q.  Did  he  make  any  refusal  the  first  time  you  saw  him  ? 

A.  I  explained  to  him,  that  we  had  a  guard  of  seventy-five  men,  that  we 
had  organized  ourselves  at  Verona,  among  whom  were  some  of  the  Verona 
company,  but  they  had  no  ammunition.  I  think  that  the  General  said  to 
me,  if  I  could  get  that  company  together,  he  would  let  it  remain,  but  he 
could  not  send  any  troops  from  the  city  hall. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  133 

Q.  Did  he  state  his  reasons? 

A.  He  deemed  it  more  important  to  keep  the  command  together  than  to 
separate  them. 

Q.  Did  3^011  make  any  application  to  the  mayor  or  sheriff  of  the  county 
for  aid  ? 

A.  No ;  we  did  not  need  it  until  after  the  riot.  It  was  only  from  the 
desire  to  protect  our  men  who  were  willing  to  work.  And  I  had  been 
advised  on  Monday  or  Tuesday  of  some  incendiary  speech,  made  among 
the  miners,  and  I  looked  for  some  trouble  among  them. 

Q.  Was  any  of  the  property  of  the  Allegheny  Valley  railroad  destroyed  ? 

A.  Nothing  but  a  baggage  car  at  Union  depot  and  the  tracks  running  in 
front  of  the  round-house  where  we  approached  Union  depot. 

Q.  Had  you  any  number  of  cars  there  at  the  time  the  burning  occurred  ? 

A.  I  think  we  had  about  two  hundred  south  of  Forty-third  street. 

Q.  Were  any  of  them  laden  with  freight  ? 

A.  Some  with  ore ;  the  merchandise  cars  I  removed  Sunday  night  my- 
self. Word  was  sent  to  me  that  the  men  were  going  to  burn  the  freight 
station. 

Q.  Were  you  interfered  with  in  any  way  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  In  the  interviews  you  had  with  your  men  before  the  strike — between 
the  1st  of  June  and  the  strike — what  reasons  did  the  men  give  for  their 
anticipated  strike  ? 

Q.  They  were  dissatisfied  with  the  reduction  of  wages.  There  had  been 
one  the  previous  year  or  so,  and  this  one  coming  in  that  time,  made  them 
very  much  dissatisfied. 

Q.  How  long  before  was  the  other  reduction  ? 

A.  I  think  in  1874  or  1875. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Is  it  not  a  habit  for  the  men,  when  their  wages  are  reduced,  to  com- 
plain ? 

A.  Oh,  yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Was  it  deemed  necessary  on  the  part  of  the  company  to  make  that 
reduction? 

A.  The  board  of  directors  thought  so. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Had  there  been  a  falling  off  in  business  ? 

A.  The  business  was  very  irregular  and  spurt}^.  Sometimes  we  were 
running  all  the  trains  we  could,  and  then  they  would  drop  off.  And  rates. 
were  not  so  good  as  they  had  been. 

Q.  From  your  position,  you  should  judge  that  was  the  reason  why  the 
reduction  was  math-  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  it  was  a  necessity  on  the  part  of  the  management  to 
do  it,  on  account  of  the  condition  of  the  trade  of  the  country. 

Q.  There  had  been  strikes  in  other  parts  of  the  country  before  this 
trouble  occurred  here — for  instance,  at  Martinsburg  ? 

A.  I  believe  so — from  newspaper  reports. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  consultation  with  the  railroad  authorities  when  this. 
occurred — or  did  you  take  any  measures  to  avert  this  ? 

A.  So  far  as  we  were  concerned,  we  did  not  anticipate  it. 

Q.  You  had  no  anticipation  of  any  trouble  on  your  road  ? 

A.  There  had  been  some  talk  in  regard  to  the  train  men's  union,  that  it 
was  for  the  purpose  of  getting  up  a  strike.  But  many  of  our  men,  I  un- 
derstood, were  withdrawing  from  it,  and  would  not  lend  themselves  to  any- 


134  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

thing  of  the  kind.     For  that  reason  I  did  not  anticipate  any  trouble  among 
our  men. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  there  was  any  aid  asked  of  or  any  consultation 
held  with  the  authorities  before  the  strike  came  about  ? 

A.  I  cannot  answer  that.     I  was  not  in  the  city  that  day. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  How  did  the  business  that  the  road  was  doing  for  three  months  prior 
to  June  1st,  when  the  reduction  was  made  in  wages,  compare  with  the 
same  three  months  of  the  year  before  ? 

A.  My  recollection  is  that  our  average  may  have  been  a  little  heavier, 
but  I  am  not  positive  about  that. 

Q.  In  the  three  months  preceding  June,  1877. 

A.  Yes ;  our  business  is  spasmodic.  It  is  the  oil  business.  A  part  of 
the  year  they  are  doing  a  good  business,  and  then  it  drops  off  to  nothing. 

Q.  How  did  the  prices  for  the  carrying  of  freight  compare  in  1877  with 
those  in  1876? 

A.  I  cannot  answer  that.     I  did  not  make  the  rates. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  change  in  rates,  so  far  as  3rou  know  ? 

A.  My  impression  is  that  the  rates  in  1877  were  lower  than  in  1876.  I 
want  to  say  here,  that  our  shifting  engines  handling  freight  on  the  street 
had  been  interfered  with  two  or  three  times  during  Saturday  morning  by 
the  crowd  going  down  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  sent  back.  I  walked  out 
the  street,  from  Eleventh  street  to  Forty-third — between  eleven  and 
twelve  o'clock.  I  saw  that  there  was  a  very  considerable  excitement 
among  the  people,  and  a  good  deal  of  feeling.  From  there  I  went  up  on 
to  Twenty -eighth  street,  where  the  strikers  were  in  possession  of  the  track. 
1  saw  but  very  few  people  there  that  I  knew.  Some  faces  were  familiar 
to  me.  I  came  back  to  the  office,  and  got  a  report  about  the  action  of  the 
men  at  the  shop,  and  went  out  there  at  half-past  two  o'clock,  and  on  my 
return  I  walked  up  to  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  shops,  and  found  the 
troops  were  moving  out.  I  went  in  through  the  yard,  and  followed  in  the 
rear  of  the  column.  After  the  troops  reached  the  vicinity  of  Twent}-- 
eighth  street,  I  got  up  on  a  car  right  in  the  rear  of  them,  and  I  watched 
their  movements — the  formation  of  the  command.  The  crossings  were 
cleared.  I  saw  a  few  stones  thrown  among  the  crowd,  and  I  saw  a  man 
with  a  cap  on — saw  him  draw  a  pistol,  and  fire  into  the  troops. 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  it  was  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  he  was  a  railroad  man  or  not  ? 

A.  I  cannot  answer  that.  When  the  company  struck  the  crowd  on  the 
crossing  there  was  a  recoil  like  jumping  up  against  a  rock.  There  did  not 
appear  to  be  any  give  to  it.  Then  there  was  a  struggle,  and  some  of  the 
men  reached  for  the  muskets,  and  two  or  three  of  the  soldiers  pulled  back 
and  brought  their  muskets  to  a  charge,  and  three  or  four  shots  were  fired. 

Q.  By  the  troops  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  then  there  appealed  to  be  a  volley  from  the  entire  com- 
mand— a  rattling  fire — starting  at  the  front  rank  and  breaking  back  to  the 
rear. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  do  you  mi  an  by  the  entire  command  ? 

A.  The  head  commenced  firing,  and  then  it  run  back  on  the  wings.  It 
was  an  irregular  roll  of  musketry.  I  got  off'  the  car,  and  fell  back  after 
the  firing  ceased.      My  position  was  somewhat  exposed. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  command  to  fire? 

A.  I  do  not  think  theie  was  any  command  given. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  135 

Q.  You  were  in  a  position  to  hear  it  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q  How  many  shots  were  fired  by  the  crowd  before  the  militia  began  to 
fire? 

A.  I  only  saw  one.     I  saw  some  stones  thrown. 

Q.  Was  a  volley  of  stones  thrown  in  among  the  militia,  or  was  it  scat- 
tering ? 

A.  Scattering. 

Q.  From  what  point  were  the  stones  thrown  ? 

A.  The}^  appeared  to  come  from  the  hill  side — in  the  vicinity  of  the 
watch-box,  near  the  crossing. 

Q.  What  was  the  effect  of  the  firing  of  the  stones  among  the  militia — 
was  there  any  damage  done  to  life  or  limb  ? 

A.  I  noticed  a  sergeant  of  one  of  the  Philadelphia  companies  with  a 
bad  cut  on  the  face.  He  came  back  with  his  face  shattered.  The  thing- 
came  very  quick. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  command  to  cease  firing  ? 

A.  I  did  not.     I  went  to  the  rear  of  the  cars  I  was  standing  on,  and 
the  soldiers  were  breaking  back  in  my  direction,  and  I  did  not  notice  what 
was  going  on  in  front  after  that.     There  was  just  one  volley.     The  soldiers 
just  emptied  their  muskets. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  was  the  result  of  the  volley  ? 

A.  A  panic  on  the  hill  side — every  person  ran  from  the  hill  side  and  the 
crossing:. 

*,).  It  dispersed  the  ci*owd,  did  it : 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  In  what  direction  did  thejT  retire  ? 

A.  In  all  directions. 

*,>.  What  became  of  the  soldier's  then? 

A.  I  left  the  crossing,  and  went  from  there  to  the  telegraph  office,  and 
wrote  some  messages  to  the  freight  depot  and  shops,  directing  them  to  put 
on  a  heavy  guard  during  the  night.  While  I  was  there  Mr.  Watt  came  in, 
and  told  me  that  the  mob  had  started  for  the  arsenal.  I  telegraphed  to 
the  commandant  to  take  care  of  our  shops,  and  advised  him  to  be  on  his 
guard.  The  message  was  delivered  within  five  or  ten  minutes  after  it  was 
sent. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Was  any  actual  violence  used  by  the  strikers  to  prevent  the  trains 
running  on  your  road  ? 

A.  Our  men  were  threatened. 

Q.  But  there  was  no  actual  violence? 

A.  Xo. 

By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  When  you  were  running  that  engine  yourself,  what  was  the  mob  com- 
posed of — men  that  had  been  in  your  emplo}',  or  in  the  emplo}^  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Company,  or  tramps?     Describe  the  crowd? 

A    They  were  strangers  to  me.     I  do  not  know  them. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  I  understood  you  to  say  that  application  was  made  to  the  civil  authori- 
ties.    What  do  you  mean  by  that  ? 

A.  I  did  not  say  that  application  had  been  made  to  the  civil  authorities. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 


13G  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  If  you  were  present  when  the  first  firing  occurred,  I  wish  you  would 
give  us  a  description  of  it — what  it  was  started  by,  and  what  the  condition 
of  the  crowd  was  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  was  at  the  corner  of  Penn  and  Twelfth  streets  when  the  alarm  was 
struck,  10.40  o'clock  Irv  city  time,  or  a  few  minutes  later.  I  saw  a  flash 
in  the  sky  and  heard  the  alarm,  and  hurried  on  up  Penn  street.  I  knew 
what  it  meant.  There  were  some  oil  cars  stored  in  the  Pennsylvania  yard 
at  the  time,  and  I  saw  it  was  the  flash  of  an  oil  fire.  I  think  about  Twen- 
tieth street  the  fire  commenced.  I  then  went  about  a  square,  and  I  heard 
a  torpedo  explode,  and  I  got  to  the  next  corner  and  saw  the  fire  on  Penn 
street,  and  on  the  side  street. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  A  railroad  torpedo,  you  mean  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  made  a  noise  similar  to  that.  The  engines  were  driving  fast 
at  the  time.  I  went  to  the  vicinity  of  the  coke  yai'ds,  and  remained  there 
until  half  past  two  or  three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Q.  Hid  you  go  with  the  engines  during  this  time  ? 

A.  No,  I  was  walking.  When  I  got  up  there,  they  were  dropping  the 
cars  down  to  the  cars  that  had  already  been  set  on  fire — quite  a  crowd  was 
around.  The  burning  of  the  cars  appeared  to  have  commenced.  People 
were  passing  with  their  arms  full  of  dry  goods  and  things  of  that  kind. 
As  fast  as  the  cars  were  dropped  down,  they  were  set  fire  to.  Every  few 
minutes  there  would  be  a  panic  among  them,  and  they  would  flee  like 
wolves  or  sheep,  but  seeing  that  there  was  no  danger,  they  would  come 
back  again.  I  remained  there  until  three  o'clock,  and  then  walked  to  the 
shops  to  see  if  everything  was  quiet  there.  After  I  got  there,  I  got  a 
message  from  Colonel  McKee,  of  the  Oil  City  command,  stating  that  he 
was  on  "his  way,  but  had  no  ammunition.  I  telegraphed  to  General  Latta, 
and  asked  him  whei-e  it  could  be  got  at  some  point  on  the  road,  before 
reaching  the  city.  I  did  not  get  any  answer.  The  wires  were  interrupted 
between  the  city  and  our  place,  and  at  four  and  a  half  o'clock,  I  started 
down  to  Union  depot,  to  hunt  up  General  Latta. 

Q.  On  Sunday  morning? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  I  met  a  great  many  people  coming  from  the  vicinity  of  the 
Pennsylvania  yards,  all  having  more  or  less  plunder.  A  great  many  of 
them  were  in  liquor.  I  got  to  Union  depot,  I  believe,  at  six  and  a  half 
o'clock.  I  went  up  to  General  Latta,  after  getting  to  Union  depot,  and  he 
told  me  he  had  some  ammunition,  and  would  oive  me  some  after  a  bit,  for 
Colonel  McKee's  command.  He  appeared  to  be  very  much  exercised  over 
the  condition  of  the  troops  at  the  round-house  at  that  time.  A  short  time 
after,  Captain  Breck  came  in  and  reported  that  General  Brinton  had  broken 
cover  and  started  for  the  country.  I  think  he  told  General  Latta  ami  one 
or  two  others  sitting  in  the  hotel  at  the  time.  The  general  and  the  cap- 
tain went  up  stairs,  and  after  that  I  did  not  see  them.  I  remained  in  the 
vicinity  of  our  shops  and  the  Union  depot  until  twelve  o'clock  Sunday, 
and  then  went  up  among  the  mob.  I  went  to  see  what  the  character  of 
the  crowd  was,  and  to  see  if  I  knew  any  of  them.  There  appeared  to  me 
to  be  about  seventy-five  or  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  that  were  organized. 
One  man,  particularly,  1  noticed  with  black  whiskers  with  a  stick  in  his 
hand  that  appeared  to  be  the  leader.  They  would  go  on  and  destroy  a  lot 
of  cars  and  then  meet  apparently  to  consult.  He  would  wave  his  stick, 
the  mob  would  follow,  and  do  as  lie  directed.  I  saw  them  setting  lire  ot 
the  cars  there.  Such  a  hard  looking  set  of  people  I  never  saw  before.  I 
did  not  recognize  anybody  that  I  had  ever  seen.     Quite  a  number  of  them 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  137 

appeared  to  be  in  liquor.    They  had  cleaned  out  everything  down  as  far  as 
what  is  called  the  "  brewery  switches." 

Q.  About  what  street  is  that  ? 

A.  About  Fifteenth  or  Sixteenth  street.  One  of  them  got  up  on  a  car  and 
made  a  speech,  and  declared  that,  as  near  as  I  could  judge  from  their  actions 
— I  could  not  hear  their  words — that  the  Union  depot  would  be  the  next 
point  affected.  Two  cars  loaded  with  plunder  were  got  into  position  and 
set  Are  to,  and  shoved  up  over  the  hill  and  down  to  the  other  cars  on  the 
other  side.  As  fast  as  the  gang  appeared  to  make  an  advance,  the  plun- 
derers kept  ahead  of  them. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  these  men  appear  to  be  railroad  men  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  they  were  not  railroad  men.  They  looked  to  me  like  roughs 
of  the  lowest  description.  They  had  the  vilest  countenances  I  ever  saw. 
One  man,  I  noticed,  was  so  intoxicated  that  he  could  hardly  stand  on  his 
legs,  but  he  would  go  in  among  the  cars  and  do  what  a  sober  man  could 
not  do. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  effort  to  find  out  who  the  black-whiskered  man 
was  ? 

A.  I  recognized  him  as  the  leader  of  the  party,  and  I  would  know  his 
face  again.  If  I  should  ever  see  him,  I  would  recognize  him.  They  ap- 
peared determined  to  drop  the  burning  cars  into  the  depot,  and  I  went 
down  and  threw  an  engine  off  the  track,  and  blocked  the  track  so  that  they 
could  not  do  that.  A  great  many  people  were  around  at  the  time,  and  it 
was  thought  that  by  the  time  they  reached  the  depot  they  would  not  have 
the  courage  to  come  in  there.  The  police  were  there,  and  I  did  not  think 
that  they  would  undertake  to  fire  it. 

Q.  How  many  police  were  there  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Fifteen  or  twenty.     They  retired  right  in  front  of  the  mob. 

Q.  When  they  reached  Union  depot,  how  many  did  the  mob  number, 
that  were  actually  engaged  in  the  burning  ? 

A.  I  cannot  answer  that.  A  great  many  people  were  around  in  the  vi- 
cinity, and  in  the  streets,  and  on  the  hill  side,  and  all  around — a  great 
many  people  were  there. 

Q.  You  spoke  of  about  seventy-five  or  a  hundred  ? 

A.  They  were  followed  by  an  army  of  plunderers.  This  gang  appeared 
to  be  the  center,  and  as  they  went  along,  the  plunderers  demolished  every- 
thing that  came  in  their  way.  After  they  found  they  could  not  drop  any 
cars  into  the  depot  they  walked  right  into  the  office,  at  the  north  end  of 
the  depot,  and  knocked  the  windows  out,  and  presently  there  was  a  flash 
there,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  shed  was  on  fire.  After  the  depot  was 
fired,  I  walked  to  Forty-third  street  to  see  how  things  were  going.  I  re- 
turned after  the  elevator  took  fire.  I  saw  from  that  position  that  it  was 
on  fire,  and  I  commenced  to  have  grave  doubts  whether  they  could  check 
it — whether  they  could  prevent  the  lower  end  of  the  town  from  burning. 

Q.  Did  this  gang  of  men  fire  property  below  the  depot,  or  did  that  catch 
from  the  depot  ? 

A.  I  was  not  in  the  vicinity  of  the  depot  when  the  property  on  the  other 

side  was  fired,  and  I  cannot  answer  that,  nor  when  the  elevator  was  fired. 

By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  When  you  came  back  did  you  see  this  same  gang  ? 

A.  The  crowd  was  scattered  then.     The  elevator  was  on  fire,  and  the 

Pan  Handle  yards  were  on  fire.     I  got  word  then  that  they  were  going 


138  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

to  attack  our  property,  and  I  started  right  to  the  shops,  and  took  an  en- 
gine and  removed  what  property  we  had. 

David  Garrett,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  In  the  Twentieth  ward  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  am  an  assistant  train  master. 

Q.  Of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  occupy  that  position  in  July  last  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  what  knowledge  you  have  as  to  any  dissatisfaction  among  the 
employes  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  in  regard  to  wages  prior 
to  the  1 9th  of  July  last  ? 

A.  I  have  no  knowledge  more  than  any  person  would  have  who  has  his 
wages  reduced.  The  men  spoke  about  the  reduction  of  their  wages,  that 
it  was  a  little  hard.  They  talked  to  me  about  the  order.  I  told  them  that 
we  were  all  in  the  same  fix,  and  tried  to  point  out  to  them  that  the  reduc- 
tion was  general — that  the  business  of  the  company  had  become  reduced, 
and  I  supposed  that  they  thought  it  was  necessary  to  make  a  reduction. 
Most  of  the  men  that  I  talked  to  on  the  subject  seemed  to  be  satisfied. 
They  didn't  feel  good  about  it,  but  they  didn't  say  that  they  would  offer 
any  resistance  to  a  reduction,  or  that  they  would  strike,  or  anything  of 
that  sort. 

Q.  That  was  after  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction? 

A.  Yes;  they  talked  about  it  some.  Of  course  we  had  heard  about  the 
troubles  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  and  had  heard  about  the  Trainmen's 
Union,  and  also  heai'd  about  men  withdrawing  from  that,  and  also  about 
its  being  bursted  up.  What  I  think  the  cause  of  the  trouble  was  was  the 
very  light  business  that  was  doing.  Then  in  June,  when  the  reduction 
was  made,  we  found  we  had  a  large  surplus  of  men,  and  we  reduced  the 
force  to  suit  about  the  volume  of  business  doing  then.  In  doing  that,  we 
had  regard  to  the  condition  of  the  men.  Those  who  were  married  we  tried 
to  retain,  and  those  who  had  been  a  long  time  in  the  service  we  tried  to  re- 
tain, and  occasionally  if  we  had  a  man  who  could  get  along  at  something 
else,  or  who  was  in  particularly  good  circumstances,  we  would  discharge 
him,  in  order  to  keep  some  man  who  was  not  so  well  favored.  That  threw 
some  men  out  of  employment.  Then  on  the  16th  of  July — that  was  the 
morning  on  which  the  new  arrangement  was  to  go  into  effect — the  running 
of  double-headers.  That  is,  instead  of  taking  two  trains  from  Pittsburgh 
to  Deny,  with  seventeen  cars,  we  would  run  one  train  with  thiily-four  cars. 

Q.  Was  the  order  issued  on  the  16th  ? 

A.  It  was  to  take  effect  on  the  19th.  The  order  had  been  issued  some 
time  previously,  and  posted  on  the  bulletin  boards  where  the  men  could 
see  it.  When  this  order  was  posted  up,  the  men  would  come,  and  1  saw 
them  looking  at  the  bulletin  boards.  No  one  expressed  any  dissatisfaction. 
There  had  been  some  talk  among  the  men  that  it  would  dispense  with  the 
services  of  quite  a  number,  which,  of  course,  we  admitted  it  would,  and 
the  more  so,  from  the  fact  that  while  formerly  we  were  running  men  from 
Goneraaugh,  the  company  found  it  inconvenient  to  run  trains  to  Coneniaugh, 
and  were  making  Derry  the  dividing  point.  We  were  running  from  Pitts- 
burgh to  Derry  and  back  again.  Thai  would  give  the  smaller  portion  of 
the  run  to  the  men  on  this  end  of  the  road,  and,  of  course,  a  smaller  niiiii- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  139 

ber  of  men  were  required.  But  to  fix  that,  the  day  previous  to  the  strike 
I  went  out  to  Derry,  and  there  had  a  consultation  with  Mr.  Edward  Pit- 
cairn,  who  is  the  train  master  at  Derry.  We  saw  the  difficulty,  and  tried 
to  provide  for  it,  by  taking  seven  or  eight  crews,  of  four  men  to  a  crew,  to 
run  between  Deny  and  Altoona.  As  we  were  getting  along  with  a  less 
number  of  men,  at  the  other  end  they  would  require  a  greater  number  of 
men.  That  was  on  Wednesday,  the  day  preceding  the  riot.  We  had  the 
thing  all  arranged,  as  I  thought.  I  came  into  Pittsburgh  the  next  morn- 
ing about  nine  o'clock,  when  one  of  the  dispatchers  told  me  on  my  arrival, 
that  one  of  the  trains  had  not  gone  out.  I  asked  him  the  reason,  and  he 
said  that  the  brakemen  had  refused  to  go  out  on  the  train.  I  asked  him 
the  number  of  men  he  had  asked  to  go  out,  and  he  said  quite  a  number — 
eighteen  or  twenty,  perhaps  more.  I  told  him  I  would  go  out  and  talk  with 
the  men  about  the  matter.  I  felt  about  that,  that  we  had  a  large  surplus 
of  men,  and  if  only  a  portion  of  the  men  were  insubordinate  and  refused 
to  run,  it  would  relieve  us  from  embarrassment.  I  had  no  idea  that  it  would 
extend  beyond  that.  I  went  out  and  found  eighteen  or  twenty  men,  and 
asked  them  if  they  had  any  objections  to  go  out.  Some  just  declined  to 
go  out  on  double  trains,  and  others  said  nothing.  Of  the  men  present,  I 
couldn't  get  any  to  go.  The  conductors  were  willing  to  go.  I  conferred 
then  with  Mr.  McCabe,  and  he  suggested  that  we  should  get  some  of  the 
yard  men  to  man  the  trains.  We  called  on  several  of  them,  and  finally  got 
three  to  go  as  brakemen.  Preparation  was  made  to  start  the  train.  I 
walked  some  distance  in  advance  of  the  engine  that  was  to  take  the  train, 
and  met  some  men  coming  along  that  seemed  to  be  somewhat  demonstrative, 
and  among  them  one  man  very  violent — one  now  undergoing  his  trial.  He 
remarked  to  me — I  said  something  about  the  switches — I  cannot  remember 
now  what, — and  he  remarked  to  me  that  no  trains  would  go  out,  or  some- 
thing to  that  effect.  I  asked  why,  and  he  said  that  they  had  resolved  not 
to  let  anything  go  out.  I  remonstrated  with  him,  and  said  :  "  Hice,  you 
have  a  perfect  right  to  refuse  to  go  out  if  you  don't  want  to  go  out,  but  you 
have  no  right  to  interfere  with  others."  He  said  it  had  got  to  be  a  ques- 
tion of  bread  or  blood,  and  that  they  were  going  to  resist.  I  left  him,  and 
then  came  to  attend  to  some  other  matter  towards  the  switches.  '  I  heard 
something  behind  me  and  turned  around,  and  saw  a  considerable  confusion. 
I  saw  links  and  pins  being  hurled  at  these  yard  men  on  the  train.  I  saw 
one  of  them  struck.  I  saw  a  link  or  pin  falling  from  his  person,  and  saw 
it  hit  him.  I  also  saw  men  going  on  the  engine.  I  came  forward  then  and 
found  no  person  on  the  engine  at  all,  and  found  that  the  men  we  had  ex- 
pected to  run  the  train  all  driven  away.  I  found  that  we  were  defeated  in 
getting  the  train  out.  It  was  not  worth  while  to  parley  with  the  men  at 
all.  We  had  no  force  at  all — no  police  at  all — or  not  very  strong.  I  went 
to  the  office  of  Mr.  Watt,  who  was  acting  in  the  place  of  Mr.  Pitcairn,  who 
was  absent,  and  it  was  suggested  that  inasmuch  as  a  large  quantity  of  live 
stock  was  at  East  Liberty,  and  it  was  important  to  get  that  away,  that  I 
should  go  there  and  anticipate  any  power  that  might  be  coining  west,  and 
put  the  cars  away,  and  take  the  power  and  send  the  live  stock  away  from 
East  Liberty.  I  immediately  did  that,  and  went  there  on  the  first  train  I 
met.  I  went  to  Torrens,  and  at  East  Liberty  I  met  a  coal  train-,  and  I  stop- 
ped the  train  and  went  to  the  conductor  and  told  him  what  I  wanted.  I 
told  him  to  put  his  cars  in  there  and  to  take  a  train  of  live  stock  from  East 
Liberty.  I  didn't  tell  him  anything  about  the  trouble  in  Pittsburgh.  He 
went  away  and  conferred  with  some  person,  and  then  came  and  told  me 
that  he  declined  to  do  that.  I  left  him  go.  I  then  went  to  Torrens,  not 
wishing  to  lose  any  time,  and  while  there  received  a  message  from  the  su- 


140  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

perintendent's  office  telling  me  that  two  engines  were  on  the  way  there  and 
would  soon  arrive — two  engines  westward.  I  then  received  another  mes- 
sage to  make  haste,  that  Hice  and  his  crowd  had  started  for  Torrens  to  in- 
terfere with  the  live  stock.  I  made  all  the  haste  I  could.  I  went  down  to 
Gray's  switches,  and  there  waited  the  arrival  of  the  two  engines,  took  the 
cars  from  them,  crossed  the  engines  coming  west  over  to  the  other  track, 
adjusted  the  switches,  and  went  on  down.  When  I  got  down  there,  Hice 
and  his  party  had  just  arrived. 
By  Senator  Rev  burn  : 

Q.  How  did  they  get  there  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.  The  distance  is  not  very  great.  I  don't  know  what 
time  they  started,  and  I  don't  know  tty  what  route.  I  rather  think  they 
walked  up  the  track  to  Torrens.  At  that  time,  when  we  got  back,  the  party 
was  there  and  surrounding  the  engines.  I  got  up  on  one  of  the  engines  and 
asked  the  engine  man  what  was  wrong.  He  said  he  couldn't  take  the  stock. 
They  said  that  their  lives  had  been  threatened  if  they  moved  the  stock.  I 
telegraphed  to  Pittsburgh,  stating  the  situation  of  affairs,  and  that  we 
couldn't  do  anything  at  all  without  we  had  more  protection,  and  Pittsburgh 
told  me,  after  a  bit,  that  more  police  were  coming — that  there  would  be 
fifteen  of  them.  They  had  made  a  requisition,  I  understood,  upon  the 
mayor,  and  that  fifteen  police  were  to  come  up.  They  were  to  come  up  on 
the  Atlantic  express,  I  think.  About  the  time  the  Atlantic  express  was 
due,  I  went  out  to  where  the  engines  were  standing,  and  backed  up  against 
the  stock.  I  didn't  tell  the  crowd  or  any  person  that  I  had  information  of 
any  assistance  coming,  but  I  just  remarked  to  them  that  we  proposed  now 
to  commence  moving  that  stock,  and  that  those  who  were  in  no  way  con- 
cerned with  the  railroad,  or  who  had  no  interest  in  the  matter,  except  as 
lookers-on — that  I  would  take  it  as  a  favor  if  they  would  retire,  and  give 
us  room  to  work.  There  was  a  large  crowd  there.  Just  at  that  time,  this 
same  man  Hice  called  out,  they  are  going  to  bring  the  militia — the  Du- 
quesne  Grays.  He  immediately  called  out  and  said,  I  want  four  good 
men.  They  came  up  to  him,  and  he  said,  I  want  you  to  go  to  Pittsburgh 
and  get  out  two  thousand  mill  men.  Four  young  men  started — a  couple 
of  them  were,  I  think,  our  own  men,  and  a  couple  were  not  in  our  ser- 
vice. I  can't  say  who  they  were.  One  little  thing  occurred  before  this 
conversation  with  Hice — before  the  Atlantic  express  came.  I  had  gone 
some  distance  east  to  the  telegraph  office,  and  I  found  Hice  there,  and  I 
got  into  conversation  again  about  it,  and  I  told  him  :  "  Hice,  be  careful  not 
to  do  anything  you  will  be  sorry  for."  He  said  it  is  a  question  of  bread 
or  blood,  and  said,  if  I  go  to  the  penitentiary  I  can  get  bread  and  water, 
and  that  is  about  all  I  can  get  now.  I  saw  it  was  no  use  to  talk  to  him, 
and  I  left  him.  When  the  express  came  along  it  didn't  have  the  force  on 
that  I  expected.  It  had  some  men,  but  not  enough  for  the  emergency.  A 
great  many  men  came  up  on  the  train.  We  found  that  we  couldn't  move 
the  stock.  Mr.  Watt  had  come  up,  and  I  called  his  attention  to  the  situ- 
ation. I  suggested  that  we  should  move  some  of  the  stock  by  deceiving 
the  men.  That  I  would  get  two  engines,  and  say  I  couldn't  move  the  stock, 
and  I  might  as  well  go  on  back,  and  that  under  pretense  of  shifting  the 
stock  on  to- the  siding  he  should  get  it  past  the  crowd,  and  run  it  to  some 
point  on  the  road — to  Spring  II  ill,  and  that  there  I  would  take  it  with  those 
two  engines,  and  that,  in  the  meantime,if  he  couldn't  do  that,  that  I  would 
couple  to  a  train  of  ears  that  had  been  brought  from  Wilkinsburg  in  the 
morning,  and  take  it  as  far  as  Spring  Hill,  and  if  the  stock  didn't  come 
would  lake  it  on  through.  After  we  started  from  Torrens  with  the  engines, 
I  told  the  conductor  and   men  what  I  wanted  to  do — to  couple  on  to  the 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  141 

train  at  Wilkinsburg.  The  men  seemed  to  have  a  little  fear  that  the  crowd 
would  overtake  us  before  we  could  get  the  train  out.  However,  I  told  them 
to  hurry  up,  and  I  succeeded  in  getting  it  out.  We  took  it  on  as  far  as 
Spring  Hill,  and,  while  the  engines  were  taking  fuel  and  water,  I  told  them 
to  remain  until  I  came  back  and  gave  a  signal,  and  I  walked  on  to  Walls 
to  ascertain  whether  or  not  the  stock  was  coming.  When  I  got  to  Walls 
I  learned  from  Mr.  Watt  the  stock  was  coming.  I  then  went  back,  and, 
when  the  stock  arrived,  coupled  on,  and  sent  it  out.  That  was  the  last 
train  moved,  and  it  was  done  by  deceiving  the  men.  I  then  returned  to 
Pittsburgh.  It  was  pretty  near  night.  I  found  the  crowd  at  Torrens  was 
indignant  at  us  deceiving  them  in  moving  the  stock.  Some  of  the  stock 
couldn't  be  moved,  and  had  to  be  unloaded.  I  then  came  to  Pittsburgh, 
and  I  found  that  while  1  had  been  away  that  they  had  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  in  the  Pittsburgh  yard.  But  I  don't  know  anything  that  occurred 
in  Pittsburgh  that  day  from  the  time  I  left  until  six  or  seven  o'clock  that 
night.     But  1  remained  there  then  all  that  night. 

Q.  As  train  master,  tell  us  how  the  traffic  on  your  road  for  the  three 
months  prior  to  June  1,  compared  with  the  traffic  during  the  same  time  of 
the  year  previous  ? 

A.  1  can  give  my  impression,  that  it  was  very  much  below  the  corre- 
sponding period  of  the  year  previous.     My  impression  is,  it  was  below. 
Of  course,  in  that,  I  may  be  mistaken. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  judge  from  the  number  of  trains  and  the  amount  of  stuff  you 
hauled  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  our  trade  is  peculiar.  There  are  times  when  the  through  freight 
may  be  heavy,  but  at  points  east  of  Pittsburgh,  the  coal  and  other  local 
business  may  be  very  light.  We  will  start  from  Pittsburgh  with  an  unu- 
sually heavy  business,  but  it  wont  aggregate  nearly  as  much  when  it  arrives 
at  Altoona,  as  on  other  occasions,  when  we  start  from  Pittsburgh  with  a 
comparatively  light  business.  I  was  present  at  the  time  of  the  tiring  of 
the  troops,  but  about  that,  what  I  can  say  is  about  what  Mr.  King  has  said. 

Q.  If  you  were  present  at  that  time,  however,  3^011  may  state  what  you 
saw  ? 

A.  I  was  at  Union  depot  when  the  troops  arrived.  I  went  to  the  outer 
depot,  two  blocks  west  of  Twenty-eighth  street.  We  kept  ourselves  advised 
by  wire  as  to  about  the  time  the  troops  would  move  from  Union  depot  to 
Twenty-eighth  street.  We  were  expecting  that  they  would  clear  the  track, 
and  that  then,  if  possible,  we  would  get  the  trains  started.  We  had  a  crew 
in  readiness  to  go  just  as  soon  as  they  got  protection  enough  to  start.  I 
remained  on  some  gondolas  there  until  the  troops,  with  the  Gatling  gun, 
passed  along  up  the  track.  Then  I  followed  up.  I  didn't  intend  to  go 
veiy  close,  but  got  much  nearer  than  I  had  intended,  and  so  got  near 
enough  to  see  the  movements  of  the  troops.  I  saw  them  form  on  Twenty- 
eighth  street  into  what  is  called  a  square,  and  saw  the  confusion  that  Mr. 
King  spoke  about.  I  heard  the  shots  very  soon  after  that.  I  thought  at 
first  it  was  blank  cartridges,  but  soon  learned  such  was  not  the  case. 

Q.  Have  you  any  idea  as  to  how  many  were  hurt  ? 

A.  Seven,  eight,  or  ten — and  some  killed. 

Q.  You  saw  this  yourself? 

A.  I  didn't  see  any  myself.  I  saw  them  carrying  people  away  very  soon 
afterwards.  I  saw  afterwards  the  man  that  Mr.  King  mentioned  as  having 
been  hit  in  the  face  by  a  stone  before  the  firing.  While  I  was  in  the  super- 
intendent's office,  after  the  firing,  a  report  came  that  they  were  going  to 
attack  the  arsenal,  and  also  the  superintendent's  office.     I  afterwards  went 


142  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

home  and  got  my  supper  and  returned.  When  returning,  the  mass  of 
people  at  Twenty-eighth  street  was  enormous.  They  were  solid  on  both 
sides  of  the  track.  By  the  way,  some  soldiers  were  there,  enough  to  keep 
the  men  off  the  track.  I  had  intended  to  go  up  and  walk  to  the  superin- 
tendent's office,  but  found  I  couldn't  do  it  with  safety.  I  thought  they 
possibly  might  want  me,  and  I  intended  to  go.  I  went  to  Union  depot, 
and  made  an  arrangement  to  get  to  the  office.  After  that,  I  learned  that 
the  military  had  charge  of  everything.  I  staid  at  Union  depot  until  ten 
o'clock,  and  left  on  the  last  train  that  went  out.  That  was  on  Saturday 
night.  About  three  or  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  was  awakened  by  a 
great  deal  of  noise  and  hallowing,  and  saw  a  great  many  roughs  passing 
my  place,  and  heard  wagons  passing. 

Q.  Did  they  seem  to  be  coming  in  wagons  from  a  distance  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  various  wagons  went  past  nry  house.  It  was  three  or  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  It  was  getting  daylight;  and  during  all  that  day 
the  people  were  carrying  plunder  past  our  house ;  and  those  same  wagons 
returned  during  the  afternoon  loaded.  I  remained  at  home  on  Sunday,  for 
the  reason  that  they  said  they  were  going  to  commence  at  East  Liberty 
and  burn  everything  to  Pittsburgh,  and  I  thought  that  possibly  my  house 
might  be  burned. 

Q.  If  you  had  succeeded  in  starting  a  train  from  Pittsburgh,  would  it 
have  been  able  to  get  ten  miles  away. 

A.  All  the  trains  that  we  started  previous  to,  say,  nine  or  nine  and  a  half 
o'clock  on  Thursday,  went  through — went  through  all  right. 

Q.  AY  hat  do  you  mean  by  through  ? 

A.  To  the  destination,  wherever  it  was. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  During  this  time,  before  the  military  arrived,  was  there  any  consid- 
erable effort  made  on  the  part  of  the  police  to  protect  you  and  your  men 
and  property  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  nothing  at  all  equal  to  the  emergency. 

Q.  What  number  of  policemen  were  there  in  force,  at  any  time,  to  pro- 
tect you  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that  I  ever  saw  a  dozen.  A  small  force  of  police  were 
brought  to  the  outer  depot  on  Thursday,  but  it  was  after  I  had  gone  to 
Torrens,  and  I  remained  away  the  remainder  of  the  day.  It  was  after  the 
time  that  we  were  trying  to  get  out  another  train,  when  the  men  refused  to 
let  it  go,  and  when  Mr.  Watt  was  struck. 

Q.  What  were  the  police  doing  all  this  time  ? 

A.  I  suppose  the  police  were  too  weak  in  numbers. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  When  you  saw  them  they  were  inadequate  to  the  emergenc}'  ? 
•     A.  Yes ;  altogether. 

Q.  Up  to  Saturday  night,  any  train  that  could  have  been  started  would 
have  gone  through  to  its  destination  ? 

A .  No  ;  only  on  Thursday.  After  Thursday,  I  think,  no  freight  train 
could  have  gone  through,  because  all  the  trains  were  stopped ;  and  even 
the  passenger  trains  were  stopped  at  East  Liberty  and  Lawrenceville. 

Q.  From  the  information  that  the  railroad  authorities  had,  they  could 
not  have  run  trains  through  to  their  destination  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  so,  after  Thursday.  The  men  allowed  our  trains  to 
come  west,  but  as  fast  as  they  came  west  they  prevented  them  from  going 
east. 

Adjourned  until  Monday  morning,  at  ten  o'clock. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  143 

Pittsburgh,  Monday,  February  11,  1878,  10  o'clock,  a.  m. 

Orphans'  Court  Room, 

Pursuant  to  adjournment  the  committee  re-assembled  at  ten  o'clock, 
A.  M.,  this  day,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testimony. 

Cnarles  McGovern,  sivorn  with  the  uplifted  hand: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  On  Boyd  street,  in  the  Sixth  ward,  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  police  force  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  in  last  July  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  In  what  capacity  ? 

A.  I  was  a  detective. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  city  on  the  19th  day  of  July  ? 

A.  I  was.     That  was  Thursday. 

Q.  Were  you  employed  by  the  mayor  as  a  special  detective  ? 

A.  I  was  serving  under  his  administration. 

Q.  Had  you  any  communication  with  the  mayor  on  that  day  with  refer- 
ence to  the  disturbance  of  the  peace  ? 

A.  I  had. 

Q.  State  what  it  was  ? 

A.  A  little  after  eleven  o'clock  on  Thursda}",  the  19th  day  of  July,  Mr. 
Watt  came  to  the  mayor's  office  and  had  a  conversation  with  the  mayor, 
and  after  he  was  through  the  mayor  called  me  in.  It  was  my  week  in  the 
office.  We  took  our  turns  in  the  office.  He  instructed  me  to  gather  what 
men  I  could  find  and  go  out  to  Twenty-eighth  street — that  there  was  some 
trouble  with  the  railroad  employes  out  there  on  account  of  a  strike.  The 
week  before  that  our  police  force  had  been  reduced  from  two  hundred  and 
thirty-six  men  to  one  hundred  and  twenty,  I  think.  That  left  us  without 
any  men  in  the  day  time  at  all,  except  six  men  that  were  employed  in  the 
office  as  detectives,  and  one  man  on  Fifth  street,  and  two  specials,  I  be- 
lieve ;  but  on  this  day  it  happened  that  the  men  that  had  been  dropped 
from  the  rolls  were  in  the  City  hall  for  the  purpose  of  getting  their  money. 
I  told  the  mayor  that  I  could  not  get  a  sufficient  number  of  men  to  go  out 
there  to  amount  to  anything,  if  there  was  any  serious  trouble,  but  that  a 
number  of  these  men  were  there,  and  that  I  could  raise  a  squad  from  them 
if  necessary.  So  failing  to  find  the  necessary  number  of  our  men — who 
were  in  bed  at  this  time  because  they  were  on  duty  at  night — I  gathered 
ten  men  belonging  to  the  force  that  had  been  dropped,  and  started  out  to 
the  Union  depot.  Mr.  Watt  met  us  there  and  took  us  out  to  the  crossing 
at  Twenty-eighth  street.  He  had  some  two  or  three  of  his  own  men  there. 
When  I  got  out  there  he  told  me  what  we  were  brought  there  for — that 
there  was  a  strike  in  progress,  and  he  anticipated  some  trouble  with  the 
employes — that  is  they  would  likely  resist  the  running  of  trains.  We 
were  moved  out  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  or  a 
little  this  side  of  the  street — that  is,  west — there  is  a  switch.  He  told  me 
he  was  going  to  move  the  trains,  and  I-  sent  the  men  to  protect  those 
switches,  and  to  see  they  were  not  interfered  with  by  the  strikers.  I 
divided  the  men  into  two  squads,  and  sent  one  squad  to  the  western 
switch  and  took  charge  of  the  other  myself. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  there  in  a  squad  ? 

A.  Five  ;  I  had  ten  men  and  myself.  Quite  a  number  of  the  people  there 
were  boys,  and  there  didn't  appear  to  be  much  excitement  just  then. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  A  little  before  twelve  o'clock. 


144  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 
Q.  What  were  they,  railroad  men  ? 
A.  Yes  ;  a  number  of  them.     Some  I  knew. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Ooidd  you  mention  their  names  ? 

A.  One  I  recollect  now.     I  knew  him  to  be  a  railroad  man.     I  had  a 

conversation  with  him.     It  was  Samuel  Muckle.     1  talked  with  him.     The 

leading  men  of  them  seemed  to  be  disposed  to  keep  the  peace.     They  didn't 

want  any  trouble  with  the  police.     We  didn't  anticipate  much  trouble  then. 

Q.  How  many  were  there  ? 

A.  One  hundred  were  there,  but  a  number  of  those  were  spectators,  who 
had  just  come  from  curiosity. 

Q.  How  many  were  engaged  in  the  strike  ? 

A.  I  can  only  judge  of  the  number  actively  engaged  in  the  strike,  from 
the  number  of  persons  that  interfered  with  the  first  arrest  that  we  made. 
That  occurred  when  Mr.  Watt  attempted  to  open  the  switch  to  let  the  train 
out.  That  is  where  the  first  trouble  commenced.  As  soon  as  he  did  that, 
a  man  named  McCall,  and  another  man  named  Davis,  both  of  whom  have 
been  tried  in  the  conrts  since — the}' jumped  on  to  the  switch,  and  one  of 
them  struck  Mr.  Watt.  When  I  saw  that,  1  was  at  the  other  switch.  I 
ran  down,  and  after  considerable  trouble,  we  succeeded  in  arresting  McCall 
and  in  taking  him  down  to  the  watch-house.  Then  probably  there  were 
fifteen  or  twenty  persons  that  appeared  to  take  an  active  part  in  preventing 
McCall  from  being  arrested.  They  seemed  to  be  very  anxious  to  have  us 
let  him  go.  There  were  a  number  of  stones  thrown,  and  some  of  my  offi- 
cers were  hit.  I  saw  a  number  of  stones  thrown,  and  it  was  principally 
the  work  of  boys.  The  railroad  men  wanted  to  persuade  us  to  let  him  go, 
but  we  finally  got  him  down  to  the  watch-house.  He  resisted  very  stoutly. 
None  of  the  railroad  men  attempted  to  use  violence  at  that  time. 
Q,.  You  placed  him  in  the  lock-up  ? 
A.  Yes ;  at  the  Twelfth  ward  station. 

Q.  How  many  of  your  men  remained  there  on  the  ground  ? 
A.  After  we  locked  him  up  we  came  right  back  there  again. 
Q.  What  occurred  then  ? 

A.  Mr.  Watt  left  then  and  went  to  get  more  men.     Along  about  one 
o'clock,  I  judge,  there  were  some  five  or  six  men  came,  in  charge  of  officer 
White,  of  the  mayor's  force,  and  went  on  out  to  East  Liberty,  and  my  im- 
pression is  that  Mr.  Watt  went  with  them. 
Q.  How  many  men  were  with  officer  White  ? 

A.  Five  or  six  men — also  men  dropped  from  the  rolls.  Then  three  or 
four — probably  more — there  may  have  been  ten — came  to  my  assistance 
and  remained  with  me  at  the  crossing. 

<v>.  How  long  did  you  remain  at  the  crossing? 

A.  Until  about  three  o'clock.  In  the  meantime  there  did  not  appear  to 
be  any  effort  made  on  the  part  of  the  railroad  authorities  to  move  any 
more  trains  after  this  assault  at  the  switch,  and  in}r  impression  was  at  the 
time  that  they  had  given  the  matter  up  just  then.  There  seemed  to  be  a 
general  disposition  on  the  part  of  the  railroad  employe's — the  men  not  on 
strike — to  rest  easy,  as  it  were.  They  didn't  want  to  work.  1  heard  the 
men  talking  with  each  other.  They  did  not  appear  to  make  any  effort  to 
work.  Those  not  engaged  in  the  strike  actively — they  seemed  to  be  in 
sympathy  with  those  in  the  strike. 

Q.  What  was  the  condition  of  the  crowd  there  from  one  o'clock  up  to 
three  o'clock  ? 

A.  It  kept  on  increasing. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  145 

Q.  How  was  it  as  to  being  demonstrative  or  boisterous  ? 

A.  There  was  no  trouble  there  after  this  assault  on  Mr.  Watt,  because 
no  effort  was  made  on  the  part  of  the  railroad  officials  to  run  out  trains. 

Q.  Where  did  you  go  when  you  left  there  ? 

A.  I  telegraphed  to  the  chief,  in  town,  from  the  Twelfth  ward  station, 
that  things  were  at  a  stand-still ;  that  there  was  no  attempt  on  the  part  ot 
the  railroad  men  to  run  out  trains,  and  that  the  men  were  still  stationed 
at  the  crossing,  and  he  instructed  me  to  place  the  men  in  charge  of  officer 
Fowler,  and  to  come  in  to  the  central  office.     I  did  so  after  three  o'clock. 

Q.  Did  you  go  out  again  ? 

A.  Not  that  afternoon. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  further  instructions  ? 

A.  Not  that  day.  The  men  remained  there  that  day  and  night — all 
night. 

Q.  Were  you  present  when  Mr.  Watt  came  to  consult  with  the  mayor  ? 

A.  I  was  in  the  office. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  the  conversation  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  What  did  Mr.  Watt  tell  you  that  time  in  the  presence  of  the  mayor  ? 

A.  1  do  not  think  the  mayor  was  present  at  that  time.  It  was  in  regard 
to  what  I  was  going  out  there  for.  He  told  me  a  few  of  the  men  were  on 
a  strike,  and  that  they  would  probably  undertake  to  interfere  with  the  run- 
ning of  the  trains,  but  he  did  not  anticipate  any  serious  trouble.  He 
thought  that  a  few  men  would  be  sufficient.  He  did  not  think  it  would 
amount  to  anything,  and  said  that  the  presence  of  a  few  men  would  stop 
the  whole  thing.     He  looked  on  it  very  lightly  at  that  time. 

Q.  After  Mr.  Watt  went  away  it  was  that  Mayor  McCarthy  gave  you 
instructions  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  did  he  tell  you  to  do  ? 

A.  He  told  me  to  collect  as  many  men  as  I  could  get. 

Q.  Of  the  force  on  duty  ? 

A.  There  was  no  force  on  duty. 

Q.  From  what  source  were  you  to  collect  them  ? 

A.  He  told  me  to  get  as  many  men  as  I  could  get.  He  meant  the  office 
men.  But  they  were  only  on  duty  at  night,  and  at  this  time  none  of  them 
were  about  except  the  chief  of  detectives,  Mr.  O'Mara,  who  was  busy,  I 
believe.  I  so  reported  to  the  mayor.  I  told  him  I  could  get  a  number  of 
the  men  who  were  dropped  from  the  rolls.  He  told  me  to  go  ahead  and 
get  them. 

Q.  How  many  of  those  men  were  there  then  ? 

A.  I  suppose  there  may  have  been  twenty  or  twenty-five. 

Q.  You  selected  ten  of  them  ? 

A.  I  thought  that  would  be  a  sufficient  number  on  account  of  what  Mr. 
Watt  had  told  me. 

Q.  You  could  have  got  more  if  you  had  wanted  them  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  did  get  more  afterwards.  I  think  ten  more  came  out.  Of 
course  we  could  not  get  those  men  and  bring  them  into  service  as  our  men 
in  actual  service,  because  those  men  had  been  dropped  from  the  rolls,  and 
it  was  only  those  willing  to  go  on  duty  or  not. 

Q.  But  plenty  of  them  were  willing  to  go  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  showed  a  willingness  to  go. 

Q.  When  you  got  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  how  many  men  were  engaged 
there  then  in  preventing  the  trains  from  moving  ? 

A.  The  first  intimation  I  had  of  any  men,  who  were  going  to  prevent 
10  Riots. 


146  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

trains  from  running,  was  when  Mr.  Watt  was  assaulted,  and  then  I  should 
judge  that  those  men  actively  engaged,  numbered,  probably,  ten  or  fifteen — 
that  seemed  to  be  the  leaders. 

Q.  When  3^011  undertook  to  arrest  McCall,  how  many  men  took  his  part? 

A.  I  suppose  ten  or  fifteen  of  those  men  gathered  around  us,  and  wanted 
us  to  let  him  go. 

Q.  Did  you  arrest  all  of  those  who  undertook  to  take  McCall's  part? 

A.  The}^  did  not  use  any  violence  at  all.  McCall  appealed  to  them,  and 
asked  them  not  to  allow  him  to  be  arrested,  that  they  were  there  for  the  pur- 
pose of  preventing  the  trains  from  running,  and  that  they  were  not  surely 
going  to  allow  him  to  go  to  the  watch-house,  but  there  was  not  a  man  of  them 
that  attempted  to  interfere  with  the  officers.  The  only  interference  was  some 
stones  thrown  from  the  hill-side  around.  I  saw  some  of  them  thrown,  and 
most  of  them  by  boys. 

Q.  I  understand,  after  you  returned  from  the  lock-up,  you  found  the 
crowd  still  assembled  at  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  large  was  it  then  ? 

A.  It  was  increased  then,  I  estimate,  to  about  the  number  of  two  hundred 
people,  women,  and  children,  and  boj-s,  and  men. 

Q.  What  were  they  doing  at  that  time  ? 

A.  They  were  just  standing  around  there  chatting  and  talking  among 
themselves.     The  excitement  was  still  increasing. 

Q.  Xo  effort  was  made  to  start  the  trains  from  that  time  until  three 
o'clock  ? 

A.  When  those  men  came  from  the  office — the  second  force — Mr.  Watt 
went  up  to  Torren's  station.  I  believe  there  was  no  person  thei*e  that  ap- 
peared to  make  any  effort  to  do  anything.  Mr.  Fox,  the  chief  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania railroad  police  was  there,  and  I  was  under  his  instructions  to  do 
anything  he  wanted  done.  From  that  time,  until  I  left,  no  effort  was  made 
on  their  part  to  run  out  trains  east.  There  was  an  attempt  made  after  I 
left  to  run  trains  out,  but  of  course  I  did  not  see  that. 

Q.  Did  you  command  the  crowd  to  disperse  ? 

A.  We  undertook  to  keep  the  crowd  off  the  ti'acks,  but  our  force  was 
not  sufficient.  As  soon  as  we  would  get  one  track  cleared,  they  would  come 
in  on  the  other.  It  would  have  required  at  two  or  three  o'clock — it  would 
have  required  a  hundred  men  to  clear  the  tracks,  and  do  it  effectually,  and 
I  did  not  have  the  necessary  force  to  do  it  with.  They  appeared  to  loiter 
around  there  talking,  and  the  crowd  kept  on  increasing. 

Q.  Did  you  get  any  further  instructions  after  you  returned  to  the  city 
and  reported  to  the  chief  of  police? 

A.  I  got  no  further  instructions,  I  remember,  from  the  chief;  he  in- 
structed me  to  turn  the  force  over  to  officer  Fowler,  and  report  at  the  city 
hall. 

Q.  Do  you  know,  of  your  own  knowledge,  what  were  the  movements  of 
the  police  force  there  during  the  balance  of  the  day  ? 

A .  During  the  balance  of  the  day  the  force  was  increased  to,  I  think,  at 
Twenty-eighth  street,  thirty  men — twenty -five  or  thirty  men — during  the 
evening.     They  remained  on  duty  all  night. 

<v).  Was  there  any  effort  made  to  run  out  trains  during  the  afternoon  of 
Thursday? 

A.   I  believe  there  was. 

Q;   Were  you  not  on  an  engine,  and  were  you  not  driven  off? 

A.    I  was  not;  the  ollicers  can  be  got  here  that  went  on  that  engine 

(,).   Will  you  tell  us  who  the}'  were. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*7*7.  141 

A.  Officer  Saul  Coulston  and  officer  Robert  Fowler. 

Q,  Did  you  have  any  further  connection  with  the  movements  of  the  po- 
lice ? 

A.  Not  in  the  capacity  of  commander  or  leader. 

Q.  Were  you  present  at  any  of  the  disturbances  after  that  ? 

A.  I  went  through  it  all,  backward  and  forward,  around  the  city,  in  the 
capacity  of  an  officer. 

Q.  Were  the  police,  to  your  knowledge,  reinforced  in  the  morning  of  the 
20th — Friday  morning. 

A.  No,  sir ;  the  police  force  was  not  reinforced  until  Tuesday  morning — 
the  following  Tuesdaj" — that  is,  were  not  organized.  Then  the  regular 
force  was  filled  up  and  organized  by  the  committee  of  safety.  But  a  num- 
ber of  the  men  who  were  called  on  on  Monday  and  Sunday  responded. 
But  the  regular  organization  did  not  take  place  until  Tuesday. 

Q.  They  responded  whenever  the  calls  were  made  ? 

A.  A  number  of  them  responded  on  Sunday,  after  the  fire  was  going  on. 

Q.  Was  there  any  difficulty,  so  far  as  you  know,  in  reinforcing  the  police 
force  ? 

A.  I  know,  from  my  own  experience,  that  there  was  considerable  diffi- 
culty in  bringing  the  men  dropped  from  the  rolls  when  there  was  no  trouble 
— in  bringing  them  to  the  front  after  the  trouble  commenced.  A  great 
many  of  them  objected  to  going  on  duty. 

Q.  Why? 

A.  I  suppose  they  looked  on  it  in  this  way.  I  inferred  this  from  the 
tone  of  their  conversation — that  they  were  discharged — that  the  councils 
had  thought  proper  to  dispense  with  their  services  when  there  was  no 
trouble,  and  that,  when  they  were  in  trouble  they  did  not  propose  to  put 
their  heads  into  the  halter.  I  know  one  of  them  left  my  squad — or  two.  of 
them.  One  of  them  did  not  reflect  that  he  might  be  taken  to  where  he 
would  get  hurt  or  get  hit  with  a  stone.     He  left  and  the  other  left. 

Q.  What  reason  did  he  give  ? 

A.  He  simply  lefU 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  These  men  were  not  organized  at  all  ? 

A.  They  had  been  dropped  from  the  rolls  the  week  previous.    They  were 
not  bound  in  any  way  to  the  city. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  not  a  demand  have  to  be  made  on  them  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  simply  told  them.    Those  that  wanted  to  go,  fell  into  line, 
and  marched  out  as  volunters. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  They  could  leave  as  soon  as  they  wanted  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  same  as  any  other  citizens.     They  were  not  under  pa}" — 
not  under  pay  at  all. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  not  have  the  right  from  the  mayor  to  demand  them  to  go 
with  you  ? 

A.  I  did  not  know  I  had  a  right  any  more  than  I  could  command  you 
to  assist  me. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  get  such  instructions  from  the  mayor  ? 

A.  At  the  time  we  went  out  we  did  not  expect  any  such  trouble. 

Q.  But  did  the  mayor  give  you  instructions  to  demand  them  to  go  with 
you? 

A.  He  did  not  think  of  it,  and  I  did  not  either.    I  thought  that  the  pres- 


148  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

ence,  as  Mr.  Watt  told  me — that  the  presence  of  five  or  six  men  would  have 
the  desired  effect. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  report  to  the  mayor,  during  the  afternoon  ? 

A.  I  reported  to  the  chief  of  police. 

Q.  That  is  the  only  report  you  made  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Who  was  he  ? 

A.  Philip  Demmel. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  an  order,  given  by  the  mayor  to  his  officers,  to  com- 
pel men  to  serve  on  the  police  force,  during  those  troubles  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  of  any  order  of  that  kind.  I  know  of  orders  given  by 
the  mayor  to  summon  all  the  men  that  had  been  dropped  from  the  rolls, 
and  to  get  them  organized  with  the  men  we  had,  and  go  on  duty.  A  num- 
ber of  them  responded.     That  was  on  Sunday. 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  summoned  ? 

A.  Just  notified  them. 

Q.  Compelling  them  to  serve  ? 

A.  I  did  not  understand  it  as  compulsory  at  all.     I  did  not  think  it  was. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  It  was  simpty  a  call  for  volunteers  to  go  out  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  state  to  them  anything  about  their  pay — as  to  how  they 
would  be  paid  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  as  I  stated  anything  to  them  probably  the  first  day, 
but  the  understanding  was  after  they  got  out  there  that  Mr.  Watt  was 
responsible  for  the  pay  of  these  men. 

Q.  The  mayor  did  not  make  any  call  on  the  night  police  to  go  out  there 
at  all  on  Thursday  ? 

A.  Not  on  Thursday.     The  night  men  were  not  there. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  There  was  no  effort  made,  that  you  know  of,  to*  get  the  night  men 
out  there  ? 

A.  There  was  no  apparent  necessity  at  that  time.     The  night  force  went 
on  duty  on  Friday  night,  and  they  remained  on  duty  in  and  around  the 
city  hall  until  the  ti'ouble  was  all  over. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ? 

A.  Going  out  in  squads  from  the  city  hall  wherever  they  were  required 
to  go. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  they  serve  during  the  day  on  Friday  ? 

A.  I  do  not  recollect  that  they  did.     I  cannot  say  that. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Did  they  serve  during  the  day  Saturday  ? 

A.  I  think  they  were  on  duty  from  Friday  night  until  the  trouble  was 
all  over.     That  is  my  impression.     I  cannot  be  positive,  however. 

Q.  The  night  force  numbered  one  hundred  and  twenty  ? 

A.  One  hundred  and  sixteen  men  we  had  left  for  the  whole  city. 

Q.  Were  any  of  that  number  detailed  to  go  to  the  depot  or  to  that  sec- 
tion of  the  city  ? 

A.  On  Thursday? 

Q.  Yes ;  or  on  Friday  or  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  The  men  were  on  duty  continually  Frida}-,  and  on  Saturday  all  the 
men  were  out. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  149 

Q.  Where? 

A.  In  the  neighborhood  of  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  along  where  the 
trouble  was. 

Q.  How  many  were  at  Twenty-eighth  street  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say. 

Q.  How  many  on  Friday  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  say.     I  suppose  the  chief  would  know. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  You  were  on  duty  that  day  ? 

A.  I  was  on  duty  continuously  from  that  time  until  the  trouble  was 
over. 

Q.  When  you  talked  with  those  men,  what  reason  did  they  give  you. 
You  have  said  you  talked  with  one  ? 

A.  They  assigned  as  a  reason  for  striking  that  it  was  on  account  of  the 
double-headers,  slim  pay,  and  so  forth.  That  the  men  were  starving,  and 
all  that  kind  of  thing,  and  that  now  they  proposed  to  reduce  the  force, 
and  compel  one  crew  to  run  two  trains,  and  they  did  not  propose  to  do  it. 
Various  reasons  were  assigned. 

Q.  Did  he  express  any  intention  to  use  violence  ? 

A.  He  did  not.     He  and  a  number  of  the  others  had  considerable  in- 
fluence over  the  men,  and  no  violence  was  to  be  used  at  all.     It  seemed 
that  the  men  not  in  the  strike  were  in  sympathy  with  those  that  were,  and 
that  no  trains  would  be  run  out. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  When  was  this  ? 

A.  It  was  after  Mr.  Watt  was  struck. 

Q.  Did  he  take  any  part  with  them  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  arrested  in  that  crowd  on  Thursday  in  the  vici- 
nity of  the  trouble  ?' 

A.  McCall  was  the  only  one  I  arrested.  I  left  about  three  o'clock. 
While  I  was  there  no  other  act  was  committed  by  any  person  in  the  party, 
and  no  effort  was  made  by  the  railroad  to  runout  trains,  and  we  were  sim- 
ply there  under  the  instruction  of  the  railroad  men. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  of  any  others  being  arrested  that  day  in  that 
vicinity  ? 

A.  I  do  not. 

Q.  Nor  on  Friday  in  that  vicinity  to  your  knowledge  ? 

A.  On  Friday  morning,  I  think,  the  military  was  out  with  the  sheriff' 
and  his  posse. 

Q.  But  answer  my  question  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  On  Saturday  ? 

A.  On  Saturday,  no,  not  on  Saturday.  The  military  were  in  charge  of 
the  railroad  property  on  Saturday. 

Q.  Did  you  or  any  other  officer  that  you  know  of  have  a  warrant  in  his 
hands  for  the  arrest  of  some  ten  or  twelve  men  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  had  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  ten  or  twelve  men  that  were 
interfering  with  the  railroad  employes. 

Q.  You  had  the  names  of  those  parties  ? 

A.  Before  the  warrants  were  served  they  were  re-called  from  me. 

Q.  By  whom  ? 

A.  The  information  was  taken  away  by  the  attorneys  of  the  railroad 
company. 

Q.  Did  they  recall  them  ? 


150  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  From  you  ? 

A.  Not  the  warrants ;  hut  I  was  notified  by  the  mayor  that  the  infor- 
mation was  taken  from  the  office,  and  that  the  matter  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  sheriff. 

Q.  Did  he  instruct  you  to  return  the  warrants  ? 

A.  The  warrants  were  null  and  void  then  when  the  information  was 
taken  away.     The  warrants  were  transferred  to  the  sheriff. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  anybody  make  any  threats  against  the  railroad  officers  ? 

A.  Well,  Davis  jumped  on  the  switch,  and  swore  that  no  trains  should 
go  out,  that  he  would  die  in  his  tracks  first.  Those  were  the  only  threats 
I  heard  on  Thursda}\ 

Q.  Were  those  directed  against  the  railroad  officers  or  any  of  their  em- 
ployes ? 

A.  The  threats  were  against  the  running  out  of  the  trains. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anybody  going  to  the  officers  of  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road Company,  and  advising  them  to  leave  the  city  for  fear  that  they  would 
suffer  violence  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  own  knowledge. 

Q.  You  did  not  hear  anybody  make  such  threats  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  When  did  you  first  get  the  warrants  for  the  arrest  of  those  men — 
what  day  was  it  ? 

A.  It  seems  to  me  the  warrants  were  issued  on  Thursday  afternoon  or 
Friday  morning,  but  I  am  not  positive  about  that.  I  can  refer  to  the 
warrants  and  see. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  hold  them  before  you  got  notice  that  the  informa- 
tion was  withdrawn. 

A.  I  think  the  warrants  were  held  by  me — I  am  not  positive  about  the 
time  that  they  were  issued  to  me — but  it  seems  to  me  that  the  warrants 
were  in  my  hands  j  ust  one  day  and  night. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Were  not  your  instructions  to  quietly  take  those  men  ? 

A.  My  instructions  were  to  quietly  take  those  men  up.  They  were  my 
instructions.  At  the  time  the  warrants  were  issued  there  was  considerable 
excitement,  and  the  instructions  I  got  in  relation  to  it  were  that  after  the 
excitement  allayed  somewhat,  the  warrants  could  be  quietly  served  without 
bringing  about  a  conflict,  and  owing  to  the  pretty  slim  police  force,  it 
was  considered  wise  to  wait  until  the  trouble  would  be  over. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Who  gave  you  those  instructions  ? 

A.  The  mayor — the  chief  of  detectives,  I  think  it  was.  I  do  not  say  the 
mayor,  but  one  of  my  superior  officers,  I  know  it  was. 

Q.  Who  was  the  chief  of  detectives  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Mr.  O'Mara,  I  believe. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Your  instructions  were  to  wait  until  the  excitement  was  allayed  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  not  to  go  after  your  men  that  night  after  the  men  had  retired  to 
their  homes,  and  take  them  up  quietly,  and  take  them  to  the  station  house  ? 

A.  My  impression  is,  that  the  men  did  not  retire  to  their  homes  on  that 
day  or  night ;  the  crowd  kept  there  all  night,  or  staid  around  the  tracks  at 
Twenty-eighth  street,  and  also  at  Torrens  station. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  151 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  any  effort  made  by  the  police  to  disperse  the  crowd  during  the 
night  ? 

A.  I  was  not  there. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Could  you  at  any  time  have  taken  the  men  out  of  the  crowd  with 
your  force  ? 

A.  If  they  had  resisted  I  could  not,  I  know. 

Q.  Could  you  not  have  quietly  slipped  up  and  taken  them  ? 

A.  Those  men  I  had  warrants  for  were  employes  of  the  road,  and  I  did 
not  know  anything  about  their  being  in  any  crowd,  buc  it  appears  they 
were  active  leaders.  I  did  not  know  they  were  in  any  crowd,  but  owing 
to  the  state  of  excitement  at  the  time,  it  was  considered  advisable  to  wait 
until  the  excitement  was  allayed  before  arresting  those  men. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Who  made  the  information  against  those  men  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  Mr.  Watt.     That  is  my  impression.     The  information 
was  drawn  by  Messrs.  Hampton  and  Dalzell,  and  sworn  to  by  Mr.  Watt. 

Roger  O'Mara,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  No.  267  Webster  avenue. 

Q.  What  was  your  business  in  Juby  last  ? 

A.  I  was  chief  of  detectives  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  city  on  the  19th  of  July  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  what  knowledge  3rou  have  of  any  disturbance  of  the  peace  on 
that  day  ? 

A.  The  first  knowledge  I  had,  Mr.  Watt  came  to  the  mayor's  office  that 
morning.  I  was  in  the  office  at  the  time.  He  stated  that  there  was  a  dis- 
turbance, that  the  men  were  on  a  strike,  and  he  wanted  to  get  some  officers 
to  go  out  with  him.  Our  force  was  reduced  shortby  before  that,  and  no 
men  were  on  duty  in  the  day  time.  We  only  had  one  hundred  and  twenty 
men,  and  ten  were  lamp  watchers,  and  ten  were  at  the  station-houses.  One 
hundred  and  one  in  all  were  left  for  police  duty. 

Q.  State  what  occurred  ? 

A.  I  asked  Mr.  Watt  how  niaivy  men  he  thought  would  do,  and  he  said 
about  ten  men.  I  had  the  men  gathered  up  from  those  men  who  were 
dropped  from  the  rolls,  and  brought  them  in  there,  and  told  Officer  Fowler 
to  take  charge  of  them,  and  to  go  with  Mr.  Watt.  I  afterwards  asked  the 
mayor,  and  he  told  me  that  Mr.  McGovern  should  be  placed  in  charge.  1 
then  sent  him  on  up. 

Q.  Did  }^ou  have  any  difficulty  in  getting  the  men  you  wanted  ? 

A.  I  gathered  them  in  about  five  minutes.  I  just  asked  for  ten,  and  got 
them. 

Q.  Plenty  of  others  were  willing  to  go  ? 

A.  I  suppose  so. 

Q.  Was  anything  said  between  Mr.  Watt  and  the  mayor  about  the  pay 
of  the  men  ? 

A.  Mr.  Watt  told  me  he  would  pay  the  men. 

Q.  Who  introduced  that  subject  of  pay? 

A.  I  do  not  know.  I  told  him  these  men  are  not  on  the  force,  but  we 
could  gather  them  up  if  he  agreed  to  pay  them. 

Q.  They  went  then  ? 


152  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Yes;  in  charge  of  McGovern. 

Q.  State  what  occurred  from  the  time  that  they  went  away — whether  any 
report  was  made  to  you  or  not  ? 

A.  I  understood  about  the  trouble.  McGovern  told  me  about  arresting 
this  party  after  he  came  back. 

Q.  Was  any  report  made  to  you  of  what  occurred  ? 

A.  I  had  a  conversation  with  him  after  he  came  back. 

Q.  At  what  time  ? 

A.  About  four  o'clock  on  Thursday. 

Q.  What  did  he  state  to  you  when  he  came  back  ? 

A.  He  told  me  he  had  arrested  that  party — that  Mr.  Watt  went  to  turn 
the  switch,  and  somebody  hit  him,  and  he  arrested  him,  and  put  him  in  the 
Twelfth  ward  station-house.  Information  was  afterwards  made  against 
some  ten  parties. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  I  think  on  Thursday  afternoon,  after  this  arrest. 

Q.  You  say  against  some  ten  parties  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  In  whose  hands  were  the  warrants  placed  ? 

A.  They  were  given  to  me  first.  A  lawj^er  in  Mr.  Hampton's  office  was 
here.  He  had  them  drawn  up.  I  gave  the  warrants  to  McGovern.  On 
account  of  the  excitement  we  proposed  to  locate  the  parties  in  their  houses, 
and  to  get  them  there.  But  the  next  morning  a  young  man  in  Hampton's 
office  came  in  and  told  me  not  to  make  the  arrests  until  further  orders.  I 
thought  then  that  the  men  were  going  to  work,  perhaps.  I  then  told  Mc- 
Govern not  to  make  the  arrests. 

Q.  Do  you  state  you  told  McGovern  not  to  arrest  the  men,  but  to  get  them 
at  their  houses? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  many  policemen  do  you  think  you  could  have  gathered  up  that 
afternoon  for  duty  ? 

A.  I  have  no  idea  how  many.  A  good  many  of  them  were  about  there 
just  at  the  time  that  Mr.  Watt  came  in  and  said  he  wanted  some.  We 
might  have  gotten  thirty  then.     More  went  out  afterwards. 

Q.  Who  sent  them  out  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know.     But  I  understood,  however,  more  men  were  wanted, 
and  they  were  sent  out. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  These  men  that  were  picked  up — these  men  that  had  been  dropped  from 
the  rolls,  did  they  go  out  on  the  ground  in  uniform,  or  did  they  go  out  in 
citizen's  dress  ? 

A.  I  guess  some  in  uniform  and  some  in  citizen's  dress.     I  cannot  say 
whether  they  were  in  uniform  or  not. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Were  they  armed  as  usual  with  maces  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Usually  when  you  send  out  a  squad,  don't  you  arm  them  with  maces  ? 

A.  Yes;  but  these  men  were  not  on  the  rolls,  and  I  just  gathered  them 
up,  and  sent  them  out  as  quickly  as  possible. 

Q.  If  not  armed,  they  would  not  have  been  of  much  use  ? 

A.  No ;  not  of  much  use,  if  there  was  much  disturbance,  without  arms. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  whether  they  were  armed  or  not  ? 

A.  I  do  not,  because  I  did  not  go  out  with  them. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  153 

Q.  Was  there  any  call  made  on  the  night  force  for  it  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  there  was  that  night. 

Q.  They  were  on  duty  regularly  on  Thursday  evening,  I  suppose  ? 

A.  Throughout  the  city,  yes. 

Q.  The  one  hundred  and  one  men  men  were  on  service  throughout  the 
city  proper  ? 

A.  On  Thursday  night,  yes. 

Q.  None  of  them  went  to  the  scene  of  this  disturbance  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge,  except  the  men  on  in  that  district. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  regularly  stationed  in  that  district  ? 

A.  I  suppose  about  ten  men  were  on  in  that  district — the  third  district 
— from  the  Union  depot  to  Twent3'-eighth  street.  The  lieutenant  in  charge 
of  the  district  may  have  had  his  men  there. 

Q.  Who  had  charge  of  that  district  ? 

A.  Henry  Coates,  I  think.     I  think  he  had  charge  of  it. 

Q.  Were  any  of  them  sent  out  there  on  Friday  morning — any  of  the 
night  force  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  they  were,  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  Or  during  the  day  Friday,  at  any  time  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  they  were. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Were  you  at  the  scene  of  the  disturbance  at  any  time  during  the 
trouble  ? 

A.  I  was  out  there  on  Sunday  morning  early,  along  the  line  on  Liberty 
street.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  trouble  about  the  city,  and  we  were 
gathering  the  police  in  and  sending  them  out  throughout  the  city.  We 
were  afraid  that  the  mob  would  break  into  the  gun  shops.  The  excite- 
ment was  so  great  that  I  thought  they  might  attempt  to  break  into  places, 
and  so  I  gathered  the  men  up  and  sent  them  to  different  places. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  If  the  mayor  had  made  a  call  for  policemen  on  Thursday  afternoon, 
how  many  men  could  he  have  raised  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know.     I  have  no  idea. 

Q.  Would  there  have  been  any  difficulty  in  raising  any  number  of  po- 
licemen, do  you  think  ? 

A.  There  might  have  been  some.     That  call  was  made  through  the  Sun- 
day papers,  and  a  good  many  responded. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  How  many  officers  and  men  does  the  night  force  consist  of  ? 

A.  The  whole  force  was  one   hundred  and  twenty  men — nine  of  them 
were  engaged  in  the  station-houses,  and  ten  of   them  watched  lamps — 
patrolmen,  detectives,  and  all.     That  was  for  the  whole  city. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  many  men  were  discharged  from  the  day  force  ? 

A.  One  hundred  and  sixteen  men  were  discharged.     Our  whole  force 
consisted  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-six  men,  all  told.     The  appropriation 
ran  out,  and  we  had  to  knock  the  men  off. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  reason  was  given  by  the  officer  for  not  serving  the  warrants  ? 
He  had  them  one  night,  had  he  not  ? 

A.  We  did  not  get  the  houses  all  located.  It  seems  they  were  out  that 
night,  and  we  could  not  get  them  served,  and  the  next  morning  we  were 
ordered  not  to  serve  them.  The  case  was  put  into  the  hands  of  the  sheriff 
on  Friday,  I  think. 


151  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  While  you  had  those  warrants  for  the  arrest  of  those  ten  men,  could 
you  not  have  arrested  them  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think,  with  the  few  men  we  could  have  got,  that  we  could 
have  arrested  them  out  there,  on  account  of  those  men  out  there.  It  might 
have  made  the  thing  worse  if  we  had  attempted  to  arrest  them  on  the 
ground.     I  thought  it  was  better  to  arrest  them  away  from  there. 

Q.  Did  you  attempt  to  locate  them  at  their  homes  that  night — you  did 
not  go  to  their  homes  ? 

A.  Xo ;  we  did  not  go  to  their  homes,  but  we  got  information  from  the 
parties  who  made  the  information. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  arrangement  to  watch  those  men  ? 

A.  From  all  accounts,  the  men  seemed  to  be  in  the  crowd.  We  had  no 
one  watching  their  houses  that  night,  because  we  did  not  find  out  that 
night  were  they  all  lived. 

Q.  Did  you  not  have  men  to  watch  these  men  or  follow  them  around  ? 

A.  Xo,  sir  ;  not  to  mjr  knowedge. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Didn't  you  see  some  of  these  men  out  there  on  Friday  ? 

A.  I  did  not.     I  was  not  out  there. 
By  Senator  Rejourn  ; 

Q.  How  did  you  expect  to  know  that  these  men  went  to  their  homes,  if 
you  did  not  follow  them  or  have  them  watched  ? 

A.  The  warrants  were  withdrawn  before  we  located  the  men. 

Q.  What  efforts  were  you  making  to  locate  them  ? 

A.  We  were  making  inquiries  from  parties  who  knew  them. 

Q.  Were  you  trying  all  the  time  to  find  out  where  they  were  ? 

A.  We  asked  the  parties  who  made  the  information.     We  wanted  to  locate 
them  all,  and  to  make  the  arrests.     We  did  not  expect  to  arrest  them  in 
the  crowd.     We  thought  we  could  not  do  it  there. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  spotters  out  in  the  crowd  at  all  ? 

A.  Several  of  the  officers  there  saw  the  different  parties,  and  what  they 
did.  Or,  if  information  was  made  against  them,  we  had  them  arrested  and 
tried.  Some  of  them  are  not  tried  yet.  Any  of  the  officers  who  knew 
any  men,  or  saw  them  do  anything,  afterwards  made  information  against 
them. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  The  officers  reported  to  you,  did  they  ? 

A.  Some  of  them. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  You  being  the  chief  of  detectives,  did  }-ou  send  any  men  out  to  spot 
those  parties  ? 

A.  Xo,  sir  ;  after  Friday,  the  thing  was  taken  out  of  our  hands.     If  any 
party  gave  information  in  regard  to  what  was  done,  we  would  haAre  them 
arrested.     The  detectives  were  out.     We  made  inquiries  of  people  as  to 
what  they  saw  other  people  do. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Was  it  not  on  Saturday  morning  that  you  considered  the  complaint 
withdrawn  upon  which  the  warrants  were  based  ? 

A.  I  think  on  Friday,  it  was,  that  I  was  notified  to  hold  them  until  further 
orders. 

Q.  Was  it  not  on  Saturday  morning  instead  of  on  Friday  morning  ? 

A.  My  recollection  is,  that  it  was  Friday. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*17.  155 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  present  at  any  time  during  the  destruction  of  the  property 
of  the  railroad  company  by  fire  ? 

A.  I  was  along  the  line  Sunday  morning,  in  Liberty  street.  I  drove 
along  with  the  mayor  in  a  buggy.  Myr  mother  and  sister  both  lived  back 
of  the  Union  depot,  and  they  were  burned  out.  I  tried  to  help  them  get 
their  things  awajr. 

Q.  During  the  fire,  were  you  ever  called  on  by  the  chief  of  the  fire  de- 
partment, or  by  anybody  connected  with  the  fire  department,  to  protect 
them  in  their  attempts  to  put  out  the  fire  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  other  officer  of  the  police  force  being  called 
upon  to  assist  them  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  you  take  any  measures  to  prevent  this  destruction  ? 

A.  We  could  not  do  anything  after  the  first  firing  was  done.  With  what 
police  force  we  had,  we  could  do  nothing  at  all.  They  commenced  break- 
ing into  houses,  and  gun  stores,  &c,  and  we  tried  to  prevent  them  from 
doing  that. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  3rou  see  them  breaking  into  any  gun  stores  ? 

A.  Yes ;  on  Penn  street  I  saw  a  couple  of  men  breaking  into  a  pawn 
shop.  I  heard  of  the  mob  coming,  and  I  hurried  up  the  officers,  and  placed 
men  in  front  of  different  gun  stores,  but  on  Wood  street  they  got  into 
one  in  spite  of  the  men.  Before  that,  we  had  notified  the  different  parties 
to  put  their  guns  away,  that  the  excitement  was  very  great,  and  that  the 
soldiers  had  fired  upon  the  men,  and  that  they  would  be  apt  to  break  into 
places  to  try  to  get  arms.  I  notified  the  different  parties  to  put  their  goods 
txway  that  the  mob  should  not  get  them. 

Q.  Who  composed  that  crowd — did  you  recognize  any  of  them  ? 

A.  They  seemed  to  be  working  men — men  that  came  from  the  south 
side.  One  squad  that  came  from  the  south  side — I  saw  them  going  down 
the  street — a  couple  of  young  men — the  same  that  I  saw  marching  down 
Penn  street.     Some  of  them  have  been  arrested  since. 

Q.  You  think  the  men  were  principally  from  the  south  side  who  broke 
into  the  gun  stores  7 

A.  About  the  time  that  they  broke  into  them,  at  different  places,  I  had 
squads  of  men.  On  Fifth  street  a  couple  of  young  men  came  down  firing 
off  guns,  and  I  went  to  the  mayor's  office  for  more  men,  and  I  was  not  there 
two  minutes  when  word  came  that  Brown's  gun  store  was  broke  into.  I 
then  got  some  men  and  placed  them  in  front  of  the  door. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  succeed  in  keeping  the  crowd  out  then  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  but  it  was  not  much  good  then,  for  the  things  were  gone.     They 
had  ransacked  the  place. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  It  was  on  Saturday  night.     It  was  just  about  dusk  when  this  party 
came  down,  and  went  in  on  Liberty  street  and  on  Penn  street.     I  was  going 
up  that  way  towards  Twenty-eighth  street,  when  I  saw  this  mob  coming 
down.     I  followed  on  down  to  see  what  they  proposed  to  do. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  You  had  no  men  stationed  about  any  of  these  gun  stores  before  they 
broke  into  them  ? 


156  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  at  Brown's,  on  Wood  street. 

Q.  Were  they  uniformed  men  ? 

A.  Yes ;  on  the  regular  city  force.  I  sent  them  to  the  places  where  I 
thought  they  were  most  needed,  and  I  tried  to  prevent  the  mob  from  get- 
ting fire-arms. 

Charles  McGovern,  re-called. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  those  men  that  you  took  to  Twenty-eighth  street  dressed  in 
uniform  ? 

A.  No  ;  just  a  few  of  them  had  vests  on  with  uniform  buttons  on.  And 
all  of  them  that  had  badges  about  them,  I  had  them  place  them  on  their 
coats  in  order  to  show  that  they  were  officers. 

Q.  Were  there  any  that  had  neither  vests  nor  badges  among  them  ? 

A.  I  think  there  were.  Some  of  them  did  not  happen  to  have  anything 
with  which  to  show  that  they  were  officers. 

Q.  Were  they  armed  in  any  way  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  They  had  no  maces  ? 

A.  No ;  they  were  taken  out  in  a  hurry  from  the  city  hall — just  taken 
out  on  the  spur  of  the  moment. 

Q  What  time  were  those  warrants  placed  in  your  hands  for  the  arrest 
of  those  parties  ? 

A.  My  recollection  of  the  warrants — I  could  very  easily  give  you  a 
definite  answer  if  I  had  time  to  go  to  the  office  and  refer  to  my  mem- 
oranda. Then  I  could  tell  you.  But  I  think  it  was  Friday.  That  is  my 
impression.     I  think  it  was  Friday  morning  or  Thursday  afternoon. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  keep  them  in  your  possession  ? 

A.  A  clay,  I  think,  and  a  night.     That  is  my  impression. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  effort  to  arrest  the  parties  ? 

A.  We  were  so  busy  on  other  matters  that  there  was  no  effort  made,  any 
more  than  to  make  inquiries  and  locating  the  parties.  We  did  not  antici- 
pate any  trouble  in  getting  them  after  the  excitement  was  somewhat  allayed. 

Q.  Did  you  go  to  their  houses  during  the  time  that  you  had  the  war- 
rants ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  try  to  spot  the  men  among  the  crowd  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  cannot  say  that  I  did,  because  it  was  a  secondary  consideration 
in  regard  to  those  men.  The  information  was  interfering  with  railroad  em- 
ployes, and  we  considered  it  a  light  matter  towards  what  was  going  on  at 
Twenty-eighth  street — the  riotous  proceedings.  We  were  kept  busy  that 
day  and  night  trying  to  keep  order. 

Q.  Those  men  were  all  participating  in  the  riot  as  leaders  when  you  first 
went  out  there  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  of  my  own  knowledge,  but  I,  of  course,  inferred 
it  from  the  fact  of  the  information  made  against  them. 

Q.  Did  you  know  any  of  the  ten  or  twelve  men  that  stood  around,  try- 
ing to  prevent  the  arrest  of  McCall  ? 

A.  None  of  them  tried  to  prevent  the  arrest  of  McCall.  I  knew  some 
of  them  by  face  and  a  few  by  name. 

Q.  Were  any  of  those  men's  names  included  in  those  warrants  ? 

A.  I  believe  they  were,  but  I  did  not  have  those  warrants  at  the  time. 

Q.  You  did  not  get  them  until  that  evening  or  the  next  morning  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  the  next  morning. 

Q.  Then  you  did  not  go  up  to  arrest  them  when  you  got  the  warrants  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  157 

A.  Not  immediate^.  It  was  considered  a  matter  of  judgment  at  the 
office  by  the  mayor,  and,  of  course,  I  was  under  his  instruction?. 

Q.  You  followed  the  mayor's  instructions  ? 

A.  Not  specially  his  instructions,  but  chief  O'Mara's  instructions.  I 
considered  it  would  be  easier  to  serve  them  afterwards  than  at  the  present 
time. 

By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  When  you  summoned  those  men  to  go  out,  you  did  not  provide  them 
with  maces  and  equipments  as  you  usually  do  ? 

A.  The  police  force  of  this  city  provide  everything  for  themselves.  If 
they  want  to  carry  a  pistol,  they  must  provide  it.  Our  maces  we  buy,  and 
our  clothes  we  buy.  The  city  supplies  nothing.  At  one  time  the  city  sup- 
plied those  things,  but  now  we  have  got  to  supply  all  those  things  ourselves. 
We  did  not  think  it  would  be  necessary  to  have  them  armed  at  that  time. 

Q.  At  the  time  of  a  row,  if  the  men  are  armed,  it  is  all  right,  and  if  they 
are  not  armed,  it  is  all  right,  too  ? 

A.  It  was  a  sudden  summons,  and  nobody  understood  the  extent  of  it. 
Of  course,  the  gentleman  who  summoned  us,  said  he  did  not  anticipate  any 
serious  trouble  at  all ;  that  he  thought  that  our  official  appearance  would  be 
sufficient ;  that  the  presence  of  the  officers  there  would  be  all  that  was  nec- 
essary. 

Q.  But  you,  as  an  officer,  did  not  exactly  believe  in  official  appearance, 
without  something  to  knock  down  with  in  case  of  a  row  ? 

A.  In  case  of  a  riot  we  ought  to  be  provided  with  arms ;  but  there  was 
no  riot  at  that  time,  nor  did  we  anticipate  any. 
[A  paper  exhibited  to  witness.] 

Q.  State  whether  this  is  the  information  made  upon  which  the  warrants 
were  issued  ? 

A.  I  never  saw  it. 

Q.  What  did  you  do  with  the  warrants? 

A.  They  are  still  in  the  office. 

Q.  You  returned  them  to  the  mayor  ? 

A.  No ;  they  are  still  in  the  closet  at  the  office.  I  think  they  are  there 
yet.     I  may  have  destroyed  them. 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  date  of  the  warrants  ? 

A.  I  cannot  remember  the  date.  I  told  you  I  thought  it  was  Thursday 
evening  or  Friday ;  that  would  be  the  19th  or  20th. 

John  J.  Davis,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  No.  114,  Sixteenth  street,  on  the  south  side. 
Q.  What  was  your  business  in  July  last  ? 
A.  I  was  clerk  to  the  chief  of  police. 
Q.  Where  were  you  on  the  19th  day  of  July — Thursday  ? 
A.  At  the  mayor's  office,  and  at  the  railroad. 

Q.  State  if  you  have  any  knowledge  of  the  disturbances  that  occurred  ? 
A.  I  was  not  at  the  railroad  during  the  time  of  the  disturbances. 
Q.  Did  you  receive  information  of  them  ? 

A.  We  got  a  second  dispatch,  or  rather  a  young  man  came  from  the 
ticket  office  asking  for  fifty  men.     I  was  present  in  the  office  at  the  time 
Q.  What  time  did  you  receive  that  dispatch? 
A.  Between  twelve  and  one  o'clock. 
Q.  By  whom  was  it  signed  ? 


158  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  cannot  say  now.  It  was  brought  by  a  young  man  at  the  ticket 
office? 

Q.  You  mean  the  railroad  ticket  office  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Asking  for  fifty  men  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  To  whom  was  it  addressed  ? 

A.  To  the  mayor.  I  started  out  and  hunted  up  all  the  men  I  could  find, 
and  during  my  progress  I  saw  the  mayor,  and  he  gave  me  orders  to  hunt 
up  all  the  men  I  could,  both  the  old  men  and  the  men  that  had  been 
dropped.     I  met  him  on  Fifth  avenue. 

Q.  Did  you  inform  him  of  the  dispatch  ? 

A.  I  did,  and  he  ordered  me  to  hunt  up  all  the  men  I  could  possibly 
find . 

Q.  How  many  did  you  get  ? 

A.  In  the  neighborhood  of  twenty-five  or  twenty-eight  that  afternoon. 
I  can  not  say  exactly. 

Q.  What  did  you  do  with  them  ? 

A.  Some  went  out  on  a  train,  and  some  walked  out.  I  went  out  with 
one  squad,  with  Mr.  White.  We  saw  Mr.  Watt,  and  he  suggested  the  send- 
ing of  the  men  to  Torrens  station,  six  or  eight  of  them  ;  the  balance  of  them 
stayed  at  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  meet  the  mayor  on  Fifth  avenue  ? 

A.  I  suppose  five  minutes  after  the  dispatch  came.  I  started  out  and 
went  down  to  the  station-house  to  see  if  any  officers  were  there,  but  I  found 
none  there.  I  then  went  two  squares,  and  on  my  way  coming  back,  I  met 
the  mayor  on  Fifth  avenue.     It  was  not  over  five  or  ten  minutes. 

Q.   You  informed  him  about  the  dispatch  calling  for  fifty  men  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  was  he  during  the  rest  of  that  afternoon? 

A.  As  I  stated  before,  I  went  to  Twenty -eighth  street,  and  stayed  there 
all  that  afternoon. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  communication  with  him  that  afternoon  ? 

A.  No ;  everything  was  quiet  at  Twenty-eighth  street  that  afternoon. 
My  instructions  were  to  communicate  if  anything  was  wrong.  I  went  to 
Torrens  station  about  four  o'clock.     Quite  a  crowd  was  there. 

Q.  What  was  the  crowd  doing? 

A.  They  were  watching  to  see  if  any  trains  would  go  out.  It  was  curi- 
osity. 

Q.  How  many  were  there  ? 

A.  One  hundred  or  one  hundred  and  fifty,  while  I  was  there. 

Q.  Of  whom  was  this  crowd  composed  ? 

A.  Of  laboring  men,  and  railroad  men,  and  business  men,  and  women 
and  children. 

Q.  All  mixed  together  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  the  railroad  men  noisj'  and  boisterous  ? 

A .  Not  that  I  saw. 

Q.  Were  they  stopping  the  trains  ? 

0.  The  only  one  I  saw  stopped  was  at  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  I  heard  the  men  saying  it  was  three-forty,  schedule  time. 

Q.  They  stopped  it  ? 

A.  They  started  out,  and  three  or  four  officers  were  put  on  the  engine. 
After  they  started,  some  parties  got  on  the  track  and  waved  their  hands, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  159 

and  the  engine  stopped  and  the  engineer  jumped  off.     The  officers  were 
still  on  the  engine  after  the  engineer  got  off. 

Q.  You  simply  called  for  volunteers  when  you  went  out  to  hunt  up  those 
men  ? 

A.  Only  one  man  refused  to  go. 

Q.  Was  any  demand  made  on  the  night  force  that  afternoon  ? 

A.  The  mayor  instructed  me  to  hunt  up  all  the  men  I  could  find,  both 
the  men  on  duty  and  the  men  dropped,  and  I  did  so. 

Q.  The  men  on  regular  dut}r  went  out,  did  they? 

A.  Those  that  I  found.  At  that  time  we  only  had  one  hundred  and 
twenty  men,  including  lamp-washers  and  station-house  keepers. 

Q.  How  many  men  did  you  get  that  afternoon  on  actual  duty — the  night 
force  ? 

A.  To  my  best  recollection,  five  or  six,  but  I  won't  be  positive.  I  only 
sent  in  the  bill  for  the  men  not  on  regular  duty — twenty -nine  the  company 
paid  for — for  those  men  on  duty  we  sent  in  no  bill  at  all.  It  was  only  for 
the  men  not  paid  by  the  city. 

Q.  How  long  were  those  men  on  duty  there  ? 

A.  Until  morning.  The}r  reported  at  the  office  between  seven  and  seven 
and  a  half  o'clock. 

Q.  Friday  morning  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  All  of  them  ? 

A.  Some  went  home  for  breakfast. 

Q.  Were  they  sent  on  duty  again  ? 

A.  They  were  sent  out  to  the  depot  in  the  morning,  but  they  came  back 
and  said  they  were  not  wanted,  that  Officer  Fox  had  all  the  men  he  wanted. 

Q.  Who  was  he  ? 

A.  He  has  charge  of  the  officers  around  the  depot. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  He  is  an  employe  of  the  railroad  ? 

A.  I  think  so. 
By  Mr.  LindsejT : 

Q.  Did  he  tell  you  that  he  had  all  the  men  that  they  wanted  ? 

A.  The  men  I  sent  up  to  .the  depot  reported  that  to  me. 

Q.  Who  reported  that  ? 

A.  Officer  William  Johnson.  Several  of  them,  I  think.  Officer  Crosb}\ 
The  men  came  back  and  they  said  that  they  were  not  wanted.  He  kept 
three  at  the  depot,  M.  A.  Davis,  Matthew  Goddard,  and  Ernest  Ehring. 

Q.  Where  was  the  mayor  during  the  night  ? 

A.  When  I  came  back  in  the  evening,  about  seven  o'clock,  I  brought  the 
men  to  supper,  and  after  they  had  supper,  I  sent  them  out  again,  and  I 
went  to  the  office.  I  am  not  positive  whether  I  saw  the  mayor  there  or 
not.  I  am  not  positive  about  that.  The  next  time  I  saw  him,  was  in  the 
neighborhood  of  twelve  o'clock,  at  the  office. 

Q.  Thursday  night  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  did  he  remain  during  the  balance  of  the  night? 

A.  In  the  office.     I  stayed  there  also  all  night. 

Q.  Were  you  out  during  the  night  ? 

A.  I  went  out  and  stayed  until  about  ten  o'clock,  and  then  I  came  back. 

Q.  Did  the  mayor  have  any  communication  with  the  men  out  there  during 
the  night  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  Where  was  the  chief  of  police  during  the  night  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that. 


160  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  say  you  sent  the  men  back  on  Friday.  Where  did  you  instruct 
them  to  go — to  the  Union  depot  or  to  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  To  the  Union  depot.  I  directed  them  to  ask  if  they  were  wanted, 
and  they  came  back  and  said  that  the}'  were  told  that  they  were  not 
wanted  ;  that  they  had  all  the  men  they  wanted. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  the  mayor  was  on  Friday? 

A.  I  cannot  answer  that,  because  I  was  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  almost 
all  day  on  Friday.  My  instructions  were  to  go  there,  and  if  I  saw  a  dis- 
turbance, to  telegraph  immediately  to  the  city  to  the  office. 

Q.  You  did  not  see  him  on  the  ground  at  any  time  ? 

A.  No — not  on  Thursday  nor  on  Friday. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  While  you  were  there,  on  Friday,  did  you  see  any  effort  made  to  take 
possession  of  the  tracks  ? 

A.  No ;  no  effort  was  made  at  all. 

Q.  You  saw  no  disturbance  at  all  on  Friday  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Or  Saturday  ? 

A.  No  disturbance,  until  after  the  trouble  about  the  firing. 

Q.  Was  any  effort  made  during  Friday  to  run  out  trains  ? 

A.  Not  while  I  was  there — not  on  Friday. 

Q.  The  crowd  was  there  ? 

A.  Quite  a  crowd  was  gathered  there.  They  appeared  to  be  going  and 
coming  all  day. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  saw  no  effort  made  on  Friday.  How  long  were  you  there  on 
Friday  ? 

A.  I  suppose  I  was  there  three  quarters  of  the  day — walking  all  along, 
and  seeing  what  was  going  on. 

Q.  There  might  have  been  an  effort  made,  and  you  not  have  seen  it? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  It  appeared  to  be  an  orderly  assemblage  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  were  they  doing  ? 

A.  Standing  together  and  chatting — talking. 

Q.  Standing  there  all  day  ? 

A.  They  appeared  to  be  coming  and  going. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  the  subject  of  conversation  appear  to  be  the  stopping  of  the 
trains  ? 

A.  1  did  not  hear  them. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  were  they  there  for  ? 

A.  For  curiosity,  I  suppose. 

Q.  Where  is  this  William  Johnson  that  you  spoke  of? 

A.  He  is  on  the  police  force  now. 

Q.  What  is  Crosby's  first  name  ? 

A.  George. 

Philip  Demmel,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  161 

A.  No.  26  Twelfth  street,  in  the  south  side. 
Q.  What  was  your  business  during  last  July? 
A.  I  was  chief  of  the  police  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  State  whether  any  knowledge  was  brought  to  you  in  regard  to  the 
disturbance  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  on  the  19th  of  July,  and  if  so,  state 
what  time  it  was. 

A.  I  came  to  the  office  sometime  after  dinner,  and  went  into  the  mayors 
office,  and  I  was  told  that  some  of  the  railroad  employes  had  gone  on  a 
strike  at  about  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  that  Mr.  Watt  had  sent  for  some 
policemen,  and  that  about  ten  or  a  dozen  had  been  sent  out  in  charge  of 
Detective  McGovern.  A  short  time  after  a  dispatch  came  in  signed  by  Mr. 
Watt,  asking  for  fifty  more  men.  1  went  on  the  street  myself  then.  Our 
police  force,  of  course,  was  in  bed.  They  did  duty  at  night.  I  went  on 
the  street,  and  saw  a  few  of  those  discharged  men,  and  asked  them  to  go. 
Some  went  and  some  did  not.  I  did  not  hear  anything  more  of  it  until 
evening,  when  I  came  in  from  supper.  They  reported  then  that  one  man 
had  been  arrested,  and  after  that  everything  was  quiet.  The  men  got  their 
suppers,  and  we  sent  them  out  again.  There  were  only  a  few  that  would 
not  go.  h\  the  morning  they  came  back — those  who  were  on  duty  all 
night — and  some  of  them  said  that  the  railroad  officers  had  got  as  many 
men  as  they  thought  sufficient,  and  that  the  military  was  called  out.  It 
was  thought  at  the  mayor's  office  then  that  the  services  of  the  police  would 
not  be  needed  any  longer. 

Q.  That  the  services  of  the  police  would  not  be  needed  any  longer,  you 
say  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

■Q.  Did  the  mayor  say  that? 

A.  I  do  not  remember  thut  the  mayor  said  that,  but 

Q.  That  was  the  decision  you  came  to  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  After  a  consultation  with  the  mayor,  was  it? 

A.  1  cannot  recollect  any  direct  consultation  with  the  mayor. 
By  Mr.  Key  burn  : 

Q.   \Vas  he  there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  but  1  am  satisfied  that  he  was  of  the  same  opinion. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  Officer  McGovern  report  to  the  mayor  during  the  afternoon  ? 

A.  1  believe  he  came  in  before  the  rest  came  for  supper,  and  reported 
this  disturbance — about  a  man  being  arrested  for  striking  Mr.  Watt,  and 
he  then  reported  all  quiet  after  that. 

Q.  Did  he  report  to  you  by  telegraph  ? 

A.  No  ;  yes — 1  believe  they  did  telegraph  this  arrest  first  from  the 
Twelfth  ward  station. 

0-  You  have  arrangements  at  the  station-house  to  receive  reports  from 
all  parts  of  the  city,  have  you  not  ? 

A.  From  eight  different  parts  of  the  cit}T — yes,  sir. 

Q.  From  that  portion  of  the  city  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  there  is  a  station-house  within  two  blocks  of  Twentj-eighth 
street. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  report  from  Officer  McGovern  during  the  after- 
noon ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  was  the  nature  of  it  ? 

A.  That  all  was  quiet — that  this  man  had  been  arrested  for  striking  Mr. 
Watt. 


11  Riots. 


162  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Was  there  a  dispatch  sent  you,  or  communicated  to  you  from  Mr. 
Watt  during  the  afternoon,  that  he  wanted  fifty  more  men  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  I  do  not  remember — perhaps  an  hour  after  the  first  squad  of  police 
went  out. 

Q.  What  did  you  do? 

A.  I  stated  that  before.  I  went  out  on  the  street,  and  saw  some  of  the 
discharged  men. 

Q.  Did  you  raise  the  fifty  men  you  wanted  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not  raise  twenty  men.  I  did  not  raise  seven  men,  no 
more  than  that. 

Q.  Could  3tou  not  have  got  fifty  men  at  that  time  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  call  on  the  night  force  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  call  for  police — any  demand  for  a  posse  of  police? 

A.  Of  the  regular  force  ? 

Q.  Or  any  force  ? 

A.  I  simply  went  on  the  street,  and  around  Fifth  avenue  and  Smithfield 
street,  and  asked  these  men  if  they  would  go. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  the  mayor  ? 

A.  I  think  the  mayor  handed  me  this  dispatch. 

Q.  Did  he  make  any  call  for  a  posse  of  police  ? 

A.  No;  no  more  than  telling  me  to  do  as  I  did — to  see  if  I  could  get 
the  men. 

Q.  Did  he  tell  you  how  the  men  were  to  be  paid  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know.  That  was  one  objection  with  these  men.  They 
wanted  to  know  about  their  pay,  and  whether  it  was  going  to  be  a  regular 
thing.  I  could  not  satisf3'  them  about  that,  and  they  did  not  care  much 
about  going. 

Q.  You  just  went  around  and  hunted  up  the  men  that  would  go  volun- 
tarily of  their  own  accord  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  after  getting  this  report  from  the  Twelfth  ward  station-house. 
We  thought  that  fifty  men   would   hardly  be  necessary  anyhow ;  but  we 
could  not  have  raised  them  if  we  had  wanted  them. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Could  you  not  have  got  them  if  you  had  commanded  them  ? 

A.  We  could  not  command  them  any  more  than  I  could  command  you. 

Q.  Could  not  the  mayor  have  commanded  them  ? 

A.  He  had  no  right  to  command  them. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  He  did  not  tell  you  to  command  any  men  to  serve. 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Dewees  : 

Q.  What  was  the  reason  you  could  not  get  these  men  to  go  out  ? 

A.  Well,  we  had  a  reduction  of  our  force  a  short  time  before,  and  some 
of  these  men  thought  that  they  were  not  treated  right,  and  when  I  asked 
them  to  go  out,  they  wanted  to  know  if  they  would  be  placed  on  the  force 
permanently.  Of  course  I  could  not  satisfy  them,  and  they  did  not  want 
to  go. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  At  any  time  you  were  there,  did  the  firemen  call  on  you  to  assist 
them? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187*7.  163 

A.  I  saw  the  firemen  only  on  Sunday,  and  it  was  understood  then  that 
the  mob  would  not  allow  them  to  put  water  on  the  property. 

Q.  Did  they  ask  the  police  officers  to  help  them  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  they  did.  I  was  out  there  with  the  mayor,  and 
we  had  too  few  men.  The  firemen  would  change  their  place  time  after 
time  as  the  fire  came  down.  A  man  came  and  said  that  they  wanted  to 
throw  water  on  the  fire,  indicating  a  car  burning,  and  the  mayor  said  : 
"  All  right,  we  will  protect  you."  We  immediately  formed  the  men  to  pro- 
tect them,  but  afterwards  they  did  not  throw  water  on  that  fire  at  all. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Where  was  the  mayor  during  Thursday  afternoon  ? 

A.  I  saw  him  in  the  office,  I  think,  once  or  twice. 

Q.  Where  was  he  during  Thursday  night  ? 

A.  I  think  in  the  office. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  instructions  from  him  during  the  night  ? 

A.  I  went  to  him  during  Thursday  night  to  place  one  of  our  lieutenants 
in  charge  over  the  force  at  Twenty-eighth  street — Lieutenant  Coates.  It 
was  his  suggestion,  I  believe. 

Q.  At  the  mayor's  suggestion? 

A.  Yes ;  or  mine,  and  he  agreed  with  it. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  About  supper  time. 

Q.  Where  was  he  during  the  day  Friday  ? 

A.  I  remember  seeing  him  in  the  office. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  instructions  from  him  during  the  day  in  regard 
to  this  disturbance  at  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  No ;  there  was  no  disturbance  there  during  that  day.  There  was  a 
crowd  there,  and  the  military  were  there. 

Q.  Where  was  the  mayor  during  Friday  night  ? 

A.  I  cannot  answer  that. 

Q.  Where  was  he  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  On  Saturday  he  was  in  the  office.  In  and  out  as  usual.  At  the  time 
we  got  the  report  of  the  firing  he  was  in  the  office,  I  know,  because  he  sent 
for  me  and  asked  me  to  take  a  couple  of  men  out  Penn  avenue,  and  close 
all  the  saloons  in  the  vicinity  of  this  disturbance. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  I  think  along  about  four  o'clock. 

Q.  Four  o'clock  on  Saturday  he  asked  you  to  take  two  men  out  and 
close  all  the  saloons  in  what  district  ? 

A.  You  mean  what  police  district. 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  The  third  police  district. 

Q.  Extending  over  how  much  space  ? 

A.  Over  the  city  in  the  vicinity  of  Twenty-eighth  street.  We  closed  all 
the  saloons  there  from  Thirtieth  to  Twenty-fourth  street.  We  then  came 
in  and  sent  another  squad  out  to  close  the  balance. 

Q.  How  far  ? 

A.  Down  to  Eleventh  street. 

Q.  Had  you  received  any  instructions  from  him  during  the  day,  (Satur- 
day before  this,)  in  regard  to  the  disturbance  out  there  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  The  saloons  had  been  open  out  there  until  three  or  four  o'clock  on 
Saturday. 

A.  Yes ;  they  were  open  at  the  time  we  went  there. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  arrive  there  ? 


164  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  I  can't  tell.  It  was  immediately  after  hearing  of  the  firing.  We 
walked  up  Liberty  street  as  fast  as  we  could. 

Q.  You  went  with  the  two  men,  and  saw  that  your  orders  were  executed  ? 

A.  We  went  in  and  asked  these  men,  and  told  them  it  Avas  the  request 
of  the  mayor  to  have  them  close  their  saloons. 

Q.  Did  they  comply  ? 

A.  Most  generally. 

Q.  During  the  day,  Sunday,  did  you  receive  any  orders  from  the  mayor  ? 

A.  No;  except  I  was  out  with  him  at  the  scene  of  action  in  the  after- 
noon. The  mayor  was  out  there  before  daylight,  and  I  was  out  there  my- 
self. I  came  in  about  six  or  seven  o'clock,  and  got  nvy  breakfast,  and  went 
out  at  ten  o'clock,  and  then  I  found  the  mayor  there. 

A.  Did  you  receive  any  orders  during  Sunday  night  from  the  mayor  ? 

A.  Nothing,  except  about  handling  the  police,  in  trying  to  prevent  the 
mob  getting  into  those  stores. 

Q.  What  did  you  do  to  prevent  that  ? 

A.  They  called  some  of  the  south  side  police  over,  and  had  them  doing 
duty  around  in  places  where  they  anticipated  there  might  be  a  break  made, 
but  there  was  considerable  damage  done  before  the  police  arrived. 

Q.  What  damage  was  done  before  the  police  arrived  ? 

A.  A  couple  of  stores  were  gutted,  on  Penn  avenue  and  on  Libert}'  street. 

Q.  What  kind  of  stores  ? 

A.  The  one  on  Penn  avenue  was  a  pawnbroker's  and  the  one  on  Liberty 
street  was  a  gun  shop. 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  broke  open  the  stores  ? 

A.  Since  then  I  know  of  one  party  that  was  a  leader  in  it.  But  I  do 
not  know  the  others. 

Q.  Were  any  policemen  in  the  vicinity  at  the  time  ? 

A.  No  ;  at  that  time  there  were  no  police  on  duty.  They  did'nt  go  on 
duty  until  eight  o'clock. 

Q.  Were  any  policemen  on  duty  throughout  the  city  during  the  day, 
Friday  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  During  the  day,  Saturday,  throughout  the  city,  I  mean  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  They  were  not  on  duty  until  eight  o'clock,  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Then  these  stores  were  broken  open  before  eight  o'clock  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  that  is,  the  first  two. 

Q.  When  there  were  no  policemen  on  duty  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  When  did  the  mayor  put  on  any  day  force,  or  was  there  any  day  force 
on  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  On  Saturday  night  I  put  a  notice,  by  the  order  of  the  mayor,  into 
two  of  the  Sunday  papers,  to  have  all  those  ex-policemen  report  at  eleven 
o'clock  on  Sunday,  but  got  very  few  reports. 

Q.  How  many  reports  did  you  get? 

A .  I  do  not  remember  now — not  probably  over  fifteen  or  twenty  reported 
in  time. 

Q.   Were  they  placed  on  duty  during  Sunday? 

A.   Yes. 

Q.   Were  there  any  policemen  on  duty  throughout  the  city  on  Sunday  ? 

A.    Yes. 

Q.    How  many  ? 

A.   Well,  the  third  district  had  some  of  the  south  side  police  on  duty  on 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Rtots,  July,  18t7.  165 

Sunday  night,  in  the  vicinity  of  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  the  police  there 
I  brought  in  on  Sunday  morning,  and  got  their  breakfasts,  and  sent  them 
out  again.     Some  of  them  strayed  off,  of  course. 

Q.  As  chief  of  police,  can  you  not  give  us  the  number  of  policemen  on 
duty  during  Sunday,  in  the  whole  city? 

A.  I  do  not  think  there  were  more  than  eighty.  That  is,  we  got  more 
men  on  as  it  grew  later  in  the  day. 

Q.  This  notice  you  placed  in  the  papers  was  merely  a  request  for  the 
discharged  police  force  to  report  at  eleven  o'clock  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  had  the  orders,  and  I  think  the  mayor  had  consulted  with 
the  committee  of  safety,  or  some  one  who  assured  him  they  would  be  re- 
sponsible for  the  pay  of  the  police,  and  would  see  that  the  police  stayed  on. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  get  that  notice  into  the  papers  ? 

A.  It  was  given  to  the  papers  on  Saturday  night. 

Q.  Was  it  published  in  the  evening  editions  ? 

A.  It  was  published  in  the  Globe  and  Leader  of  Sunday  morning. 

Q.  By  whom  was  the  notice  signed  ? 

A.  By  myself. 

Q.  As  chief  of  police  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  say  you  got  very  few  reports  ? 

A.  Very  few ;   that  is,  at  eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  During  Sunday  night  how  many  police  did  you  have  on  duty  ? 

A.  I  had  all  the  old  force,  and  I  expect,  perhaps,  about  forty  or  fifty 
of  the  discharged  men. 

Q.  That  would  make  about  one  hundred  and  forty  or  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men  during  Sunday  night  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  many  did  you  have  on  duty  during  the  day — Monday  ? 

A.  Well,  those  policemen  came  reporting  in  one  after  another  from  Sun- 
day until  Tuesday,  and  they  never  went  off  duty  at  any  time  from  Sun- 
day night,  from  the  time  they  went  on,  until  about  Wednesday,  I  guess. 

Q.  Where  did  the  mayor  spend  the  day — Sunday? 

A.  Along  Liberty  street,  part  of  the  da}7. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  About  the  scene  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  Right  there. 

Q.  What  was  he  doing  there  ? 

A.  All  he  could  to  prevent  the  depredations.     He  was  with  the  police  ; 
but  we  could  not  do  anything.     He  went  to  Union  depot  and  made  a 
speech  to  the  mob ;  but  that  did  not  have  any  effect.     They  stoned  him, 
and  he  had  to  get  out. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  I  do  not  have  any  distinct  recollection  of  any  time  that  day.     It  was, 
perhaps,  half  an  hour  previous  to  the  burning  of  Union  depot. 

Q.  Was  he  out  there  on  Sunday  when  the  fire  was  going  on  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  The  fire  commenced  out  beyond  Twenty-eighth  street  and  worked 
down  this  way  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  engaged  in  burning  cars,  or  in  the  actual  de- 
struction of  property  there,  during  Sunday? 

A.  That  is  a  hard  matter  for  me  to  say.  The  track  in  some  places — I 
suppose  there  are  three  or  four  or  five  rows — and  the  freight  cars  were 


166  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

packed  in  alongside  of  one  another,  and  on  the  top  of  those  cars  and  in 
between  them,  there  was  a  crowd  of  people  all  the  time.  Some  of  them 
may  not  have  had  a  hand  in  doing  any  damage,  but  I  think  that  most 
everjdxxly  that  was  on  the  track — of  course  there  were  some  spectators 
that  didn't  have  any  hand  in  it — but  the  majority  of  the  people  there 
would  break  open  a  car  or  gut  a  car  whenever  they  could.  I  could  not 
say  how  many,  but  a  great  many,  three  hundred  or  four  hundred  anyhow. 

Q.  Were  those  men  armed  ?     Had  they  weapons  ? 

A.  I  didn't  see  any  weapons  except  a  few  revolvers. 

Q.  As  chief  of  police,  I  ask  you  if  you  do  not  think  you  could  have 
taken  one  hundred  policemen,  with  their  maces,  or  the  weapons  that  they 
usually  cany,  and  have  thrown  them  across  the  track  there,  and  driven 
back  that  crowd  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Why  not  ? 

A.  Because  the  crowd  was  on  all  sides,  and  I  would  not  know  how  to 
form  the  men  to  do  that  to  have  a  solid  line.  The  crowd  was  along  the 
track  and  in  between  the  cars  as  much  as  five  hundred  or  six  hundred 
yards  at  a  time,  and  they  would  come  rushing  in  and  yelling  every  way, 
from  below  and  above. 

Q.  I  ask  you  if,  in  your  judgment,  you  do  not  think  that  jon  could 
have  taken  one  hundred  policemen  and  stationed  them  across  the  track  in 
front  of  Union  depot,  from  the  hill  down  to  the  block  of  buildings,  and 
have  driven  back  the  crowd  as  they  came  up  ? 

A.  If  I  had  had  one  hundred  men  there  that  might  have  been  accom- 
plished.    I  did  tiy  it  with  what  men  I  had. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  How  many  men  did  you  have  ? 

A.  Not  more  than  fifteen  or  sixteen  together  at  one  time.  The  police- 
men, of  course,  got  around  among  the  people,  or  the  mob,  and  we  could 
not  find  them. 

Q.  It  was  not  possible  to  keep  them  together  ? 

A.  I  could  not  keep  them  together.     In  order  to  get  at  the  men,  the 
policemen  would  have  to  divide,  and  it  was  such  a  big  mob,  we  could  not 
keep  them  together. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Could  you  not  have  formed  at  some  cross  street,  say  Fifteenth  or 
Sixteenth  street,  and  then  have  resisted  the  crowd  and  kept  them  back  ? 

A.  On  the  street  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  Well,  the  crowd  on  the  street  was  not  so  unruly  as  those  on  the  rail- 
road. 

Q.  But  Sixteenth  street  runs  up  to  the  railroad.  Now,  could  yon  not 
have  formed  the  men  at  Sixteenth  street  and  thrown  them  across  the  rail- 
road, with  one  wing  running  out  towards  the  hill,  and  then  have  kept  the 
crowd  back  ? 

A.  No ;  because  you  could  not  have  got  the  mob  together  at  any  one 
point — because  the  mob  most  all  the  time  extended  five  hundred  or  six 
hundred  yards. 

Q.  To  what  point  did  the  mob  extend,  coming  towards  the  city  ? 

A.  Nearly  into  Union  depot. 

Q.  Then  could  you  not  have  formed  at  Union  depot  and  kept  them  back  ? 

A.  It  would  have  taken  a  great  many  more  men  than  that. 
By  Senator  Reyburn: 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  161 

Q.  Was  any  effort  made  at  all  to  get  control  of  this  crowd  at  any  time 
during  the  disturbance? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  With  your  fifteen  or  sixteen  men,  you  mean  ? 

A.  Sometimes  we  had  twenty — all  the  men  we  had,  or  that  could  be  got 
together — perhaps,  sometimes,  twenty-five  or  thirty  men.  They  would  be 
getting  in  among  the  mob  and  trying  to  drive  them  back. 

Q.  Had  the  police  authorities  no  organization  or  no  arrangement  to  keep 
the  crowd  from  coming,  or  did  they  allow  people  to  come  from  all  direc- 
tions when  they  knew  a  disturbance  of  this  kind  was  going  on — did  you 
have  any  organization  at  all  ? 

A.  Not  a  very  good  organization.     The  men  went  out  there  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  they  had  been  up  all  night,  and  they  were  tired,  and  it  would  have 
been  impossible  to  keep  the  crowd  back.     They  flocked  in  from  all  parts 
of  the  city,  and  from  the  country  for  miles  around. 
By  Mr.  Englebert: 

Q.  In  other  words,  you  really  had  not  any  organization  of  the  police 
force  ? 

k.  When  I  went  up  there,  our  men  were  scattered.  I  took  them  on  the 
railroad  several  times,  but  was  unable  to  do  any  good.  I  took  them  on 
the  railroad  in  a  bodjr,  but  they  could  not  be  kept  there  any  time  without 
being  separated. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  any  effort  made  to  make  any  arrests,  during  this  disturbance,  of 
parties  engaged  in  the  riot  ? 

A.  On  Sunday  morning,  we  arrested  about  one  hundred  and  thirty — 
that  was  the  beginning  of  the  fire — when  they  began  to  pillage  the  freight 
cars. 

Q.  Did  you  arrest  any  of  the  parties  that  were  pillaging  ? 

A.  We  arrested  them  coming  away  with  goods. 

Q.  What  did  you  do  with  them  ? 

A.  We  brought  them  down  in  the  morning,  in  the  "black  maria,"  to 
the  Central  station,  but  Deputy  Major  Butler,  I  believe,  discharged  most 
of  them,  and  fined  some  of  them. 
By  Mr.-  Lindsey : 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  many  were  fined  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell.     I  did  not  stay  to  the  hearing  n^self. 

Q.  What  is  Mr.  Butler's  first  name  ? 

A.  Joseph. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Your  people  took  these  men  up,  going  away  with  goods  ? 

A.  Yes,  We  put  them  in  the  Twelfth  Ward  station,  and  then  put  them 
in  the  "  black  maria,"  and  brought  them  to  the  Central  station,  and  heard 
them  there.  Mayor  McCarthy  was  up  all  night,  and  he  was  tired,  and  he 
deputized  Deputj^  Mayor  Butler  to  hear  them. 

Q.  And  he  discharged  them  ? 

A.  Yes ;  he  discharged  a  good  many  of  them. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  those  people  were  citizens  of  Pittsburgh,  or 
people  that  had  just  run  in  ? 

A.  Some  were  citizens  of  Pittsburgh  and  some  were  strangers. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  the  mayor  or  anybody  else  say  to  you,  at  any  time,  that  it  was 
necessary  for  the  railroad  officials  to  get  out  of  town — that  their  lives  were 
in  jeopardy. 


168  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  2!i, 

A.  I  never  heard  any  such  expression  coming;  from  the  mayor. 

Q.  That  it  was  necessary  for  the  railroad  officials  to  get  out  of  town — 
that  their  lives  were  in  jeopardy?  Was  that  said  to  you  by  the  mayor  or 
by  anybody  else? 

A.  I  am  satisfied  that  I  didn't  hear  any  expression  like  that  coming  from 
the  mayor,  but  I  heard  talk  like  that  on  the  street. 

Q.  From  whom  ? 

A.  Most  any  of  the  crowd  that  would  be  congregated  together  would 
be  talking  about  this  thing. 

Q.  Citizens  of  Pittsburgh  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.   Conld  3-0U  name  any  of  them  ? 

A.  Not  now.  It  was  the  general  talk.  General  Pearson,  I  guess,  was 
named  in  such  talk  more  often  than  the  railroad  officers. 

Q.  But  you  heard  that  talk  about  the  railroad  officials  ? 

A.  Yes ;  that  it  would  not  be  safe  for  them  to  show  up. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  One  question  about  this  plundering  and  thieving :  Were  those  par- 
ties discharged  the  same  day  that  they  were  arrested — on  Sunday  ? 

A.  The  same  day — Sunday. 

Q.  Then  the  arrests  amounted  virtually  to  nothing? 

A.  Yes;  except  in  saving  the  property  of  the  company,  or  whoever  it 
belonged  to. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Was  the  mayor  present  when  you  offered  protection  to  the  firemen, 
at  the  fire  engine,  when  they  proposed  to  throw  water  on  those  burning 
cars? 

A.  Yes;  the  mayor  was  present.  One  of  the  firemen  asked  him,  if  he 
would  protect  them,  and  he  said  yes,  and  the  fireman  said,  that  is  what  we 
want.  Then  they  made  the  attachment,  but  did  not  throw  any  water  after- 
ward on  the  fire. 

Q.  Did  the}r  make  any  proposal  to  the  mayor,  to  take  an  active  part 
himself — to  hold  the  nozzle  ? 

A.  No ;  I  do  not  think  they  did. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Why  did  they  not  throw  the  water  ? 

A.  Because,  I  suppose,  they  were  intimidated. 

Q.  But  when  you  gave  them  the  protection  they  asked,  did  they  not 
make  an  effort  to  throw  the  water  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Rid  the  mob  make  a  rush  ? 

A.  No;  no  more  than  following  the  engine. 

Q.  What  reason  did  they  give  for  not  throwing  the  water? 

A.  I  do  not  know. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Who  had  charge  of  the  engine  at  that  point? 

A.  I  do  not  know ;   I  do  not  know  what  engine  it  was. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert: 

<v>.  Rid  the  firemen  throw  water  on  private  property  when  it  was  burn- 
v 

A.  All  the  time. 

<).   But  not  on  the  railroad  property? 

A.  No. 

V>y  Mr.  Lindsey  : 


ing 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  169 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  the  man  was  who  asked  protection  from  the 
mayor  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  Did  the  mob  interfere  with  private  property  at  any  time? 

A.  Not  during  that  day.  They  did  attempt  to  during  that  night  and 
also  during  Sunday  night. 

Q.  What  attempts  were  made  on  Sunday  night  ? 

A.  The  American  house,  I  think,  or  some  place  near  it,  was  gutted,  but 
by  that  time  we  had  a  pretty  good  force,  and  we  went  there  and  drove 
them  away  and  arrested  some  of  them. 

Q.  Who  had  command  there  ? 

A.  Lieutenant  Coates. 

Q.  He  had  no  trouble  in  beating  the  crowd  away? 

A.   He  had  some  trouble,  but  he  did  it. 

Q.  How  many  men  had  he  ? 

A.  I  went  there  afterwards,  and  we  had,  I  suppose,  some  forty  men 
there. 

Q.  After  the  railroad  property  was  destroyed — by  that  time  }rou  had  a 
pretty  good  police  force  ? 

A.  Yes;  the  men  were  reporting  during  the  day. 
By  Mr.  Dewees  : 

Q.  You  stated  you  had  sixteen  policemen  at  Union  depot  ? 

A.  I  stated  I  had  sixteen  in  line. 

Q.  Where  were  the  balance  of  your  police  at  that  time  ? 

A.  They  were  scattered  among  the  mob  ? 

Q.  The  whole  police  of  the  city  were  there  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  all  I  could  gather  up  at  that  time  were  there. 

Q.  Are  you  still  the  chief  of  police  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  there  is  another  administration. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Have  you  a  police  commission  or  police  committee,  that  have  any 
special  duty  in  taking  charge  of  the  police  or  in  regulating  the  police  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  it  is  the  mayor  that  has  that  power  here. 

Adjourned  to  meet  at  three  o'clock,  p.  m. 


AFTERNOON  SESSION. 

Orphans'  Court  Room, 
Pittsburgh,  Monday,  February  11,  1878. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  re-assembled  at  three  o'clock, 
p.  m.,  this  day,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testimony. 
The  first  witness  examined  was — 

Henry  Metzgar,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 
A.  In  the  Eighth  ward,  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  official  position  did  you  hold  in  the  city  last  July  ? 
A.  I  was  the  mayor's  clerk. 

Q.  What  knowledge  had  }tou  on  Thursday  of  any  disturbance  among 
the  railroad  employes  ? 


no  Report  or  Committee.  [Xo.  29. 

A.  I  think  my  first  knowledge  was  on  Wednesday,  but  to  get  at  the  data 
I  would  request  to  send  for  the  information  made  against  Thomas  McCall. 
A  paper  exhibited  to  witness. 

Q.  Is  that  a  copy  of  the  information  ? 

A.  Yes.  On  Thursday,  the  19th,  Mr.  Watt  came  into  the  office,  and  asked 
for  a  number  of  policemen.  As  to  the  exact  number  I  don't  know,  I  didn't 
exactly  hear  the  number,  but  I  nnderstood  he  wanted  ten  policemen  to  go 
out  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad.  The  mayor  went  out  with  me  to  the 
chief  of  detectives,  and  they  got  a  number  of  policemen,  and  arranged 
them  up  in  line,  and  I  think  I  asked  Mr.  Watt  how  many  he  wanted,  and 
he  said  ten.  One  or  more  of  them  then  stepped  out  of  the  ranks.  Ten  po- 
licemen went  out,  I  believe,  to  the  railroad.  About  twelve  o'clock  of  that 
day  we  received  a  telegram,  asking,  I  think,  for  fifty  policemen  additional. 

Q.  From  whom  ? 

A.  To  the  best  of  my  recollection  the  telegram  was  from  Mr.  Watt.  I 
immediately  went  out  and  hunted  some  of  the  policemen  who  had  been  dis- 
charged— I  hunted  them  up,  and  several  of  the  officers  went  out  and  hunted 
them  up.  I  notified  a  number  myself  to  report  at  the  office  for  duty  at  the 
Penns3dvania  Railroad  Company's  depot.  How  many  imported  I  don't 
know.  It  not  being  my  special  duty,  1  paid  no  attention  to  it.  Rut  I  know 
a  number  of  them  reported.  Where  they  went  to  I  don'cknow  parsonally. 
About  four  o'clock  that  evening,  the  mayor  asked  me  if  there  was  any  news 
from  the  Twelfth  ward.  I  told  him  I  could  telegraph  to  the  Twelfth  ward 
and  see.     We  did  so,  and  the  report  came  from  the  station  that  all  was  quiet. 

Q.  The  Twelfth  ward  takes  in  this  district  at  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  mayor  then  left  the  office  to  go  to  Castle  Shannon  where 
his  family  is,  as  I  believed,  for  the  night.  About  that  time — about  five 
o'clock,  Mr.  Watt  came  in  and  asked  for  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  additional 
policemen.  I  told  him  I  didn't  know  where  we  could  get  them — that  all 
we  had  for  effective  duty  was  ninety  men,  and,  in  the  absence  of  the  mayor, 
I  couldn't  take  away  the  policemen  from  all  portions  of  the  city,  for  the 
purpose  of  protecting  the  property  of  the  railroad  company.  Mr.  Watt 
said  to  me,  what  will  I  do.  I  said,  I  don't  know — the  only  thing — if  you 
have  a  fear  of  any  danger  to  your  property — you  had  better  call  upon  the 
sheriff,  and  the  sheriff  can  call  a  posse  comitatus  to  protect  the  property 
if  there  is  any  danger.  Mr.  Watt  said  he  would  do  so.  That  is  the  last 
I  saw  of  him  until  some  time  after  the  riot.  No — the  next  morning — the 
morning  of  the  20th — he  came  in,  and  made  this  information  against  Thomas 
McCall.  The  mayor,  at  the  time,  said  to  him,  that  our  police  force  was 
very  limited,  and  in  making  those  arrests  we  would  have  to  make  quiet  ar- 
rests. The  warrants  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  officers,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  ascertaining  where  those  parties  lived,  and  to  find  out  who  they 
were,  and  all  about  them.  For  the  most  part,  they  were  strangers,  as  far 
as  we  knew.  Officer  McGovern  had  the  warrants.  The  next  morning  M  v. 
Houseman,  of  the  firm  of  Hampton  Si,  Dallzell,  came  into  the  office,  and 
asked  me  how  many  of  the  parties  had  been  arrested.  I  told  him  I  didn't 
know  that  any  were  arrested.  That  the  mayor's  instructions  were  to 
proceed  quietly.  He  said,  can  you  give  me  this  information.  I  said,  no, 
it  is  part  of  the  record,  and  cannot  go  out  of  our  hands.  He  then  asked 
for  the  names  of  the  parties  against  whom  the  information  was  brought, 
and  lie  copied  the  names,  and  as  he  was  going  out  he  said,  1  am  instructed 
by  Mr.  Hampton  to  tell  you  folks  not  to  execute  these  warrants.  I  said, 
very  well — this  is  a  matter  entirely  in  your  own  hands.  1  went  out  with 
him  to  the  officer,  and  told  the  officer  to  produce  his  warrants,  lie  pro- 
duced them,  and  I  told  him,  you  are  instructed  by  Mr.  Hampton,  through 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187?.  171 

Mr.  Houseman,  not  to  execute  them.  He  said,  that  was  all  right.  That 
is  all  I  know,  unless  some  special  question  may  arise. 

Q.  How  many  policemen  had  been  discharged  prior  to  Thursday  ? 

A.  One  hundred  and  sixteen. 

Q.  How  long  had  they  been  discharged  before  that? 

A.  They  were  discharged,  I  think,  sometime  about  the  latter  part  of 
June,  or  may  be  the  1st  of  July.     I  am  not  certain  as  to  the  date. 

Q.  Had  you  any  knowledge  of  any  anticipated  outbreak  or  strike  by  the 
men  before  it  was  communicated  to  you  by  Mr.  Watt  ? 

A.  Not  the  slightest.  And  at  that  time  we  had  no  idea  there  was  going 
to  be  any  such  trouble  at  all,  as  we  have  had  sometimes  in  this  city. 

Q.  You  were  present  when  Mr.  Watt  asked  the  mayor  to  furnish  him 
with  the  police  ? 

A.  I  was  in  the  office. 

Q,.  You  heard  the  mayor's  reply  ? 

A.  He  went  out  with  Mr.  Watt  and  instructed  the  chief  of  police  to  get 
the  men. 

Q.  Did  Mr.  Watt  have  to  promise  to  pay  the  men  before  the  ma3ror  gave 
that  instruction  ? 

A.  I  believe  something  was  said  about  pay.  These  men,  you  see,  were 
not  on  the  pay-rolls  of  the  city.  The  regular  men  Were  in  bed  or  scattered 
all  over  the  city.    These  men  happened  to  be  there  that  day,  being  paid  off. 

Q.  Did  the  mayor  require  Mr.  Watt  to  become  responsible  for  their 
pay  ? 

A.  I  believe  something  was  said  about  the  railroad  company — that  it 
would  have  to  pay  the  men,  as  no  provision  was  made  by  the  city  for  their 
pay.     I  think  very  few  of  these  men  were  on  the  regular  force. 

Q.  Did  the  mayor  make  that  a  condition  before  he  instructed  you  to 
send  out  for  the  men  ? 

A.  He  never  instructed  me  to  send  out  for  anybody. 

Q.  Who  did  he  instruct  ? 

A.  Either  the  chief  of  detectives  or  the  chief  of  police — I  cannot  remem- 
ber which. 

Q.  Did  he  make  any  order  at  that  time,  calling  out  policemen? 

A.  Not  as  I  know  of. 

Q.  These  men  went  out  as  volunteers  ? 

A.  Yes;  in  that  sense.  They  were  men  who  had  been  discharged. 
They  went  out  under  the  control  of  Officer  Charles  McGovern. 

Q.  They  volunteered  to  go  ? 

A.  We  had  no  right  to  make  a  demand  on  them  as  a  police  force.  They 
were  not  in  the  employ  of  the  city. 

Q.  When  the  telegram  came  to  you  calling  for  fifty  policemen,  what  ef- 
fort did  you  make  to  get  them  ? 

A.  We  hunted  them  up  as  well  as  we  could.  A  great  many  of  these 
men  wouldn't  go  because  they  were  incensed  at  the  city  for  discharging 
them,  but  a  number  of  them  did  respond. 

Q.  You  hunted  up  as  many  as  you  could  get  to  go  willingly  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  many  ? 

A.  About  thirty-five.  It  not  being  my  special  business,  I  didn't  pay 
much  attention  to  it. 

Q.  Did  you  notify  the  mayor  of  that  call  for  fifty  additional  police? 

A.  Yes ;  he  sent  us  out,  and  says,  go  hunt  them  up. 

Q.  How  many  did  you  get  ? 


172  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  think  about  thirty-five.  I  never  burdened  my  mind  specially  with 
that. 

Q.  Did  you  get  another  call  from  the  railroad  company  ? 

A.  I  have  no  recollection  of  another  call,  except  when  Mr.  Watt  came 
and  said  he  wanted  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  men  additional. 

Q.  Did  you  communicate  that  to  the  mayor  ? 

A.  I  did  when  he  came  into  the  city,  at  eight  o'clock  on  that  evening. 

Q.  What  evening  ? 

A.  Thursday  evening. 

Q.  What  did  the  ma}^or  say  ? 

A.  He  said  he  didn't  know  where  he  could  get  the  policemen.  Our  in- 
tention in  calling  the  police  was  simply  to  protect  property  from  getting 
stolen. 

Q.  Did  he  make  a  demand  upon  the  citizens  of  the  city  to  join  the  police 
force  at  any  time  ? 

A.  We  made  a  demand — certainly  we  did. 

Q.  When? 

A.  On  Sunday  night,  for  instance,  when  I  made  a  call  upon  the  citizens 
to  volunteer  to  protect  the  water  works  of  the  city. 

Q.  Had  you  made  any  demand  prior  to  that  Sunday  night? 

A.  I  cannot  say.     I  know  of  that  for  a  fact. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  demand  ? 

A.  He  said,  how  many  people  will  volunteer  to  protect  the  water-works 
of  the  city,  and  I  ask  for  volunteers.     As  I  understood,  they  intended  to 
burn  them  down.     Out  of  some  two  hundred  men,  four  responded,  I  think. 
He  said  he  understood  they  were  in  danger. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  But  he  summoned  no  posse  from  the  citizens  of  the  city  during  the 
riots,  did  he  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  that  he  did. 

Q.  How  many  of  those  discharged  policemen  were  at  the  city  hall  on 
Thursday  when  those  ten  men  went  out? 

A.  I  cannot  say  how  many  were  there.  They  were  in  and  out,  being 
paid  off.     I  cannot  say  how  many.     Quite  a  number  of  them,  I  know. 

Q.  How  manv  could  you  have  got  to  go  out  there  at  that  time,  do  you 
think? 

A.  We  got  all  we  could. 

Q.  To  go  voluntarily  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  know,  personalty,  I  used  every  exertion  I  could,  and  I  know 
Mi".  Davis  was  out  hunting  up  men. 

Q.  Were  you  out  there  during  the  riots  at  any  time  ? 

A.  I  was  out  on  Friday. 

Q.  At  what  point? 

A.  At  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  there  ? 

A.  At  the  time  I  was  there  I  suppose  probably  a  thousand  people  were 
there. 

Q.  How  many  were  engaged  in  the  riotous  proceedings? 

A.  None  that  I  saw. 

Q.  What  were  thej^  doing  at  that  time  ? 

A.  They  were  assembled  there  listening  to  a  speech  made  by  Doctor  Don- 
nelly, counseling  moderation,  and  advising  those  not  connected  with  the 
railroad  to  go  home  and  attend  to  their  own  business.  Some  other 
speeches  were  made  by  one  or  two  more. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18YT-  173 

Q.  What  was  the  effect  of  the  speech  upon  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  that  it  had  any  effect.  It  had  no  special  effect  partic- 
ularly one  way  or  another. 

Q.  Did  they  listen  to  it  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  they  make  any  response  to  it  in  any  way  ? 

A.  Some  response  was  made  to  Doctor  Donnelly  when  he  counseled 
those  having;  no  business  there  to  oo  home.  Some  of  them  made  some 
remarks  from  the  outside  of  the  crowd — that  is  enough  now,  3-011  just  stop 
there ;  and  things  of  that  kind. 

Q.  What  time  did  the  mayor  return  from  Castle  Shannon  ? 

A.  Shortly  after  eight  o'clock.  It  may  have  been  eight  and  a  half 
o'clock. 

Q.  Where  did  he  remain  during  the  night? 

A.  In  the  office,  I  think. 

Q.  All  night  ? 

A.  I  can't  say,  for  I  didn't  stay  there. 

Q.  Where  was  the  mayor  Friday,  during  the  day? 

A.  In  and  out  the  office  all  day,  so  far  as  I  know.    I  know  he  was  there. 

Q.  Was  any  effort  made  to  increase  the  police  force  on  Friday  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  Nor  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  When  were  the  discharged  men  placed  back  on  the  police  force  ? 

A.  They  were  not  placed  back  on  the  police  force  until  Monday.  I 
think  Monday  a  number  of  them  reported  for  duty.  A  committee  of  coun- 
cils, or  councils  held  a  session  on  Sunday  morning  ;  but  there  was  so  much 
confusion  that  nothing  was  done.  The  police  force  was  not  replaced  until 
Monday  or  Tuesday;  that  is,  the  additional  men. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Where  is  the  maj^or  at  the  present  time  ? 

A.  In  Philadelphia,  I  believe.  He  has  left  a  note  that  he  would  be  home 
to-morrow. 

Q.  What  was  said  about  these  men  being  paid  ? 

A.  There  was  some  conversation  about  the  railroad  company — that  it 
would  have  to  pay  these  men,  because  the  men  were  not  on  the  pay-rolls  of 
the  city  at  the  time. 

Q.  Did  the  mayor  make  that  inquiry  of  Mr.  Watt,  as  to  who  would  pay  ? 

A.  I  know  there  was  some  conversation  on  that  subject. 

Q.  Did  or  did  not  the  mayor  say  to  you  that  it  was  necessary  for  the 
officers  of  the  railroad  to  go  out  of  town,  that  their  lives  were  in  jeopard  v? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  anybody  else  say  so  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  hear  it  said  ? 

A.  No  ;  only  after  the  riots,  I  understood  the}r  left  town  for  fear  of  that, 
and  I  was  rather  astonished  to  find  that  some  of  them  had  been  out  of 
town. 

Q.  Did  anybody  there  state  to  you  that  General  Pearson  had  better  go 
out  of  town  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  know  of  his  being  out  of  town  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  know  of  any  of  those  railroad  officers  being  out  of  town  ? 

A.  No;  only  subsequently. 


174  Keport  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Did  any  of  the  citizens  call  upon  the  mayor,  requesting  him  to  put 
on  an  additional  force  ? 

A.  Well,  I  guess — I  do  not  know  that.  They  did  not  up  to  Saturday 
afternoon,  until  the  time  of  this  firing. 

Q.  Didn't  they  do  it  on  Friday  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  On  Saturday  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  Did  they  offer  to  become  responsible  for  the  payment  of  the  addi- 
tional police  ? 

A.  When? 

Q.  Friday,  Saturday,  or  Sunday  ? 

A.  I  never  heard  of  it  at  all.  I  never  heard  any  such  an  offer  made. 
The  committee  of  public  safet}r  afterwards  agreed  to  pay  a  certain  number 
of  men  on  the  police  force  from  that  time  until  the  end  of  the  year. 

Q.  When  did  they  make  that  proposition  ? 

A.  I  think  Monday,  Tuesday,  or  Wednesday,  but  it  was  after  all  the 
trouble  had  occurred,  so  far  as  1  know  anything  of  it. 

Q.  You  know  nothing  of  any  such  offer  having  been  made  on  Friday, 
Saturday,  or  Sunday  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Were  you  with  the  mayor  during  those  days  ? 

A.  Off  and  on,  Friday  and  Saturday.  On  Sunday  I  was  at  the  central 
station  until  twelve  o'clock,  noon.  We  had 'about  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-five prisoners  there  Sunday  morning,  and  it  took  all  my  attention  until 
noon  that  day  to  get  through  with  the  business. 

Q.  What  were  they  arrested  for  ? 

A.  For  carrying  away  property,  and  stuff,  and  various  things,  and  dis- 
orderly conduct.     One  thing  and  another  of  that  kind. 

Q.  For  larceny  and  disorderly  conduct  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Before  whom  were  they  taken  ? 

A.  Before  Deputy  Mayor  Butler. 

Q.  What  was  done  with  those  persons  ? 

A.  Some  were  fined,  and  some  were  held  for  court,  and  some  were  dis- 
charged. A  great  many  were  discharged,  as  one  of  the  officers  came  down 
with  the  report  that  the  jailor  said  that  he  could  not  hold  them  or  keep 
them. 

Q.  What  persons  were  they  who  were  arrested  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say.     Most  of  those  names  are  fictitious. 

Q.  Did  you  get  their  residences  ? 

A.  No  ;  the  residences  were  not  taken. 

Q.  How  many  did  you  hold  for  court  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  say.  \ 

Q.  Did  you  keep  a  record  of  it  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  there  is  a  record  of  it. 

Q.  Have  you  the  record  now  in  your  office  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  whether  it  is  there  now.  I  passed  the  record  out  of 
my  hands  to  the  comptroller  of  the  city. 

Q.  How  many  were  fined  ? 

A.  Quite  a  number. 

Q.  Did  they  pay  their  fines  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  did  and  some  went  to  jail. 

Q.  How  many  went  to  jail  ? 


Leg.  Doc.j  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  175 

A.  That  I  cannot  say. 

Q.  Can't  you  make  an  estimate  ? 

A.  I  really  could  not,  because  you  can  imagine  that  morning  I  had  not 
much  stomach  for  anything  to  keep  facts  and  figures.  It  is  just  a  general 
idea.     Everything  was  in  such  terrible  confusion. 

Q.  How  large  were  the  fines  ? 

A.  From  three  to  five  dollars. 

Q.  You  say  you  cannot  tell  who  those  men  were,  or  where  they  resided  ? 

A.  No  ;  they  were  people  I  never  saw  before. 

Q.  Those  who  were  committed  to  jail.  Did  you  ever  ascertain  after- 
ward who  they  were  and  where  they  came  from  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  make  any  effort  ? 

A.  I  never  did.  The  police  made  efforts  afterwards  to  try  to  ascertain, 
I  believe,  who  they  were,  but  I  do  not  know  what  they  did,  or  whether 
they  did  anything  or  not. 

Q.  Can't  you  tell  something  about  what  class  of  people  they  were  from 
their  dress  ? 

A.  They  all  looked  to  be  of  the  poorer  class  of  people,  but  what  they 
were  or  who  they  were  I  cannot  say. 

Q.  Can't  you  tell  whether  they  were  tramps  or  railroad  men  or  people 
of  the  poorer  class  ? 

A.  Some  were  tramps — I  know  that.  I  have  a  recollection  of  that.  I 
don't  think  there  were  any  railroad  men.  There  may  have  been  a  few, 
but  a  very  few,  though.  They  were  generally  of  the  poorer  class  of  people, 
picking  up  plunder. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.   Were  they  Pittsburgbers  ? 

A.  That  1  cannot  say.  I  never  saw  them  before,  and  have  never  seen 
them  since. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  When  those  policemen  were  sent  out  there,  was  there  any  arrange- 
ment made  by  Mr.  Watt,  or  any  other  person,  to  keep  the  time  of  the  men 
while  in  service  ? 

A.  1  had  nothing  to  do  with  that.  That  was  a  matter  for  the  clerk  of 
the  chief  of  police  to  attend  to.  I  know  that  Mr.  Watt,  or  somebody,  sent 
down  a  check  to  pay  them. 

Q.  Have  you  any  recollection  of  a  party  of  eighty  sent  to  the  work- 
house ? 

A.  I  remember  a  party  of  forty-six  sent  there.  They  came  here  from 
Cumberland,  and  were  arrested  on  the  arrival  of  the  train  here. 

Q.  What  train  ? 

A.  On  the  Connellsville  railroad. 

Q.  Those  were  all  sent  up  in  a  body  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee  ? 

Q.  When  was  that  ? 

A.  On  the  23d  or  24th  of  July. 

R.  H.  Fife,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Were  you  sheriff  of  Allegheny  county  last  July  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  been  sheriff? 
A.  Two  years  the  first  Monday  of  last  January. 


176  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  State  what  knowledge  you  have  of  the  disturbance  of  the  peace  that 
commenced  on  the  19th  of  July  last  ? 

A.  On  the  19th  of  July  last  I  had  been  out  of  the  city  during  a  part  of 
that  day,  and  came  home  late  in  the  evening.  I  went  to  my  house,  and  re- 
mained there  until  sometime  in  the  night.  I  had  been  sleeping,  I  think. 
About  eleven  o'clock,  between  that  and  twelve  o'clock 

Q,.  Thursday  night  ? 

A.  Yes.  Mr.  Scott — that  is  Mr.  John  Scott — Mr.  Watt,  and  another  gen- 
tleman— 1  do  not  recollect  his  name — came  to  the  house.  I  came  down 
and  admitted  them  into  the  parlor.  They  told  me  of  the  trouble  they  had 
— that  Mr.  Watt  had  been  assaulted,  and  that  a  large  crowd  was  out  there. 
They  wished  me  to  go  out  and  see  what  I  could  do.  I  told  them  I  would 
go,  and  I  put  my  coat  on,  and  called  one  of  my  deputies — Mr.  Haymaker — 
and  we  started  down  to  Union  depot.  There  we  met  General  Pearson,  and 
he  went  with  us  out  to  one  of  the  offices — I  do  not  know  just  what  office — 
and  then  General  Pearson  and  Mr.  Watt — I  think  Mr.  Watt  went  along,  or 
some  other  gentleman  connected  with  the  railroad — and  I  went  up  to  Twen- 
ty-eighth street. 

Q.   What  time  did  you  arrive  at  Twent}^-eighth  street  ? 

A.  It  was  after  the  middle  of  the  night — between  twelve  and  one  o'clock. 
There  was  a  large  crowd  of  rough  people  there.  Put  probably  I  am  a 
little  ahead  of  my  story  when  I  speak  of  Twenty-eighth  street.  On  my 
road  up  from  the  depot  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  the  cars  on  the  siding 
there,  and  on  the  tracks  that  were  not  rilled  with  merchandise,  appeared  to 
be  all  rilled  with  people.  A  number  of  them  were  in  there  sleeping,  and 
others  were  in  there  carousing.  All  the  cars  appeared  to  be  full.  At 
Twenty-eighth  street,  I  asked  why  that  assemblage  of  people  were  there, 
and  they  said  they  were  on  a  strike,  and  that  they  proposed  to  stop  the 
freight  trains  from  going  out,  and  that  they  had  stopped  them.  1  told 
them  they  were  acting  contrary  to  the  law,  and  that  they  must  disperse. 
The  reply  was,  "  go  to  hell  you  gray-headed  old  son  of  a  bitch,"  that  and 
other  pet  names  of  similar  character.  I  then  repeated  the  order  that  they 
must  disperse,  and  that  if  1  had  not  the  power  to  do  it,  that  I  would  have 
to  try  to  get  power  sufficient  to  do  it.  They  then  replied,  that  General 
Pearson  and  I  both  might  go  to  hell,  that  they  had  the  mayor  and  his  iorce 
on  their  side,  and  that  Mr.  T.  C.  Jenkins  had  agreed  to  give  them  one 
thousand  barrels  of  flour  to  stand  out,  and  that  Mr.  Alexander  King  had 
agreed  to  give  them  a  thousand  dollars.  I  told  them  they  did  not  know 
tliose  gentlemen  as  well  as  I  did,  or  they  would  not  talk  that  way.  They 
said  they  knew  them,  and  that  we  had  better  take  a  walk.  About  tins  time 
there  was  a  diversion  in  the  crowd.  A  courier  came  with  a  piece  of  paper 
— I  did  not  have  it  in  my  hand,  I  did  not  get  to  see  it — but  a  large  number 
of  them  ran  across,  and  they  read  the  communication  aloud.  1 1  read  some- 
thing in  this  way :  "  Hold  your  position  until  to-morrow  morning,  and  we 
will  send  five  hundred  coal  miners  to  assist  you."  It  purported  to  come 
from  the  Monongahela  Valle}\  They  then  assembled  back.  I  was  up  on 
a  pile  of  lumber  talking  to  them,  and  I  commenced  to  talk  again,  but,  after 
this,  they  were  far  more  abusive  than  before.  The  language  would  not  do 
to  repeat.  In  a  short  time  another  courier  came  with  another  communi- 
cation, representing  to  come  from  Wilkes-Barre,  that  parties  there  would 
be  here  to  assist  them  as  soon  as  they  could. 
By  Senator  Eteyburn: 

Q.  Were  these  people  you  spoke  of,  railroad  men  ? 

A.  Not  many  of  them.     A  portion  of  them  were,  but  not  many.     They 
were  the  bad  elements  of  society  from  all  parts  of  the  city,  and  from  some 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877-  177 

parts  of  the  county,  in  connection  with  thieves  and  blackguards  from  other 
parts  of  the  country.  A  great  many  strangei*s  were  there.  I  made  that 
remark  to  one  of  the  railroad  officials,  that  the  crowd  was  not  composed 
entirely  of  our  people,  and  he  differed  with  me,  and  I  gave  this  answer  at 
the  time — I  said  "  These  are  not  our  people,  for  I  claim  to  know  as  many 
men  in  Allegheny  county  as  any  other  man  in  it,  and  they  ai*e  strangers 
here  that  I  never  saw."  Some  females  were  there,  or  ladies,  the  worst  I 
ever  saw. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  speak  now  of  Thursday  night? 

A.  Yes;  my  first  introduction  to  the  crowd.  I  remained  some  time, 
trying  to  get  them  to  disperse.  They  did  not  offer  me  any  violence,  but 
refused  to  go,  and  said  they  would  die  there  sooner  than  they  would  be 
driven  off.  One  man  there,  who  appeared  to  be  a  leader,  had  served  two 
terms  in  the  penitentiary.  I  knew  him  by  sight.  He  appeared  to  be  a 
leader.     He  was  not  a  railroad  man,  and  I  do  not  think  ever  had  been. 

Q.  What  was  his  name  ? 

A.  He  was  killed  on  Saturday  morning,  by  the  Philadelphia  soldiers, 
and,  probably,  I  had  better  not  name  him.  He  amused  himself  up  to  Sat- 
urday morning  annoying  everybodj',  and  was  shot  on  Saturday  morning. 
I  became  satisfied,  that  no  force  I  had  or  could  convene  could  hold  that 
crowd  there  then,  or  the  crowd  that  would  likely  be  there  in  the  morning. 
So  I  telegraphed  to  the  Governor. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  It  was  after  midnight.     I  suppose,  about  two  o'clock. 

Q.  Friday  morning  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  suppose  so.     I  cannot  give  the  exact  time. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  It  was  during  that  night  ? 

A.  Yes ;  about  two  o'clock.     I  telegraphed  to  the   Secretary  of    the 
Commonwealth  and  to  the  Adjutant  General. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Have  you  copies  of  those  telegrams  ? 

A.  I  think  I  have  in  my  safe. 

Q.  I  wish  you  would  give  us  copies  of  them  ? 

A.  I  will  do  so.     I  received  an  answer  sometime  after  that  that  he  had 
ordered  General  Pearson  to  call  out  one  regiment  of  volunteers  to  assist 
in  putting  down  the  riot. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Who  was  this  from  ? 

A.  I  think  from  Secretary  Quay  or  the  Adjutant  General.  General  Pear- 
son then  was  ordered  to  call  out  the  regiment  here — the  Duquesne  Greys. 
They  were  called  out  to  be  in  readiness  at  a  certain  hour  in  the  morn- 
ing. Afterwards  I  walked  down  to  the  city  hall,  and  found  about  thirty 
men  there,  and  a  number  of  them  were  trying  to  get  home  as  fast  as  they 
could.  About  thirty  of  them  I  saw  in  uniform  at  the  city  hall.  During 
the  forenoon  of  Friday,  I  went  with  General  Pearson  and  some  others,  out 
through  the  mob  or  crowd  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  along  the  line  up 
to  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  up  to  Torrens  station.  There  there  was  a 
large  crowd  also,  and  very  boisterous,  and  apparently  very  determined. 
I  talked  to  them,  and  urged  them  to  disperse,  but  they  hooted  and  jeei-ed. 
The}'  did  not  use  quite  so  bad  language,  but  there  was  plenty  of  it,  as  they 
had  done  the  night  before.  They  told  me  they  would  wade  in  blood  to 
their  knees  before  the}*-  would  disperse,  and  that  it  was  blood  or  bread 
with  them.  I  also  read  a  proclamation  to  them,  purporting  to  come  from 
12  Riots. 


178  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

the  Governor,  and  they  hooted  and  jeered  at  that,  and  said  they  did  not 
care,  that  they  were  going  to  stop  those  trains  and  had  stopped  them.  It 
was  then  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  they  said  at  that  hour  the  railroads 
over  the  whole  country  are  stopped.  General  Pearson  attempted  to  ad- 
dress them,  but  the}7  hooted  and  jeered  at  him.  I  believe  lie  offered  to 
buy  a  car  load  of  bread  and  bring  it  out  to  them  if  they  would  disperse, 
but  they  said  it  was  blood  or  bread  with  them,  and  they  would  not  dis- 
perse. One  young  man  that  appeared  to  act  as  spokesman  of  the  crowd 
while  General  Pearson  was  talking  to  them — I  went  to  him,  and  asked 
him  why  he  was  acting  in  the  way  he  was,  and  why  this  crowd  was  here. 
I  am  going  to  give  you  his  answer  :  He  said  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company  has  two  ends,  one  in  Philadelphia  and  one  in  Pittsburgh.  We 
have  determined  on  a  strike,  and  in  Philadelphia  they  have  a  strong  police 
furce,  and  they  are  with  the  railroad,  but  in  Pittsburgh  they  have  a  weak 
force,  and  it  is  a  mining  and  manufacturing  district,  and  we  can  get  all 
the  help  we  want  from  the  laboring  elements,  and  we  have  determined  to 
make  the  strike  here.  I  said  to  him:  "Are  you  a  railroader?"  he  said 
"  No.  I  am  a  laboring  man  and  not  a  railroader."  I  then  asked  him  his 
name."  He  said  :  "It  might  be  John  Smith  and  might  be  John  Jones, 
but  I  am  not  here  to  tell  you  what  it  is."  I  said  :  "Where  do  you  live  ?" 
he  said  "In  the  eastern  part  of  the  State."  I  advised  him  to  go  home, 
and  not  engage  in  this  bad  business,  but  he  said  he  intended  to  see  it 
through  or  leave  his  corpse  here.  I  might  say,  at  East  Liberty  I 
warned  them  to  disperse,  the  crowd,  and  when  they  refused  to  disperse, 
I  warned  the  women  and  children  to  disperse — that  the  military  would  be 
there  in  a  short  time,  and  probabl}T  somebody  would  be  hurt.  I  warned 
all  having  no  part  in  the  riot  to  get  out  of  the  road.  The  women  answered 
me  that  they  were  there  to  urge  the  men  on  to  do  what  they  wanted. 
Who  the  women  were  I  do  not  know,  but  they  answered  me  in  that  way. 
That  was  in  the  forenoon  of  Friday.  About  noon  there  was  a  request  sent 
to  me  to  send  some  of  my  deputies  with  the  railroad  officials.  I  under- 
stood the}T  were  going  to  try  to  move  the  trains  on  Friday  afternoon.  I 
detached  Major  Boyce,  and  told  him  to  take  as  many  of  my  deputies  as 
were  necessary,  and  go  down  to  Union  depot.  He  stalled  after  a  while, 
and  came  back,  and  it  was  reported  to  me  that  they  had  decided  not  to 
move  any  trains  that  afternoon.  Consequently,  he  was  not  needed,  he 
said.  On  Saturday — the  forenoon  of  Saturda}r — I  was  called  on  by  James 
Richardson,  a  constable — I  do  not  know  in  what  ward  he  is  constable — I 
generally  see  him  here  in  the  Second  ward — he  is  an  old  constable  for 
many  years  in  the  city — he  called  on  me  and  said  that  he  had  some  war- 
rants to  arrest  some  parties  who  were  leaders  of  the  riot,  issued  by  Judge 
Ewing,  president  judge  of  our  court  of  common  pleas  No.  2,  and  that  he 
wished  me  to  go  with  him  and  take  what  assistance  I  could,  to  assist  him 
in  arresting  some  of  the  leaders  of  the  mob.  I  immediately  detailed  ten 
of  my  deputies  to  go  out  and  try  to  raise  a  posse.  They  started  out  and 
reported  to  me  about  one  o'clock,  and  they  had  some  eight  or  ten  men 
with  them. 

Q.  On  Saturday  ? 

A.  Yes;  some  of  them  appeared  willing  to  go  provided  they  were  paid 
in  advance,  and  others  were  willing  to  go — that  is,  appeared  willing  to  go 
—  under  any  consideration.  We  started  and  went  down  as  far  as  Union 
depot,  and  1  think  by  the  time  I  got  there  with  this  posse  n\\  deputies  had 
got  up;  they  had  all  forsaken  me  and  escaped  except  about  six.  We  met 
Mr.  Pitcaim  there,  and  some  of  the  other  railroad  officers.  They  told  me 
they  wished  me  to  assist  Mr.  Richardson  in  arresting  those  parties,  and 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  179 

that  a  division  or  a  regiment,  I  do  not  know  which  the}'  called  it,  of  sol- 
diers from  Philadelphia  would  protect  me.  I  went  up  with  Mr.  Richard- 
son and  Mr.  Pitcairn,  and  another  gentleman  whom  I  saw  giving  his  tes- 
timony here  the  other  day ;  I  do  not  know  his  name.  We  went  up  to 
Twent3r-eighth  street,  and  Mr.  Pitcairn  told  me  when  we  got  to  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  that  he  could  not  see  the  parties  for  whom  the  warrants  were 
issued.  I  replied  to  him,  that  then  my  duty  in  that  respect  was  ended. 
If  he  could  not  point  them  out  that  I  could  not  arrest  them  ;  that  I  did 
not  know  them.  I  had  seen  the  list  of  names,  and  I  did  not  know  any  of 
them.  I  passed  through  the  crowd,  and  they  hooted  and  jeered  at  me  for 
a  mile,  I  suppose,  but  they  offered  me  no  violence.  I  went  clear  through 
the  crowd  and  came  and  turned  back  through  a  portion  of  it.  The  mili- 
tary were  bringing  up  a  Gatling  gun  and  placing  it  in  position.  I  came 
back  to  the  side  of  the  Gatling  gun.  The  military  were  formed  into  what 
I  would  call  three  sides  of  a  hollow  square.  Shortly  after  that,  or  pre- 
vious to  that  I  might  say,  as  we  passed  up,  General  Pearson  was  at  my 
side,  and  a  man  who  appeared  to  be  a  kind  of  leader  of  the  crowd  was  on 
our  right.  He  was  very  noisy  and  very  boisterous,  and  God  damning 
Pearson  for  bringing  out  his  double-headers,  and  General  Peai'son  just 
pointed  at  him  and  said,  "  That  man  will  cause  trouble  after  a  little,  I  am 
afraid."  The  man  saw  him  pointing.  In  some  little  time  he  came  me — 
he  forced  himself  through  the  lines  of  the  militaiy  and  came  to  me — and 
said,  what  had  I  against  him  ?  I  said  I  had  nothing  against  him,  so  long 
as  he  behaved  himself.  He  asked  what  General  Pearson  had  against  him. 
I  said  I  did  not  know.  I  did  not  hear  him  say  anything  against  him.  He 
said  he  was  a  friend  of  Peai-son's,  and  had  nothing  against  him,  but  that 
he  was.  God  damned  if  he  was  going  to  be  pointed  out  that  way  in  the 
crowd,  that  he  had  friends  enough  there  to  wipe  us  both  out.  I  told  him 
to  get  out.  He  said  he  would  not  go.  I  put  my  hands  on  his  shoulders, 
and  he  was  then  thrown  through  to  the  crowd  by  one  of  the  officers.  He 
there  became  very  noisy. 

The  military  came  up  through  the  crowd  in  front  with  arms  aport,  and 
the  crowd  stood  still,  refusing  to  get  back.  The  soldiers  were  then  or- 
dered to  charge  bayonets.  Then  somebody  cried  out  in  the  crowd  to  hold 
their  position.  They  came  up  at  a  charge  baynets  ;  but  a  number  of  their 
guns  were  seized  by  the  mob,  as  you  might  call  it,  and  at  this  time, 
any  number  of  stones  were  thrown.  I  saw  one  soldier  get  struck  with  a 
piece  of  coal  on  the  forehead,  just  peeling  his  forehead,  and  he  fell  to  his 
knees.  About  the  same  time  there  were  three  or  four  pistol  shots  fired 
from  the  crowd  into  the  ranks  of  the  soldiers,  and,  as  I  said  before,  any 
quantity  of  stones  and  clubs  were  thrown.  Then  the  firing  commenced  by 
the  soldiers,  and  it  ran  along  around  two  sides  of  the  square.  It  was  a 
kind  of  running  fire  without  an  order  to  fire.  It  put  me  in  mind  of  a  pack 
of  shooting  crackers,  when  you  set  one  end  on  fire  one  report  would  follow 
another.  Some  parties  were  killed  and  a  great  many  ran  away.  I  waited 
some  half  hour  or  more  there.  The  soldiers  then  retired  towards  the 
round-house,  and  I  returned  to  my  home. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  time  did  this  firing  occur? 

A.  In  the  afternoon  about  I  should  judge  between  four  and  five  o'clock. 
I  think  it  was  near  five  o'clock. 

Q.  Did  you  remain  home  during  the  night  ? 

A.  I  did  not.     I  came  down  to  my  office,  and  remaine  1  there. 

Q.  Go  on  and  relate  your  movements  during  the  balance  of  the  night, 
and  Sunday  and  Sunday  night. 


180  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  All  that  night,  and  Sunday  and  Sunday  night,  I  remained  in  the 
court-house  here.  I  was  useless  and  powerless,  and  they  were  hunting  me 
to  murder  me.  On  Monday  morning,  I  went  to  my  office  door,  and  a 
drunken  creature  was  leaning  there,  with  a  revolver  in  his  right  hand, 
hunting  for  the  sheriff.  I  asked  him  what  he  wanted  with  him.  He  said, 
I  want  to  see  him.  I  said  you  can  take  a  good  look  at  him  now,  and,  with 
that,  I  took  him  by  the  collar,  and  kicked  him  down  the  steps.  I  have  not 
seen  him  since.  I  might  have  stated,  that  on  Thursday  night,  (the  first 
night  I  went  out  into  the  crowd,)  there  were  shots  fired  when  General 
Pearson  and  I  went  out  there  first.  I  do  not  know  whether  they  were  fired 
at  any  person  in  particular.  I  think  that  they  were  intended  to  alarm  more 
than  anything  else. 

Q.  When  Mr.  Scott  came  to  your  house,  on  Thursday  night,  to  inform 
you  of  the  riotous  proceedings,  did  he  advise  you  to  consult  with  your 
counsel  before  going  out  ? 

A.  No  ;  he  said  it  probably  would  be  necessary,  before  I  got  through, 
to  see  my  counsel.  I  told  him  that  I  could  not  see  him  then,  that  he  had 
returned  to  his  home,  in  the  Nineteenth  ward,  Pittsburgh,  and  it  would  be 
impossible  for  me  to  see  him  at  that  hour  of  the  night.  I  told  him  I  would 
see  him  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning. 

Q.  Did  he  tell  you  why  it  would  be  necessary  ? 

A.  No;  I  do  not  think  he  did,  particularly — not  to  my  recollection.  He 
said  if  I  became  satisfied,  in  my  own  mind,  that  I  had  not  sufficient  force 
to  remove  the  crowd,  that  it  would  be  my  duty  to  call  on  the  Governor  for 
aid,  and  he  wished  me  to  be  satisfied  in  my  own  mind. 

Q.  How  many  of  your  deputies  did  you  take  with  you  that  night  ? 
A.  Only  one — Mr.  Haymaker. 
Q.  Did  you  call  for  any  posse  that  night  ? 
A.  Not  that  night. 

Q.  You  did  not  call  for  any  posse  before  telegraphing  to  the  Governor  ? 
A.  No  ;  I  did  not.  I  will  say  this  here,  that  although  I  was  called  on 
that  night,  I  was  aware  pretty  generally  what  was  going  on  in  regard  to 
the  strike  previous  to  that.  It  could  be  heard  on  the  street — parties  were 
saying — the  strike  before  this  had  occurred  in  other  parts  of  the  United 
States — and  they  would  say  it  will  be  here — it  will  be  here  in  a  day  or 
two.  I  could  hear  the  remarks  passed.  Not  only  that,  but  every  ave- 
nue of  the  city,  for  a  week  before,  had  been  crowded.  There  was  a  very 
considerable  travel  by  strangers  coming  to  the  city.  The  city  was  full  of 
strangers  at  the  time.  There  was  no  railroad  or  wagon  road  but  what  3*011 
could  find  on  it  a  class  of  people  traveling  that  you  had  never  seen  or 
heard  of  at  all. before,  and  they  were  coming  into  the  city.  The  city  was 
full  of  them.  This  I  have  not  heard  any  other  person  remark  but  myself, 
but  it  is  the  fact  of  the  case.  On  all  the  railroad  trains  you  could  see  men 
coming  in,  riding  on  the  tenders,  or  on  the  cow-catchers,  or  any  way  at 
all — on  the  steps,  or  any  way. 
Q.  What  days  ? 

A.  Tuesday,  Wednesday,  and  Thursday.  I  will  give  another  little  fact. 
This  morning  a  lady  came  to  my  office,  asking  me  to  solicit  transportation 
for  her  over  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  to  Philadelphia.  She  wished  to 
get  a  pass.  I  asked  her  why,  and  she  said  that  she  had  a  son  living  in 
Chester  county  who  had  come  here  and  mixed  himself  in  with  the  riots, 
and  had  laid  out  and  slept  out  until  he  had  got  a  cold,  and  that  he  now 
was  dying  with  consumption,  and  she  was  poor,  and  wished  me  to  solicit 
the  Pennsylvania  railroad  company  to  give  her  a  pass  to  go  and  see  him 
before  lie  died.     She  lives  here,  and  her  son  is  married  and  lives  in  Chester 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187*7.  181 

county.     She  lives  nearly  across  the  street  from  where  I  do.     But  I  didn't 
know  she  had  this  son,  though. 

Q.  As  soon  as  you  returned  on  Thursday  night  from  Twenty-eighth 
street,  you  telegraphed  to  the  Governor  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Had  you  become  satisfied,  then,  that  it  was  necessary  to  call  out  the 
troops  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  I  had.  The  riot  had  assumed — although  there  had  been 
no  actual  outbreak,  except  the  striking  of  Mr.  Watt — had  assumed  such 
proportions  then,  that  it  would  have  been  folly  for  me  to  attempt  in  this 
city  to  ha\e  got  a  posse  to  remove  the  crowd.  I  might,  if  I  had  had  time, 
have  got  the  rural  districts  of  this  county  to  assist  me — I  might  have  got 
a  force  there,  but  then  it  would  have  been  a  worse  slaughter  than  what  it 
was.  But  in  this  city  it  would  have  been  folly  for  me  to  try  it.  I  knew 
the  feeling  of  the  people. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  effort  on  Friday  forenoon  to  raise  a  posse  ? 
A.  I  did  not.  I  viewed  it  in  this  way.  That,  when  I  had  called  on  the 
State  authorities,  and  the  State  authorities  had  responded,  that  that  re- 
lieved me  of  that  responsibility  of  calling  a  posse.  In  fact,  I  considered 
the  idea  of  a  sheriff  of  any  county  calling  out  a  posse  almost  as  an  obso- 
lete piece  of  law  to-day.  The  time  was,  when  the  military  were  under  the 
control  of  the  sheriff,  but  it  is  not  so  now. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  the  law  is  in  regard  to  calling  out  the  militia  to 
suppress  a  riot  ? 

A.  I  have  read  the  acts  of  assembly. 
Q.  You  knew  what  they  were  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  knew  what  was  necessary  for  you,  as  sheriff,  to  do  before  calling 
the  militia  ? 

A.  Well,  any  citizen  can  call  on  the  Governor  for  aid — any  responsible 
party. 

Q.  But  you  knew  what  was  necessaiy  for  you  to  do  as  sheriff? 
A.  I  think  I  did.     I  might  have  been  mistaken. 

Q.  You  thought  that  you  laid  sufficient  ground  for  calling  on  the  Gov- 
ernor, did  you? 

A.  Yes ;  this  riot  had  assumed  such  proportions  at  that  time — it  had 
gone  so  far,  and  such  a  crowd  was  there,  of  all  the  rough  elements  of  so- 
ciety, that  no  posse,  raised  inside  of  three  or  four  days — and  then  it  would 
have  had  to  be  collected  from  all  parts  of  the  couuty — could  have  removed 
it. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  that  night  ? 

A.  Weil,  I  cannot  tell  you  that,  because  the  cars  not  loaded  with  freight, 
as  I  said  before,  were  all  occupied.  Some  had  four  or  five  in,  and  some 
ten  or  twelve  in.  I  cannot  tell  how  many  cars  were  full.  At  Twenty  eighth 
street,  I  judge  that  a  thousand  persons  were  there  at  that  time,  and  all 
along,  from  Union  depot  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  they  were  scattered. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 
Q.  Those  cars  you  saw  the  men  in,  were  they  regular  freight  cars  or  ca- 
boose cars  ? 

A.  I  saw  them  in  both.  One  thing  other  I  wish  to  impress  on  the  com- 
mittee, and  that  is  this :  I  see  that  other  evidence — by  reading  it  in  the 
papers — places  those  warrants  for  the  arrest  of  those  parties  on  Saturda}T, 
in  my  hands.  It  is  not  the  case.  They  were  in  the  hands  of  James  Rich- 
ardson, the  constable,  and  I  was  only  acting  as  a  guard  to  assist  him. 


182  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  he  not  appointed  as  one  of  your  deputies  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  told  him  I  would  go  myself,  and  give  hirn  some  of  my  men 
to  assist  him.     I  took  thirteen  of  my  regular  deputies  and  nryself  to  assist 
him,  and  some  other  men  not  regularly  connected  with  the  office.     The 
names  of  some  of  them  I  cannot  recollect. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Would  it  then  have  been  possible  to  have  arrested  those  men  ? 

A.  Xo,  sir;  not  unless  the  military  had  done  it.     Probabty,  General 
Brinton  might  have  been  able,  but  I  do  not  know.    There  was  about  a  mile 
of  a  solid  packed  mob. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  On  Saturda}^  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  the  day  we  had  the  warrants. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Friday? 

A.  On  Friday  there  was  a  large  crowd.  It  was  continually  increasing. 
It  increased  from  Thursday,  and  kept  on  increasing  all  the  time,  on  Fri- 
day and  Saturday. 

Q.  Were  they  all  taking  a  part  ? 

A.  Xo  ;  a  portion  were  lookers  on,  but  the  sympathy  appeared  to  be  all 
with  the  strikers.  But  I  must  say,  that  I  did  not  see  many  of  those  strikers. 
After  we  had  gone  out  to  Torrens  station,  I  asked  Mr.  Pitcairn  how  many 
men  he  knew  in  those  two  crowds,  at  Twentv-eisdith  street  and  Torrens 
station,  as  belonging  to  the  road.  After  studying  awhile,  he  said  :  "  Well, 
really,  I  think  I  only  know  four." 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  You  say  the  sj-mpathy  of  all  those  gathered  around  was  with  the 
strikers  ? 

A.  It  appeared  to  be. 

Q.  How  extensive  was  that  sympathy — to  what  extent  was  it  carried 
among  the  people  ? 

A.  It  was  very  extensive.  In  fact,  I  do  hardly  know  any  person  whose 
sympathy  was  not  with  them.  It  went  so  far  that  on  Saturday  night,  after 
the  firing,  parties  were  coming  to  my  house  and  telling  my  family  that  they 
would  be  murdered  or  burned  out  before  morning.  My  wife  became  alarmed, 
and  in  the  street  where  I  lived  she  could  not  get  protection  in  any  house. 
They  would  not  let  her  in. 

Q.  Why  ? 

A.  Because  they  blamed  me  for  being  at  the  head  of  the  soldiers,  and 
for  causing  the  killing  of  innocent  parties.  That  was  the  reason  they  gave 
her — that  they  did  not  think  they  would  be  safe  in  letting  her  in. 

Q.  What  street  is  that  ? 

A.  Washington  street,  Pittsburgh. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  On  Thursday  or  Friday  was  this  crowd  boisterous  or  destroying 
things  ? 

A.  They  were  not  destroying  things.  On  Frida}'  the}-  were  stopping  all 
the  trains  coming  in — stopping  trains,  and  then  hooking  on  locomotives 
and  running  the  cattle  cars,  for  instance,  to  Torrens  station,  and  letting  the 
cattle  out  in  the  field.  In  fact,  Mr.  Pitcairn  will  remember  that  we  were 
ordered  out  of  the  locomotive  that  we  were  on,  to  let  them  run  cattle  out. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Not  on  Thursday  and  Friday,  but  after  the  firing  occurred,  how  was 
the  sympathy  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1377.  183 

A.  I  think  the  sympathy  was  with  the  strikers  from  the  first.     I  feel  sat- 
isfied it  was.     But  I  am  only  giving  yon  my  own  opinion. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  But  you  give  that  opinion,  having  formed  it  after  intercourse  with 
the  people,  and  after  being  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  talked  with  a  great  many  of  them,  and  they  appeared  to  think 
it  was  a  hardship  to  reduce  the  wages  and  the  numbers  of  the  men,  and 
also,  once  in  a  while,  they  would  bring  in  this  freight  discrimination  ques- 
tion. 

Q.  If  you  had  had  the  warrants  on  Thursday  night,  could  3-011  have  ar- 
rested those  parties  ? 

A.  If  I  had  had  a  posse  of  two  hundred  or  two  hundred  and  fifty  I 
probably  could  have  arrested  them,  but  probably  there  would  have  been 
somebody  killed.  I  believe  on  Thursday  morning  if  I  had  had  the  number 
of  police  that  Mayor  McCarthy  had,  I  could  have  arrested  the  leaders,  and 
put  in  prison  the  disorderly  parties,  and  that  then  the  trouble  would  not 
have  assumed  the  proportions  it  did.  That  is  only  my  own  idea  of  it. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Could  it  have  been  done  on  Thursday? 

A.  As  I  said  before,  I  was  out  of  Pittsburgh  part  of  Thursday.  I  was 
called  away  on  business. 

Q.  But  from  the  time  you  became  acquainted  with  the  difficulty  first? 

A.  On  Thursday  morning  I  saw  the  crowd  gathering  around,  and  I  think 
then  if  I  had  had  a  force  and  had  been  called  on  to  anything  with  the  force 
that  Mayor  McCarthy  had,  I  think  I  could  have  done  some  good,  but  on 
Thursday  night  at  one  o'clock,  I  do  not  think  it  could  have  been  done. 

Q.  When  those  messages  were  brought  in  and  read  to  the  crowd  as 
coming  from  other  parties,  were  there  any  messages  sent  out  to  them  in 
reply  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  No  responses  were  made  to  them  ? 

A.  There  was  considerable  cheering. 

Q.  But  were  any  answers  sent  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  those  messages  come  in  answer  to  messages  that  had  been  sent 
out  ? 

A.  I  cannot  answer  that.     I  have  given  you  about  the  purport  of  the 
messages.     Probably  if  General  Pearson  shall  be  called  he  might  recollect 
the  purport  a  little  distincter  than  I  have. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  those  telegrams  ? 

A.  I  think  not.     I  didn't  so  understand  it. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  There  appeared  to  be  an  organization  ? 

A.  It  looked  to  me  in  that  light  very  much. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  stated  one  was  from  Wilkes-Barre  ? 

A.  Yes,  and  one  from  the  Monongahela  valley,  and  there  was  also  one 
from  Mansfield — that  the  coal  miners  there  would  be  in  in  the  morning. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Had  you  knowledge  of  any  organization  prior  to  this  time  ? 

A.  Nothing  that  I  could  assert  with  any  distinctness — nothing  only 
rumor — while  I  firmly  believe  there  was.  Now  I  will  give  you  another 
fact  or  instance  to  corroborate  my  theory :  Some  five  weeks  after  the  riot 
I  was  in  St.  Paul,  and  the  mayor  of  St.  Paul  had  gathered  up  thirteen 
tramps  in  a  cave  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi  river.     I  was  at  the  hear- 


184  Report  or  Committee.  [No.  29, 

ing,  and  each  one  had  a  traveling  sack  or  satchell,  and  they  examined  these 
satchels  and  there  were  goods  like  silk  handkerchiefs,  and  so  forth,  in  them. 
The  mayor  asked  them  where  they  got  them,  and  they  said,  at  Pittsburgh 
at  the  time  of  the  riot.  "  How  did  you  know  there  was  going  to  be  a  riot 
thers."  "  Oh !  we  knew  it,  and  we  were  there."  If  3rou  will  telegraph  to  the 
mayor  at  St.  Paul  he  will  substantiate  the  fact. 

Q.  In  regard  to  the  extent  of  this  sjanpathy  with  the  strikers  that  you 
spoke  of,  I  would  like  you  to  explain  a  little  more  upon  that  subject  as  to 
the  extent  of  it,  and  as  to  what  classes  of  people  sympathized  with  the 
strikers  ? 

A.  The  whole  laboring  class,  so  far  as  I  know,  were  with  the  strikers  in 
their  sympathy. 

Q.  The  entire  laboring  class  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  think  so.     Do  not  understand  me  to  say  that  they  were  in 
sympathy  with  the  riot.    They  were  in  sympath}'  with  the  men  on  account 
of  their  wages  being  reduced. 
By  Mr.  Yutzy : 

Q.  "With  the  railroad  strikers  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  But  they  were  not  opposed  to  the  railroad  company  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that,  but  it  was  just  this  way  that  the  railroad  men 
had  their  sympathy.  Then  there  was  another  sympathy  of  the  merchants 
to  a  certain  extent  with  these  men.  They  believed  they  were  not  paid 
right,  and  that  the  railroad  company  were  not  doing 

Q.   Among  what  class  of  merchants  ? 

A.  Our  better  class. 

Q.  The  entire  classes  ? 

A.  No  ;  but  a  portion  of  them. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  it  sympathy  with  the  strikers,  or  only  prejudice  against  the  rail- 
road company  ? 

A.  I  think  they  had  sympathy  and  prejudice  both. 

Q.  Do  you  think  that  any  responsible  portion  of  the  people  of  Pitts- 
burgh, whether  laboring  men  or  others,  sympathized  with  the  rioters  after 
the  difficulty  had  become  a  riot  ? 

A.  No ;  I  think  not.  I  would  say  here,  that  the  responsible  portion  of 
the  people  of  Pittsburgh  were  not  in  sympathy  with  the  riot,  but  I  would 
say,  further,  that  it  took  a  certain  amount  of  riot  to  bring  them  to  their 
senses.  Something  has  been  said  in  regard  to  seeing  my  solicitor.  On 
Friday  morning,  I  did  see  him  at  an  early  hour,  and  stated  to  him  all  I 
had  done,  and  what  I  had  done,  and  he  advised  me  that  I  had  done  just 
exactly  what  he  would  have  advised  me  to  do.  He  stayed  with  me  nearly 
all  day  Friday  and  Saturday.  Before  going  up  to  Union  depot  in  com- 
pany with  him,  I  walked  down  the  street,  looking  for  a  posse  to  go  along, 
and  among  other  places  we  dropped  in,  was  Mr.  Hampton's  office.  They 
two  considted,  and  both  decided  that  I  had  acted  in  the  right  way.  I  am 
only  satisfying  you  in  regard  to  that.  Those  gentlemen,  both,  can  be  had 
at  any  time. 

The  following  are  the  telegrams  referred  to  in  the  foregoing  testimon}- 
of  Sheriff'  Fife : 

Pittsburgh,  July  10,  J77. 
To  Hon.  John  Latta, 

Lieutenant  Governor  of  Penri'a.: 

I  have  forwarded  the  following  dispatch  to  his  Excellenc}'  Governor 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  185 

Hartranft,  at  Harrisburg.  Learning  that  he  is  absent  from  the  State,  I  for- 
ward it  also  to  you  for  such  action  as  you  may  deem  your  duty  and  powers 
render  proper. 

Signed  R.  H.  Fife, 

Sheriff  of  Allegheny  county. 

Following  is  the  dispatch  above  alluded  to : 

Pittsburgh,  July  19,  1878. 

Hon.  John  F.  Hartranft, 

Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  Harrisburg : 

A  tumult,  riot,  and  mob  exist  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  at  East  Lib- 
erty and  in  the  Twelfth  ward  of  Pittsburgh.  Large  assemblages  of  people 
are  upon  the  railroad,  and  the  movement  of  freight  trains,  either  east  or 
west,  is  prevented  by  intimidation  and  violence,  molesting  and  obstructing 
the  engineers  and  other  employes  of  the  railroad  company  in  the  discharge 
of  their  duties.  As  the  sheriff  of  the  county,  I  have  endeavored  to  sup- 
press the  riot,  and  have  not  adequate  means  at  my  command  to  do  so,  and 
I,  therefore,  request  you  to  exercise  your  authority  in  calling  out  the  mil- 
itary to  suppress  the  same. 

R.  H.  Fife, 
(Copy.)  Sheriff  of  Allegheny  county. 

Beaver,  Pa.,  July  20,  3:35,  a.  m. 

R.  H.  Fife,  Sheriff: 

Your  telegram  received.     I  have  telegraphed  the  Adjutant  General. 

M.  S.  Quay, 
Secretary  Commonivealth. 

Harrisburg,  July  20,  2:11,  a.  m. 

R.  H.  Fife,  Sheriff  Allegheny  county  Pa. : 

Gen.  Latta  will  be  here  in  an  hour,  and  means  taken  to  assist  you  if  nec- 
essary. 

C.  N.  Farr,  Jr., 
Private  Secretary. 

Harrisburg,  July  20, 2:30,  a.  m. 

R.  H.  Fife,  Sheriff"  Allegheny  county,  Pa.  : 

The  Constitution  gives  me  no  power  to  act  in  the  matter.  The  Gover- 
nor alone  has  the  power.  His  law  officer,  Attorney  General  Lear,  can  be 
reached  either  at  Harrisburg  or  Doylestown. 

John  Latta, 
Lieut.  Gov. 

Lancaster,  Pa.,  3:17,  a.  m. 

R.  H.  Fife,  Sheriff  Allegheny  county,  Pa. : 

Have  ordered  General  Pearson  to  place  a  regiment  on  duty  to  aid  you 
in  suppressing  disorder. 

James  W.  Latta, 
(Cop}'.)  Adjutant  General. 


180  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Hugh  Y.  Boyce,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  were  a  deputy  sheriff  in  July  last  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  l'eside  where  ? 

A.  No.  551  Fifth  avenue. 

Q.  State  to  us  what  knowledge  }^ou  have  of  the  disturbance,  and  when 
it  commenced — give  us  a  statement  of  the  facts  ? 

A.  Coming  in  on  Friday  morning,  from  attending  a  sale,  I  met  the 
sheriff  and  General  Pearson,  on  Grant  street  or  on  Liberty  street.  I  told 
the  sheriff  I  was  going  to  the  office,  and  I  asked  where  he  was  going,  and 
he  said  he  was  going  out  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  a  short  distance.  I 
asked  him  if  he  wished  me  to  go  along,  and  be  said  he  did.  Then  the 
sheriff  and  Mr.  Pitcairn  and  General  Pearson  and  myself  went  to  Tor- 
rens  station.  The  sheriff  there  addressed  the  crowd,  as  also  did  General 
Pearson.     They  gave  some  good  advice,  but  they  took  no  notice  of  it. 

Q.  How  did  you  go  out  ? 

A.  On  a  locomotive. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  there  ? 

A.  Five  or  six  hundred — I  couldn't  tell. 

Q.  What  class  of  people  were  there  ? 

A.  A  pretty  hard  class. 

Q.  Railroad  men  ? 

A.  Some  were  railroad  men,  but  they  were  not  all  railroad  men. 

Q.  What  were  they  doing  ? 

A.  Standing  in  groups  talking,  on  the  railroad  track,  and  by  the  side  of 
the  railroad  track. 

Q.  Were  you  interfered  with  in  going  out  ? 

A.  No  ;  except  the  crowd  hallooed  at  us  as  we  went  along. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  at  Twenty -eighth  street  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that — perhaps  four  or  five  hundred. 

Q.  What  response  did  those  men  make  to  the  sheriff's  admonitions  ? 

A.  They  said  they  would  have  bread  or  blood. 

Q.  Anything  else  ? 

A.  Nothing;  but  they  used  very  bad  language. 

Q.  They  refused  to  disperse,  did  they  ? 

A.  Yes;  General  Pearson  made  a  neat,  handsome  little  speech  to  them, 
but  they  paid  no  attention  to  it,  nor  to  the  sheriff  either. 

Q.  Hid  you  return  without  any  interference  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  occurred  next  ? 

A.  The  next  was  on  Saturday.  In  the  morning,  sometime,  the  sheriff 
called  me  into  the  office,  and  told  me  to  get  up  some  men  to  report  at  the 
Pennsylvania  railroad  depot. 

Q.  Hid  you  go  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  many  were  with  you  ? 

A.  I  think  about  fifteen  or  sixteen  ;  I  am  not  certain  about  that. 

Q.  Tell  us  what  took  place  1 

A.  This  was  on  Friday  afternoon.  We  went  out  that  afternoon  to  the 
depot.  They  wanted  some  assistance  in  moving  some  trains.  After  I 
went  there,  they  concluded  not  to  move  any,  and  I  returned  to  the  office ; 
and  on  Saturday  I  went  again,  with  Constable  James  Richardson,  proba- 
bly about  one  o'clock. 

Q.  With  how  many  men  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  1S7 

A.  Seventeen  or  eighteen  men  ? 

Q.  Who  collected  the  men  ? 

A.  The  most  of  them  belonged  to  the  sheriff's  office. 

Q.  Did  you  try  to  collect  a  posse  ? 

A.  Yes ;  but  I  found  it  very  hard  work. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  say  it  was  hard  work.     Wh}r  ? 

A.  Because  the  men  didn't  seem  to  be  willing  to  give  us  their  assistance. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  did  they  say  when  they  were  asked  to  go  ? 

A.  They  said  they  would  sooner  go  out  and  help  the  riotei'S. 

Q.  Did  you  get  that  response  from  any  considerable  number? 

A.  A  few  would  answer  in  that  way;  others  said  that  they  had  enough 
to  do  to  attend  to  their  own  business. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  did  you  call  on  ? 

A.  I  called  on  citizens  and  on  constables  ? 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  any  constables  refuse  to  go  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  excuse  did  they  make  ? 

A.  They  didn't  wish  to  go  out  to  get  shot. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  said  that  they  would  sooner  go  out  and  help  the 
rioters  ? 

A.  Well,  laboring  men. 

Q.  You  say  3-011  called  on  constables  and  citizens.     Citizens  is  a  very 
broad  term.     Did  you  call  on  any  professional  men  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  On  business  men  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  response  did  they  make? 

A.  That  they  had  to  attend  to  their  own  business,  and  couldn't  leave  on 
account  of  it — it  being  a  busy  day  on  Saturday. 

Q.  You  got  to  the  depot  about  one  o'clock  ? 

A.  I  think  so. 

Q.  Was  any  crowd  about  Union  depot  there  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  soldiers,  too. 

Q.  Were  there  any  riotous  proceedings  around  the  depot  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Not  at  that  time,  but  a  crowd  was  there,  but  they  didn't  appear  to  be 
specially  riotous  at  that  time. 

Q.  Did  you  move  clown  to  Twenty-eighth  street  with  the  sheriff,  ahead 
of  the  militia  ? 

A.  We  did. 

Q.  You  formed  one  of  the  sheriff's  posse? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  There  were  about  sixteen  of  you  ? 

A.  About  eighteen.     There  may  have  been  more. 

Q.  Were  you  armed  ? 

A.  No  ;  some  of  them  had  revolvers.     I  had  one. 

Q.  You  had  no  weapons  in  view  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  What  took  place  at  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  There  was  quite  a  large  crowd  of  people  there — rioters. 

Q.  What  were  they  doing  ? 

A.  Talking,  and  hallooing,  and  making  a  great  noise. 


188  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Had  they  begun  to  destroy  property  in  any  way  ? 

A.  Not  when  we  went  there — at  least  not  when  I  was  there. 

Q.  What  did  the  sheriff  do  ? 

A.  The  sheriff  advised  them  to  disperse  and  go  home. 

Q.  Advised  them  or  commanded  them  ? 

A.  Commanded  them. 

Q.  What  response  was  made? 

A.  Nothing  but  vile  language,  aud  throwing  stones,  and  brickbats,  Szc. 

Q.  Were  those  stones  thrown  at  the  sheriff's  posse  or  at  the  militia  ? 

A.  Promiscuously — all  around  in  that  neighborhood. 

Q.  Did  they  hit  any  of  the  sheriffs  posse  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  any  of  them  injured  ? 

A.  Not  materially. 

Q.  Were  any  pistols  fired  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  many  shots  were  fired  before  the  militia  fired  ? 

A.  There  may  have  been  five  or  six. 

Q.  To  what  extent  were  the  missiles  thrown  ? 

A.  There  was  quite  a  shower  of  stones  and  brickbats. 

Q.  Was  any  command  given  to  the  militia  to  fire  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  heard.     I  heard  the  command  to  charge  bayonets,  but  no 
command  to  fire. 

Q.  Was  the  command  to  charge  bayonets  obeyed  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  they  drive  back  the  crowd  ? 

A.  A  very  short  distance. 

Q.  Did  they  drive  them  as  long  as  they  continued  to  charge  ? 

A .  Yes  ;  they  cleared  the  tracks. 

Q.  And  drove  them  as  far  as  they  desired  to  ? 

A.  I  presume  so,  just  at  that  time.     Quite  a  number  of  the  crowd — sev- 
eral of  them — tried  to  take  the  muskets  out  of  the  hands  of  the  soldiers. 

Q.  How  did  the  firing  by  the  militia  commence — was  it  one  shot — one 
shot  or  a  volley  ? 

A.  One  shot,  and  then  another  shot,  and  then  two  or  three  shots  every 
second. 

Q.  A  rattling  volley  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  it  regular? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  effect  did  that  have  on  the  crowd  ? 

A.  It  drove  them  away  for  the  time  being. 

Q.  Where  did  they  assemble  afterwards  ? 

A.  In  different  places  down  below  Penn  street  and  up  on  the  hill. 

Q.  Did  the  crowd  assemble  between  the  depot  and  where  the  militia  were 
then  stationed  ? 
A.  I  don't  know. 
Q.  What  became  of  you  ? 

A.  After  the  firing  was  over,  probably  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  I  came 
in  Penn  avenue? 

Q.  Did  the  posse  remain  together? 

A.  When  the  firing  commenced  we  were  standing  immediately  in  front. 
It  was  too  warm  to  stand  there;  very  long. 

Q.  Did  the  firing  disperse  the  sheriffs  posse,  too  ? 
A.  Yes ;  it  was  a  rather  peculiar  place  to  stand  there. 


Leg.  Doc.J  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  189 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  many  were  killed  there  that  evening  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  the  exact  number  now. 

Q.  Had  3tou  any  knowledge  of  any  pre-arranged  purpose  among  those 
men  to  strike  on  that  day  ? 

A.  I  had  not — only  what  you  might  judge  from  the  crowds  gathering 
there  occasionally,  at  the  corners,  and  on  the  railroad  tracks,  and  different 
places. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  there  any  talk  of  striking  among  those  men  that  gathered  in 
crowds  before  the  strike  ? 

A.  Yes ;  you  could  hear  a  great  deal  of  talk  about  a  strike,  but  nothing 
was  said  as  to  the  time  when  it  was  going  to  take  place. 

Q.  How  long  before  this  strike  ? 

A.  On  Tuesday  and  Wednesday. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Who  was  the  talk  among  ? 

A.  Among  the  laboring  classes — among  the  men  that  worked  in  the 
mills,  and  the  glass  houses,  &c,  and  railroad  men. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  it  before  the  news  of  the  strike  on  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  railroad  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  It  was  not  until  after  that  that  you  heard  talk  of  striking  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Prior  to  that  you  had  heard  nothing  that  would  lead  you  to  believe 
there  was  an  organization  for  the  purpose  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  That  was  the  subject  of  conversation,  I  suppose,  among  all  clases — 
to  some  extent  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  was. 

Conrad  Upperman,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  In  Penn  avenue,  between  Thirty-third  and  Thirty-fourth  streets  ? 

Q.  What  was  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  was  night  foreman  in  the  round-house. 

Q.  Were  you  on  duty  on  Thursday  night? 

A.  1  was. 

Q.  State  whether  there  was  any  disturbance  about  the  round-house  on 
that  night  ? 

A.  There  was  none  about  the  round-house  at  all.  The  only  disturbances 
there  were,  took  place  out  on  the  track,  about  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  What  kind  of  a  disturbance  was  it  ? 

A.  The  railroad  men  and  the  others  were  combined — but  they  were  not 
doing  anything,  except  standing  there  in  groups. 

Q.  During  the  night  was  the  crowd  noisy  and  boisterous? 

A.  Somewhat. 

(J.  You  were  in  sight  of  them  ? 

A.  I  was  among  them  nearly  all  the  time.  On  Thursday  night,  be- 
tween eight  and  nine  o'clock,  I  attempted  to  get  out  an  engine  to  haul  some 
stock,  and  I  thought  it  was  useless  to  attempt  it  without  first  seeing 
whether  they  would  allow  us  to  haul  it.  Mr  Watt  told  me  in  the  office 
that  they  would  allow  us  to  haul  the  stock  ;  but  when  I  got  among  them 
they  didn't  seem  very  favorable  to  allowing  it.  So  we  talked  to  them 
some  time,  and  at  last  they  agreed  that  we  could  haul  the  stock.    I  brought 


190  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

the  engine  out  myself;  but  before  I  could  get  her  across  Twenty-eighth 
street  four  or  five  hundred  called  out  to  me  and  hallowed — called  out  to 
me  to  take  her  back;  but  I  got  her  across  Twenty-eighth  street,  and,  after 
talking  to  them,  they  got  quiet,  and  agreed  that  I  could  haul  the  stock, 
provided  a  committee  could  go  on  the  engine  to  see  that  we  would  not 
haul  anything  else.  I  then  got  two  engineers,  one  to  fire  the  engine,  and 
one  to  run  it,  and  they  took  the  stock  up  that  night ;  but  a  little  later  in 
the  night  a  Pan  Handle  train  came  along,  and  that  raised  a  terrible  howl 
there  about  the  stock,  and  they  cut  the  engine  loose ;  but  at  last  they  let 
the  stock  go  as  far  as  Lawrenceville,  and  then  we  got  an  engine  to  haul  it 
awa}T.     In  fact,  they  went  along  on  the  train. 

Q.  What  complaints  did  the  men  make  in  your  conversations  with  them  ? 

A.  They  complained  about  the  double-headers;  that  they  would  take  a 
great  many  of  them  off;  that  it  would  take  their  work  away  at  any  rate, 
and  they  thought  they  might  as  well  fight  it. 

Q.   Were  you  in  the  round-house  on  [Saturday  night  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  Were  you  present  when  the  firing  occurred  on  Saturday  afternoon  ? 

A.  No  ;  1  went  home  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  to  take  some  sleep. 
I  then  went  to  the  round-house  between  seven  and  eight  o'clock.  When 
I  got  there  the  soldiers  were  just  entering.  After  they  had  got  themselves 
stationed  there,  it  was  not  long  until  the  outside  parties  commenced  firing 
into  the  round-house. 

Q.  With  what  ? 

A.  With  musketry. 

Q.  The  rioters  ? 

A.  Yes;  between  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock  that  night.  There  was  a 
board  pile  between  Twenty-sixth  and  Twenty-seventh  streets,  and  a  good 
many  of  them  got  in  behind  that,  and  they  just  rattled  voile}1"  after  volley 
into  the  round-house.  I  was  standing  there  ;  but  I  thought  it  was  too  hot, 
and  went  to  the  other  side  I  then  remained  in  the  round-house  until 
about  twelve  o'clock,  and  then  told  an  officer  that  1  would  go  out.  He 
said  I  had  better  see  General  Brinton  first,  that  I  might  do  him  some  good. 
I  saw  General  Brinton;  but  he  had  nothing  to  say,  and  I  said  nothing  to 
him.  I  started  to  go  out  the  back  way  ol  the  carpenter  shop ;  but  there 
was  a  lot  of  rioters  there,  and  we  thought  that  it  would  not  be  safe,  so  we 
came  on  back  to  where  the  superintendent's  office  stood,  and  he  proposed 
that  I  might  go  out  the  gate  at  Twenty-sixth  street,  and  that  he  would 
tell  his  soldiers  not  to  fire  on  me.  The  firing  was  going  on  at  Twenty- 
sixth  street.     I  got  out  then  and  went  on  home. 

Q.   Were  you  molested  by  the  rioters  ? 

A.  Not  then  ;  but  on  Friday  night  or  Saturday  morning,  between  twelve 
and  one  o'clock,  we  were  getting  out  two  passenger  engines  to  go  east.  It 
was  not  my  business  to  know  what  the  engines  were  going  to  haul.  I  got 
orders  to  get  them  out,  and  I  went  out  in  the  street  then  and  got  two 
engineers  and  firemen,  but  a  man  came  in  and  gave  us  to  understand  that 
the  engines  couldn't  go,  and  I  knew  it  was  no  use  to  argue  the  point  with 
them,  because  there  were  four  or  five  hundred  of  them  there  on  Twenty- 
eighth  street. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.   Was  that  man  a  railroader? 

A.  Not  at  that  time.  1  believe  he  had  been  suspended.  He  is  in  the 
work-house  now.  Then  we  had  two  engines  coming  west  on  the  fast  line 
that  same  night,  and  we  cut  one  engine  oil'  and  took  the  accommodation 
engine  at  Wall's,  and  let  the  accommodation  engine  bring  the  train  in,  and 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  191 

let  the  other  engine  go  back  to  Altoona ;  but  we  found  they  had  her 
blocked.  I  went  to  Twenty  eighth  street,  and  they  were  pretty  noisy  at 
that  time.  Some  of  them  came  to  me,  and  asked  what  kind  of  a  hand  I 
was  taking  in  the  matter.  I  told  them  I  was  not  taking  any  more  hand  in 
it  than  I  ought  to,  and  they  told  me  if  I  didn't  get  out  right  quick  the}' 
would  shoot  me  so  full  of  holes  that  I  couldn't  get  away.  I  found  it  was 
pretty  hot,  and  I  got  away.  On  Friday  morning,  when  the  troops  came 
there,  there  was  not  over  twenty  or  thirty  men  at  Twenty-eighth  street. 
They  seemed  to  go  away,  but  after  that,  of  course,  they  commenced  gath- 
ering in  groups,  and  I  noticed  the  troops  were  not  there  very  long  until 
they  were  among  them  themselves.  I  noticed  that  morning,  before  I  went 
home,  that  they  were  walking  together  in  the  street,  our  own  men  and  the 
soldiers.  I  thought  there  was  no  use  for  those  soldiers  there. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.   What  morning  was  that  ? 

A.  Saturday  morning. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  troops  were  those  ? 

A.  The  Pittsburgh  troops.  I  was  there  Thursday  night  and  Friday 
night  and  Saturday  night  until  one  o'clock. 

(4.  At  Twenty-eighth  street,  were  the  same  men  there  all  the  time  from 
Thursday  until  Saturday — until  the  firing  of  the  troops  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  they  were  nearly  about  the  same  crowd.     Of  course,  the  crowd 
increased.     On  Friday  night  four  or  five  thousand  of  them  were  there,  but 
the  crowd  was  orderly,  and  I  never  saw  them  molest  anybody  unless  }rou 
wanted  to  do  something — then  they  would  drive  you  back. 
By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  Would  it  have  been  possible  for  the  police  to  have  made  any  arrests 
at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  went  out  and  looked  at  the  crowd.  I  looked  over  the  crowd  and  I 
thought  if  there  were  any  police  there  they  could  have  arrested  the  whole 
of  them. 

Q.  Could  a  force  of  fifty  good  police  have  dispersed  the  mob? 

A.  They  could  on  Thursda}'  afternoon,  when  the  first  double-header  was 
stopped.  I  think  only  about  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  men  were  interfer- 
ing with  that  train  at  all.  It  was  just  this  way:  1  stood  and  looked  on, 
but  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  It  was  daylight,  and  I  was  on  at  night. 
There  were  four  police  on  each  engine,  and  a  road  foreman  was  on  an  en- 
gine, and  the  engineers  and  firemen,  but  they  didn't  seem  to  pull  her  out. 
1  didn't  see  anybody  with  anything  in  their  hands,  but  was  informed  that 
there  were  parties  with  links  and  pins  in  their  hands,  ready  to  throw  in 
case  they  did  start. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  engineers  or  firemen  being  driven  off  their  en- 
gines when  there  were  policemen  with  them  on  the  train? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that  I  do.     They  got  off,  though. 

Q.  Did  the  police  get  off  too  ? 

A.  They  did,  yes. 

Q.  You  didn't  see  them  driven  off? 

A.  No,  they  hooted  and  hallooed  a  good  bit. 

Q.  They  got  off — no  links  were  thrown  and  no  assaults  were  made? 

A.  Not  when  I  was  looking. 

Q.  How  many  police  were  on  the  engines  ? 

A.  Four  011  the  first,  and  I  think  four  on  the  second. 

Q.  They  got  off  on  account  of  the  threats? 

A.  That  is  the  only  reason  I  would  know  for  their  getting  off. 


192  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

C.  A.  Fife,  sworn  with  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 
Q.  You  are  the  son  of  Sheriff  Fife? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  sheriffs  office  on  Thursday,  the  19th  of  July? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  there  any  call  upon  the  sheriff  during  that  day  for  assistance  in 
putting  down  the  disturbance  at  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 
A.  Not  during  that  day,  I  do  not  think. 
Q.  During  the  evening? 
A.  I  believe  so,  but  I  was  not  home. 
Q.  You  were  not  out  with  him? 
A.  No. 

Q.  Were  you  out  with  him  on  Friday? 
A.  I  was  at  Union  depot  on  Friday. 
Q.  Was  there  any  disturbance  there  ? 
A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  out  on  Saturday? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  At  what  time  ? 

A.  I  was  there  when  the  militia  went  out,  in  the  afternoon. 
Q.  Were  you  a  member  of  the  sheriff's  posse  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Tell  us  what  occurred  there  ? 

A.  We  walked  into  the  crowd.     The  crowd  would  open  for  us  to  walk 
in,  and  then  close  around  us. 
Q.  At  what  point  was  that  ? 
A.  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  The  militia  were  immediately  in  your  rear. 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  did  the  sheriff  say  to  the  crowd  ? 
A.  He  asked  them  to  disperse. 

Q.  What  response  did  they  make  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that.     They  hooted,  and  hallooed,  and  used  vile  lan- 
guage, and  threw  stones. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  They  did  not  disperse  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Who  were  the  stones  thrown  at  ? 

A.  Both  at  the  militia  and  us,  but  I  cannot  say  exactly. 

Q.  Were  any  guns  or  pistols  fired  at  you  ? 

A.  I  heard  pistol  shots,  but  cannot  say  who  they  were  fired  at. 

Q.  Before  the  firing  from  the  soldiers? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  there  any  command  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  heard. 

Q.  Where  were  you  during  Saturday  night,  after  the  shooting  ? 

A.  I  was  around  through  town  here — no  place  in  particular. 

(,).  \Vere  you  at  your  home  ? 

A.  Yes;  then  1  was  out  on  the  hill  above  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Was  there  anybody  that  offered  violence  to  you? 

A.  No. 

Q.   Was  any  attempt  made  to  burn  the  house  of  the  sheriff? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*77.  193 

A.  I  did  not  see  anybody  there,  but  I  heard  that  there  had  been  parties 
at  the  house. 

Q.  You  saw  nobody  there  ? 

A.  I  did  not  get  home  until  near  morning.  I  was  out  on  the  hill  at 
Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Were  any  threats  made  that  you  heard  ? 

A.  I  did  not  hear  any,  but  I  heard  of  them. 

Q.  Did  you  assist  on  Saturday  in  raising  that  posse? 

A.  I  tried  to  get  some  parties. 

Q.  What  efforts  did  you  make  ? 

A.  I  asked  several  parties  to  go  out  with  us. 

Q.  What  replies  did  you  get? 

A.  I  was  refused  wherever  I  asked  anybody. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  did  you  call  on  ? 

A.  I  do  not  exactly  remember  now  who  I  did  ask — parties  I  would  see 
around  the  court-house. 

Q.  You  did  not  succeed  in  getting  anybody  ? 

A.  No. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  until  to-morrow  morning,  at  ten 
o'clock. 


Orphans'  Court  Room, 
Pittsburgh,  Tuesday,  February  12,  1878. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  re-assembled  at  ten  o'clock,  A. 
M.,  this  day,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testimony. 
The  first  witness  examined  was  : 

Alexander  E.  McCandless,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  On  Centre  avenue,  in  this  city. 

Q.  What  is  your  profession  ? 

A.  I  am  a  physician. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  connected  with  the  fire  department  last  July  ? 

A.  I  was  a  fire  commissioner. 

Q.  What  are  the  duties  of  the  fii'e  commissioners  ? 

A.  They  are  elected  by  city  councils  to  take  care  of  the  fire  department, 
and  to  elect  the  force,  and  to  run  it,  and  they  have  general  supervision 
over  the  expenditure  of  the  money. 

Q.  Do  they  control  the  movements  of  the  fire  department  in  case  of  a 
fire  ? 

A.  We  have  a  chief  engineer  for  that  purpose. 

Q.  What  was  done  by  the  fire  department  during  the  riot  for  the  pur- 
pose of  protecting  the  city  or  railroad  companies'  property  from  fire  ? 

A.  The  first  alarm  of  fire  was  struck  about  eleven  o'clock  on  Saturday 
night,  after  the  cars  were  set  fire  to.  The  fire  department  responded  as 
soon  as  the  alarm  was  struck,  and  started  out  to  the  fire,  No.  7  engine,  I 
believe,  being  the  first  on  the  way.  At  that  time,  I  was  on  top  of  the  hill 
overlooking  the  outer  depot.  I  heard  the  alarm  struck,  and  I  heard  the 
engine  start,  and  then  I  heard  the  shouts  of  the  mob,  and  could  hear  the 
gong  of  the  engine  as  it  was  running.  I  then  heard  the  engine  stop,  and 
could  hear  the  oaths  of  the  men  all  distinctly.  Afterwards  I  went  down 
13  Riots. 


194  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

into  the  crowd,  and  as  the  other  engines  came  up,  I  saw  them  stopped  by 
the  mob  there,  who  swore  that  if  we  did  lay  any  hose,  they  would  cut  the 
hose,  and  shoot  the  drivers,  and  all  that  kind  of  a  thing.  The  mob  would 
not  allow  the  fire  department  to  put  a  drop  of  water  on  the  company's 
property,  and  all  that  night  we  did  not  get  to  throw  any.  The  following 
night  when  private  property  caught  fire  they  allowed  us  to  throw  water  on 
it,  and  did  not  interfere. 

Q.  Was  private  property  protected  pretty  generally  ? 

A  As  well  as  it  could  be  done,  but  it  was  so  extensive  that  we  could 
not  protect  it  altogether  ;  we  had  the  force  of  the  fire  department  cut  down 
on  account  of  the  appropriations  not  being  sufficient  to  run  it  a  short  time 
before  that,  and  the  result  was  that  we  were  short  of  men. 

Q.  Was  the  private  property  fired  by  the  mob,  or  did  it  catch  from  the 
railroad  company's  fire? 

A.  I  cannot  state  that  of  my  own  knowledge. 

Q.  What  seemed  to  be  the  disposition  of  the  mob  ? 

A.  They  were  wild — perfectly  mad,  and  appeared  to  want  to  burn  every- 
thing or  anything,  especially  the  railroad  property. 

Q.  This  is  Saturday  night  you  speak  of? 

A.  That  evening — Saturday  evening — we  did  not  get  to  throw  any  water. 
But  the  chief  engineer  can  give  fuller  details  than  I  can  about  that. 

Q.  Did  you  call  on  the  mayor  for  protection  in  any  way  for  your  fire 
department  ? 

A.  Not  personally,  but  the  chief  of  the  department,  I  think,  did. 

(,;.  Was  the  fire  department  protected  by  the  police  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  During  Saturday  night  or  the  day  of  Sunday  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of.  We  were  the  only  department  that  kept  up 
any  organization  in  this  city  at  that  time. 

Q.  You  say  you  did  keep  up  your  organization  ? 

A.  Yes,  perfectly,  and  we  followed  the  line  of  the  fire  all  the  way  down 
Liberty  street  clear  to  Union  depot. 

Q.  During  the  entire  riot  you  preserved  your  organization  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  was  attacked  once  near  the  grain  elevator.  I  was  directing 
a  stream  of  water  on  the  hotel  opposite,  and  they  thought  I  wanted  to  put 
water  on  the  elevator,  and  they  attacked  me ;  but  1  got  awa}r,  as  I  was  on 
horseback. 

Q.  If  your  fire  department  had  been  protected  by  the  police,  could  you 
have  controlled  the  fire? 

A.  We  could  at  the  inception  of  it — when  they  started  burning  'the  cars. 
Only  one  car  was  lit  at  that  time. 

Q.  The  fire  department,  you  say,  is  under  the  control  of  a  chief  engineer? 

A.  Yes ;  he  has  supreme  control  of  the  fire  department,  and  in  case  of 
a  large  fire  he  is  assisted  by  the  commissioners. 

Q.  Is  he  subject  to  the  order  of  the  mayor  ? 

A.   No;  he  is  not.     He  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  mayor. 

Q.   He  is  subject  to  the  orders  of  the  commissioners? 

A.  Yes ;  he  is  directed  by  them,  but  he  has  supreme  control  of  the  fire 
department.  If  he  wants  the  assistance  of  the  commissioners  he  sends  an 
alarm  for  them. 

Q.  In  case  the  lire  department  needs  protection,  to  whom  ought  you  to 
look  for  that  protection? 

A.  I  suppose  to  the  head  of  the  police  department  of  the  city. 

Q.  Do  you  know,  of  your  own  knowledge,  whether  any  demand  was 
made  upon  the  chief  of  police  for  protection  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  195 

A.  Not  of  my  own  knowledge. 

Q.  Is  the  fire  department  a  paid  department  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  yon  see  the  fire  when  it  first  started  ? 

A.  I  saw  the  first  of  it — the  first  torch  applied  to  the  first  car. 

Q.   Where  was  that  car  standing  ? 

A.  Beyond  the  round-house.  And  I  thought  they  had  an  engine  up 
there.  They  would  fire  one  car  and  start  it,  and  fire  another  car  and  start 
it,  and  fire  another  car  and  start  it. 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  the  street  where  it  was  ? 

A.  I  think  they  were  all  above  Twenty-eighth  street — the  cars  that  were 
started. 

Q.  You  thought  they  had  an  engine  to  start  the  cars  ? 

A.  I  thought  so — either  that  or  a  large  gang  of  men.  They  started  so 
rapidly. 

Q.  When  those  cars  came  down,  where  did  they  stop  after  they  were 
started  ? 

A.  The}'  came  down — the  whole  yard  was  packed  with  cars  down  below 
the  round-house,  and  they  had  the  switches  so  arranged  that  the}1-  ran  down 
to  the  round-house.  They  were  trying  to  burn  out  the  soldiers.  It  was 
very  plain  what  their  motive  was. 

Q.  The  motive,  at  first,  was  not  to  destroy  the  railroad  company's  prop- 
erty, but  to  burn  out  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  That  was  the  motive,  to  my  mind,  as  I  viewed  it  from  the  hill. 

Q.  What  were  those  first  cars  loaded  with  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  that. 

Q.  With  oil  ? 

A.  No ;  they  were  freight  cars  first  that  were  fired.     Afterwards  they 
started  the  oil  cars  down. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  As  the  fire  progressed  on  Sunday  morning,  what  seemed  to  be  the 
motive  ? 

A.  It  was  general  destruction  then.  They  started  the  oil  cars  early 
Sunday  morning. 

Q.  What  time  did  the  troops  get  out  of  the  round-house  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  them  come  out.     I  only  know  from  newspaper  reports. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  mob  as  it  approached  the  depot  with  torches,  and 
the  burning  of  Union  depot  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  was  at  work  on  another  part  of  the  fire. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  mob  during  Sunday  ? 

A.  It  would  be  hard  to  form  an  estimate.  It  was  an  immense  crowd, 
for  squares  on  Liberty  street,  breaking  cars  open  and  stealing — ten  thou- 
sand or  fifteen  thousand  anyway — just  streaming  back  over  the  hill,  taking 
the  things  away.  Thousands  of  them  were  carrying  away  everything 
imaginable,  and  going  to  the  south  side  with  them.  They  pa'ssed  my 
house — crowds  of  them. 

Q.  Who  were  ahead — the  men  with  the  torches  or  the  plundering  posse  ? 

A.  The  torches  were  first. 
By  Senator  Yutzjr : 

Q.  In  what  manner  did  the  mob  interfere  with  your  men  ? 

A.  They  would  not  let  them  get  to  the  fire. 

Q.  They  stopped  your  men  ? 

A.  Yes;  they  just  got  ahead  in  front  of  the  horses  and  caught  the 
horses  by  the  head,  and  swore  they  would  shoot  the  drivers  if  they  would 
go  any  further. 


196  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  But  they  did  not  assault  your  men  ? 

A.  They  interfered  in  every  way  they  could.  One  of  our  men  caught  a 
man  going  along  with  a  sword-cane  punching  holes  in  the  hose,  and  he 
knocked  him  down,  and  took  it  away  from  him.     They  have  that  cane  now. 

Q.  Did  you  not  have  one  of  your  fire  engines  in  position  to  play  on  the 
fire  when  the  police  offered  to  protect  you  from  the  mob,  but  your  men 
did  not  then  play  on  the  fire  ? 

A.  The  chief  engineer  can  tell  you  that.  I  was  not  present  when  that 
occurred. 

Samuel  M.  Evans,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  At  190  Fourth  avenue. 

Q.  What  was  your  official  connection  with  the  fire  department  in  July 
last? 

A.  I  was  the  chief  engineer. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  occupied  that  position  ? 

A.  Since  last  May.  I  was  the  assistant  chief  for  two  years,  and  the  en- 
gineer of  a  company  before  that,  and  the  foreman  of  a  company  before 
that.  I  then  resigned  for  sometime,  and  was  then  elected  engineer  after- 
wards, and  was  then  elected  assistant  chief  engineer,  and  then  elected  chief. 

Q.  State  when  the  first  alarm  of  fire  was  given  ? 

A.  On  Saturday  night,  about  eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  From  whence  did  the  fire  proceed — what  part  of  the  city  ? 

A.  The  corner  of  Twenty-sixth  and  Penn  streets — it  was  there  the  box 
struck. 

Q.  What  did  you  do  ? 

A.  When  the  alarm  came  I  was  in  bed.  They  fetched  my  wagon  to  me, 
and  I  went  out  there,  and  when  I  got  to  Eleventh  street — driving  there — 
they  got  in  my  way — certain  parties — and  called  out :  "  You  son  of  a  bitch, 
don't  lay  any  hose — you  son  of  a  bitch."  But  I  said  to  them,  "  you  can 
go  to  hell ;"  and  I  started  on.  It  was  on  the  street,  and  I  went  at  a  pretty 
rapid  gait.  When  I  got  out  as  far  as  the  "  Independent "  house,  Mr.  Coates, 
one  of  the  fire  commissioners,  said  to  me:  "Sam,  drive  in  here,  quick." 
I  drove  then  into  the  engine  house,  and  then  went  to  Twent3'-eighth  and 
Liberty  streets  where  the  mob  was.  I  looked  up  and  saw  the  fire.  It  was 
a  car — it  appeared  to  be  an  oil  tank  car.  At  first,  No.  7  was  between 
Twenty-second  and  Twenty-third  streets  on  the  right  side  of  Penn,  in  the 
gutter.  The}-  had  no  fire  in  the  engine,  and  I  said:  "  Where's  your  fire?" 
And  they  told  me  they  had  put  a  pistol  to  the  head  of  the  fireman,  and 
made,  him  draw  the  fire.  I  told  the  engineer  then  to  turn  her  around  and 
take  her  down  to  the  house  and  to  fire  up  again.  They  went  to  the  house, 
and  I  told  them  to  stand  there  so  as  to  be  ready  to  go  into  service  if  we 
could  get  into  service.  Then  they  came  up  with  a  big  gun  on  wheels — a 
cannon — pulling  it  along  on  the  street.  After  they  got  up  to  where  a  few 
hose  carriages  were,  they  came  to  Twenty-third  street — and  I  said,  "  what 
is  the  matter?"  And  all  they  said  was  to  point  the  gun  at  us  and  said  : 
"  If  you  don't  get  out  of  that  we'll  blow  you  to  hell."  I  said  we  had  better 
come  down  here  than  go  there.  While  I  was  standing  there,  an  alarm  came 
from  East  Liberty.  I  went  out  there,  and  when  I  went  out  there  I  thought 
probably  it  was  the  stock-yards,  but  I  found  it  was  a  solitary  house  away 
down  on  Negle3''s  run,  a  mile  or  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  railroad.  Then 
I  told  the  engine  company  at  East  Liberty  to  stay  there  in  case  they  would 
burn  Mr.  Pitcairn's  house,  or  set  the  stock-yards  on  fire,  and  that  we  would 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1STT.  197 

manage  to  get  along  without  them.  So  they  did  not  come  in.  Then  I 
came  in,  and"  I  think  at  eight  minutes  after  three  it  was,  when  they  sent  a 
signal  in  that  the  fire  was  out.  There  was  a  big  crowd  on  Liberty  street, 
and  somebody  asked  me  to  let  them  lay  a  line  of  hose  to  save  Mr.  Hardie's 
stable,  and  some  property  belonging  to  Mr.  Denny.  I  told  the  foreman 
then  of  hose  company  No.  1,  to  lay  a  line  of  hose  up  Liberty  street  from 
Thirty-first  street,  and  that  if  any  stables  got  on  fire,  or  any  private  prop- 
erty, to  throw  water  on  it.  Then  four  men  stopped  me  with  guns,  and 
asked  me  what  I  was  going  to  do,  and  I  said  I  was  going  to  lay  a  line  of 
hose ;  and  they  said,  not  a  Grod  damned  line  of  hose.  But  I  said  to  them 
that  I  was  going  to  save  private  property,  and  then  they  said,  that  I  could 
throw  water  on  that,  "but  that  if  you  throw  any  water  on  the  company's 
fire  we  will  shoot  you  and  cut  your  hose,"  and  everything  else.  While 
coming  in  they  were  carrying  goods  away  from  the  cars.  Everybody  you 
would  see,  had  a  bundle  on  their  shoulders  or  their  heads. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  time  of  night  was  this? 

A.  Between  three  and  four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  came  down  to 
Twenty-third  street,  but  we  could  not  go  into  service  at  all.  They  were 
shooting  at  that  time  out  of  the  machine  shop  and  the  round-house. 

Q.  Who  were  shooting? 

A.  The  soldiers,  and  the  others  were  shooting  out  of  the  board  pile. 

Q.  Firing  at  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  took  this  gun  and  planted  it  in  the  street  to  shoot  into 
the  round-house,  and  these  men  in  the  round-house,  when  they  would  go 
to  sight  this  gun,  would  shoot  them.  They  had  this  gun  loaded  with  links 
and  pins  belonging  to  the  railroad  companj^.  After  the  fire  started,  I 
think  it  could  have  been  stopped  before  it  set  the  round-house  on  fire. 
I  think  at  that  time  it  could  have  been  stopped,  because  in  the  morning, 
about  six  or  seven  o'clock,  they  commenced  running  down  the  wall — a 
crowd  of  them — and  then  pushed  the  cars  up  along  the  Allegheny  Valley 
track,  and  when  they  would  come  to  a  car  afire — one  man  I  noticed  particu- 
larly jump  up  on  a  car,  and  stop  it  alongside  of  another  car  afire.  Then 
when  it  would  catch  fire  they  would  open  the  breaks,  and  let  it  go  down  to 
the  round-house.  Then  they  threw  something  out  of  the  round-house,  and 
stopped  the  cars  there,  and  then  they  got  to  throwing  water  out  of  the  round- 
house on  the  cars.  I  was  down  on  the  corner  of  Twenty-third  street  when 
two  rough  looking  customers  came  down,  and  asked  me  where  the  place 
to  stop  the  water  off  was.  They  said  they  are  throwing  water  out  of  the 
round-house.  I  told  them  to  go  to  the  head  of  Twenty-sixth  street  on 
Liberty,  and  that  they  would  see  a  big  iron  plate  in  the  middle  of  the  street, 
and  that  they  should  lift  that  up,  and  put  their  hands  down  and  stop  it  off. 
They  said  they  will  pick  us  off,  and  they  wanted  to  know  if  there  was  no 
place  in  Penn  street  to  stop  the  water  off.  I  said  no. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q,.  You  knew  they  could  not  stop  it  off? 

A.  Yes ;  I  knew  they  were  rioters,  and  if  they  went  where  I  told  them 
they  would  shoot  them,  perhaps. 

Q.  You  did  not  give  the  information  for  the  purpose  of  getting  the  water 
stopped  off. 

A.  No ;  I  knew  that  they  could  not  stop  it  off. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 
Q.  Were  these  two  men  strangers  ? 
A.  Yes. 
Q.  You  are  very  well  acquainted  about  Pittsburgh  ? 


198  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  this  crowd — all  of  them — seem  to  be  citizens  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  did,  and  some  did  not. 

Q.  What  were  the  citizens  doing? 

A.  Standing  there — a  great  many  of  them — but  they  were  afraid  to 
speak  or  to  do  anything  for  fear  of  getting  hurt — those  that  felt  like  stop- 
ping it.  A  good  many  were  arrested.  I  saw  the  "  black  maria  "  very  busy 
taking  men  down  to  the  station-house,  and  I  asked  the  policemen  how 
many  were  arrested,  and  they  said  one  hundred  and  thirty  or  one  hundred 
and  forty,  for  stealing,  and  in  the  morning  I  asked  a  man  what  they  did 
with  them,  and  he  said  that  the  mayor  had  fined  them  three  dollars  and 
costs, ,and  let  them  go.  I  said  they  were  all  thieves,  and  he  said  that  no- 
body Iwas  there  to  identify  the  property.  I  said  it  was  not  necessary  to 
identify  stolen  property. 

Q.   Did  he  get  the  three  dollars  out  of  them  ? 

A.  That  is  what  the  policeman  said — three  dollars  and  costs. 

Q.  He  did  not  let  them  go  until  he  got  that  ? 

A.  That  is  what  he  told  me. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  What  time  was  the  round-house  set  on  fire  ? 

A.  About  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Q.  How  was  it  fired  ? 

A.  From  cars  on  the  Allegheny  Yalley  railroad. 

Q.  Is  that  on  Liberty  street  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  track  is  on  top  of  the  wall  until  you  come  to  a  little  piece 
on  this  side  of  Twenty-sixth  street,  and  then  it  comes  down  and  gets  level 
with  the  paj^ment — between  Twentj'-fifth  and  Twent3r-sixth  streets  it  begins 
to  get  on  a  level  with  the  payment.  These  cars  were  stopped  between 
Twenty-sixth  and  Twenty-seventh  streets.  One  fireman  told  me — a  fire- 
man of  Engine  Compan}^  8,  in  Philadelphia — that  he  got  the  water  ready 
to  throw,  or  was  handling  the  line,  when  he  said  there  was  a  car  loaded 
with  liquor  in  it  burning,  and  it  ran  down  into  the  cellar  of  the  round- 
house, or  the  shop  on  the  other  side,  and  that  that  was  what  drove  them 
out  so  that  they  could  not  do  anything.  When  that  liquor,  burning,  ran 
down  into  the  cellar,  it  set  the  buildings  on  fire. 

Q.  Did  any  of  your  engines  play  on  the  fire  on  the  railroad  ? 

A.  No;  they  would  not  let  us.  And  we  had  as  much  as  we  could  do 
after  the  fire  started.  As  fast  as  the  fire  would  come  along  we  would  move 
the  engines  down. 

Q.  How  many  engines  had  you  ? 

A.  Eleven  of  my  own,  and  the  chief  engineer  of  Allegheny  came  over 
and  fetched  me  three. 

Q.  They  would  not  allow  you  to  play  on  the  railroad  property. 

A.  No.' 

Q.  Did  you  ask  protection  from  the  mayor? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  I  saw  him  but  once.  He  and  Roger  O'Mara 
came  up  Penn  street  in  a  buggy,  and  turned  out  Liberty,  and  then  O'Mara 
(•.•line  I  lack  some  way  without  the  mayor. 

Q.  Did  you  ask  for  protection  ? 

A.  No;  I  did  not  see  anybody  to  ask. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  protection  given  to  you  by  the  police? 

A.  No  protection  at  all,  sir.  If  I  could  have  got  protection  when  1  first 
went  out  to  the  fire,  wo  could  have  kept  the  other  cars  from  burning.  We 
could  have  pulled  them  away  sufficiently  far  to  stop  the  oil  tanks  from 
setting  any  of  the  rest  afire,  and  kept  them  cooled  or!'. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1 877-  199 

Q.  Do  you  think  that  the  police  force  of  the  city  could  have  protected 
you  so  that  }tou  could  have  played  on  the  fire? 

A.  If  they  had  not  been  demoralized,  they  could.  If  they  had  had  a 
police  like  the  New  York  police,  they  could  have  kept  the  crowd  back. 

Q.  How  many  men  would  it  have  taken  to  protect  you  sufficiently? 

A.  After  the  fire  got  started,  it  Would  have  taken  right  smart,  but  before 
that  I  think  that  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  men  could  have 
stopped  the  whole  thing,  because  police  can  do  more  than  soldiers. 

Q.  We  have  testimony  that  the  police  offered  to  give  protection  to  one 
engine  ? 

A.  Let  the  police  come  up  and  name  the  engine.  I  saw  that  in  the 
papers. 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  parties  referred  to? 

A.  Motts  and  Goldsmith.  They  came  out  in  the  papers  and  said  they 
went  to  one  man  named  Kennedy,  and  told  them  that  they  would  give 
protection,  but  I  went  and  asked  them,  and  they  said  that  they  never  came 
to  them  at  all. 

Q.  These  gentlemen  will  testify  to  that  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  can  have  them  at  any  time  at  all.  I  will  fetch  them  to  you. 
None  of  them  came  to  me ;  and  I  am  the  proper  person  to  come  to  for  a 
purpose  of  that  kind. 

By  Senator  Reyburn. 

Q.  Were  you  about  on  Thursday  or  Fridav? 

A.  No. 

Q.  You  say  that  a  couple  of  hundred  or  one  hundred  and  fifty  police- 
men could  have  driven  the  crowd  back  ? 

A.  On  Saturday,  one  hundred  and  fifty  policemen,  well  armed,  and  stay- 
ing together,  could  have  moved  the  crowd  away  so  that  they  could  have 
moved  the  trains. 

Q.  But  you  were  not  there  ? 

A.  Not  until  Saturday  night,  when  the  alarm  was  given. 

Q.  On  Saturday  and  Sunday  morning,  when  you  were  there,  were  the 
police  doing  anything  to  prevent  the  pillaging  ? 

A.  After  I  came  back  from  East  Liberty,  I  saw  the  police  arresting 
people  for  stealing.  The  "  black  maria  "  was  busy  taking  them  down  to 
the  station — the  Twelfth  ward  station — and  then  running  them  down  to  the 
Central  station. 

Q.  From  what  you  saw,  do  you  think  it  would  have  been  possible  for 
the  police  to  have  stopped  it  ? 

A.  It  would  have  been  impossible  for  what  was  there  to  have  stopped 
the  mob.     They  could  catch  the  people  when  carrying  things  off. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  a  witness  before  the  grand  jury  ? 

A.  No  ;  this  is  the  first  time  I  have  been  called  upon. 
By  Mr.  Englebert : 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  about  the  round-house.     As  soon  as  the  soldiers  went  out  of 
the  round-house  we  went  into  service,  and  kept  right  on  then.     We  could 
not  go  into  service  before,  because  they  were  firing  both  from  the  round- 
house and  from  the  board-pile — the  rioters. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  When  the  soldiers  came  out  of  the  round-house,  did  they  come  out 
in  ranks  ? 

A.  Yes.     As  soon  as  they  came  down  on  to  Penn  street,  I  noticed  a 


200  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

squad  on  each  side  watching  the  houses  and  buildings  and  alle}rs,  and  the 
men  with  the  Catling  gun  were  watching  behind. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Were  they  well  handled  and  marching  orderly,  or  were  they  demoral- 
ized ? 

A.  No.  They  marched  out  orderly.  You  could  not  have  told  from  the 
way  they  looked  that  anything  was  the  matter.  I  expected  to  see  them 
come  out  and  run  every  way,  and  I  was  astonished.  When  they  began 
coming  out  everybody  ran  from  them,  but  when  they  saw  them  come  out 
in  good  order,  and  keep  in  a  good  line,  then  they  began  to  stand  still 
again — the  people  did. 

Samuel  A.  Muckle,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  In  the  Twenty-third  ward,  Pittsburgh,  at  the  present  time. 

Q.  Where  were  you  i-esiding  in  July  last  ? 

A.  In  the  Fourth  ward,  Allegheny  city. 

Q.  What  business  were  you  engaged  in  all  that  time  ? 

A.  No  business  at  all  at  that  time.  I  was  employed  by  the  railroad  be- 
fore that. 

Q.  What  position  did  you  hold  on  the  railroad  before  that  ? 

A.  Conductor. 

Q.  Of  what  road  ? 

A.  The  Pan  Handle. 

Q.  Passenger  or  freight  ? 

A.  Freight,  at  that  time. 

Q.  Was  there  any  pre-arranged  plan  among  the  railroad  men  for  a  strike? 

A.  None  that  I  know  of — if  you  speak  of  the  strike  that  occurred  in 
July. 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  None  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  Was  there  any  arrangement  being  made  among  the  men  for  a  strike 
to  take  place  then  or  any  other  time  ? 

A.  We  had  an  organization  here  at  that  time,  called  the  Trainmen's 
Union.     Of  course,  if  I  have  to  answer  all  these  questions,  I  am  willing  to 
answer  them,  if  they  do  not  conflict  with  this  organization.     Of  course,  I 
went  into  that  organization,  and  I  am  under  an  obligation. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Oath  bound  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  It  is  a  secret  organization  ? 

A.  So  far  as  our  own  business  is  concerned. 

Q.  As  far  as  you  can,  you  will  give  us  what  information  you  have  upon 
the  causes  of  this  riot,  and  whether  it  was  pre-arranged  among  the  men  ? 

A.  The  organization  is  not  in  existence  to-day.  hut  I  still  feel  myself 
duty  bound  to  the  organization.  I  will  answer  this.  There  was  a  union 
called  the  Trainmen's  Union — an  organization — and  there  was  a  talk  of  a 
strike  in  June.  It  was  to  have  taken  place  on  the  27th  day  of  June.  That 
fell  through,  and  with  the  strike  in  July,  we  had  no  business  of  that  kind. 

Q.  What  induced  the  men  to  arrange  for  a  strike  on  the  27th  of  June  ? 

A.  This  organization  was  gotten  up  for  the  benefit  of  the  railroad  men 
— for  their  own  protection — for  to  protect  them  in  anything  that  might  be 
brought  up. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187T.  201 

Q.  What  class  of  railroad  men  ? 

A.  The  transportation  department  entirely. 

Q.  including  conductors  and  brakemen  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  engineers  and  firemen. 

Q.  Did  it  include  any  passenger  conductors  and  brakemen  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.'  The'whole? 

A.  Yes;  when  I  speak  of  transportation,  I  include  the  whole  transpor- 
tation department. 

Q.  Was  it  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction  made  on  the  1st  of  June  that  in- 
duced the  men  to  arrange  for  that  strike  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  it  was  positively  that,  more  than  some  other 
grievances  that  might  be  brought  up.  It  was  organized  more  for  the  pro- 
tection of  ourselves  in  any  grievances  that  might  be  brought  up.  Of  course, 
the  ten  per  cent,  would  be  included. 

Q.  Were  there  any  other  grievances  except  that  ten  per  cent,  reduction  ? 

A.  Not  at  that  time. 

Q.  Had  the  men  any  grievances  or  complaints  to  make  outside  of  that, 
when  it  was  talked  of  that  a  strike  should  take  place  on  the  27th  of  June  ? 
•     A.  I  believe  there  were. 

Q.  What  were  they  ? 

A.  In  regard  to  the  classification  of  engineers  and  the  amount  of  pay 
they  received,  &c. ;  that  was  something  I  did  not  particularly  understand 
at  that  time. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  The  object  of  the  brotherhood  was  to  abolish  this  classification? 

A.  The  object  was  to  protect  themselves. 
By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  They  considered  this  grading  unjust? 

A.  Yes ;  they  considered  it  unjust,  which  it  certainly  was. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  You  did  not  organize  a  strike  for  the  27th  of  June  in  regard  to  any 
future  grievance. 

A.  No. 

Q.  It  was  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction  and  the  classification  of  engines 
that  induced  you  to  arrange  that  strike  for  the  27th  of  June? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  In  arranging  for  a  strike,  what  did  the  railroad  men  propose  to  do — 
stop  all  trains — just  simply  quit  work  ? 

A.  In  case  of  their  striking,  they  simply  proposed  quitting  work  them- 
selves— standing  still  or  going  to  their  homes,  or  wherever  they  wished  to 
go.     I  never  heard  of  any  arrangement  made  as  to  what  they  would  do. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Were  any  resolutions  passed  in  your  body  to  stop  trains  ? 

A.  No. 

B3-  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  there  any  resolutions  to  interfere  with  the  men  who  desired  to 
work  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  You  said  it  fell  through.  What  broke  off  that  arrangement  to  strike 
on  the  27th  of  June? 

A.  It  was  because  it  was  generally  thought  it  was  not  solid  enough  ;  it 
was  not  worked  in  the  right  way. 

Q.  How  extensive  was  the  arrangement — how  wide  did  it  extend? 


202  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  did  not  think  it  was  very  extensive  ;  at  least,  I  did  not  think  it  was 
very  solid. 

Q.  Do  yon  know  how  many  organizations  this  Trainmen's  Union  had  in 
existence — how  many  lodges  ? 

A.  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  ;  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  Did  it  include  all  the  trunk  lines  ? 

A.  I  think  it  did. 

Q.  Did  it  include  all  the  emploj^es  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Com- 
pany ? 

A.  It  included  all  those  who  joined  the  order. 

Q.  What  other  roads  ? 

A.  Most  all  uhe  roads  out  of  Pittsburg;  in  fact,  I  guess  all  the  other 
main  roads. 

Q.  Where  did  that  union  originate  ? 

A.  I  believe  in  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  When  was  it  abandoned  ? 

A.  Previous  to  the  strike. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Then  there  was  no  organization  at  the  time  of  the  strike. 

A.  No  ;  we  had  no  meeting  for  some  time  previous  to  the  strike. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  For  how  long  previous  ? 

A.  Not  within  a  week,  and  that  was  very  small.  The  meeting  called 
last  was  called  without  the  approval  of  the  right  party  in  this  union.  His 
attention  was  called  to  a  poster  struck  up  on  a  telegraph  pole  by  a  certain 
party,  and  I  rather  think  it  was  put  up  just  as  a  burlesque  in  the  first 
place.  There  had  not  been  a  regular  meeting  for  some  time  previous  to 
the  strike. 

Q.  Can  you  tell  what  induced  them  to  abandon  the  union  ? 

A.  I  have  my  own  idea,  but  I  don't  know  whether  I  am  right.  Mjr 
impression  always  was  that  the  railroad  men,  in  connection  with  the  Train- 
men's Union,  were  afraid  to  attempt  it  for  fear  of  being  discharged  from 
the  road.  I  claim  it  was  lack  of  nerve  on  the  part  of  the  men.  I  was  dis- 
charged myself  after  the  first  trainmen's  meeting  I  ever  attended,  and  I  am 
satisfied  I  would  still  be  a  union  man  if  there  had  been  any  men  with  me. 

Q.  When  did  you  first  learn  of  the  strike  on  Thursday,  July  19  ? 

A.  In  the  neighborhood  of  eleven  o'clock,  in  the  forenoon. 

Q.  Had  you  any  intimation  of  it  before  that  ? 

A.  Not  in  the  least.  In  fact  I  was  surprised,  and  I  didn't  believe  such 
a  thing  was  going  on  until  I  walked  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  saw  it 
to  be  a  fact. 

Q.  When  you  got  there  who  did  you  find  there  ? 

A.  A  few  railroad  men,  and  I  believe  a  few  policemen  were  there,  and 
some  citizens. 

Q.  How  many  railroad  men  were  there  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  you  that — I  suppose  twenty  or  thirty  or  forty  or  fifty. 
A  great  many  of  those  men  I  didn't  know. 

Q.  What  road  were  those  men  working  on  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  think  the  majority  of  them  belonged  to  the  Penns3dvania  railroad. 

Q.  What  were  they  doing  ? 

A.  They  didn't  appear  to  be  doing  anything.  They  just  appeared  to  be 
standing  around  talking. 

Q.  Was  there  any  effort  made  to  move  any  trains  while  you  were  there  ? 

A.  Not  at  that  time. 

Q.  Were  any  made  in  your  presence  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  203 

A.  Not  just  in  my  presence.  I  believe  they  undertook — that  is  only 
hearsay — but  I  could  see  from  Twenty-eighth  street  down  towards  where 
they  started  the  trains  west  of  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  I  think  on  Fri- 
day I  saw  a  few  engines  apparently  coupled  to  trains.  Whether  they  in- 
tended to  go  out  is  more  than  I  can  tell  of  mv  own  knowledge.  1  know 
they  didn't  go  out. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anybody  try  to  start  a  train  on  Thursday  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  didn't  see  anybody  try  to  start  a  train  during  the  trouble. 

Q.  Were  you  there  during  Thursday  night  ? 

A.  I  was  not  there  during  there  aiw  night. 

Q.  What  was  the  object  of  the  men  assembling  at  that  point  ? 

A.  From  the  understanding  I  had  from  the  men,  after  talking  with  a 
few  of  the  men,  it  was  that  they  had  struck  against  the  double-headers. 

Q.  Were  those  men  members  of  the  Trainmen's  union  ? 

A.  Some  of  them. 

Q.  Why  were  they  assembled  in  force  on  the  track  ? 

A.  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell  what  their  motive  was. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  did  they  say  about  it  ? 

A.  Nothing  particularly — nothing  more  than  that  they  had  struck. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  talk  with  them  ? 

A.  I  talked  with  some  few  of  the  men  I  knew. 

Q.  Did  you  admonish  them  that  it  was  wrong  to  be  assembled  in  such 
large  numbers  there  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Was  anything  said  about  that  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of.  I  was  not  in  a  very  good  humor  just  as  I  got  up 
there.     I  had  been  insulted  just  before  I  reached  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  By  whom  ? 

A.  By  Mr.  Watt.  When  I  reached  there  there  were  only  a  few  of  those 
parties  that  I  knew. 

Q.  The  Trainmen's  Union,  at  that  time,  was  not  in  existence  ? 

A.  They  had  not  had  a  meeting  for  some  time  previous. 

Q.  Did  they  have  any  meetings  after  that  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  the  organization  formally  disbanded  ? 

A.  It  just  died  out.    They  had  no  meetings  called  of  the  order. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  When  did  this  union  start,  to  your  knowledge  ? 

A.  It  was  about  the  latter  part  of  May,  I  think,  or  the  1st  of  June. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  As  a  member  of  the  organization,  what  action  would  your  organiza- 
tion have  taken  in  reference  to  that  unlawful  assemblage  there  ? 

A.  My  idea  is  that  they  would  have  discountenanced  ai^thing  of  the 
kind — any  burning,  or  pillaging,  or  anything  of  that  kind. 

Q.  Or  any  interference  with  trains  ? 

A.  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell.  I  pannot  tell  anything  about  what 
men  will  do  after  getting  started. 

Q.  Would  your  organization  have  any  means  of  disciplining  the  mem- 
bers of  it  who  interfered  with  the  movements  of  the  trains  ? 

A.  Most  certainly.     Our  order  had  a  head. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  You  mean  to  say,  in  your  organization,  according  to  the  rules  and 


204  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

regulations  of  it,  if  they  struck,  they  passed  resolutions  that  no  trains 
should  go  out  ? 

A.  I  didn't  say  anything  of  the  kind. 

Q.  Was  it  the  intention  of  the  men  to  interfere  with  the  movement  of 
the  trains  ? 

A.  Not  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge.  I  never  heard  any  such  resolution, 
and  I  never  heard  any  person  speak  of  it  that  way. 

Q.  Do  you  know  any  of  the  men  that  did  interfere  with  the  movement 
of  the  trains  who  belonged  to  the  union  ? 

[Witness  did  not  answer.] 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  In  that  arrangement  to  strike  on  the  27th  of  June — how  extensive 
was  that  strike  to  be — how  far  was  it  to  extend — what  roads  was  it  to  in- 
clude ? 

A.  It  included  the  roads  running  out  of  Pittsburgh,  so  far  as  I  know. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  What  roads  are  they  ? 

A.  The  Pennsylvania  railroad,  the  Pan-Handle,  the  Fort  Wayne  and 
Chicago,  the  Allegheny  Valley,  and  the  Cleveland  and  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Was  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  not  included  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  particularly. 
Bj'  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  your  organization  notified  of  this  strike  that  took  place  on 
Thursday,  the  1 9th? 

A.  No,  sir ;  no  more  than  what  I  told  you,  that  I  was  met  on  the  corner 
of  Eleventh  street,  near  the  Rush  house,  and  told  of  it,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  eleven  o'clock. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  You  said  you  were  discharged  on  account  of  being  a  union  man  ? 

A.  I  am  positive  of  it — at  least  the  message  I  received  bore  nearly  about 
the  same  words,  but  not  just  in  that  way. 

Q.  That,  of  course,  was  a  grievance  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  your  Trainmen's  Union  include  the  employes  of  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  road? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  that  strike  in  pursuance  of  an  arrangement  made  in  your  union? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  Was  that  formally  communicated  to  your  union  here — the  strike  that 
occurred  there  ? 

A.  No  ;  nothing  more  than  hearsay  on  the  street. 

Q.  Did  the  members  of  your  union  make  any  effort  to  have  those  parties 
disperse  and  go  to  their  homes  during  Friday,  Saturday,  and  Sunday? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of — no  more  than  I  did  myself. 

Q.  What  did  you  do  in  i-elation  to  it? 

A.  I  did  take  some  men  out  of  the  crowd  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  men 
that  belonged  to  the  Pan  Handle  road.  At  Twenty-eighth  street,  that  day, 
I  was  met  by  this  Watt.  He  says  to  me,  I  want  you  to  leave  this  property. 
Watt  was  the  man ;  but  I  didn't  know  him  only  by  sight.  I  thought,  of 
course,  he  was  an  employe  of  the  company.  He  said,  I  want  you  to  leave 
the  company's  ground,  and  I  asked  him  who  he  was.  lie  replied  that  it 
didn't  make  any  difference  who  he  was,  that  he  knew  who  I  was.  and  my 
motive  for  being  there.  I  said  if  he  knew  my  motive  he  knew  my  business 
better  than  I  did,  for  I  hardly  knew  myself  what   I  was  there  for.     And 


B 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1S11.  205 

after  trying  to  give  me  a  bluff,  as  I  call  it,  that  he  was  Mr.  Watt,  and  em- 
ployed by  the  road,  I  went  up  towards  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  there  under- 
stood that  they  were  going  to  send  for  what  they  called  the  Pan  Handle 
roughs  to  head  this  trouble.  I  knew  the  great  majority  of  those  men — 
between  eighty  and  a  hundred  of  them  were  discharged  off  the  Pan  Handle 
road,  and  had  been  discharged  prior  to  this  strike.  The  majority  of  them 
were  in  town ;  some  had  left  town  ;  but  a  great  many  of  them  were  here, 
and  they  were  pretty  lucky  if  they  could  get  one  meal  a  day.  I  didn't 
want  to  see  any  of  them  get  into  further  trouble,  and  when  I  heard  this  I 
was  afraid  that  some  of  those  men  would  enter  into  this  thing  through 
persuasion.  I  went  to  them  singly,  and  took  some  half  a  dozen  out  of  the 
crowd,  one  at  a  time,  and  told  them  not  to  have  anything  to  do  with  the 
affair.  I  said,  I  have  been  discharged  from  the  Pan  Handle,  and  you,  and 
there  will  be  nothing  in  this  of  any  benefit  at  all.  I  took  out  six  or  eight 
men  from  different  parties  that  had  belonged  to  the  Pan  Handle  railroad. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  did  they  mean  by  sending  for  the  Pan  Handle  roughs  ? 

A.  They  thought  that  a  few  men  of  that  road  were  rougher  than  any- 
body else,  or  had  more  pluck.     I  don't  know — it  was  a  rumor  I  heard. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Those  men  you  spoke  to  went  with  you  willingly  out  of  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes.  . 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  ground  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  or  on  public 
ground  'i 

A.  It  was  on  their  ground.  I  was  walking  right  up  the  track.  After 
this  man  was  going  to  bounce  me,  I  walked  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  and 
I  told  him  I  thought  I  Avould  have  the  privilege  of  standing  there  on  the 
street. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  bouncing  you  ? 

A.  Why,  if  1  had  weakened  a  little,  I  suppose  he  would  have  thrown  me 
off. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.   Were  you  there  during  the  day,  Sunday  ? 

A.  I  was  not.  I  was  not  on  the  ground  at  all  after  Saturday  evening — 
after  one  of  our  engineers  was  wounded  very  badly.  I  helped  to  carry  him 
up  Liberty  street  on  a  shutter.     I  was  not  on  the  ground  afterwards. 

Q.  Did  3rou  see  any  considerable  number  of  the  Pan-Handle  men  or  em- 
ployes in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Not  a  great  many. 

Q.  Who  seemed  to  be  the  leaders  of  the  crowd  ? 

A.  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you. 

Q.  What  business  are  you  engaged  in  now  ? 

A.  Not  any. 

(^-  Do  you  reside  in  the  city  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  are  still  out  of  employment  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  likely  to  remain  out  so  long  as  some  of  these  men  hold  their 
positions  on  the  roads. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee: 

Q.  What  position  did  you  hold  in  this  organization? 

A.  I  was  the  president. 

Q.  You  know  nothing  of  this  organization  being  in  existence  at  that 
time  on  any  roads  except  those  that  ran  out  of  Pittsburgh  ? 


206  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  At  which  time  ? 

Q.  At  the  time  the  strike  was  contemplated,  in  June  ? 

A.  They  might  have  been  contemplating  such  a  thing,  but  the  oi-ganiza- 
tion  at  that  time,  in  June,  was  not  so  extensive  as  it  got  to  be  afterwards. 

Q.  Then  it  did  increase  afterwards  and  extend  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  it  did  exist  on  other  roads  in  June  ? 

A.  I  don't  know. 

Q.  You  think  it  started  here  and  spread  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.   You  say  it  started  here  ? 

A.  Yes :  I  believe  so.     It  was  first  organized  here. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Were  you  here  at  its  birth  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  I  have  no  objection  either  as  to  being  at  the  first  meeting. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Was  it  beneficial  ? 

A.  It  had  not  got  that  far  along,  but  it  would  have  been,  probably. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  it  the  object  of  this  organization  to  control  the  railroad  com- 
panies, as  to  wages  and  running  regulations  ? 

A.  The  object,  no  doubt,  of  the  organization  was  to  protect  themselves, 
no  matter  what  grievances  might  be  brought  up,  if  based  on  good  authority. 
The  union  would  attend  to  them  in  its  own  way,  whatever  it  might  be. 

Q.  In  what  way  did  they  propose  to  protect  themselves  ? 

A.  That  would  have  to  be  brought  up  before  the  order  before  they  could 
tell  that. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Then  there  was  no  definite  plan  by  which  the  railroad  companies  were 
to  be  controlled  or  coerced  into  coming  to  terms  with  the  union  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  That  was  left  to  be  determined  as  circumstances  might  arise  ? 

A.  That  is  it  exactly. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  You  said,  a  while  ago,  that  this  last  meeting  you  spoke  of  was  not 
regularly  called  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  You  would  have  been  the  proper  person  to  call  it  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  It  was  not  done  at  your  instance  ? 

A.  If  it  had  been  called  it  would  have  been  through  me.     I  had  nothing 
to  do  witli  this  poster  on  the  telegraph  pole ;  but  after  being  on  the  pole 
for  a  half  day,  I  concluded,  rather  than  dupe  the  men,  to  let  them  meet, 
but  nothing  was  done. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  many  members  of  this  organization  there  were  in 
Pittsburgh  at  the  time  of  the  contemplated  strike  in  June  ? 

A.  I  don't  know. 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  many  divisions  there  were  in  this  city  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Have  you  any  idea  ? 

A.   In  Pittsburgh? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  Three  or  four  in  Pittsburgh — three,  I  think. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  201 

Q.  How  many  members  belonged  to  the  division  you  were  connected 
with  ? 

A.  That  is  a  question  I  cannot  answer — I  cannot  tell. 

Q.  Can  you  give  an  approximate  estimate  of  the  number  in  Pittsburgh, 
at  that  time  ? 

A.  Four  or  five  hundred. 

Q.  Was  there  not  an  understanding  in  the  union,  that  whenever  there 
were  differences  between  the  train  men  and  the  railroad  companies,  that  the 
railroad  companies  were  to  be  brought  to  terms  by  the  members  of  the 
union,  by  striking  on  some  particular  day,  without  any  notice  to  the  com- 
panies, so  that  all  traffic  would  be  stopped  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  of  anything  of  that  kind. 

Q.  Was  there  not  some  such  talk,  that  that  would  be  the  most  effectual 
way  of  bringing  the  companies  to  terms  ? 

A.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  wild  talk  among  the  men. 

Q.  There  was  no  such  proposal  made  in  the  union  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  And  no  definite  plan  was  adopted  by  the  union  to  act  upon  the  rail- 
road companies  in  any  way  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  When  any  men  wanted  to  become  members  of  the  organization,  did 
they  have  to  pay  any  initiation  fees  or  dues  ? 

A.  They  would  have  had  to  in  course  of  time,  but,  up  to  that  time,  it 
was  more  a  charitable  institution  than  anything  else.  Anybody  that  had 
five  cents  or  a  quarter,  and  wanted  to  give  it,  could  give  it. 

Q.  There  was  no  specific  sum  at  that  time  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Nor  since  ? 

A.  The  union  is  not  in  existence. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  a  strike — a  railroad  strike — what  is  the  usual 
custom — what  do  you  mean  by  it  ? 

A.  What  I  have  always  understood  by  a  strike,  is  the  men  quitting  work. 

Q.  You  understand  that  they  are  all  to  quit  ? 

A.  Most  unboubtedly. 

Q.  For  the  purpose  of  stopping  traffic — the  running  of  trains  ? 

A.  If  that  would  stop  it — most  undoubtedly. 

Q.  Is  it  customary,  in  railroad  strikes,  for  the  men  who  quit  work,  to 
stop  others  from  working,  by  violence  or  otherwise  ? 

A.  I  have  never  seen  it — by  violence. 

Q.  Only  by  persuasion  ? 

A.  Onty  by  persuasion.     I  have  heard  about  a  great  many  men  being 

stopped,  but,  if  our  railroad  men  would  get  up  and  testify — I  have  heard 

railroad  meu  claim  that  they  wanted  to  work,  but  there  was  not  one  of 

them,  that  was  not  in  the  mire  just  as  deep,  while  the  thing  was  going  on. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.   Yon  mean  the  trainmen  ? 

A.  Certainly. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  class  of  meu  did  you  take  into  your  organization? 

A.  Men  belonging  to  the  transportation  department. 

Q,.  No  outsiders — no  mill  men  ? 

A.  I  believe  not. 

Q.  Had  you  a  constitution  and  by-laws  ? 


208  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Have  you  got  them  in  your  possession  ? 

A.  I  have  not. 

Q.  Who  has  ? 

A.  That  is  more  than  I  can  say. 

Q.  You  don't  know. 

A.  No. 

Q.  Have  you  a  copy  of  them  ? 

A.  I  have  not. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Can  you  give  as  the  names  of  any  men  that  would  be  willing  to  ap- 
pear before  our  committee,  and  give  information  about  the  strike  or  their 
grievances  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  an  engineer  by  the  name  of  John  Hassler,  residing  on  Wood 
street,  the  second  or  third  door  to  the  left  of  Bidwell.  I  think  he  would 
be  an  important  witness  ;  also,  an  engineer  by  the  name  of  William  Robb. 
He  lives  in  the  lower  part  of  Allegheny  somewhere,  but  I  cannot  tell  his 
residence  exactly. 
By  Mr.  Means: 

Q.  You  say  that  the  union  does  not  exist  now.  Do  you  know  of  any 
other  organization  that  is  organized  to  produce  the  same  effect. 

A.  No  ;  no  more  than  what  has  always  been  in  existence.  The  locomo- 
tive engineers,  of  course,  have  their  union. 

G.  Gilbert  Follensbee,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  In  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Where  is  your  place  of  business  ? 

A.  On  Fifth  avenue — No.  42. 

Q.  What  is  it? 

A.  I  am  in  the  clothing  business. 

Q.  In  company  with  some  other  gentlemen,  did  you  call  on  the  mayor 
during  the  disturbance  in  July  last ;  and,  if  so,  give  us  the  circumstances  ? 

A.  On  the  evening  of  the  21st  of  Julv,  (Saturday,)  between  seven  and 
eight  o'clock,  I  heard  that  parties  had  got  into  some  gun  stores,  and  I 
went  to  my  friend  Mr.  Bown, and  then  found  Mr.  Edward  Myers;  and  after 
talking  a  while,  we  thought  it  would  be  prudent  to  see  the  mayor,  and  tell 
him  that  we  thought  it  would  be  prudent  to  get  a  posse,  and  come  down 
and  protect  Mr.  Bown's  gunshop.  We  saw  the  mayor,  and  said  :  "  You 
are  probably  aware  that  some  gun  stores  have  been  broken  into;  "  and  we 
implored  him  to  send  a  posse  to  protect  the  gun  stores. 

Q.  What  reply  did  he  make  ? 

A.  I  do  not  remember  his  reply,  but  he  seemed  to  be  very  indifferent, 
and  I  implored  him,  for  God's  sake,  to  do  something,  and  that  we  three 
would  volunteer,  and  that  probably  with  fifty  men  or  less  we  could  protect 
Mr.  Bown's  store. 

Q.  Did  you  offer  to  be  sworn  in  ? 

A.  I  volunteered  to  be  one  of  the  posse. 

Q.  What  reply  did  he  make  to  that? 

A.  I  do  not  remember. 

Q.  Did  he  say  in  response  to  your  application — did  he  soy  whether  he 
had  the  policemen  or  not,  or  did  he  make  any  excuse  that  he  eould  not 
l'aise  them  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  do  not  think  he  made  any  reply  in  regard  to  his  police.     I  was 


Leg.  Due]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  209 

aware  that  his  police  were  small  and  scattered  around  the  city,  and  my  idea 
was  to  have  him  swear  in  some  of  us  as  special  police. 

Q.  Did  he  refuse  to  swear  you  in  as  special  police  ? 

A.  He  did  not  take  any  action  in  the  matter. 

Q.  Did  he  send  anybody  to  the  store? 

A.  Not  that  I  am  aware  of. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  the  mob  come  there? 

A.  Yes ;  Mr.  Bown  left  his  store  and  came  to  m}r  store,  and  while  there,- 
we  heard  the  mob. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  long  before  the  mob  came  down  had  you  made  this  call  upon 
the  mayor  ? 

A.  Two  hours,  at  least — two  hours — an  hour  and  a  half  or  two  hours. 
Before  the  mob  got  there,  I  went  back  to  Mr.  Bown's  store,  and  asked  him 
if  there  was  no  place  to  secrete  the  arms,  and  they  took  them  down  into 
the  cellar  and  vault  and  secreted  a  good  many  of  them. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  mob  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  saw  the  mob  in  the  store,  but  not  in  front  of  the  store,  be- 
cause we  had  gone  in  the  rear  private  way.  We  could  see  the  store  full  of 
people — probably  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  were  in  the  store. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  were  they  ? 

A.  They  did  not  seem  to  me  to  be  any  particularly  riot  element,  so  far 
as  appearances  were  concerned.     They  did  not  look  like  tramps  or  roughs. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Do  you  suppose  they  were  citizens  of  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  suppose  so. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Did  they  take  away  any  more  arms  than  they  wanted  themselves  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  they  left  any. 

Q.  Was  there  any  ammunition  in  the  store  ? 

A.  I  was  so  informed. 

Q.  What  was  done  with  that  ? 

A.  They  took  the  ammunition  too. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  the  mayor  aware  of  those  arms  and  that  ammunition  in  the 
store  ? 

A.  It  was  the  most  prominent  gun  store  in  the  city. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Could  any  force  of  determined  men  have  stopped  the  riot  ? 

A.  I  am  only  speaking  about  that  gun  shop,  and  I  think  that  from  thirty 
to  fifty  determined  men  could  have  prevented  the  riot  at  that  place. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  You  were  willing  to  be  one  of  them  ? 

A.  I  said  so. 

Q.  Did  you  tell  him  you  wanted  a  force  to  guard  that  gun  store? 

A.  Yes ;  I  said  for  God's  sake  do  something  to  protect  that  gun  store. 
I  looked  at  it  this  way :  That  it  would  be  terribly  fatal  if  the  mob  were  to 
get  in  and  get  guns  and  ammunition. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  the  mayor  know  who  you  were  ? 

A.  Intimately. 

Q.  You  are  intimately  acquainted  with  him  ? 

A.  Yes. 

14  Riots. 


210  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

William  H.  Bown,  sivorn  with  the  uplifted  hand: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  I  belong  to  the  firm  of  James  Bown  &  Son.  Our  place  of  business 
is  located  on  Wood  street,  and  our  business  is  cutlery  and  guns  and  re- 
volvers, and  all  kinds  of  sportsmens'  articles. 

Q.  Do  you  keep  ammunition,  also  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  powder  and  shot  and  caps  and  wads. 
By  Mr.  Yutzy : 

Q.  Fixed  ammunition,  also? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  efforts  did  you  make  to  secure  protection  during  the  riot  ? 

A.  My  father  went  to  see  the  mayor,  with  Mr.  Follensbee.  He  went 
early  in  the  day  to  Mt.  Washington,  to  see  a  shooting  match.  We  were 
not  aware  of  any  excitement  in  the  city,  but  word  came  to  me.  In  the 
afternoon  I  saw  a  telegraphic  dispatch  from  some  one  about  the  mayor. 
It  was  the  mayor's  clerk  that  brought  it  down — setting  forth  that  there 
was  a  mob  organized  to  break  into  the  different  gun  stores  that  evening. 
I  judge  between  five  and  six  o'clock  that  came  down.  He  wanted  me  to 
remove  all  our  arms.  I  said  that  it  was  so  late  in  the  day  that  I  did  not 
know  where  to  place  them — that  wre  had  a  large  number,  but  that,  never- 
theless, we  woul  1  try  to  remove  all  we  possibly  could.  I  then  got  both  the 
porters  and  took  the  arms  out  of  the  windows,  and  a  lot  of  ammunition, 
cartridges,  and  cans  of  powder,  and  I  got  some  paper  and  covered  over  it, 
to  convey  the  impression  to  those  passing  along  that  wre  were  about  clean- 
ing the  window,  and  I  left  the  paper  there  to  disguise  it.  I  had  not  com- 
menced to  take  out  the  arms  in  the  cases.  We  had  two  cases  that  run 
about  sixty  feet  long.  I  went  to  supper,  and  about  six  o'clock,  when  I 
came  back,  I  found  six  policemen  at  the  store,  but  the  mayor's  clerk  came 
down  about  seven  o'clock,  and  said  they  were  required  at  the  Central  sta- 
tion. Shortly  after  that  father  came.  He  could  not  get  into  the  front, 
from  the  fact  that  we  had  the  wire  across  and  the  screens  put  up,  and  I 
had  also  gone  out  and  got  a  couple  of  scantlings,  and  put  them  against  the 
doors,  and  braced  them  against  the  counters.  I  did  not  anticipate  that 
the}r  would  break  in  the  large  glass  windows.  We  had  commenced  to  take 
down  the  arms  and  put  them  in  the  magazine,  which  we  have  in  the  cellar, 
where  we  keep  the  powder,  and  we  got  down,  I  should  judge  about  forty, 
and  were  kept  pretty  busy  in  getting  them  down,  when  the  large  alarm  bell 
struck  and  I  heard  the  glass  go.  I  came  up  the  stairs,  and  when  I  got  to 
to  the  top  I  found  they  had  knocked  the  lock  off,  and  I  immediately  went 
down,  but  I  could  not  find  the  key.  I  was  in  my  shirt  sleeves  at  the  time, 
but  I  closed  the  bolt  and  put  out  the  gas  and  came  up  stairs,  and  just  as  I 
came  up  I  met  two  parties  right  at  my  desk — I  had  a  desk  where  I  do  m}r 
correspondence — and  one  of  them  says,  "why  in  the  hell  don't  you  turn 
up  the  gas?  "  I  suppose  he  took  me  for  one  of  the  party  who  came  in.  I 
passed  him  and  went  on  up  stairs,  and  stayed  there  until  after  the  racket 
was  over. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Where  was  the  mob? 

A.  On  the  lower  floor ;  of  course  they  came  up  stairs,  and  then  I  went 
up  to  the  third  floor. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  What  was  their  manner  as  to  being  boisterous  or  demonstrative  ? 

A.  When  they  came  in  there,  I  thought  bedlam  had  broken  loose. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1 871.  211 

Q.  What  class  of  men  were  they  ? 

A.  What  we  term  from  the  south  side — I  judge  workingmen.  They 
would  just  come  to  the  cases  and  break  them  in.  A  few  of  them  had  old 
muskets. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  That  they  brought  with  them  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  one  party  was  very  kind,  and  left  his  and  took  a  new  gun. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  After  these  policemen  were  taken  up  to  the  central  station,  did  any 
of  them  return  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  say,  but  I  understood  from  those  that  came  in  after 
the  mob  went  away,  that  they  were  out  there,  but  the  mob  was  too  large 
for  them  to  handle. 
By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  the  mayor's  clerk  come  down  and  order  those  policemen  to  re- 
port ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  he  take  them  away  from  your  store  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  at  that  time  everything  was  quiet  about  the  city. 

Q.  He  had  notified  you  that  there  would  be  an  attempt  made  ? 

A.  It  was  reported  that  there  would  be  an  attempt  made  on  the  different 
gun  stores. 

Q.  Yet  he  took  these  policemen  away  ? 

A.  Yes ;  because  at  that  time  there  was  no  excitement  at  the  lower  end 
of  the  city. 

Q.  Did  the}"  return  before  you  were  driven  out  of  the  store  by  the  mob? 

A.  I  did  not  see  them;  but  I  cannot  say. 

Q.  But  were  they  ordered  back  for  duty  before  this  mob  came  ? 

A.  I  understood  that,  but  I  did  not  see  them.  I  was  in  the  store  at  the 
time,  and  did  not  come  down,  because  I  thought  discretion  was  the  better 
part  of  valor. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  saw  that  dispatch  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Who  was  it  signed  by  ? 

A.  I  did  not  notice.     I  think  a  fictitious  name  was  to  it.     I  did  not  no- 
tice any  name  to  it,  particularly.     It  was  the  mayor's  clerk.     It  was  late, 
and  all  our  help  had  gone  off,  and  the  boys  had  gone  to  supper,  and  I  was 
alone,  with  the  two  porters. 
By  Mr.  Yutzy  : 

Q.  How  many  guns  and  pistols  were  taken  out  of  your  store  ? 

A.  Something  over  four  hundred.  They  took  everything — carving 
knives,  butcher  knives,  and  forks,  and  ammunition,  and  cutlery — every- 
thing they  could  take. 

E.  A.  Myers,  sworn  with' the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 
A.  At  No.  60  Liberty  street. 
Q.  Where  is  your  place  of  business  ? 
A.  No.  145  Wood  street. 

Q.  You  are  connected  with  the  office  of 

•  A.  I  am  connected  with  the  of  the  Post. 
Q.  Relate  what  occurred  when  you  went  to  the  mayor  ? 
A.  I  may  say  that  Mr.  Bown,  senior,  came  over  to  my  place,  and  lie  and 


212  Report  of  Coimmittee.  [No.  29, 

Mr.  Folensbee  went  -with  me  up  to  the  mayor,  to  notify  him  to  send  police- 
men down.  After  we  went  there,  the  mayor  at  first  said  he  was  unable  to 
send  any  assistance,  as  the  police  were  scattered  through  the  city,  but  he 
would  do  the  best  he  tould.  We  went  to  Mr.  Johnston's  gun  shop,  a  short 
distance  above  the  mayor's  office,  and  staid  there  awhile,  and  came  down 
to  the  mayor's  office,  and  then  walked  down  to  Mr.  Bown's  establishment, 
and  remained  there  sometime,  without  the  police  coming.  Then  Mr  Bown 
and  myself  went  back  again,  but  on  the  way  we  met  them  coming  up — we 
met  them  coming  up — some  six  or  eight  of  the  police — coming  ;  and  there 
were  at  least  six  or  eight  policemen  there  during  the  disturbance.  The 
crowd  that  came  up,  I  don't  think,  at  first  numbered  over  seventy-five  or 
eighty — half  grown  boys.  There  seemed  to  be  half  a  dozen  armed  with 
muskets,  but  a  large  crowd  was  collected  around  the  streets. 

Q.  What  effort  did  the  policemen  make  to  drive  them  back  ? 

A.  Nothing,  whatever ;  but  they  staid  there.  I  spoke  to  the  mayor's 
clerk;  I  said  there  were  not  enough  of  them  to  do  anything,  but  they  staid 
there. 

Q.  Was  the  crowd  armed  when  they  came  there  ? 

A.  They  apparently  had  a  few  muskets  and  guns  with  them,  as  far  as  I 
could  tell. 

Q.  Did  you  offer  your  services,  as  a  policeman,  to  the  mayor  ? 

A.  Not  as  policeman  specially,  but  I  offered  to  do  anything  that  I  could 
to  defend  the  place — not  to  the  mayor,  but  to  Mr.  Bown.  Mr.  Follensbee, 
I  believe,  did. 

Q.  Mr.  Follensbee  did  ? 

A.  Yes ;  nc^  impression  at  that  time  was,  that  fifteen  or  twenty  deter- 
mined persons  could  have  stopped  the  whole  rumpus  in  front  of  Mr.  Bown's 
place. 

Q.  Did  the  mayor  make  any  demand  on  the  citizens  for  help  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of.  The  mayor  told  me  that  his  police  force  was 
scattered  around  so  that  he  was  unable  to  get  together  enough  to  be  of 
any  special  service.  But  they  did,  however,  gather  up  six  or  eight  of 
them,  and  they  came  downt  here. 

Joseph  S.  Haymaker,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  At  Laurel  station,  on  the  Fort  Wayne  railroad. 

Q.  State  what  you  know  of  the  riot  that  began  on  the  19th  of  July  ? 

A.  I  believe  it  was  on  Saturday — I  think  that  was  the  20th  of  July — 
that  I  came  up  to  the  city.  I  had  been  home  sick  for  almost  two  months 
before  that  time.  I  went  out  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  at  the  time  I 
went  there  I  found  a  very  considerable  crowd  of  men  there.  I  knew  a 
very  few  of  them.  The  great  majority  of  them  seemed  to  be  strangers.  I  sa}r 
this  from  the  fact  that  owing  to  my  political  knowledge  in  the  city,  having 
made  many  political  speeches  here,  I  had  gotten  to  know  a  great  many 
men.  When  I  came  to  Twenty-eighth  street  that  afternoon,  about  two 
o'clock,  I  found  a  large  number  of  men — probably  from  twelve  hundred  to 
fifteen  hundred — right  across  the  railroad  track  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  I 
met  some  men  I  knew,  and  we  were  talking  over  the  probability  of  a  diffi- 
culty between  the  troops  and  the  strikers;  and  these  men,  or  one  of  them, 
said  there  was  no  danger  of  the  soldiers  firing  on  them — that  the  people  of 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania  were  with  the  strikers  in  this  matter.  Whilst 
we  were  talking  in  that  way,  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  came  up  the  rail- 
road.    I   was   asked   the  question  two  or  three   time,  whether  or  not  I 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  213 

thought  the  soldiers  would  fire  on  the  citizens,  and  I  said  I  would  not  trust 
them,  and,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  am  going  to  get  out  of  the  road. 
They  are  strangers  here,  and  if  ordered  to  fire  will  fire.     If  they  don't,  the}^ 
are  not  good  soldiers.     I  was  standing  then  right  in  front  of  what  they 
called  the  sand-house.     Three  or  four  gentlemen  were  there  at  the  time 
with  me,  and  John  Cluley,  the  painter.     I  said  to  them  :  now,  I  have  had 
a  little  military  experience  during  the  last  war,  and  I  said  we  will  get  out 
out  of  this  and  go  down  the  hill-side.     I  got  them  to  go  with  me.     The 
Philadelphia  men  came  up,  and  formed  on  both  sides  of  the  track,  clear- 
ing the  track  by  forming  a  square,  open  at  the  lower  end.     At  this  time  I 
was  on  the  hill-side,  about  eighty  or  ninety  feet,  probably  one  hundred 
feet,  above  where  they  had  formed.     In  that  formation  of  the  square  there 
was  a  portion  of  a  company — I  suppose  about  twenty  or  twenty-five  men — 
that  had  yellow  plumes  in  their  hats — Philadelphia  men — who  were  swung 
off  from  the  left  of  the  square,  and  tried  to  force  back  the   mob  from 
Twenty-eighth  street.     Failing  in  that,  then  a  company  was  brought  up 
from  the  lower  end  of  the  square — brought  right  up  between  the  two  lines 
in  this  way,  [illustrating,]  right  past  where  the  Gatling  guns  were  sta- 
tioned, and  brought  face  to  face  with  the  mob.     They  marched  up   until 
they  were  within  probably  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  of  the  mob,  and  then 
halted  for  about  a  second.     At  that  time  I  noticed  the  sheriff's  posse  stand- 
ing in  front  of  where  they  were  standing,  trying  to  get  the  mob  to  move 
back.     Then  these  men  moved  at  a  charge  bayonet,  and  went  right  up  to 
the  mob,  and  I  saw  several  of  the  mob  catch  the  bayonets  and  push  them 
down.     Then  I  saw  three  or  four  stones  thrown  from  the  little  watch- 
house.     These  stones  were  thrown  right  through  into  this  company  com- 
ing up.     Then  I   heard   a  pistol  shot  fired,  and  probably  two  or  three 
seconds  after  that  three  or  four  other  pistols  shots  were  fired  just  like  that, 
[illustrating,]  and  then  I  saw  two  or  three  of  the  soldiers  go  down.     Then 
the  stones  began  to  fly  down  along  the  line,  in  among  the  soldiers,  and  the 
firing  first  began  right  across  the  railroad  track.     I  ion't  know  what  com- 
pany or  regiment  it  was,  but  they  had  black  feathers.     They  were  right  in 
front  of  this  square,  and  the  first  musket  firing  began  there.     I  noticed 
that.     Then  I  heard,  probably  a  dozen  of  boys  hallo  shoot !  shoot !  down 
along  the  line,  then  the  pistol  shots  began,  and  the  musket  shots  began, 
and  I  got  down  in  a  ditch  behind  where  I  was,  and  staid  there  until  it  was 
all  over. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  This  call  of  shoot,  shoot,  where  did  it  come  from  ? 

A.  I  won't  be  sure  about  that.  I  saw  some  of  the  officers  strike  up  the 
guns  with  their  swords,  and  I  saw  some  pulling  of  the  men  backwards  in- 
side the  square.  Then,  just  right  after  that,  there  was  a  general  volley 
right  along  the  line. 

Q.  A  volle3r  or  a  scattering  fire  ? 

A.  File  firing — each  man  for  himself. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  order  given  by  any  officer  to  fire  ? 

A.  No;  nor  do  I  believe  any  order  was  given.     I  say  that,  for  the  reason 
that,  had  there  been  an  order  or  command  given,  there  would  have  been 
simultaneous  firing,  but  it  seemed  to  me,  when  the  fighting  commenced, 
that  everj'body  was  taking  care  of  himself. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  That  is,  they  were  protecting  themselves  from  something  that  was 
going  to  inj  ure  them  ? 


214  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  No ;  but  as  fast  as  a  man  got  his  gun  loaded  he  would  fire,  and  as 
fast  as  the  others  could  get  a  brick  they  would  throw  it. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  effect  did  the  firing  of  the  soldiers  produce  on  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Right  by  me,  on  my  right  hand  an  old  man,  and  a  little  girl  on  my 
left  hand,  were  shot  dead.  I  got  into  the  ditch,  and  I  know  it  was  full — 
the  ditch. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  It  was  not  a  regular  volley  of  musketry  ? 

A.  No  ;  it  was  every  fellow  for  himself. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  many  persons  were  killed  there  1 

A.  No;  but  when  I  came  up  from  the  ditch — it  is  not  a  regular  ditch, 
but  a  wash  down  the  hillside — when  I  raised  up,  somebody  else  was  shot, 
and  I  got  down  again.  \>  hen  I  raised  up  the  second  time  everything  was 
quiet.  I  looked  down  over  the  bank,  and  several  men  were  lying  there 
dead. 

Q.  You  say  that  an  old  gentleman  was  killed? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  that  a  little  girl  was  killed  ? 

A.  No  ;  she  was  shot  right  through  the  knee,  and  I  pulled  her  down  into 
the  ditch  and  tied  a  handkerchief  around  her  leg.     There  was  a  physician 
there — I  think  Dr.  Schnatterly,  of  Bellevue,  and  he  took  charge  of  her, 
and  I  heard  she  died  that  night. 
By  Mr.  Reyburn : 

Q.  This  crowd  standing  there — what  business  did  they  have  there  ? 

A.  They  had  no  business  there. 
By  Mr.  Yutzy : 

Q.  Had  you  any  business  there  ? 

A.  None  at  all ;  but  I  had  never  seen  a  strike  before,  and  I  went  up  to 
see  what  it  looked  like.  Right  down  along  the  railroad  there  was  proba- 
bly ten  feet  of  ground,  or  twelve  feet — right  along  the  railroad,  in  front  of 
the  troops,  occupied  by  a  class  of  men  that  I  had  never  seen  in  the  city  of 
Pittsburgh  before — ragged  looking  and  dirty  looking.  There  is  one  thing 
about  Pittsburgh  people,  that  you  can  tell  them  on  the  street — at  least,  I 
think,  I  can.  I  walking  along  the  street,  if  a  man  comes  from  Philadelphia 
or  any  other  place,  I  think  I  can  tell  him.  In  other  words,  I  know  he  don't 
belong  hei*e.  I  don't  know  the  reason  why,  but  we  get  to  notice  our  own 
people,  and  I  say  that  that  crowd  of  people  along  there  I  never  saw  before. 
They  looked  here  [illustrating]  like  people  that  I  never  saw  before.  I 
believe  them  to  be  strangers  not  only  to  Pittsburgh  and  Allegheny  county, 
but  to  Western  Pennsylvania,  and,  in  fact,  to  the  State  of  Pennsylvania. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  How  large  was  that  crowd  ? 

A.  There  were  five  hundred  or  more  of  them  fronting  the  railroad. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  There  is  a  kind  of  a  platform  there  ? 

A.  The  road  runs  along  six  feet  below  the  bank,  and  then  the  bank  runs 
back  about  fifty  feet,  and  then  the  hill  commences  for  one  hundred  or  one 
and  fifty  feet  above  that. 

Q.  Did  this  crowd  throw  stones  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  just  here  I  will  give  another  reason  why  I  believe  that 
crowd  to  be  strangers  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh.  The  most  of  our  men 
here — our  laboring  men — wear  dark  clothes,  but  I  saw  men  in  that  crowd 
with  light  pantaloons,  and  yellow  pantaloons,  and  two  men  with  velveteen 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  215 

coats,  and  those  men  seemed  to  me  to  be  making  the  most  noise  down  in 
front  of  the  soldiers.     At  that  time,  in  my  mind,  I  thought  they  were 
tramps.     Of  course,  I  can't  say  that  of  the  whole  crowd,  but  I  say  that  the 
men  making  the  demonstrations  were  men  of  that  class. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  that  fire  from  the  militia  disperse  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes ;  in  firing,  very  unfortunately,  they  fired  over  the  heads  of  the 
people  there,  and  killed  the  people  above.  If  they  had  lowered  their  guns 
eight  inches  they  would  have  killed  a  class  of  men  that  we  could  very  well 
get  rid  of. 

Q.  Did  they  disperse  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  In  what  direction  ? 

A.  Some  went  up  the  hill-side,  and  the  mob  in  front  of  Twenty-eighth 
street,  ran  down  Twenty-eighth  street  to  Penn. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  the  soldiers  attempt  to  shoot  at  them  as  they  ran  up  the  bank  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  suppose  the  firing  lasted  a  minute  and  a  half.  The  soldiers 
began  firing  right  down  the  line,  and  probably  some  of  them  fired  four  or 
five  shots.  When  the  crowd  broke,  they  ran  up  among  the  people  on  the 
hill-side,  and  some  of  them  ran  into  the  ditch  where  I  was.  The  rest  of 
them  went  on  up  the  hill-side.  I  noticed  one  thing,  that  the  old  soldiers 
dropped  flat  down  when  the  firing  commenced,  while  the  others  ran. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  mean  the  old  soldiers  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  mean  that. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Do  you  think  that  force  of  soldiers,  with  twenty  rounds  of  ammuni- 
tion, could  have  held  their  position  and  kept  the  crowd  off'  during  the 
night  ? 

A.  Not  as  strangers,  they  could  not  do  it.  I  mean  this — had  that  force 
been  posted  as  to  the  situation  here,  they  could  have  done  that — they  could 
have  kept  the  mob  off  with  half  their  number;  but  not  being  acquainted, 
I  think  they  did  about  the  only  thing  they  could  do.  The  only  thing  lack- 
ing under  the  circumstances — I  have  had  my  own  opinion  since  that  time 
as  to  what  I  think  I  would  have  done,  without  any  more  knowledge  of 
military  affairs  than  I  learned  in  the  army,  and  I  would  have  taken  charge 
of  this  ditch  that  I  was  in,  and  have  put  the  men  in  there  for  the  purpose 
of  controlling  the  round-house  and  the  tracks  below.  But  then  there  was  a 
danger  to  be  taken  into  consideration,  that  along  the  hill  above  this  ditch, 
there  were  houses  on  the  hill-side  occupied  by  railroad  men  and  bj-  strikers, 
and  by  men  in  sympathy  with  them,  so  there  would  have  been  a  danger 
there,  because  there  would  have  been  firing  from  the  rear — in  other  words, 
if  people  had  gone  on  the  hill-side,  and  opened  fire  down  from  the  hill, 
side,  they  would  have  had  to  abandon  the  ditch — or,  on  the  other  hand- 
my  idea  of  the  matter  would  have  been  to  have  picketed  Penn  avenue  and 
Liberty  street  very  heavily,  and  have  kept  those  streets  clear,  from  Twen- 
ty-eighth street  clear  down.  When  you  consider  that  a  crowd  or  a  mob 
is  always  cowardly,  so  that  the  firing  of  eight  or  ten  men  into  it  will  break 
it,  I  really  believe  that  the  best  plan  would  have  been  to  have  picketed 
Penn  avenue  and  Liberty  street — to  have  kept  these  streets  clear,  and  then 
if  necessary,  to  have  picketed  the  upper  side  of  the  railroad  track,  which 
would  have  formed  a  square  of  pickets,  whereby  to  preserve  the  cars.  Yet, 
at  the  same  time,  I  will  sa}T  that  these  picket  lines  would  have  been  sub- 


216  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

jected  to  a  fire  from  both  sides — from  the  hill-side  above,  and  from  the 
houses  below.     I  went  home  on  the  six  o'clock  train  that  evening. 

Q.  Could  General  Brinton  have  taken  his  troops  then,  and  marched  them 
down  towards  the  Union  depot,  and  kept  the  crowd  back,  or  kept  the  crowd 
above  ? 

A.  No  ;  but  the  mistake  that  General  Brinton  made  was  this,  that  when 
he  began  firing  he  should  have  kept  it  up. 

Q.  How  long  ? 

A.  Until  every  man  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  was  willing  to  stop. 

Q.  Do  you  think,  in  your  judgment,  with  the  number  of  men  they  had, 
with  twenty  rounds  of  ammunition,  and  with  more  ammunition  over  in  the 
Union  depot,  that  they  could  have  maintained  their  ground  there  and  kept 
up  the  firing,  and  kept  the  mob  back,  and  kept  up  communications  with 
Union  depot,  in  order  to  replenish  their  ammunition  ? 

A.  If  he  had  continued  his  firing  from  the  time  the  firing  began  at 
Twenty-eighth  street,  most  undoubtedly  he  could.  But  after  that,  when 
General  Brinton  got  into  the  round-house,  where  there  are  open  windows — 
the  house  is  perfectly  round — at  that  time  he  was  at  the  mercy  of  every 
building. 

Q.  But  I  am  speaking  of  the  time  before  he  went  into  the  round-house, 
and  after  the  crowd  had  dispersed — at  that  time  had  he  continued  firing, 
could  he  have  maintained  his  position  and  kept  the  crowd  away  ? 

A.  Yes ;  fifty  men  armed  as  those  men  were  armed — because  I  noticed 
that  every  time  a  gun  struck,  it  tore  a  hole  like  that.    [Illustrating.]    Fol- 
lowing that  mob  would  have  dispersed  them. 
By  Mr.  Yutzy : 

Q.  Would  not  that  have  caused  great  loss  of  life  ? 

A.  Undoubtedly — if  they  had  fired  low. 

Q.  What  is  your  avocation  now  ? 

A.  I  am  a  lawj'er  by  profession. 

Q.  You  practice  at  the  bar  here  in  this  city  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  From  jour  experience  in  the  arm}',  and  from  what  you  saw  of  the  con- 
duct of  the  troops  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  would  you  say  that  their  con- 
duct was  good  as  military  men  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  a  bit  of  it.  Every  man  that  fired  first  should  have 
been  taken  out  and  shot.  In  other  words,  I  mean  that  there  was  not  a  par- 
ticle of  dicipline.  I  say  that  for  this  reason:  There  was  no  order  given  to 
fire  by  any  officer.  I  believe  that  to  be  the  fact,  because  I  was  on  the  hill 
side  not  more  than  sixty  or  eighty  feet  awa}7  from  where  the  firing  began, 
and  I  had  been  there  some  two  hours  before  the  firing  did  begin.  I  was 
standing  there  wondering  how  the  men  wei'e  going  to  clear  the  tracks,  and 
when  the  fight  began  I  was  listening  very  closely  in  order  to  hear  what 
command  would  be  given  by  the  officer  in  command.  Then  this  fuss  began 
with  three  or  four  pistol  shots,  and  then  the  bricks  and  stones  were  thrown, 
and  then  more  pistol  shots,  and  then  it  was  every  man  for  himself.  So  far 
as  those  soldiers  were  concerned,  I  have  said  since,  and  believe  it  to  be  a 
fact,  that  it  was  one  mob  armed  against  another  mob  not  armed. 

Q.  Was  not  the  conduct  of  those  soldiers  as  good  as  could  be  expected 
from  militia  men  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that.     I  have  seen  militia  men  during  the  war  that 
would  walk  up  to  the  scratch,  and  stay  there.     The  great  trouble  with  mil- 
itia men  is  that  they  fire  too  high. 
By  Senator  Yutz}- : 

Q.  Do  you  think  there  was  any  real  necessity  for  calling  on  the  militia 
for  assistance  here  ? 


Leg.  Doc.]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  217 

A.  I  would  not  like  to  give  any  opinion  about  that.     I  know  that  the 
sheriff  started  out  a  lot  of  his  deputies  to  get  a  lot  of  lawyers  out  here, 
and  the  lawyers  went  out — of  the  back  windows,  and  every  other  way  they 
could  get  out.     I  never  believed  that  the  sheriff  exhausted  all  his  power. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  You  believe,  then,  it  was  necessary  to  call  out  the  military — that  the 
difficulty  had  got  beyond  the  control  of  the  civil  authorities  ? 

A.  I  believe  that.  I  believe  it  was  necessary  to  call  out  the  military — 
but  to  use  them.  In  explanation  of  that,  I  would  say  this :  that  even  after 
the  military  were  here,  that  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  was  panic  struck,  and 
that  young  men  were  taken  up  on  the  streets  and  were  furnished  with  arms, 
privately  by  the  different  banks,  to  go  in  and  guard  the  banks,  because,  on 
the  Monday  night  following  the  burning,  it  was  rumored  on  the  streets — 
on  Fifth  avenue,  and  on  Wood,  and  on  Smithfield  streets — that  the  banks 
were  to  be  attacked  that  night,  and  I  know  of  several  banks  in  the  city 
that  were  guarded  by  young  men  picked  up  throughout  the  city.  I  believe 
it  to  be  a  fact,  that,  had  the  trouble  lasted  two  days  longer,  there  would 
have  been  a  vacation  of  the  city  by  the  women  and  the  children  in  the  city 
of  Pittsburgh.  I  believe  they  would  have  gotten  out  of  town. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  You  state  you  spoke  to  some  people  about  the  probability  of  the 
troops  firing  on  the  crowd.     Who  were  those  people? 

A.  I  cannot  recollect. 

Q.  Were  they  part  of  the  crowd — the  strikers  ? 

A.  No. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned   to  meet  at  three  o'clock  this 
afternoon. 


AFTERNOON  SESSION. 

Orphans'  Court  Room. 
Pittsburgh,  Tuesday,  February  12,  1878. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment  the  committee  re-assembled  at  three  o'clock, 
p.  M.,  this  day,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testimony. 

Joseph  S.  Haymaker,  recalled. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  sympathy  did  the  rioters  seem  to  get  from  the  surrounding 
crowds  of  spectators  ? 

A.  Do  you  mean  on  Saturday  ? 

Q.  Yes. 

A.  I  can  hardly  say ;  I  was  one  of  the  party  myself.  Do  you  mean 
after  they  were  fired  into  ? 

Q.  From  that  time  until  Monday. 

A.  On  Saturday,  the  20th  of  July,  the  general  feeling  seemed  to  be,  up 
to  the  time  of  the  firing,  that  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  had  not 
done  exactly  what  was  right  with  their  employes. 

Q.  To  what  extent  did  that  feeling  exist  in  the  community  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  about  the  community,  because  I  was  at  iny  home  sick 
for  six  weeks  before  that  time.  I  can  only  speak  of  the  crowd  that  was 
there  at  the  same  time  I  was.  So  far  as  that  was  concerned,  I  suppose 
they  felt  about  as  I  did,  that  as  they  were  getting  pretty  good   pay  for 


218  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

their  shipments,  and  everything  of  that  kind,  it  seemed  to  be  kind  of  rough, 
to  cut  down  their  wages  so  much.  It  was  a  kind  of  general  feeling,  that 
the  railroad  company  had  not  done  exactly  what  was  right  with  their 
employes,  but  I  found  nobody  who  could  give  me  a  definite  explanation 
of  the  reason  why  the  people  of  Pittsburgh  should  be  against  the  railroad 
company — that  is,  I  could  not  find  anybody  who  could  give  me  any  reason 
wiry  there  should  be  any  strike  between  the  people  of  the  city  and  the  rail- 
road company,  on  account  of  the  way  the  railroad  company  had  treated 
their  employe's  ;  but  immediately  after  the  fire  was  over,  I  did  not  hear 
any  question  of  that  kind  raised.  The  prevailing  question  was  how  we 
were  going  to  get  out  of  the  trouble  we  were  in. 

Q.  In  your  judgment,  would  it  not  have  been  proper  for  the  officer  in 
command  of  the  military  foi'ce.  at  five  o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon,  to 
have  given  the  command  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  most  undoubtedly  think  it  would  have  been. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  There  was  sufficient  provocation  to  justify  the  giving  of  that  com- 
mand ? 

A.  Yes ;  my  recollection  is,  I  heard  an  order  given  by  some  officer, 
commanding  either  a  company  or  a  regiment  of  the  Philadelphia  soldiers 
up  at  the  front  of  the  line  that  was  formed  there — an  order  given  to  those 
men  to  disperse  and  go  back,  and  I  think  he  gave  the  order  in  this  way : 
'•Now,"  he  says, "  why  don't  you  men  go  back  ?"  It  was  half  a  minute  after 
that  when  I  heard  the  first  pistol  shot  fired,  and  then  from  that  the  firing 
began.  I  think,  that  when  the  order  was  given  to  go  back  and  clear  the 
tracks,  that  he  would  have  been  justified  in  ordering  the  men  to  fire,  al- 
though I  heard  no  order  to  fire. 

Q.  And  followed  up  the  firing  until  he  dispersed  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  believe  that. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  What  troops  were  on  the  ground  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know.  I  simply  know  this.  That  certain  troops  or  uni- 
formed men  came  up  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  from  the  depot,  and  formed 
in  line  in  front  of  the  upper  round-house,  at  the  corner  of  Twenty-eighth 
street,  and  at  that  time  some  of  our  Pittsburgh  soldiers  were  on  the  hill 
side  above — some  of  our  Allegheny  count}7  soldiers  on  the  hill  side  above. 

Q.  But  those  on  the  railroad  were  Philadelphia  troops  ? 

A.  I  believed  them  to  be  from  Philadelphia. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  the  conduct  of  the  Pittsburgh  troops 
called  out  here  during  that  day,  or  any  time  during  the  riot  ? 

A.  No  ;  except  this  far,  that  when  I  came  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street, 
and  before  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  came  up  there,  I  walked  across  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  up  the  hill  side,  where  there  was  part  of  a  compan}T — part  of 
one  of  the  western  Pennsylvania  companies,  or  a  Pittsburgh  compan}',  I  do 
not  know  which  it  was,  and  when  I  got  to  the  top  of  the  hill  side  I  was  a 
good  deal  out  of  breath 

Q.  After  the  firing  ? 

A.  Before  the  firing — probably  an  hour  before.  There  was  one  of  the 
private  soldiers  belonging  to  some  company — I  do  not  know  any  thing  about 
him.  He  had  a  uniform  on,  and  I  asked  him  the  question:  "  How  long 
have  you  been  here  ?"  and  he  said,  "  since  last  night."  I  said,  "  how  long 
are  you  going  to  stay  here?"  and  he  says,  "I  don't  know."  I  said,  "you 
may  likely  be  called  upon  to  clear  the  tracks  down  there;"  and  he  said, 
"  they  may  call  on  me,  and  the}r  may  call  pretty  damn  loud  before  they  will 
clear  the  tracks."     At  the  same  time,  I  looked  in  the  man's  face,  and  I 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  219 

thought  he  might  be  called  upon  to  all  eternity  before  he  would  do  any- 
thing reasonable.  The  company,  at  that  time,  was  scattered — standing  all 
around. 

Q.  Was  this  company  far  from  the  mob  ? 

A.  Probably  one  hundred  feet — probably  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet. 

Q.  Were  their  arms  stacked  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  know  that  after  the  firing,  one  dead  soldier  was  carried  clown 
from  about  the  spot  where  I  had  been  talking  to  this  man,  down  to  the 
Twentjr-eighth  street  crossing. 

Q.   Were  the  men  with  their  guns  where  they  were  stacked  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  were  down  on  the  railroad  track,  and  some  were  on 
the  hill-side,  and  some  were  around  their  guns,  and  some  were  back  tow- 
ards the  hospital. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Didn't  you  say  those  were  Philadelphia  troops  up  at  Twenty-eighth 
street  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  that  is,  I  understood  that. 
By  Senator  Keyburn  : 

Q.  You  spoke  about  those  strange  men  you  thought  were  strangers  in 
Pittsburgh,  that  had  come  from  a  distance.  Have  you  any  knowledge  of 
people  coming  to  Pittsburgh  at  any  time  previous  to  the  19th  of  Jul}r  ? 

A.  I  can  say  this  in  reference  to  that,  but  as  a  lawyer  I  would  say  that 
part  of  it  is  hearsay  evidence,  that  is,  I  do  not  know  it  to  be  a  fact  myself. 
1  live  below  Pittsburgh,  about  seven  miles,  on  the  Fort  Wayne  road,  at 
Laurel  station,  and  I  know  from  the  time  I  went  down  last  spring,  we  had 
much  trouble  with  tramps.  Probably  two  or  three,  or  four  or  five,  or  six  or 
seven,  would  be  there  every  day.  But  about  four  days  before  this  trouble — 
it  was  on  the  Friday  before  this  trouble — at  that  time  I  was  not  at  home 
sick — I  recollect  my  wife  saying  to  me,  that  "  we  have  had  no  tramps  down 
here  for  the  last  few  days,"  and  I  said,  "  they  will  come  back  again,"  and  until 
after  the  rioting  and  the  burning  here,  we  had  but  one  tramp  at  our  house, 
until  the  third  day  after — that  was  on  Sunday.  Then  they  began  to  come 
back  eveiy  day.  I  have  heard  others  of  my  neighbors  say  the  same  thing. 
And  almost  every  night,  looking  from  my  library  towards  the  river,  I 
could  see  along  the  river  bank  that  these  tramps  would  have  fires,  and  I 
have  seen,  when  I  would  come  down  to  the  train  in  the  morning — I  have 
seen  as  high  as  fifteen  or  twenty  around  these  fires.  But  for  two  or  three 
days  before  the  riot — that  is,  before  the  burning  here,  and  for  one  or  two 
days  after  that  time,  I  noticed  very  few  of  those  fires,  if  any,  and  we  were 
not  troubled  with  these  tramps  at  our  house  ;  and  after  the  trouble  was  all 
over,  it  made  such  an  impression  on  me,  that  I  loaded  a  double-barreled 
shot  gun,  and  told  my  wife  how  to  use  it,  and  told  her  if  they  came  around 
not  to  do  anything  for  them.  I  did  not  consider  them  fit  subjects  for 
charity. 

James  Bown,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  is  your  business,  and  where  is  jowy  place  of  business  ? 

A.  Nos.  136  and  138  Wood  street,  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  kind  of  business  do  you  carry  on  ? 

A.  It  is  the  cutlery  business — guns  and  sporting  goods  in  general — 
manufacturing. 

Q.  I  wish  you  to  state  what  efforts  you  made  to  protect  your  store  on 
the  night  of  the  21st — Saturday  night.  You  went  to  see  the  mayor. 
What  efforts  did  you  make  ? 

A.  I  was  absent  from  the  city  until  about  seven  and  a  half  o'clock  that 


220  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

evening,  and  when  I  came  to  the  store  I  found  it  was  shut  up.  I  met  my 
second  son  there,  and  I  asked  him  what  the  trouble  was.  Well,  he  said 
the  mob  had  broken  into  some  of  the  pawnbrokers,  up  in  the  Fifth  ward, 
and  also  into  one  of  our  competitor's.  I  asked  him  where  my  other  son 
was,  and  he  said  at  the  back  end  of  the  store.  I  got  into  the  back  yard 
and  went  into  the  store  and  found  them  there  making  preparations  to  take 
some  of  the  valuable  guns  into  the  cellar — into  the  vault.  It  looked  as  if 
things  were  serious.  I  said,  "  I  will  go  out  and  look  around,  and  see  what 
the  trouble  is."  They  commenced  to  put  away  the  goods  as  fast  as  they 
could.  Of  course  they  had  to  use  great  judgment  about  taking  the  fine 
guns  into  the  cellar.  I  was  away  perhaps  half  an  hour.  As  soon  as  I 
went  out  into  the  alley,  I  met  Mr.  Follensbee  and  Mr.  Myers.  I  said, 
"  Things  look  serious  around  here."  The  mayor's  clerk  was  there,  Mr. 
Metzgar,  and  perhaps  half  a  dozen  people  were  congregated  in  the  alley. 
He  said,  "Gentlemen,  you  had  better  disperse.  We  would  rather  not  have 
anybody  around  here,  so  as  not  to  excite  anybody."  I  told  him  it  was  a 
good  suggestion,  and  Mr.  Myers  and  Mr.  Follensbee  and  myself  went 
into  our  yard.  It  was  then  pretty  near  dark.  I  said,  "Let  us  go 
up  to  Smithfield  street,  and  see  what  they  are  doing."  I  understood 
there  was  quite  a  crowd  in  front  of  Mr.  Johnston's,  another  com- 
petitor of  our's.  We  went  up  the  alley  and  then  turned  to  the  left 
and  went  down  towards  Sixth  avenue.  An  immense  crowd  was  in  front 
of  this  gun  store,  but  had  done  no  damage.  Sevei'al  policemen  were 
in  front  of  the  store.  In  going  through  the  crowd  several  sang  out, 
"  Let's  go  down  to  Bown's,  and  clean  him  out."  I  said,  "  That  sounds 
pretty  loud,  and  we  had  better  go  and  see  if  the  mayor  won't  send  back 
some  police."  We  came  back  to  the  mayor's  office,  and  there  the  mayor 
was,  standing  outside.  I  went  up  to  him,  and  addressed  him  as  "  Mac." 
I  am  rather  familiar  with  him.  I  said,  "  We  require  some  extra  police 
down  there,  as  they  are  going  down  to  our  store  to  clean  us  out."  He 
said,  "  I  will  do  all  I  can  for  you,"  and  said  that  a  good  many  police  were 
up  at  Mr.  Johnston's.  I  said,  "It  is  necessary  to  act  quick  and  prompt, 
as  the  crowd  is  now  moving,  and  it  won't  take  them  long  to  come  there. 
Mr.  Follensbee  spoke  up,  and  said,  "  I  will  be  one  of  fifty  special  police." 
I  do  not  think  he  made  any  reply  to  that,  but  he  said,  "I  will  send  some 
down."  With  that  I  left,  and  came  down  to  the  store  again.  Some 
people  were  in  front  of  the  store,  and  I  think  among  them,  perhaps,  were 
two  or  three  policemen — I  think  there  were.  I  was  more  interested  in 
securing  the  things  just  at  that  time,  so  I  went  into  the  store  again,  and 
the  boys  were  still  working,  taking  down  the  guns.  They  had  got  the  pis- 
tols— the  greater  portion  of  them — into  a  safe  we  had,  and  Mr.  Follesbee 
suggested  to  me  to  come  around  to  Fifth  avenue  to  his  store.  I  went 
back  through  Mr.  Carter's  store,  and  went  with  him  into  his  store.  I  was 
not  in  there  two  minutes  until  an  immense  rush  of  people  came  past  the 
store,  and  they  shoved  the  doors  to.j  I  said,  "  Open  the  doors,  I  want  to 
see  what  the  trouble  is."  I  was  running  across  the  street  when  a  friend 
of  mine  said,  "  There  is  no  use  in  your  going ;  they  have  got  in."  I  knew 
a  road  coming  through  another  gentleman's  store  and  through  Mr.  Carter's 
store,  and  got  into  the  back  yard.  The  crowd  was  then  in  the  store  and 
sccui-ing  all  the  things  as  last  as  they  could.  Then  Mr.  Follensbee  fol- 
lowed after  me.  Of  course,  he  remonstrated  outside  as  well  he  could. 
Everything  was  barricaded  up  so  that  we  could  not  get  in.  I  will  tell  you 
one  thing  that  occurred  there.  A  negro  had  got  at  my  private  desk  and 
got  open  the  drawers,  and  was  pulling  out  the  things,  and  had  got  among 
the  postage  stamps  when  we  hallooed  at  him.     The  language  we  used  was 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  221 

pretty  severe,  and  he  dropped  everything  and  ran.  In  a  few  minutes,  as 
soon  as  things  were  quieted  down,  we  got  a  policeman — we  tapped  for 
him  to  come  and  open  a  window,  and  we  got  in.  Of  course,  then  the  des- 
truction had  taken  place. 

.  Q.  How  long  after  you  made  that  call  on  the  mayor  was  it  that  they 
broke  into  the  store  ? 

A.  Not  over  fifteen  to  twenty  minutes. 

Q.  Did  he  send  any  policem  n  down? 

A.  Some  were  there  in  front,  but  I  cannot  say  how  many.  Some  came 
after  the  thing  was  o\er,  but  whether  they  were  outside,  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  He  made  no  reply  when  Mr.  Follensbee  offered  to  do  special  duty  ? 

A.  No  reply  at  all. 

Q.  Nor  did  he  make  any  demand  on  the  citizens? 

A.  No. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Those  parties  took  away  general  plunder,  did  they  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  They  did  not  come  specially  for  guns  ? 

A.  They  took,  everything — knives  and  pistols  and  spoons  and  forks 
and  carving  knives  and  fishing  tackle,  and  everything  they  could. 

Q.  It  was  simply  a  party  bent  on  plunder  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  was  just  a  mob.     I  do  not  charge  it  on  the  strikers. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Did  you  ever  get  track  of  any  of  those  guns. 

A.  We  got  four  out  of  the  lot — those  were  left  by  parties — men  that 
came  out  with  three  or  four  and  just  handed  them  to  us.  They  preserved 
them  for  us 

Q.  You  never  got  track  where  they  went  ? 

A.  No  ;  we  had  a  good  many  guns  with  marks  on  them — numbers,  and 
some  guns — a  special  kind  of  guns — that  there  are  very  few  of  here. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  About  four  hundred  of  them  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  a  great  variety  of  other  things? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  recovered  none  of  the  guns  ? 

A.  No. 

B.  K.  Walton,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  were  one  of  the  deputy  sheriffs  in  July  last  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  in  the  city  during  Thursdaj',  the  19th,  and 
during  Friday. 

A.  I  cannot  say  as  to  Thursday  or  Friday — I  do  not  think  that  I  was. 
I  was  on  Saturday. 

Q.  State  to  us  just  what  connection  you  had  with  the  riotous  proceed- 
ings ? 

A.  On  Saturday  I  was  one  among  the  deputies  instructed  by  the  sheriff 
to  get  up  a  posse.  I  went  along  several  of  the  streets  and  asked  several 
parties  to  come  up.  Some  said  they  would  come  and  some  said  they  would 
not.  However,  not  more  than  one  or  two  came.  We  went  on  up  to  Union 
depot  to  the  railroad  and  from  there  went  up  with  the  military  to  Twenty- 
eighth  street.  There  appeared  to  be  a  crowd  on  both  sides  of  the  railroad, 
and  along  the  railroad,  as  we  went  up.     There  was  a  great  deal  of  turmoil 


222  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

and  noise.  We  were  not  up  there  more  than  a  few  minutes  until  the  firing 
commenced.  Stones  and  pieces  of  bricks  were  thrown  before  the  firing 
commenced. 

Q.  Where  did  you  try  to  raise  a  posse  ? 

A.  In  the  streets  here. 

Q.  To  what  class  of  men  did  you  go  ? 

A.  To  most  anybody  that  we  could  get  hold  of — citizens  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  responses  did  you  get  usually  ? 

A.  Some  said  they  would  not  go  under  any  consideration  and  others 
promised  to  go,  but  did  not  come  when  the  time  came. 

Q.  How  many  did  you  succeed  in  getting  ? 

A.  Out  of  ten  or  fifteen  that  promised  to  come,  I  think  only  one  or  two 
came. 

Q.  Did  you  go  outside  of  the  city  in  trying  to  raise  the  posse  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  How  many  did  you  say  there  were  of  you  that  went  ahead  of  the 
military  ? 

A.  I  think  there  were  from  twelve  to  eighteen  of  us  ahead  of  the  militia 
from  Union  depot  up  to  Twent3r-eighth  street. 

Q.  When  the  crowd  began  to  throw  stones,  was  it  at  you  or  the  militia  ? 

A.  It  appeared  to  be  at  the  militia  altogether. 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  sheriff's  posse  hit  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  own  knowledge. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  not  the  sheriff  struck  himself? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Whereabouts  did  the  sheriff's  posse  stand  when  the  stones  began  to 
be  thrown  ? 

A.  Some  were  on  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  part  of  the  party  were  on 
this  side  a  little  piece,  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  feet  apart. 

Q.  In  front  of  the  militia  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Where  were  you  when  the  militia  fired  ? 

A.  On  the  crossing  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  Part  of  the  crowd  had  got 
in  between  me  and  most  of  the  others  and  the  militia.  We  got  mixed  up 
at  that  time. 

Q.  Did  the  militia  fire  towards  you? 

A.  The  first  firing  appeared  to  be  up  the  hill,  and  the  second  up  the  rail- 
road m  here  we  were  standing. 

Q.  Where  did  you  go  then  ? 

A.  I  got  behind  a  car. 

Q.  AY  here  did  the  balance  of  the  party  go  to  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  where  they  all  went^  to.     Some  were  where  I  was 

Q.  Did  you  call  on  any  of  the  constables  to  go  out  with  you  ? 

A.  I  do  not  believe  I  did  myself. 

0.  Were  you  out  during  Sunday  ? 

A.  Not  in  connection  with  the  office ;  but  I  was  out  myself. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  fire  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  was  on  the  hill  pretty  much  all  day  above  the  Union  depot. 

Q.   What  time  did  you  get  on  the  ground  ? 

A.  I  came  over  in  the  morning  about  nine  o'clock.  I  live  just  above 
the  top  of  the  hill. 

Q.  How  far  had  the  fire  approached  towards  the  city  at  that  time  ? 

A.  A  considerable  distance  below  the  round-house. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*77.  223 

Q.  How  many  men  wei'e  engaged  in  burning  and  running  down  the  cars 
then  ? 

A.  A  great  many  of  them. 

Q.  Two  or  three  hundred  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  more  than  that. 

Q.  How  nian}^  policemen  would  it  have  taken  to  have  driven  them  away 
at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  there  were  enough  in  the  city  at  that  time. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  the  sheriff  command  the  mob  to  disperse  before  the  firing? 

A.  I  believe  he  did ;  but  I  was  not  up  with  him  the  first  time  he  was  up. 

Q.  What  effort  was  made  by  the  sheriff  and  his  posse,  or  deputies,  to 
clear  the  track  before  the  military  came  up  ? 

A.  They  tried  to  get  them  off  the  track — they  talked  to  some  of  them, 
but  they  appeared  to  want  to  get  at  the  military.  When  we  got  to  the 
crossing,  part  of  the  party  got  away,  and  that  is  how  a  part  of  the  mob  got 
in  between  us  and  the  military. 

Q.  Were  you  close  to  the  military  when  the  firing  commenced  ? 

A.  Within  ten  or  twelve  feet,  I  think. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  command  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  None  whatever. 

Q.  If  there  had  been  a  command  given  you  would  have  heard  it  ? 

A.  I  think  so — I  was  close  enough.     There  appeared  to  be  a  good  deal 
of  noise  going  on  at  the  time. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  were  not  with  the  sheriff  on  Friday  night  when  he  went  up  to 
Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  No.  ^ 

Q.  Do  }-ou  know  whether  he  made  any  effort  that  night  to  raise  a  posse 
or  not  ? 

A.  1  do  not  know  of  my  own  knowledge.  I  was  not  in  the  city  on  Fri- 
day night  ? 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  crowd  on  Saturday  morning? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  large  was  it  on  Saturday  morning  ? 

A.  A  great  many  people  were  there. 

Q.  Po  you  think  a  well  organized  police  force  would  have  been  able  to 
have  driven  away  the  crowd  on  Saturday  morning  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  about  that.  It  would  have  depended  on  circumstances 
altogether.  It  would  have  taken  a  pretty  good  force  to  have  driven  them 
away. 

Q.  Do  you  think  it  would  have  been  possible  to  have  gathered  a  posse 
in  and  about  the  city — if  the  sheriff  had  started  out  on  Saturday  morning 
and  made  an  effort,  could  he  have  collected  a  posse  sufficiently  large  to 
have  driven  away  the  crowd  ? 

A.  The  Saturday  morning  we  were  out  ? 

Q.  By  sending  out  deputies  through  the  county,  do  you  think  he  could 
have  collected  a  posse,  or  not  ? 

A.  If  all  were  of  the  same  opinion  as  the  people  in  town,  I  do  not  think 
he  could  have  got  a  posse.     It  would  have  been  pretty  hard  work. 

Q.  How  was  the  feeling  outside  the  city,  so  far  as  you  know  ? 

A.  Outside  I  do  not  know.  In  the  city,  the  feeling  appeared  to  be  with 
the  strikers  altogether. 

Q.  Here  in  the  city  ? 

A.  Yes. 


224  Report  op  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  Do  you  say  all  the  citizens*? 

A.  No  ;  I  do  not  say  that ;  but  those  I  had  any  conversation  with — those 
men  I  tried  to  get  to  go  up  there. 

Soloman  Coulson,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  am  doing  nothing.  At  the  time  of  this  riot  I  was  a  police  officer. 
My  occupation  is  a  brick-maker. 

Q.  What  office  did  you  fill  at  the  time  of  the  trouble  ? 

A.  I  was  what  is  called  a  roundsman  here  in  this  city — walking  pretty 
much  all  over.  I  wore  no  uniform.  I  traveled  into  different  places  in  the 
city. 

Q.  Where  were  you  on  Thursday  morning  ? 

A.  I  was  at  home  in  bed. 

Q.  When  did  you  first  learn  of  the  disturbance  ? 

A.   About  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

Q.  What  took  place? 

A.  I  went  to  Twenty-eighth  street  where  the  disturbance  was,  and  found 
detective  McGovern  there  in  charge  of  a  posse  of  men.  A  great  many  rail- 
roaders were  standing  around,  not  doing  anything.  Along  about  three- 
forty  o'clock,  they  made  up  a  freight  train  to  go  out  called  a  double-header — 
two  engines  attached  to  the  train.  Orders  were  given  by  somebody,  I  don't 
know  who,  that  four  policemen  should  go  on  each  one  of  those  locomotives. 
I  was.  myself,  on  one  locomotive.  The  engine  I  was  on,  a  reporter  got  on. 
He  asked  me  if  there  was  any  danger,  and  I  told  him  I  thought  there  was, 
and  he  got  off.  They  pulled  out  this  train,  I  guess,  about  ten  or  twelve 
feet,  and  I  didn't  see  anybody  going  to  stop  it.  I  thought  they  could  very 
easily  have  taken  it  out  at  that  time.  I  saw  a  man  get  on  the  track  and 
throw  his  hands  up,  and  with  that  they  stopped,  and  the  engineers  and  fire- 
men jumped  off.  The  police  then  on  the  engines  insisted  on  going  ahead. 
I  did,  for  myself.  The  last  man  I  saw  getting  off  was  a  fireman.  I  said 
what  are  you  getting  off  for,  and  he  said  he  had  got  to  do  it. 

Q.  Did  they  refuse  to  go  on  when  you  insisted  ? 

A.  That  man — he  was  a  fireman  or  an  engineer — I  cannot  tell  which — he 
was  doing  both. 

Q.  It  was  when  that  man  threw  himself  in  front  of  the  train  ? 

A.  One  man  did  it.  I  think  he  is  in  jail  now.  That  evening  we  had 
this  man  McCall  in  the  Twelfth  ward  station,  and  there  was  a  rumor  that 
the  mob  was  going  to  attack  the  Twelfth  ward  station  and  rescue  him.  I 
went  to  that  station,  and  took  that  man  McCall  and  marched  down,  putting 
twenty  policemen  behind  us.  We  passed  through  the  ci-owd,  and  nothing 
was  said,  and  got  down  a  few  squares  when  there  happened  to  be  a  friend 
of  mine  sitting  in  a  car,  and  he  hallooed  at  me  and  said,  "  For  God's  sake 
get  in  the  car."  The  street  was  blocked.  The  car  was  stopped  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Twenty-fourth  and  Penn,  and  we  got  in  with  our  prisoner.  Some  of 
the  crowd  caught  up  with  us.  I  had  a  revolver.  One  fellow  put  up  a  re- 
volver at  my  ear  when  I  struck  him  over  the  face  with  mine.  We  still  kept 
on  going,  and  we  took  our  prisoner  to  the  Central  station.  I  didn't  get 
back  again  that  night.  I  was  there  again  on  the  2 1st,  Saturday,  and  about 
eleven  o'clock  that  night — Saturday  night — 1  saw  this  burning.  1  w:is  on 
Smithfield  street  at  the  time,  and  met  a  great  many  men  coming  down  with 
goods.  The  feeling  was  not  good  towards  me  on  account  of  this  man  Mc- 
Call.    I  met  a  couple  of  parties  with  rolls  of  cloth,  and  we  arr«  sted  them, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187 Y.  225 

and  by  morning  we  had  more  than  a  hundred  in  there  for  carrying  off  stuff. 
On  Sunday  morning,  after  the  Philadelphia  troops  left — and  before  they 
did  leave — we  had  that  man  in  jail  that  I  saw  shooting  into  them  with  a 
breech-loading  rifle.  I  went  up  to  the  round-house,  and  made  a  search  there. 
I  heard  Chief  Evans  state  that  he  saw  whisky  running  into  the  cellar  of 
the  round-house.  I  don't  know  where  there  is  a  cellar  to  the  round-house, 
but  there  is  a  cellar  to  the  carpenter  shop. 

Q.  Is  the  carpenter-shop  not  one  part  of  the  round-house  ? 

A.  The  carpenter-shop  is  on  the  right,  and  there  was  a  space  of  thirty 
or  forty  feet  between  them.  The  Philadelphia  troops  I  saw  leave  the 
round-house.     They  came  out  and  formed,  and  went  off. 

Q.  How  did  they  come  out  ? 

A.  In  a  body,  in  regular  marching  order. 

Q.  Where  was  the  crowd  when  they  came  out  ? 

A.  "Very  scarce. 

Q.  Where  had  the  crowd  gone  to? 

A.  Dispersed  and  secreted  themselves  in  buildings  and  every  place.  I 
went  as  far  as  Seventeenth  street— the  crowd  had  started,  too — then  the 
fire  had  not  got  that  far.  It  was  about  the  middle  of  the  day.  We  stop- 
ped there,  and  during  the  time  we  were  there  undertook  to  prevent  parties 
from  breaking  open  the  cars  and  setting  them  on  fire,  which  we  did  suc- 
ceed in  stopping  some.  Afterwards  I  saw  men  dropping  coal  down  below 
the  track,  and  rolling  barrels  of  oil  down  and  setting  them  on  fire.  They 
were  strangers  to  me.  We  couldn't  get  the  force  apparently  together.  If 
we  had  got  them  together  at  that  time,  a  hundred  men  would  have  sub- 
dued the  riot  at  that  time,  because  it  was  apparently  the  work  of  boys. 
There  were  not  as  many  men  as  boys,  but  the  force  had  got  scattered. 

Q.  What  time  did  the  troops  come  out  of  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Near  seven  or  eight  o'clock. 

Q.  Not  many  of  the  crowd  were  there  at  that  time  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Was  any  burning  going  on  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  saw  the  first  car  fired  to  drive  the  Philadelphia  troops  out.  It  was 
a  car  on  the  Yalley  track.  It  was  set  on  fire,  and  a  wheel  of  it  was  chocked. 
They  dropped  other  cars  down  against  it,  and  the}7  caught  on  fire,  until  it 
got  pretty  hot.  But  this  carpenter-shop  didn't  take  fire  for  some  time,  I 
helped  to  shove  some  cars  awa}7  back  from  the  enti-ance  leading  in  between 
the  round-house  and  the  carpenter-shop.     Those  cars  didn't  catch  on  fire. 

Q.  They  kept  dropping  those  cars  down  all  night  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  they  remain  near  the  round-house  ? 

A.  They  kept  back  towards  Twenty-seventh  street.  The}7  had  a  gun 
there.  A  man  named  Stewart  I  saw  carried  away  from  there  dead.  He 
was  apparently  a  railroader.  He  had  a  watch  with  that  name  on  it.  I 
went  to  see  the  gun,  and  if  they  had  ever  fired  it,  it  never  would  have 
hurt  anybody  in  the  round-house — if  they  had  ever  fired  it.  The  wall  is 
too  high  there. 

Q.  What  was  it  that  caused  that  crowd  to  be  scattered  ?  Was  it  fear  of 
fire  from  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  I  reckon  that  was  it. 

Q.  After  the  soldiers  got  away,  did  the  crowd  re-assemble  ? 

A.  No  ;  not  there. 

Q.  Were  the  burning  cars  below  there  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  They  were  still  going  on  down  with  the  burning  and  the  pillaging? 
15  Riots. 


226  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  They  marched  in  regular  order — the  troops  you  saw  ? 

A.  In  every  good  order. 

Q.  Suppose  they  had  formed  in  line,  at  that  time,  and  marched  on  the 
crowd  what  would  have  been  the  effect  ? 

A.  They  would  have  got  the  best  of  the  crowd  because  I  didn't  see  many 
around  there. 

Q.  Could  they  have  driven  the  crowd  away  from  the  burning  cars  ? 

A.  I  think  they  could. 
By  Senator  Key  burn  : 

Q.  And  restored  order  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  about  that. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Who  directed  you  to  go  out  there  first  ? 

A.  The  mayor — to  the  best  of  my  knowledge  and  belief. 

Q.  Did  you  have  anvbody  with  you  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  mayor  before  going  ? 

A.  I  saw  him  that  day  before  going. 

Q.  Where? 

A.  At  the  city  hall,  in  his  office. 

Q.  Were  you  on  regular  duty  that  day  ? 

A.  I  was  on  other  duty  that  day — I  was  on  a  little  special  duty  that  day, 
but  was  detailed  and  sent  to  where  this  trouble  was  supposed  to  be.  I  was 
to  meet  the  men  where  I  was  going.  About  this  Officer  Motts.  On  Satur- 
day night  the  mayor  was  in  the  Twelfth  ward,  and  shortly  after  I  went 
there  I  saw  him  there,  and  on  Sunday  morning.  On  Sunday  he  was  on 
the  railroad.  I  was  standing  alone,  and  he  came  to  me  and  said  to  me,  for 
God's  sake  get  some  men,  you  can  stop  them  from  breaking  into  these 
cars.  I  went  towards  the  crowd,  but  there  was  no  use  for  one  man — but 
I  did.  They  then  commenced  to  hurl  stones. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  was  the  crowd — boys  '( 

A.  Yes ;  and  some  men  were  among  them.    They  were  all  getting  pretty 
drunk  then. 

Q.  You  say  the  mayor  was  there  attending  to  his  duties  ? 

A.  Yes;  using  all  the  efforts  he  could  to  stop  the  riot;  but  we  could 
not  get  the  men  together.  Our  force  had  been  cut  down,  and  it  was  im- 
possible to  get  the  men  together.  I  asked  men  stand  alongside  of  me,  but 
as  soon  as  }rou  would  turn  your  head  around  again  they  were  gone.  In 
relation  to  Johnston  and  Bown's  gun  shops — I  was  at  both  places.  At 
Johnston's,  a  demand  was  made  for  guns,  and  they  gave  them  some  mus- 
kets. I  don't  think  that  Johnston's  was  broke  in. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 
Q.  They  gave  them  ? 

A.  That  was  what  was  said.  I  know  I  took  a  musket  with  a  bayonet 
on  from  a  fellow,  and  gave  it  back  to  the  store.  I  was  sent  by  the  mayor's 
clerk  to  Bown's — some  eight  of  us — but  there  were  no  uniformed  men  among 
us ;  we  were  in  citizen's  clothes.  It  was  a  hard  matter  to  tell  what  the}7 
•wanted;  but  eight  of  us  went  there  at  the  time.  Then  this  party  came 
along  Wood  street,  and  they  had  a  drum  with  them,  and  some  of  them  had 
muskets  with  baj^onets  on,  and  others  had  revolvers,  and  others,  what  I 
took  to  be  a  large  rammer,  and  they  commenced  ramming  against  the  door. 
Officer  Downey  was  one  of  the  first  officers  to  the  store.  I  got  in  with 
him.     They  were  then  carrying  out  the  stuff,  and   we  took  several  guns 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*7*7.  227 

from  them  and  handed  them  back.     They  were  still  carrying  out  the  stuff, 
and  it  was  impossible  to  prevent  them  breaking  in,  because  the  force  was 
not  strong  enough. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  you  armed  ? 

A.  No ;  no  more  than  we  usually  carried — our  pocket  revolvers. 

Q.  Had  you  maces  ? 

A.  The  men  that  were  there  were  not  in  the  habit  of  carrying  maces.    I 
suppose  they  had  billies  and  revolvers.     The  proper  course  to  save  Bown's 
store  would  have  been  to  let  eight  or  nine  men  get  in  there  and  arm  them, 
and  then  keep  them  out  there. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  this  crowd  seem  to  be  bent  on  plunder  ? 

A.  Principally  on  plunder  ;  I  don't  think  that  many  of  those  guns  taken 
out  there  ever  went  into  the  riot. 

Q.  Did  they  carry  off  pretty  much  everything  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  according  to  the  looks  of  the  shelves  and  show  cases.     There 
were  a  couple  of  men  arrested  for  stealing  from  that  establishment,  that 
are  now  doing  terms  in  the  western  penitentiary. 
By  Mr.  Englebert: 

Q.  Did  you  recognize  them  as  any  pai'ticular  class  of  men? 

A.  I  did  not ;  their  faces  to  me  were  apparently  strange — they  appa- 
ently  looked  like  workingmen.  A  great  many  thieves  were  among  them, 
and  some,  I  know,  have  had  to  leave  the  city  since,  or  we  would  have  hud 
them. 

Q.  You  don't  know  where  they  were  from  ? 

A.  Those  I  speak  of? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  I  do  ;  yes,  from  Pittsburgh. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  They  have  left  the  city  entirely  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  were  about  the  city  a  good  deal  attending  to  your  duties,  and 
you  know  a  large  part  of  the  population  ? 

A.  I  do. 

Q.  That  crowd  of  men  that  went  out  there  on  Saturday  and  Sunday — 
was  the  crowd  composed  of  men  about  the  city  ? 

A.  No ;  they  were  pretty  much  all  strangers ;  the  biggest  portion  of 
them  were  strange  men. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  In  your  duties  as  a  roundsman,  had  you  noticed  any  unusual  influx 
of  strangers  into  the  town  ? 

A.  I  had — a  great  many.  We  had  a  large  crowd  of  them,  1  believe  from 
Cumberland — in  the  neighborhood  of  twenty-five  or  thirty — that  is,  one 
batch,  and  I  took  notice  of  others. 

Q.  Sufficient  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  police  authorities  ? 

A.  It  would  have  attracted  my  attention,  and  I  have  been  following  up 
that  business  for  my  living  for  eight  or  nine  years. 
By  Mr.  Larabee  : 

Q.  When  did  these  men  come  into  the  city  first  ? 

A.  The  first  I  noticed  of  them  was  on  Saturday  night,  when  I  got  into 
the  Twelfth  ward.  To  show  you  that  there  were  a  great  many  people  that 
didn't  belong  in  the  city,  I  arrested  some  nine  or  ten  up  there  that  night, 
and  among  that  nine  or  ten,  eight  of  them  belonged  to  Allegheny,  and 
their  faces  were  all  strange  to  me. 


228  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  This  party  from  Cumberland — when  did  the}-  come  ? 

A.  I  can't  remember. 

Q.  After  or  before  the  fire  ? 

A.  I  can't  be  positive  which. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  You  said  there  was  no  cellar  under  this  round-house  ? 

A.  There  was  no  cellar,  but  I  found  a  turn-table  in  the  middle  of  it. 

Q.  How  deep  is  a  round-house  generally  dug  out — from  the  top  of  the 
rails  down  ? 

A.  It  is  on  a  level,  but  it  has  got  to  be  so  deep  for  the  turn-table. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  The  carpenter  shop  was  connected  with  it  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  the  superintendent's  office  and  car  shops  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Didn't  they  all  have  cellars  iinder  them  ? 

A.  The  office  might  have  had  a  cellar — I  know  the  office  had. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  When  you  went  out  there  on  Thursday  afternoon,  what  class  of  men 
were  there  ? 

A.  Principally  railroaders. 

Q.  How  man}T  were  there  ? 

A.  One  hundred  and  fifty,  or  more  than  that.  I  knew  a  great  man}-  of 
them. 

Q.  Could  the  trains  have  been  run  out  that  afternoon,  if  the  engineers 
and  firemen  had  gone  ? 

A.  "kes;  they  could  have  taken  this  train  out  I  was  on— I  don't  know 
how  far,  though.  They  had  four  policemen  on  each  engine  to  protect  the 
engineers  and  firemen,  and  from  what  I  understood,  there  were  men  to  be 
put  along  on  the  train  to  protect  the  brakemen. 

Q.  You  were  out  again  on  Friday  ? 

A.  No;  not  until  Saturday.  I  remained  there  until  Sunday  morning, 
about  eight  o'clock. 

Q.  How  large  a  posse  could  3-011  have  raised  in  the  cit}-  to  go  out  there 
and  restore  order,  if  the  mayor  had  made  a  call,  or  a  demand  for  a  posse  ? 

A.  It  would  have  depended  on  how  much  time  you  would  have  given 
me. 

Q.  In  a  day  ? 

A.  I  might  have  got  in  the  neighborhood  of  one  hundred  men.  There 
were  but  one  hundred  and  twenty  men,  and  some  of  them  were  there. 

Q.  But  from  an}-  class  of  men  in  the  cit}- — if  he  had  just  called  for  a 
posse  from  any  source — for  extra  men  ? 

A.  He  could  not  have  got  many  at  that  time.     Wherever  I  went,  to 
judge  from  the  talk,  the  people  were  all  in  sympathy  with  the  mob. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Do  you  mean  the  tax-payers? 

A.  I  suppose  so. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  But  the  mayor  made  no  call,  so  far  as  you  know,  for  a  posse  ? 

A .  I  saw  him  trying  to  get  men  together  on  different  occasions. 

Q.  But  he  made  no  official  demand  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 
By  Senator  lleyburn  : 

Q.  He  made  no  effort  to  increase  his  police  force  bj'  swearing  in  extra 
men? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*77.  229 

A.  I  believe  he  did  as  quick  as  he  could  do  it. 

By  Mr.  Liudsey : 
Q.  When  did  he  do  it  ? 
A.  In  a  couple  or  three  days — may  be  two  days. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.   After  the  riot  ? 

A.  Shorty  after  the  riot.  I  think  he  did  it  as  quickly  as  he  could 
o-et  the  men  together.  I  think  he  tried  all  he  could  to  prevent  this 
riot,  which  he  don't  get  the  credit  for  here.  He  ordered  me  on  Sunday 
morning  to  go  to  the  fire  department,  about  one  o'clock,  and  I  went  in 
search  of  the  chief,  in  company  with  another  officer,  Motts.  He  did  the 
talking.  I  didn't  talk  to  him  myself.  We  went  to  look  for  the  chief,  and 
could  not  find  him.  We  went  down  to  Twenty-first  street  and  Penn  street, 
and  we  saw  a  foreman  there — I  believe,  in  fact,  several  of  the  fire  depart- 
ment were  there,  and  we  requested  them  to  come  and  play  on  the  fire,  that 
the  mayor  had  sufficient  force,  and  that  he  would  protect  them,  and  the 
answer  I  don't  remember,  but  I  know  they  didn't  come  up  and  play  on  the 
fire.  They  were  not  going  to  run  the  danger. 
Q.  What  firemen  did  you  see? 

A.  Motts  can  tell  you.     Several  were  standing  there. 
Q.  What  ones  were  standing  there  ? 

A.  Different  ones.  A  man  named  Kennedy  was  there,  and  one  named 
Miller. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  those  two  men  are  now  ? 
"  A.  I  suppose  they  are  still  on  the  fire  department.     The  mayor  at  that 
time  had  dispatched  from  the  Twelfth  ward  station  for  police,  and  had  got, 
I  guess,  sixty  or  may  be  more.     I  know  that  many,  for  I  knew  the  lieu- 
tenant that  came  up. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 
Q.   Were  the  round-house  and  those  shops  very  hot  when  you  went  in  ? 
A.  No ;  Xo  ears  were  burning  there  yet. 

By  Mr.  Engelbert : 
Q.  Was  the  fire  department  near  there — some  of  them  ? 
A.  Yes ;  close  up. 

Q.  If  they  had  played  on  the  burning  cars  could  they  have  prevented 
those  buildings  from  getting  on  fire  ? 

A.  I  think  they  could  have  prevented  it. 

Q.  Were  you  ready  to  give  protection  then  ? 

A.  The  mayor  was  there,  and  his  force,  and  those  were  the  orders. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 
Q.  When  you  went  inside  of  the  round-house  were  the  doors  still  intact. 
A.  They  were.     I  could  not  see  any  fire  about  them. 
Q.  How  many  engines  were  in  there  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  can't  be  certain.  A  number  were  in  there  at  that  time — a  great 
many.  They  were  shoved  in  the  stalls.  There  would,  apparently,  be  one 
in  each. 

Q.  You  think  you  examined  those  doors,  do  you  ? 

A.  I  was  close  to  the  doors,  and  if  there  had  been  any  fire — in  case  of  a 
fire  I  would  have  seen  it. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 
Q.  Was  the  upper  round-house  burning  then  ? 
A.  I  believe  it  was  pretty  much  burned  at  that  time. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Where  did  the  troops  come  out  of  the  round-house  ? 
A.  I  saw  a  portion  of  them  come  out  of  the  entrance  on  Twentj'-sixth 


230 


Report  of  Committee. 


[Xo.  29 , 


street,  and  I  think  a  portion  of  them  came  out  of  the  rear  end  of  the  car- 
penter shop.     I  saw  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  come  out. 

Thomas  Hastings,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  I  not  doing  anything  at  present. 

Q.  What  were  you  doing  in  July  last  ? 

A.  I  was  a  police  officer. 

Q.  What  connection  had  you  with  the  efforts  to  suppress  the  riot? 

A.  I  did  everything,  so  far  as  I  could,  at  that  time.  I  didn't  know 
much  about  it  until  Saturday  evening.  Our  time  for  going  on  duty  was 
eight  o'clock  in  the  evening.  I  went  on  at  seven  o'clock,  and  had  orders 
from  the  lieutenant  to  go  down  and  notify  each  tavern-keeper  to  close  his 
saloon,  at  the  request  of  the  mayor.  I  did  so,  and  we  were  distributed  in 
the  vicinity  of  Twenty-eighth  street.  There  was  a  large  crowd  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street  and  Twenty-sixth  street,  and  the  crowd  increased  up  to 
eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  receive  orders  to  close  the  saloons  ? 

A.  About  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Q.  In  the  vicinity  of  Twent3^-eighth  street  ? 

A.  All  along  Penn  street.  I  went  up  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  stayed 
looking  around  for  a  while  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  then  came  down 
as  far  as  Twenty-sixth  street,  and  went  back  again,  and  just  as  I  got  at 
the  corner  of  Twenty-eighth  and  Penn  streets  I  saw  the  fire,  and  I  ran  up 
Liberty  street  and  saw  a  car  of  oil.  I  then  ran  down  and  pulled  the  alarm, 
and  just  as  I  pulled  the  alarm  I  was  thrown  out  in  the  street.  Just  then 
the  mayor  passed  me,  and  asked  me  what  the  car  was,  and  I  told  him  it 
was  a  car  of  oil.  He  asked  me  if  I  pulled  the  alarm,  and  I  said  yes.  I 
didn't  see  any  engine  coming.  I  went  down  then  to  the  Twelfth  ward 
station-house,  and  I  asked  the  captain  if  he  had  pulled  the  alarm,  and  he 
said  he  had  tried  to,  but  couldn't.  I  then  went  down  a  little  piece,  and 
saw  an  engine  and  the  Independence  hose  carriage  standing  at  Twenty- 
fourth  or  Twenty-fifth  street.  Somebody  made  a  remark  that  they  would 
not  let  them  come  up  any  further — that  they  had  threatened  to  shoot  them. 
1  stayed  around  there  all  that  night,  and  on  Sunday  morning,  after  the 
Philadelphia  troops  left 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  Philadelphia  troops  come  out  of  the  round-house? 

A.  I  saw  what  they  called  the  Philadelphia  troops. 

Q.  Where  did  they  come  out  ? 

A.  The3r  were  in  this  round-house  and  in  the  carpenter  shop.  They 
appeared  to  come  out  of  the  west  end  of  the  carpenter  shop. 

Q.  On  to  what  street  ? 

A.  On  to  Libert}^,  and  then  down  Twenty-fifth  street  to  Penn.  Some 
were  deployed  as  skirmishers,  at  the  head  of  the  column.  They  appeared 
to  be  pretty  well  frightened. 

Q.  Were  they  marching  in  good  order? 

A.  Yes ;  but  they  appeared  to  be  pretty  well  scared. 

Q.  They  marched  regularly,  did  they? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  an}r  attack  made  on  them  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge — so  far  as  I  saw.  I  only  stayed  a  few  minutes, 
and  went  over  into  the  round-house  and  carpenter  shop.  I  went  into,  I 
believe,  where  I).  0.  Shaier  had  his  office,  on  the  east  end  of  the  round- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  231 

bouse.     I  went  in  there,  and  went  in  through  the  round-house  into  the 
carpenter  shop. 

Q.  Were  you  on  duty  during  the  week  prior  to  the  riot  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  of  any  arrangement  among  the  men  for  the  strike  ? 

A.  I  knew  nothing  of  it  until  I  got  out  of  bed  on  Thursday,  that  was 
the  first  I  heard  of  it. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  get  up  ? 

A.  I  generally  got  up  about  four  or  five  o'clock. 

Q.  What  did  you  learn  then  ? 

A.  I  learned  that  there  was  a  strike,  or  that  there  was  going  to  be  a 
strike. 

Q.  Who  informed  you  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember.     Some  railroad  man. 

Q.  What  did  he  say  about  it  ? 

A.  That  there  had  been  a  strike,  or  was  going  to  be  a  strike. 

Q.  You  knew  of  no  pre-arranged  plan  for  a  strike  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Had  you  noticed  any  influx  of  strangers  into  the  city  prior  to  that 
time  ? 

A.  I  had  noticed  a  great  many. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  ? 

A.  They  appeared  to  be  tramps — fellows  hunting  for  work,  but  who 
didn't  want  it. 

Q.  Any  more  than  there  had  been  previously  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  that  week  there  had  been  a  great  many  traveling  back  and  for- 
ward on  the  streets. 

Q.  A  great  many  all  the  time  are  traveling,  are  they  not  ? 

A.  Not  as  many  as  that  week,  I  don't  think. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any -conversation  with  those  tramps  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  What  do  you  do  with  the  tramps  who  come  into  the  city  here  ? 

A.  We  don't  do  anything  at  present. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  was  the  first  day  you  noticed  more  tramps  than  usual  ? 

A.  It  appeared  to  be  the  beginning  of  the  week  of  the  riot — for  six  or 
eight  days  previous. 

Q.  You  noticed  it  before  the  strike  commenced  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  did  not  do  anything  with  those  tramps  who  gathered  and  col- 
lected ? 

A.  We  had  not  for  some  time. 

Q.  You  allowed  them  to  come  in  and  go  away  when  they  choose  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Where  had  you  noticed  this  extra  influx  of  tramps  ? 

A.  I  had  noticed  it  on  Penn  street,  particular^.  A  great  many  were 
going  in  and  out.  They  would  ask  me  where  there  was  a  place  to  stay 
over  night,  or  if  they  could  stay  at  the  station-house,  and  I  always  directed 
them  to  the  Young  Men's  Home. 

Q.  Did  they  come  there  in  larger  numbers  than  usual — that  is,  in  larger 
crowds  than  six  or  eight  or  ten  ? 

A.  Sometimes  I  would  see  one  or  two,  and  then  six,  and  they  increased 
to  as  high  as  eight  in  a  party. 


232  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  In  a  party  ? 

A.  In  a  bunch. 

By  Senator  Yutz}r : 

Q.  How  soon  were  you  up  to  the  round-house  after  the  troops  vacated 
it? 

A.  In  eight  or  ten  minutes. 

Q.  Did  you  go  through  the  round-house  or  the  shops? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  any  of  those  buildings  on  fire  ? 

A.  The  machine  shop  was  on  fire — thirty  or  forty  feet  on  the  east  side — 
that  is,  sixty  feet  from  the  east  end  of  the  round-house. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  any  oil  cars  that  were  dropped  down 
on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  towards  the  round-house  ? 

A.  I  know  that  oil  cars  were  dropped  down  there. 

Q.  At  what  time  ? 

A.  They  were  afire  when  I  saw  them.  I  don't  know  how  close  to  the 
round-house  they  went. 

Q.  How  were  they  stopped  ? 

A.  I  think  they  were  bumped  against  other  cars. 

Q.  You  don't  know  of  any  obstructions  placed  on  the  tracks  that  pre- 
vented them  from  running  clear  to  the  round  house  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Was  there  much  heat  in  the  round-house  when  you  got  there,  soon 
after  the  troops  left  ? 

A.  The  machine  shop  was  on  fire.  How  long  it  had  been  burning  before, 
I  cannot  say.     It  was  burning  when  I  went  into  D.  0.  Shafer's  office. 

Q.  Had  any  of  the  troops  been  in  this  machine  shop? 

A.  I  can't  say  ;  some  had  been  shooting  out  of  the  bell  tower  that  night. 

Q.  Of  the  machine  shop  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  the  round-house  was  not  on  fire,  nor  the  carpenter  shop. 

Q.  What  has  been  your  avocation  for  the  last  eight  or  ten  years  ? 

A.  I  have  been  a  railroad  man  up  to  within  three  years. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  been  a  conductor  on  passenger  trains  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  On  freight  trains  ? 

A.  I  have  been  a  conductor  on  freight. 

Q.  Had  you  any  conversation  with  freight  conductors  up  to  the  time  of 
the  riot,  or  before  that  time  in  relation  to  any  contemplated  strike  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Or  with  an}^  men  belonging  to  the  Trainmen's  Union  ? 

A.  No ;  I  never  took  any  stock  in  that  union. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  troops  retiring  from  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Not  until  they  came  up  on  Penn  street. 

Q.  Did  you  see  them  fired  at  ? 

A.  Not  on  Penn  street.  I  saw  a  man  who  is  in  jail  now,  firing  from  the 
corner  of  Twenty-sixth  and  Penn  streets. 

A.  At  the  troops? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  whisky  running  into  any  of  those  buildings  on  fire? 

A.  I  saw  two  cars  of  high  wines  on  fire.  The}'  had  stopped  them  in 
front  of  the  superintendent's  office,  and  they  were  throwing  water  out  of 
the  windows  to  put  the  fire  out.  When  I  went  up  there  I  saw  it  was  high 
wines. 

Q.  Could  that  have  run  into  the  cellar  of  the  buildings  or  the  superin- 
tendent's office  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  233 

A.  It  would  have  taken  a  good  bit,  for  the  stone  sill  was  eight  or  ten 
inches  from  the  ground,  and  it  would  take  a  great  deal  to  run  in  there, 
though  a  barrel  might  have  rolled  in  through  the  window. 

Q.  Where  is  the  battery  room  under  the  superintendent's  office? 

A.  It  is  in  the  west  corner  of  the  building — in  the  cellar. 

Q    Is  it  below  the  grade  of  the  Allegheny  Valley  track  ? 

A.  I  am  not  sure.  Yes  ;  it  is  below,  the  bottom  part  of  it,  but  along  the 
window  sill,  I  think,  it  is  five  or  six  inches,  maj^  be  more. 

Q.  It  is  below  the  grade  of  the  railroad  track  ? 

A.  The  inside  of  it  is,  but  the  outside  is  about  six  or  eight  inches  above 
the  ground.     I  would  have  to  send  up  to  be  sure  about  it. 

William  Coats,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Were  you  connected  with  the  fix-e  department  of  the  city  of  Pitts- 
burgh last  July  ? 

A.  I  am  one  of  the  fire  commissioners  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  State  the  organization  of  that  department  last  July  ? 

A.  We  had  eleven  steam  fire  engine  companies  and  two  hose  companies 
and  three  trucks  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  last  July,  and  an  average  of 
about  seven  men  to  a  compan}7.  But  we  didn't  have  a  full  force  on.  Our 
appropriations  ran  short,  and  we  were  compelled  to  put  off  some  twentj"- 
two  men  just  previous  to  the  riot. 

Q.  How  many  men  had  you  at  that  time  ? 

A.  One  hundred  and  four,  telegraph  operators  and  all — a  working  force 
of  about  ninety-eight  men. 

Q.  They  are  a  paid  force,  are  they  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  what  aid  they  rendered  in  putting  out  the  fire? 

A.  The  first  alarm,  the  night  of  the  riot,  occurred  on  the  21st  of  July,  I 
think — I  am  not  positive — and  was  sent  in  about  fifteen  minutes  after  ten 
o'clock.  I  was  then  at  engine  house  No.  7,  on  Penn  avenue,  near  the  cor- 
ner of  Twent}'-third  street.  There  were  three  companies  that  answered 
that  alarm,  and  one  hose  company  and  one  truck.  The  department  was 
stopped  on  the  street,  between  Twenty-third  and  Twenty-eighth  street. 
The  crowd  caught  the  horses  of  No.  7  engine,  and  drew  the  fire  out  of  the 
engine,  and  made  the  men  pull  into  the  sidewalk.  The  department  did  no 
service  on  Saturday  night,  but  they  went  into  service  when  the  Philadel- 
phia troops  vacated  the  round-house,  on  Sunday  morning  at  seven  o'clock. 
Our  men  went  there  then  ;  and,  if  you  will  allow  me,  I  will  tell  you  why 
they  did  not  go  into  service  before. 

Q.  We  want  to  know  it? 

A.  The  people  would  not  allow  them  to. 

Q.  That  is  the  mob  ? 

A.  Yes ;  but  we  considered  them  in  service  from  the  time  the  alarm  struck, 
though  they  didn't  throw  any  water.  We  couldn't  get  to  the  round-house 
building,  or  to  where  the  fire  started,  because  the  mob  stopped  us.  They 
made  the  assistant  chief  engineer  get  out  of  his  buggy.  I  sent  off  the 
second  signal  myself  from  No.  7  engine  house  when  they  commenced  to 
fire  cars  down  about  Twentieth  street.  In  the  meantime,  an  alarm  came 
in  from  East  Liberty,  and  we  thought  it  was  the  cattle  yards  there.  From 
the  corner  of  Twenty-second  and  Liberty  streets,  we  laid  a  line  of  hose, 
but  they  commenced  to  cut  it  as  soon  as  we  laid  it,  and  they  made  us  take 
it  up  again.     A  fellow  put  a  pistol  to  my  ear  and  said,  take  that  up. 

Q.  Did  you  know  the  fellow  who  did  that  ? 


234  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  No.  I  have  not  seen  him  since.  We  reeled  the  hose  up.  There  was 
no  use  in  getting  it  cut.  We  could  only  get  into  service  when  the  Phila- 
delphia troops  came  out  of  the  round-house  on  Sunday  morning. 

Q.  What  kind  of  service  did  you  render  during  the  day  ? 

A.  We  saved  this  town  from  burning  down.  I  don't  suppose  that  ever 
a  body  of  men  worked  harder  than  the  Pittsburgh  fire  department.  We 
did  not  have  a  man  who  was  not  at  his  post  from  ten  o'clock  on  Saturday 
night  until  eight  o'clock  on  Monday  morning.  It  was  the  only  body  of 
men  in  Pittsburgh  organized. 
By  Senator  Keyburn : 

Q.  They  were  ready  to  do  their  duty  ? 

A.  They  did  their  duty. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  You  say  they  saved  the  city  ?     How  ? 

A.  In  the  first  place,  when  we  went  into  service,  opposite  the  round- 
house or  the  machine-shops,  there  were  a  lot  of  frames  or  tenement  houses 
that  were  on  fire.  Well,  we  put  out  this  fire,  and  we  kept  on  following  the  fire 
down  Liberty  street,  and  kept  the  buildings  wetted  down.  The  fire  was 
very  intense — very  hot,  and  it  was  a  continual  fight  with  fire  all  the  way 
down  Liberty  street. 

Q.  The  crowd  of  rioters  and  pillagers  were  ahead  of  you  ? 

A.  Sometimes  they  were  ahead,  and  sometimes  along  with  us ;  some- 
times the  rioters  kept  ahead  of  the  fire,  and  sometimes  they  were  among  us. 

Q.  They  didn't  break  open  the  cars  and  pillage  them  until  the  fire  started 
along  ? 

A.  There  were  places  on  Liberty  street  where  no  man  could  have  stood, 
even  to  wet  the  houses  down,  and  where  they  couldn't  have  pillaged,  be- 
cause it  was  too  hot,  and  occasionally  along  Liberty  street  there  were  a 
lot  of  coal  dumps  and  some  oil  bins,  and  where  that  occurred  the  heat  was 
verjr  intense.  We  had  to  keep  things  wetted  all  the  time.  Along  there 
the  pillagers  would  sometimes  be  very  plenty. 

Q.  I  suppose  all  the  private  property  burned  caught  from  the  heat  of  the 
railroad  cars  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  the  only  private  property  that  was  burned  was  on  Washington 
street. 

Q.  Did  those  houses  catch  fire,  or  were  they  set  on  fire  ? 

A.  They  caught  from  the  Union  depot. 

Q.  You  saved  the  private  property  here  by  wetting  down  the  buildings  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  protection  from  the  police  force  ? 

A.  No  ;  we  did  not. 

Q.  At  any  time  ? 

A.  No  ;  not  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  You  were  with  the  department  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  At  any  time  did  you  receive  any  protection  from  the  police  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  If  you  had  been  protected  by  the  police,  could  you  have  cut  the  fire 
and  stopped  it  ? 

A.  We  could,  at  any  place. 

Q.  How  many  men  would  it  have  taken  to  protect  you  ? 

A.  I  think  twenty-five  or  fifty  men,  at  the  outside,  could  have  stopped 
that  binning  on  Sunday  morning.  I  say  that,  because  there  could  have 
been  no  mistakes.  Because,  if  they  had  shot  some  of  them  down,  they  could 
not  have  made  any  mistakes.     They  had  no  business  there. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18TT.  235 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  mayor  there  during  the  day  ? 

A.  I  saw  the  mayor  there. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Was  the  mayor  making  an}'  effort  to  keep  back  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  any  force  of  policemen  that  day,  but  the  mayor  ap- 
peared to  be  moving  up  and  down  Liberty  street.  I  saw  him  talking  to 
the  rioters. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  After  the  Philadelphia  troops  left  the  round-house,  how  long  was  it 
before  it  was  on  fire  ? 

A.  It  was,  I  think,  on  fire  when  they  left,  because  we  went  up  there  right 
away. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  say  that  the  round-house  was  on  fire,  but  we  have  evidence  that 
it  was  not  ? 

A.  The  offices  that  stood  between  were  certainly  on  fire,  because  I  worked 
that  stream  myself,  and  the  heat  got  so  intense  at  one  time,  that  we  had  to 
move  the  engine  away.     The  round-house  could  not  help  being  on  fire,  for 
that  oil  sent  down  would  have  put  anything  on  fire. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  troops  come  out  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  the  burning  cars  around  there? 

A.  They  had  been  sending  down  the  burning  cars  sometime  before. 

Q.  Then  it  was  afire  when  they  came  out  ? 

A.  As  soon  as  the  troops  came  out,  the  chief  engineer  ordered  some  ap- 
paratus there,  and  we  went  there  at  once.  There  was  almost  an  entire 
square  on  Liberty  street,  all  lumber  yards  and  frame  shanties,  on  fire.  And 
this  machine  shop  was  on  fire.  I  am  not  positive  about  the  two  round- 
houses at  that  time.     I  was  working  there  myself. 

Q.  How  many  men,  do  you  judge,  were  engaged  in  this  burning? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  you  that — a  great  many. 

Q.  Actively  engaged — that  is,  I  want  to  distinguish  between  the  persons 
standing  around  in  crowds  on  the  pavements  looking  on,  and  the  parties 
actively  engaged  in  the  burning  ? 

A.  When  I  was  down  on  Liberty  street,  there  appeared  to  be  a  great 
many  people  on  the  railroad  track.  Of  course,  they  were  pillaging  then — 
it  was  plain — any  person  could  see  it.  Every  now  and  then  you  could  see 
the  flames  bursting  out  from  the  cars. 

Q.  Did  you  see  this  crowd — was  it  an  organized  effort  to  follow  up  the 
burning — did  it  seem  to  be  followed  systematically  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  think  it  was  organized. 

Q.  Can  you  form  any  idea  as  to  how  many  were  actively  engaged  ? 

A.  I  cannot.     I  was  not  on  the  railroad  track  that  day.     Men  and  women 
and  everj^thing  else  were  on  the  railroad  track. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Behind  the  fire  ? 

A.  Yes;  but  they  kept  in  front,  too. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  They  were  pillaging  and  carrying  the  things  away  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  got  down  to  Eleventh  street,  and  went  to  the  Pan-Handle 
railroad  yard,  and  they  were  breaking  the  cars  open  and  setting  the  things 
on  fire.  I  said  to  them,  don't  do  it,  or  you  will  set  the  city  on  fire,  and 
they  said  they  did  not  care  a  damn  if  they  did. 


236  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Did  you  know  those  men  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  never  saw  them  before  or  since.  On  Saturday  evening  I  was 
sitting  in  front  of  the  engine  house,  and  some  men  came  up  in  front  and 
said,  "  If  there  is  a  fire  to-night,  I  suppose  you  will  turn  out."  I  said, 
"  Certainly,"  when  he  said,  "  If  you  turn  out  there  will  be  trouble.  We 
will  cut  your  hose  and  smash  your  apparatus." 
By  Senator  Re}'burn  : 

Q.  Did  he  talk  as  if  he  came  to  warn  you  for  that  purpose  ? 

A.  Yes;  he  talked  as  if  he  came  for  the  purpose  of  letting  us  know 
that.     There  was  a  great  deal  of  feeling  that  night. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  have  none  of  your  engines  in  service  before  the  troops  left  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  You  played  on  neither  private  property  nor  railroad  property  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Were  the  crowd  generally  disorderly  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Making  threats  ? 

A.  0,  yes  ;  that  they  would  kill  the  firemen,  and  one  thing  and  another  ? 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Did  you  see  a  proclamation  or  any  official  document  of  the  mayor 
of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  ordering  the  rum  shops  and  drinking  saloons  to 
be  closed  on  Saturday  or  Sunday  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  of  seeing  it.  If  a  proclamation  was  issued  on  Satur- 
day, I  was  not  in  the  city  on  Saturday  afternoon. 

Q.  Or  any  proclamation  ordering  the  crowd  to  disperse  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  No  proclamation  calling  for  a  police  force  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  shooting  on  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  No ;  what  occurred  in  the  evening  I  didn't  see.     I  was  up  there  in 
the  morning,  but  out  of  the  city  in  the  afternoon. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  If  a  determined  effort  had  been  made  on  Thursday  by  the  mayor 
with  the  police  force  that  he  had  at  hand,  could  he  have  dispersed  the 
crowd  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  of  any  reason  why  he  should  not. 

Q.  On  Friday,  do  you  think  so  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Could  he  on  Saturday,  up  until  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  mili- 
tia ? 

A.  It  could  not  have  been  done  on  Saturday  morning,  because  the  mill 
men  had  all  commenced  to  gather. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Do  you  think  he  could  have  quelled  the  trouble  without  calling  on 
the  militia — that  the  police  force  could  have  suppressed  the  riot  ? 

A.  That  is  something  I  do  not  pretend  to  answer.  The  militia  were 
called  out  a  day  or  two  previous  to  that.  But  I  think  this,  that  it  was 
unfortunate  for  this  shooting  to  have  occurred  in  Pittsburgh.  My  sym- 
pathies were  with  the  strikers,  but  not  up  to  the  point  of  rioting." 

Q.  You  say  you  thought  on  Saturday  morning  the  crowd  could  not  have 
been  dispersed  without  the  militia? 

A.  No. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*77.  237 

Q.  By  the  police  force  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Could  the  mayor  or  the  sheriff  have  raised  a  posse,  either  in  the  city 
or  in  the  county,  including  both,  sufficient  to  have  dispersed  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  think  that  the  mayoi*  of  any  city  of  the  size  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh 
ought  to  be  able,  with  his  police  force,  to  break  up  any  assemblage  of  men. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  After  the  sheriff  called  upon  the  Governor  for  troops,  didn't  that  in- 
tensify the  feeling  in  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  It  did.    I  do  not  think  that  there  was  any  necessity  for  that,  sir. 
B}r  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  what  efforts  were  made  to  start  trains  that  day  ? 

A.  On  Friday  afternoon  no  effort  was  made.  The  passenger  trains  came 
in  on  Saturday  morning.  The  troops  were  mixed  with  the  crowd,  and  no 
effort  was  made  to  start  trains.  I  went  to  Alleghenj'  City,  and  leaned  of 
the  shooting  while  coming  across  the  river.  I  happened  to  be  away  when 
the  fun  commenced. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  to  meet  to-morrow  morning,  at 
ten  o'clock. 


MORNING  SESSION. 

Orphans'  Court  Room, 
Pittsburgh,  Wednesday,  February  13,  1878. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  assembled  at  ten  o'clock  a.  m., 
this  day,  and  continued  taking  of  testimony. 
The  first  witness  examined  was  : 

Henry  Coates,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Were  you  a  member  of  the  fire  department  last  July  ? 
A.  No ;  I  was  a  member  of  the  police  force. 
Q.  What  position  did  you  hold  ? 
A.  I  was  a  lieutenant. 

Q.  How  many  men  did  you  have  control  of? 
A.  I  had  forty  men  that  night  of  Saturday. 
Q.  Where  were  you  on  Thursday  ? 

A.  Sleeping.     We  had  no  day  force  in  the  city  at  that  time. 
Q.  Were  you  not  around  during  the  day,  Thursday  ? 
A.  No. 

Q.  Where  were  you  on  Friday? 
A.  In  bed. 

Q.  During  the  night  of  Thursday,  where  were  }'ou  ? 
A.  On  duty  from  Eleventh  street  to  Thirty-third  street. 
Q.  Taking  in  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  there  any  disturbance — any  overt  act  ? 

A.  No;  but  there  was  a  collection  of  people.     Sometimes  there  would 
not  be  over  thirty  or  fort}7. 
Q.  What  class  of  people  ? 
A.  Railroaders,  particularly. 
Q.  What  was  the  conduct  of  the  people  ? 


238  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  They  were  quiet.     There  was  no  trouble  at  all. 

Q.  Did  they  remain  there  ? 

A.  They  would  pass  up  and  down,  talking  among  themselves. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  them  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  ask  them  why  they  were  thei'e  ? 

A.  No ;  it  was  not  an  infrequent  occurrence  to  see  men  there.  It  is  a 
principal  street  to  go  up  to  go  to  work. 

Q.  On  Friday  night  how  large  was  the  crowd  ? 

A.  One  hundred  or  so. 

Q.  Were  they  railroad  men  on  Friday  night  ? 

A.  Yes ;  principally.  They  appeared  to  be  very  quiet  talking  among 
themselves. 

Q.  What  were  they  saying  ? 

A.  That  they  did  not  let  me  hear. 

Q.  Did  you  report  to  the  chief  of  police  or  the  mayor  ? 

A.  I  made  a  report  every  morning. 

Q.  You  reported  that  crowd  to  him  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  But  received  no  orders '( 

A.  No ;  no  orders  to  disperse  them  or  anything  else. 

Q.  Were  the  saloons  open  in  that  part  of  the  city  during  Thursday,  Fri- 
day, and  Saturday.     Were  they  closed  at  all  ? 

A.  I  ordered  them  to  close  on  Saturday  evening. 

Q.  At  what  time  ? 

A.  About  eight  o'clock. 

Q.  During  Saturday  night,  describe  what  took  place  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  I  can. 

Q.  You  were  not  on  duty  during  the  firing  ? 

A.  No  ;  that  took  place  before  we  went  on  duty. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  ? 

A.  They  began  to  come — three  or  four  hundred — or  two  hundred — 
squads  coming  from  different  places  all  during  Saturday  night  and  Sunday 
morning.  Nearly  everybody  in  the  city  was  in  that  neighborhood — or  the 
biggest  part  of  them. 

Q.  What  time  did  the  burning  commence  ? 

A.  In  the  neighborhood  of  ten  and  half  or  a  quarter  to  eleven  o'clock. 
A  crowd  had  congregated  around  the  fire-alarm  box,  and  would  not  let  the 
men  pull  it. 

Q.  Where  did  the  fire  break  out  first  ? 

A.  I  was  about  Twenty-eighth  street  when  it  broke  out.  I  should  judge 
between  Thirty-first  and  Thirty-second  street  on  the  railroad. 

Q.  What  was  set  on  fire  ? 

A.  Oil,  from  the  appearance  of  the  smoke. 

Q.  What  did  they  do  with  the  cars  after  they  set  them  on  fire  ? 

A.  They  cut  them  loose  and  ran  them. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  engaged  in  that  I 

A.  1  cannot  say  that  at  all. 

Q.  Were  you  near  the  round-house  during  the  night  ? 

A.  Yes;  with  the  mayor  of  the  city.  I  went  to  Twenty-seventh  street, 
and  passed  the  round-house,  and  tried  to  get  in  a  place  where  it  was  re- 
ported a  lady  was  shot — opposite  the  round-house.  That  was  after  the 
firing  had  taken  place — about  eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  Did  you  succeed  in  getting  in? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  239 

A.  No ;  it  was  in  a  small  saloon,  and  I  had  notified  them  in  the  early 
part  of  the  evening  to  close,  and  for  that  reason  they  would  not  let  us  in. 
Q.  Were  you  there  on  Sunday  morning  ? 
A.  Yes  ;  until  after  the  troops  left. 
Q.  Did  you  see  them  march  out  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Where  did  they  come  out  ? 
A.  On  Twenty-sixth  street — out  of  the  gate  ? 
Q.  Did  they  march  in  good  order? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  they  fired  upon  ? 
A.  Not  in  our  neigborhood. 
Q.  By  the  crowd  ? 
A.  No. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  there  or  around  there  when  they  marched 
out? 

A.  I  saw  one  citizen. 
Q.  Did  you  know  him  ? 
A.  Yes. 
Q.  Who  was  he  ? 

A.  Captain McMunn.     There  had  been  quite  a  crowd  before  they 

filed  on  to  Penn  street,  but  they  all  broke. 
Q.  They  broke  when  they  saw  the  troops  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  cry  was  raised  when  they  came  out  that  they  were  going 
down  to  the  Union  depot,  and  the  mob  undertook  to  get  down  and  cut 
them  off. 

Q.  The  mob  broke  and  ran  towards  the  river? 
A.  Any  place  where  they  could  run  away. 

Q.  You  mean  to  say  that  the  mob  ran  from  the  military,  when  they  came 
out? 

A.  They  did. 

Q.  How  long  was  it  before  the  mob  re-assembled  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  them  re-assemble. 

Q.  Were  you  theie  during  the  day? 

A.  Shortly  after  that  I  had  to  come  to  the  central  station  and  take 
charge  of  the  prisoners  we  had  arrested. 

Q.  How  many  prisoners  did  you  have  arrested  up  there  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  the  number. 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  an  estimate  ? 

A.  About  seventy-five,  I  suppose. 

Q.  What  were  they  arrested  for? 

A.  For  having  goods  in  their  possession — cloth,  and  everything  they 
could  get  hold  of. 

Q.  Did  }rou  take  them  before  the  mayor  ? 

A.  Before  Acting-Mayor  Butler. 

Q.  What  did  he  do  with  them  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  were  dismissed,  and  some  were  sent  to  jail,  and  some 
were  fined. 

Q.  Some  were  dismissed  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.   Why? 

A.  That  I  cannot  tell  you. 

Q.  Was  there  no  evidence  against  them  ? 

A.  Evidence  of  having  goods  in  their  possession,  certainly.  We  arrested 
some  of  them  with  guns. 


240  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Muskets  ? 

A.   Yes,  and  shot  guns. 

Q.  Were  any  of  those  dismissed  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  say. 

Q.  About  how  many  of  those  were  dismissed  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  tell  you. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  return  to  the  scene  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  After  getting  through  with  the  prisoners,  I  was  then  ordered  by  the 
mayor  to  report  to  the  chief  engineer  of  the  fire  department  for  duty. 

Q.  What  did  you  do  ? 

A.  I  did  all  I  could.  Being  an  engineer  by  trade,  I  took  spells  at  run- 
ning an  engine  and  worked  with  them  after  the  neighborhood  of  seven 
o'clock  that  evening. 

Q.  Were  you  interfered  with  by  the  mob? 

A.  1  was  not. 

Q.  Whereabouts  did  you  work  ? 

A.  Generally  at  the  engine. 

Q.  At  what  points? 

A.  Twenty-fifth  and  Twenty-sixth,  and  Seventeenth  and  Sixteenth  streets. 
Au'd  from  there  I  went  with  the  fuel  wagon. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  assistance  from  the  police  ? 

A.  They  were  there,  and  doing  all  they  could,  but  the  police  was  small 
at  that  time. 

Q.  Were  you  at  the  Union  depot  when  it  was  set  on  fire  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  Those  goods — what  became  of  them  ? 

A.  They  were  turned  over  to  the  commissioners,  I  understood. 

Q.  They  were  goods  taken  out  the  cars  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Why  were  those  prisoners  taken  before  Deputy  Mayor  Butler  ? 

A.  cannot  answer  that  question. 

Q.  Where  did  he  sit  ? 

A.  In  the  central  station,  where  we  usually  held  the  mayor's  court. 

Q.  The  mayor's  office. 

A.  It  is  the  central  station-house. 

Q.  Where  the  mayor  holds  his  court  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Where  was  Mayor  McCarthy  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  you  that. 

Q.  You  say  the  police  gave  the  fire  department  assistance  and  protec- 
tion ? 

A.  I  say  they  assisted,  so  far  as  I  saw. 

William  J.  Kennedy,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Foreman  of  engine  company  No.  3. 

Q.  Did  you  occupy  that  \  osition  last  July  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  what  part  you  took  in  putting  out  the  fire  that  occurred  on  the 
night  of  the  21st — Saturday  night? 

A.  It  was  eleven  o'clock  and  twenty  minutes  when  the  alarm  came  first. 
We  started  out  the  house,  but  we  were  stopped  at  the  grain  elevator.     But 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187*7.  241 

we  got  through  that  crowd,  and  got  on  to  Penn  street,  when  they  began 
firing  at  ns  or  at  our  horses. 

Q.  How  many  shots  were  fired  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  that.     It  was  just  firing  here  and  there  along  the  street. 

Q.  With  pistols  and  guns  ? 

A.  With  all  kinds  of  arms. 

Q.  How  long  was  that  kept  up  ? 

A.  All  night  until  daylight. 

Q.  Go  on  and  tell  us  what  occurred  ? 

A.  We  turned  on  to  Liberty  street,  and  at  Twenty-first  and  Liberty  they 
hit  me  with  something,  and  surrounded  the  horses.  Then  we  turned  on  to 
Penn  again,  but  they  wouldn't  let  us  move,  so  we  went  towards  the  river 
and  tried  to  go  down  to  get  up  further,  but  they  were  waiting  there.  They 
had  some  old  muskets  and  carbines  and  other  things,  and  if  we  just  moved 
the  horses  they  would  come.  We  changed  to  different  places  from  one 
block  to  another,  but  they  wouldn't  let  us  lay  a  line,  and  wouldn't  let  us 
throw  any  water  except  private  property  was  in  danger.  We  didn't  throw 
any  water  until  after  the  troops  went  out  of  the  round-house  in  the  morning. 

Q.  Were  you  present  when  they  went  out  of  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  you  at  the  l'ound-house  after  they  left? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  it  on  fire  ? 

A.  Yes.     They  had  to  come  out.     The  fire  got  under  them. 

Q.  Under  what  part  of  the  round-house  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  what  part  of  it,  but  they  set  it  on  fire  from  Liberty 
street.  They  had  a  hose  there,  and  were  throwing  water  all  night.  They 
ran  the  cars  down  and  tried  to  set  it  on  fire,  but  it  was  all  right  until  the 
fire  got  under  them. 

Q.  You  say  the  troops  had  hose,  and  kept  the  fire  out  until  it  got  under 
them  and  drove  them  out  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  oil  that  was  run  under  them  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  that.   All  I  know  is,  that  some  liquor  was  there  burning. 

Q.  How  soon  did  you  get  to  the  round-house,  after  the  troops  left  ? 

A.  As  soon  as  we  could. 

Q.  How  extensive  was  the  fire  then  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  It  was  big,  and  there  were  lumber  yards  across  the  street  all  afire. 

Q.   Was  the  carpenter  shop  on  fire  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  the  carpenter  shop  was  or  not. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Were  any  buildings  attached  to  the  round-house  on  fire, or  buildings 
near  it '( 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  when  the  troops  came  out  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  how  large. 

Q.  What  did  the  crowd  do  when  the  troops  marched  out  ? 

A.  They  were  taking  a  walk  —  nobody  interfered  with  the  troops. 
Everybody  tried  to  get  out  of  their  road. 

Q.  And  get  away  '( 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  In  what  direction  did  the  crowd  go  ? 

A.  I  don't  know. 

Q.  The  crowd  didn't  attempt  to  attack  the  troops  ? 
16  Riots. 


242  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  No. 

Q.  During  the  day — Sunday  and  Sunday  night — were  you  interfered 
with  by  the  crowd  in  throwing  water  ? 

A.  Yes — frequently. 

Q.  To  what  extent  ? 

A.  Different  parties  kept  coming  constantly,  so  that  we  couldn't  do  any- 
thing.    They  said  :  "  Don't  you  throw  any  water  on  the  railroad  property, 
or  we  will  blow  the  heads  off  of  you."     It  was  not  just  one  man,  but  they 
kept  reminding  you  of  it  all  the  time. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  They  allowed  you  to  play  on  private  property  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  turned  a  stream  on  the  cars  at  Union  depot,  when  I  suppose 
twenty  revolvers  were  shot  at  me. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  call  on  the  police  force  for  protection  ? 

A.  I  would  have  had  to  call  a  good  while  before  I  would  have  got  any. 
I  didn't  see  many  of  them. 

Q.  Did  they  offer  any  protection  to  you  ? 

A.  Not  to  me,  they  didn't. 

Q.  Did  Officer  Daniel  Motts  speak  to  you  at  any  time,  offering  to  pro- 
tect you  ? 

A.  He  spoke  to  me  several  times  during  the  night,  but  never  offered  me 
any  protection.  There  was  no  occasion  to  offer  me  any,  as  both  the  chiefs 
were  there. 

Q.  And  he  didn't  offer  you  any  protection  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Did  he  give  you  any  protection  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  he  tell  you,  if  you  would  commence  playing  on  a  certain  point, 
that  the  police  would  protect  you  ? 

A.  He  didn't. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  any  police  officer? 

A.     No. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  In  your  examination,  you  have  stated  that  you  went  to  the  round- 
house as  soon  as  you  could,  after  the  troops  left  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  went  into  service. 

Q.  How  long  was  it  after  the  troops  left  until  you  got  playing  upon  the 
fire  at  the  round-house  ? 

A.   I  cannot  tell  you  exactly,  but  it  was  very  quick  ? 

Q.  Half  an  hour  ? 

A.  No  ;  it  was  not  ten  minutes  until  we  were  throwing  water. 

Q.  Then  the  fire  had  made  considerable  progress  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  across  the  street  in  the  lumber  yards. 

t£.  Do  you  know,  of  your  own  personal  knowledge,  that  the  fire  depart- 
ment did  call  upon  the  mayor  for  protection  ? 

A.  1  cannot  say.     I  saw  the  mayor  there  in  a  buggy. 

Q.   lie  didn't  oiler  you  any  protection  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Do  you  think,  with  the  fire  department,  you  could  have  cut  the  tire, 
and  stopped  it  during  Sunday,  if  you  had  had  protection  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  243 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  we  could  have  stopped  it,  it  was  on  fire  in  too 
many  different  places  ;  but  I  think  we  could  have  picked  out  twenty-five 
men  and  saved  Union  depot  from  burning. 

Q.  Do  you  mean  you  could  have  prevented  the  mob  from  firing  it  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  With  twenty -five  policemen  ? 

A.  With  twenty-five  good  men  of  any  kind. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Do  you  mean  that  it  could  have  been  stopped  at  that  time  and  place? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  that  you  could  have  prevented  the  spreading  of  the  fire  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  if  I  had  had  that  number  of  determined  men. 

Q.  Did  you  see  those  parties  who  set  Union  depot  on  fire  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Was  there  no  effort  made  when  they  set  the  sheds  on  fire  to  tear  the 
sheds  down  and  stop  the  fire  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw — not  by  the  police,  that  I  saw.    We  did  all  we  could. 
We  kept  following  up  the  fire. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  there  no  effort  made  during  the  clay,  Sunday,  to  stop  the  pro- 
gress of  those  men  in  setting  fire  to  the  cars  and  the  depot  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  say. 

Q.  You  were  not  present  when  the  mayor  made  a  speech  to  the  crowd  ? 

A.  No. 

John  M.  Miller,  sworn  ivith  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  On  Second  avenue. 

Q.  What  was  your  connection  with  the  fire  department  in  July  last? 

A.  I  was  an  engineer. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  go  to  the  scene  of  the  fire  ? 

A.  About  twenty  minutes  after  eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  you  interfered  with  by  the  crowd  ? 

A.  We  were  fired  at  and  told  to  go  slow,  you  sons  of  bitches,  all  the 
way,  but  nobody  struck  us.  I  don't  know  whether  fhey  fired  at  us  or  not, 
but  our  foreman,  I  believe,  was  struck  in  the  back. 

Q.  Did  they  strike  any  of  your  horses  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  tell.     I  was  behind  the  engine. 

Q.  WThere  did  you  commence  work  ? 

A.  We  were  off  with  the  engine  about  a  square  from  the  fire,  and  com- 
menced work  first  at  Twenty-sixth  street.  I  don't  know  where  they  had 
the  hose  placed.  They  told  us  not  to  throw  on  the  railroad  property,  or 
the}'  would  cut  our  hose,  and  they  tried  to  prevent  me  putting  on  my  suc- 
tion hose.  We  had  to  talk  to  them,  and  tell  them  we  were  not  going  to 
play  on  the  railroad  property  before  they  would  allow  us  to  make  any  at- 
tachment at  all. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  at  work  playing  on  the  fire  ? 

A.  We  returned  home  at  ten  o'clock  Monday  morning,  1  think  it  was. 

Q.  During  the  day,  Sunday,  were  you  interfered  with  by  the  mob  ? 

A.  They  spoke  to  us,  and  a  drunken  fellow  told  us,  if  we  played  on  the 
railroad  property,  that  they  would  blow  our  heads  off. 

Q.  Were  you  protected  by  the  police  ? 


244  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29 

A.  The  police  was  a  disorganized  body — no  two  of  them  were  together, 
I  don't  believe.     I  never  saw  over  two  together  the  whole  day. 

Q.  Did  3rou  call  on  the  police  for  protection  ? 

A.  I  didn't. 

Q.  Did  the  police  offer  you  any  protection  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  Did  Officer  Daniel  Motts  say  anything  to  you  at  any  time  ? 

A.  Daniel  Motts  and  a  man  named  Coulston  came  to  us  before  the 
round-house  caught  on  fire,  about  one  o'clock  that  night,  and  asked  us  what 
we  were  standing  there  for,  and  not  throwing  any  water.  I  said  that  the 
mob  wouldn't  allow  us,  and  they  said,  I  believe,  the}^  would  protect  us.  I 
said,  I  am  not  the  proper  person,  as  the  chief  is  here,  and  as  we  have  orders 
to  stand  here  and  wait  further  orders.  But  the  way  they  spoke  to  me,  I 
thought  it  was  in  a  joking  way,  because  the  only  protection  they  could 
offer  wouldn't  have  amounted  to  anything.  I  told  them  I  was  not  the 
proper  person,  that  the  chief  was  there. 

Q.  Did  they  ask  you  to  play  upon  any  particular  point  of  the  fire,  and 
say  they  would  protect  you  ? 

A.  No ;  they  didn't.  The  cars  were  burning  above  the  round-house  at 
the  time,  but  the  round-house  was  not  burning  at  the  time. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  troops  come  out  ? 

A.  No  ;  but  I  saw  them  after  they  came  out. 

Q.  How  soon  did  you  get  up  there  after  the  troops  went  out  ? 

A.  In  about  twenty  minutes  or  twenty-five  minutes. 

Q.  Was  the  round-house  on  fire  when  you  got  there  ? 

A.  It  was  burning  bad. 

Q.  Was  it  burning  before  they  came  out  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  that  is  what  chased  them  out.  I  understood  afterwards  that 
they  came  out  of  the  carpenter  shop. 

Q.  Was  the  carpenter  shop  burned  afterwards? 

A.  That  I  cannot  say.     We  were  ordered  away  below  that  again. 

Q.  What  became  of  the  crowd  when  the  troops  came  out  ? 

A.  They  ran  pell  mell,  and  fell  over  each  other.  The  troops  could  have 
marched  down  Liberty  street  and  drove  them.  The  mob  were  cowards 
when  daylight  shown  on  them.  They  had  plenty  of  guns,  but  not  much 
ammunition  for  them.  They  were  drunk,  and  that  was  what  gave  courage 
to  the  most  of  them. 

Q.  Those  drunken  men,  when  dajdight  came,  what  became  of  them? 

A.  They  staggered  off,  and  went  to  sleep  or  something.  They  had 
plenty  of  liquor. 

Q.  How  many  were  engaged  in  firing  the  cars  during  the  day — Sunday  ? 

A.  Not  over  ten  or  twelve  men.  Some  of  them  were  boys  fourteen  or 
fifteen  j^ears  of  age.    The  most  conspicuous  man  was  a  man  with  one  arm. 

Q.  Were  you  close  ? 

A.  I  was;  at  Twenty-first  and  Liberty  street. 

Q.  Did  you  follow  down  with  your  department? 

A.  When  the  fire  broke  out  down  below  amongst  the  cars  we  were  or- 
dered further  down.  We  went  then  to  Twelfth  and  Liberty  streets,  that 
is  from  Twenty-first  to  Twelfth. 

Q.  Was  any  effort  made  by  either  the  police  or  the  militia  or  any  per- 
son to  stop  this  gang  who  were  firing  the  cars  ? 

A.  None  at  all.  There  were  plenty  of  people  outside  in  sympathy  with 
those  who  were  setting  fire,  and  who  were  handing  drinks  up  to  them,  and 
some  women  were  carrying  coffee,  and  handing  it  to  them? 

Q.  What  class  of  women  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  245 

A.  They  looked  like  Irish  women. 

Q.  What  classes  of  men  were  about  that  day  who  appeared  to  be  in  S3-111- 
pathy  with  them  ? 

A.  It  generally  was  the  Irish.  Most  every  person  that  spoke  to  us 
about  not  playing  on  the  fire  was  Irish,  that  is,  had  the  brogue  on  the 
tongue. 

Q.  Were  they  railroad  men,  or  did  they  belong  to  any  particular  class 
in  the  city.     Mill  men,  or  any  particular  class  of  people  ? 

A.  I  didn't  recognize  any  of  them  that  I  knew  personally. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  say  they  were  handing  coffee  up  to  those  people.  It  must  have 
been  made  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fire  ? 

A.  Yes;  or  else  carried  some  distance.     It  appeared  to  be  hot  coffee  ? 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  was  the  mayor  during  the  day  Sunday  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say;   I  did't  see  him  at  all. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert: 

Q.  After  the  soldiers  marched  out  the  round-house,  if  they  had  torn  up 
the  track,  would  it  have  prevented  any  further  firing  west  ? 

A.  Previous  to  the  round-house  being  set  on  fire  ? 

Q.  Afterwards  ? 

A.  It  would  ;  but  they  would  have  followed  on  down. 

Q.  But  couldn't  the  soldiers  have  checked  them  there  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  think  the  soldiers  could  have  cleared  the  whole  track  after 
daylight  on  Sunday,  cleared  the  whole  track. 

Q.  The  soldiers  or  the  mayor's  posse? 

A.  I  don't  know  about  the  mayor's  posse.    The}'-  didn't  appear  to  be  so 
much  afraid  of  the  posse  as  of  the  guns. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  I  understand  you  to  say  that  no  attempt  was  made  by  either  the 
civil  authorities  or  the  military  authorities  to  stop  the  fire  on  Sunday,  or 
to  clear  the  track  ? 

A.  There  was  no  attempt  at  all. 

Q.  Of  course,  you  cannot  tell  what  would  have  been  the  result,  if  an  at- 
tempt had  been  made — it  is  a  mere  matter  of  opinion  as  to  what  would 
have  been  the  result? 

A.  I  believe  so;  but  that  is  my  opinion.     I  feel  certain  that  they  could. 

Q.  You  spoke  of  the  police  force  not  being  organized.  What  was  the 
organization  of  the  fire  department  ? 

A.  The  organization  of  the  fire  department  was  perfect.  All  the  men 
were  at  their  posts  all  the  time,  ready  to  do  what  they  were  ordered  to  do. 

Q.  How  many  were  at  their  posts  ? 

A.  All  the  men  that  were  on  the  force.     The  force  had  been  reduced, 
but  some  of  the  men  that  had  been  put  off  were  helping. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  You  say  those  members  of  the  department  that  had  been  put  off  didn't 
refuse  to  assist  you  ? 

A.  Not  at  all. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey? 

Q.  How  many  men  were  discharged  from  the  fire  department  ? 

A.  Some  twenty-two. 

Q.  How  many  of  those  men  came  back  to  your  assistance  ? 

A.  Through  the  whole  department  I  cannot  say,  but  of  our  company  I 
saw  a  couple  of  them.     Of  course,  they  had  their  favorite  companies.     And 


246  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

then  there  were  plenty  of  volunteers  of  the  old  members  of  the  volunteer 
department. 

Q.  Who  appoints  the  fii*e  commissioners  ? 

A.  They  are  elected  by  city  councils. 

Q.  They  have  control  of  the  fire  department  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  whether  the  fire  commissioners  are  subject  to  the  control  of  any 
higher  body  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  they  are.     I  think  they  are  given  full  power. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  the  law  is  in  regard  to  that  ? 

A.  I  don't.     I  have  never  examined  it. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  appeared  to  be  the  disposition  of  the  crowd  surrounding  that 
fire — did  they  appear  to  be  in  sympathy  with  the  rioters  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  say. 

Q.  Some  of  the  crowd  were  gathered  there  out  of  curiosity  ? 

A.  I  would  have  them  all  around  the  engine.  It  was  a  regular  hum,  just 
like  bees — everybody  seemed  to  be  talking. 

Q.  Was  there  any  general  expression  against  the  soldiery  ? 

A.  I  believe  there  was,  after  they  fired  on  the  mob.  I  believe  some 
classes  of  men  had  a  feeling  against  the  soldiers,  but  I  believe  the  better 
class  of  citizens  had  not. 

Q.  You  say  the  soldiers  could  have  cleared  the  tracks  and  dispersed  the 
mob,  when  they  came  out  of  the  round-house  ? 

A.  They  could — if  they  had  opened  with  the  Gatling  guns,  there  would 
not  have  been  a  soul  in  sight  for  fifteen  squares. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  the  officers  of  the  soldiery  in  the  round-house 
had  any  communication  with  anybody  outside,  during  the  night  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  they  had,  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  None  of  them  were  passing  back  and  forth,  between  the  round-house 
and  outside  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  say.     I  was  not  close  enough  to  it. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  The  soldiers  had  no  means  of  knowing  that  the  crowd  had  become 
dispersed,  or  weakened,  or  drunken  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  they  had.     I  think  the  soldiers  thought  the  whole  com- 
munity was  against  them.     If  they  had  known  that  they  could  have  come 
out,  and  drove  the  mob  down,  I  think  they  would  have  done  it. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Officer  Coulston  has  testified,  that  the  round-house  was  not  on  fire 
where  the  troops  came  out — that  he  went  through  the  building.  Could 
he  have  gone  through  those  buildings  soon  after  the  troops  evacuated 
them  ? 

A.  He  couldn't.     He  might  have  gone  into  the  carpenter  shop,  or  the 
paint  shop,  but  the  flames  were  coming  out  of  all  the  windows  of  the  round- 
house.    Nobod}r  could  have  lived  there. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Could  a  man  have  got  on  to  the  engines  as  they  stood  in  the  stalls  ? 

A.  He  might,  in  one  part  by  the  carpenter  shop,  but  I  don't  think  he 
could  have  lived  in  any  part  of  it,  on  account  of  the  heat. 

Daniel  J.  Eckels,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 
(}.  Where  do  you  reside? 
A.  135  Second  avenue. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  247 

Q.  Were  you  connected  with  the  fire  department  in  July  last  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  position  did  you  hold  ? 

A.  I  was  engineer  of  company  No.  2. 

Q.  State  when  you  arrived  at  the  fire,  and  how  long  you  remained  there? 

A.  Probably  between  twelve  and  one  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning.  We 
could  not  go  into  service.  We  waited  there  on  the  street  by  the  Indpend- 
ence  engine-house.  We  stayed  at  the  fire  until  after  the  troops  came  out 
of  the  round-house. 

Q.  During  the  day — Sunday  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  Sunday  night  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Until  Monday  morning  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  you  assisted  by  the  police  force  at  any  time  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  policemen  about  there  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that  I  did;  but  I  did  hear  that  at  one  place  where  we 
were  working  the  mayor  was  around,  but  I  did  not  see  him. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Mayor  McCarthy  at  any  time  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  Was  any  attempt  made  during  the  entire  day  of  Sunday  to  stop  the 
men  who  were  engaged  in  the  burning  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 

J.  F.  Rivers,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  On  Mulberry  street,  above  Twenty-fifth. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  I  had  been  a  detective  in  the  employ  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  pre- 
vious to  July  12. 

Q.  What  position  did  you  hold  at  the  time  of  the  riot? 

A.  I  held  no  position  ;  but  I  lived  within  three  squares  of  the  scene,  and 
consequently  had  considerable  interest  in  the  riot.  I  was  away  from  the 
city  ;  but  I  came  back  on  Friday  evening.  I  heard  that  there  was  a  strike 
among  the  railroad  men,  and,  as  I  knew  a  great  many  of  them,  I  was  very 
much  interested  in  their  behalf.  I  went  up  to  the  upper  round-house  on 
Saturday  morning,  and  there  I  saw  a  great  many  railroad  men,  and  a  good 
many  outsiders,  that  I  knew  were  attracted  there  for,  probably,  the  same 
reason  I  was.  They  were  very  orderly,  and  I  saw  no  trouble  there.  It  did 
not  look  as  though  there  was  going  to  be  any  trouble.  I  came  down  to  the 
city  and  saw  the  troops  at  Union  depot  towards  noon,  and  went  up  to  my 
home,  and  saw  the  troops  up  on  the  hill.  I  paid  no  more  attention  to  it 
until  towards  evening,  when  I  heard  the  troops  had  fired  upon  the  crowd. 
Then  I  went  up  there.  I  was  trying  to  find  my  two  boys.  The  crowd 
was  then  gathering  to  the  number  of  thousands,  and  the  people  were  very 
much  excited,  and  expressed  themselves  that  the  troops  ought  to  be  cleaned 
out,  and  all  such  language  as  that.  I  went  away  from  there,  and  towards 
dark  I  went  out  towards  Twenty-fifth  street,  and  saw  the  troops  had  been 
moved  from  the  Twenty-eighth  street  position  to  the  round-house,  or  square- 
house.  The  carpenter  shop  is  on  one  side  of  Twenty-sixth  street,  and  the 
round-house  and  office  of  the  assistant  superintendent  is  on  the  left  hand 
side  opposite.     The  round-house  is  a  little  back  of  the  office,  and  the  outer 


248  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

circle  of  the  round-house  comes  on  the  line  of  Liberty  street,  and  there  is 
a  railroad  track  in  front  of  it  belonging  to  the  Valley  Railroad  Company. 
The  crowd  was  in  front  of  there  ;  the  soldiers  were  in  the  round-house  and 
in  the  carpenter  shop.  The  crowd  was  there,  and  probably  thirty  men 
were  jeering  at  the  soldiers.  I  did  not  know  any  of  them  ;  but  I  went  in 
among  the  men  and  I  said,  "boys,  if  those  men  come  out  you  will  have  to 
go  away,  as  you  do  not  have  any  business  here."  I  said,  "  these  men  are 
strangers,  and  you  ought  to  treat  them  differently."  They  said,  wt  we  will 
have  them  out  if  we  have  got  to  roast  them  out."  I  felt  some  interest  in 
the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  and  in  the  interest  of  good  behavior 
I  come  down  the  street,  and  tried  to  find  some  railroad  officers  to  commu- 
nicate mjr  belief  that  there  would  be  a  fire  and  trouble.  I  tried  to  find 
some  of  the  railroad  officers,  but  could  not  do  it.  It  was  then  after 
dark — after  night.  I  went  towards  my  home,  and  I  met  the  crowd  on 
Liberty  street  going  to  Union  depot.  I  went  up  to  one  man  I  knew,  who 
was  tried  in  court  last  week,  and  I  said  "  the  railroad  company  has  conceded 
to  the  demands  of  their  employes."  I  had  understood  something  of  that 
sort.  He  said  "  it  was  too  damned  thin,"  and  went  into  the  depot,  and  a 
short  time  after  there  was  an  alarm  of  fire.  At  the  corner  of  Twenty-fifth 
and  Penn  avenue  the  Independence  apparatus  was  stopped  by  men  point- 
ing pistols,  and  saying  if  they  proceeded  any  further  they  would  kill  their 
horses.  I  spoke  to  the  parties  that  did  that  loud  talking,  and  they  said 
it  did  not  make  an}'  difference — that  they  had  no  right  to  go  up  and  throw 
water  on  the  railroad  property.  I  said  :  a  These  men  are  responding  to 
a  call,  and  they  must  obey,  and  you  should  not  interfere  with  them."  I 
then  went  away  to  see  the  extent  of  the  fire.  I  went  to  Twenty-eighth 
street,  and  between  there  and  Twenty -ninth,  on  Liberty,  I  saw  the  burning 
cars  running  down  the  grade  towards  the  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing. 
But  a  switch  was  turned  wrong  or  something,  and  the  cars  ran  off  the 
track.  They  set  fire  to  what  is  known  as  the  sand-house,  and  that  is  the 
first  building  that  caught  fire,  and  from  that  the  fire  communicated  to  the 
upper  round-house,  I  think.  The  fire  burned  very  slow.  It  appeared  to 
me  to  be  started  by  people  that  wanted  to  plunder,  which  the}-  did,  for 
the}-  carried  out  great  quantities  of  goods  that  day  and  the  next  day.  The 
fire  burned  very  slow — I  never  saw  a  fire  burn  so  slow  in  my  life.  I  did 
not  see  whether  the  fire  department  went  into  service  that  night  or  not. 
Next  morning  I  saw  the  troops  as  they  came  up  Liberty  street  on  to 
Twenty-fifth,  and  marched  out  Penn  avenue.  I  did  not  see  much  of  any 
mob  at  that  time.  Then  the  fire  department  went  into  service.  I  saw  no 
person  particularly  setting  things  on  fire,  but  I  saw  two  men  coming  from 
under  a  car  off  the  track,  in  front  of  the  round-house,  just  at  Twenty-sixth 
street.  The  car  was  loaded  with  liquor,  and  just  shortly  after  they  came 
out  and  went  away  the  car  caught  fire,  and  then  the  round-house  and  the 
shop  and  the  offices  and  all  caught  fire. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Before  or  after  the  troops  came  out  ? 

A.  A  portion  of  it — the  square  shop  that  they  came  out  of  was  set  on  fire 
afterwards.  The  building  was  L  shaped,  and  there  was  a  fire  in  the  rear 
of  it,  and  there  might  have  been  afire — but  I  won't  be  positive — but  there 
might  have  been  a  fire  in  the  L  that  ran  towards  the  road,  but  none  in  the 
L  on  Liberty  street  when  they  came  out;  and  they  had  made  some  efforts 
to  protect  themselves  against  lire,  because  I  discovered  some  leather  hose, 
that  the  railroad  company  had  in  the  premises,  after  Hie  troops  came  out. 
The  fire  then  kept  burning  down  gradually  on  Liberty  street  down  the 
railroad,  and  the  people  kept  carrying  off  the  goods  all  day  Sunday.     Down 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  249 

at  the  Union  depot — previous  to  that  catching  fire — I  was  in  there,  and  saw 
that  the  parties  had  moved  as  many  of  the  goods  as  they  could,  and  I  saw 
no  person  trying  to  stop  them.  They  set  the  depot  master's  office  on  fire, 
and  then  a  burning  car  was  run  down  into  the  depot,  and  that  fired  it. 
I  saw  the  troops  marching  down  Twenty-fifth  street  towards  Penn,  and  saw 
them  march  up  Penn. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Can  you  tell  us  what  portion  of  the  round-house,  or  the  buildings 
attached  to  it,  were  on  fire  when  they  left  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know,  but  there  might  have  been  a  fire  in  the  rear  of  the 
round-house — the  portion  of  it  that  is  next  to  the  main  line  might  have 
been  afire — and  as  I  said  before,  this  L  of  the  carpenter  shop  might  have 
been  afire  previous  to  the  vacation,  but  I  do  not  know  it;  but,  from  my 
recollection  of  it,  the  fire  burned  so  slow  that  there  must  have  been  a  fire 
in  there  before  they  got  out,  because  when  it  caught  from  the  burning  car 
on  Liberty  street,  the  whole  building  appeared  to  be  enveloped  at  once. 

Q.  Did  3rou  see  the  troops  fired  on  as  they  went  out  ? 

A.  I  saw  one  man  fire,  I  think,  twice.  He  attempted  to  run  into  my 
yard,  and  I  kicked  him  out,  and  I  said  "  if  you  want  to  fire  on  those  men 
go  out  and  do  it,  but  you  cannot  do  it  here."  He  ran  out  and  shot  at  them 
with  a  pistol.  Somebody  returned  the  fire,  and  he  quit  following  them 
any  further. 

Q.  Did  you  know  him  ? 

A.  No ;  I  never  saw  him  before.     I  know  a  great  many  men  here ;  but 
I  knew  very  few  men  that  took  part  in  the  riot. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  were  around  through  the  crowd? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  could  judge  of  the  crowd  ? 

A.  The  men  I  saw  jeering  the  soldiers  penned  in  there,  I  did  not  know 
any  of  them,  nor  I  do  not  think  they  knew  me,  because  I  think  if  they  had 
known  I  was  an  officer,  or  had  been  one,  I  think  they  would  have  made  it 
lively  for  me,  because  I  have  the  idea  that  they  would  have  thought  I  was 
there  in  the  line  of  my  business.  I  did  not  know  any  of  them.  But  this 
man,  Richardson,  that  was  tried  last  week,  I  saw  him  and  spoke  to  him 
about  half  past  nine  o'clock  on  Saturday  night,  and  told  him  that  the  rail- 
road company  had  conceded  to  the  wishes  of  the  men,  and  he  said  that  was 
too  damned  thin,  and  went  on. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  In  your  experience  as  a  detective  in  this  city,  you  have  gained  an 
extensive  knowledge  of  the  people  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  from  the  general  appearance  of  that  mob  you  think  they  were 
strangers,  and  did  not  belong  in  the  city. 

A.  Yes  ;  that  is,  the  ringleaders.  I  was  at  one  time  on  the  Pennsyl- 
vania railroad,  a  number  of  years  ago,  and  in  consequence  of  that,  I  know 
a  great  many  railroad  men,  employes  of  the  road,  and  I  saw  none  of  them 
engaged  in  this  riot.  When  I  first  went  up  there,  in  the  morning,  I  saw  a 
great  many  I  knew,  railroad  men,  but  they  wrere  all  quiet  and  orderly. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  .- 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  them  as  to  the  reasons  or  causes 
that  led  to  the  strike  ? 

A.  Yes;  their  grievances  were,  as  far  as  they  told  me,  that  they  had 
been  required  to  put  on  double-headers,  and  the  reduction  in  the  number 
of  their  men,  that  they  would  lose  so  many  men,  as  they  called  it,  in  a  crew. 


250  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Did  they  express  any  intentien  of  using  violence? 

A.  Not  that  I  heard.  I  did  not  hear  a  man  say  a  word  that  would  tend 
to  show  he  was  going  to  use  any  violence.  I  remarked  to  four  or  five  of 
them  standing  together :  "  If  the  mayor  sends  his  police  here  and  orders 
you  fellows  away  from  here,  you  have  no  business  here  on  this  property, 
and  you  must  go." 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  day  was  that  ? 

A.  On  Saturday  morning,  about  ten  o'clock. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  of  those  railroad  men  speak  of  a  preconcerted  ar- 
rangement for  a  general  strike  through  the  country  ? 

A.  I  never  did. 

Q.  At  that  time  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Nor  since  ? 

A.  No. 

Michael  Hannigan,  sworn  with  uplifted  hand : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  No.  45,  Grant  street. 

Q.  What  was  your  business  in  July  last. 

A.  I  was  acting  foreman  of  engine  company  No.  2. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  visit  the  scene  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  Between  one  and  two  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning. 

Q.   At  what  point  did  you  stop  first  ? 

A.  We  answered  box  No.  62,  and  then  the  chief  gave  us  orders  to  stop 
at  Twenty-third  and  Penn,  and  not  make  any  attachment  until  we  got  fur- 
ther orders. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  at  that  time  ? 

A.  A  great  many  men  were  scattered  along  the  street  as  we  were  going 
to  the  box.  The  fire  was  down  as  far  as  Twenty-third  street  by  that  time. 
By  daylight  it  got  warm  at  Twenty-third  and  Liberty,  and  the  chief  got 
permission  from  the  mob  to  lay  a  line  of  hose  so  that  a  foundry  there  might 
not  take  fire.  We  afterwards  went  to  Twenty-sixth  street,  but  could  not 
get  across  there  as  the  soldiers  were  firing  across  Twenty-sixth  street. 

Q.  What  time  was  that? 

A.  An  hour  after  we  were  at  Twenty-third  street. 

Q.  After  daylight  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  visit  the  round-house  after  the  troops  left  ? 

A.  It  was  impossible  for  anybody  to  go  there.     The  upper  building  was 
completely  burned  when  we  went  into  service.     It  is  a  square  building. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Attached  to  or  in  close  proximity  to  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Yes.     The  roof  had  fallen  in  when  we  laid  the  line  of  hose.     That 
was  in  ten  minutes  after  the  soldiers  had  left  the  round-house. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  How  long  before  the  round-house  was  consumed  by  fire  ? 

A.   I  cannot  tell  you  that. 

Q.   Diil  the  soldiers  march  out  in  good  order? 

A.  I  did  not  see  the  soldiers  except  at  a  distance. 

Q.  Did  you  remain  on  duty  during  the  day  Sunday? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  up  until  Monday  morning  at  ten  o'clock. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  251 

Q.  Had  the  fire  stopped  when  you  left  ? 

A.  Yes.     We  were  on  Washington  street. 

Q.  What  stopped  the  crowd  from  plundering  and  burning? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that. 

Q.  After  they  fired  Union  depot,  did  they  fire  any  other  property  ? 

A.  There  was  a  depot  fired  on  the  west  side. 

Q.  How  far  down  towards  the  city  did  the  crowd  come? 

A.  It  was  clown  there  on  Seventh  avenue. 

Q.  How  large  a  ci'owd  was  on  Seventh  avenue  ? 

A.  From  the  Rush  House  down  to  Seventh  avenue — ten  thousand  men — 
you  could  hardly  get  through. 

Q.  Were  there  any  police  there  to  arrest  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  any. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  crowd  when  they  dispersed  from  that  point  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Were  you  assisted  at  any  time  during  the  fire  bv  the  police? 

A.  No. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  protected  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  ask  for  protection  ? 

A.  No  ;  the  mob  had  a  cannon  planted  at  Twenty-seventh  street,  pointed 
right  at  the  engine,  and  they  said  if  you  play  on  the  railroad  property  we 
will  raise  you.     We  did  not  want  to  be  raised. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Who  made  those  threats  ? 

A.  That  I  can  not  tell  you. 

Q.  Was  any  effort  made  by  the  mob  to  set  fire  to  private  property,  that 
you  saw  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  any  of  that. 

Q.  On  Sunday  night  they  had  finished  all  the  railroad  property  ? 

A.  I  think  the  last  they  set  afire  was  that  depot  on  Grant  street. 

Q.  What  became  of  the  mob  after  that  time  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know,  but  I  heard  several  citizens  express  themselves  that 
they  were  getting  tired  of  this  work.  We  were  then  on  Bedford  avenue. 
They  said  they  were  going  too  far  with  it. 

Q.  Citizens  said  that? 

A    Yes. 

Q    What  citizens  made  those  remorks  ? 

A.  I  do  not  recollect. 

Q.  Where  were  the  mob  during  Sunday  night  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  any  of  the  mob  at  the  time  we  went  out.  I  saw  a  great 
many  people  on  the  street.  We  had  to  go  very  slow.  They  were  using 
all  kinds  of  threats. 

Q.  When  you  left,  on  Monday  morning,  was  everything  quiet  ? 

A.  Everything  was  quiet  then. 

Q.  Where  had  these  people  gone  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  mayor  about  at  any  time  ? 

A.  Once,  at  the  corner  of  Twentieth  and  Liberty  streets,  standing 
against  a  gas  post. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  In  the  afternoon — I  do  not  recollect  the  hour. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 


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254  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

amounting  to  not  more  than  five  hundred  persons  was  standing  near,  and 
they  had  a  cannon  commanding  the  round-house,  but  the  soldiers  had 
covered  it  with  their  arms,  and  had  killed  one  or  two  of  the  rioters.  The 
mob  engaged  in  fighting  the  soldiers  were  not  engaged  in  the  burning  and 
pillaging.  I  went  among  them.  One  of  them  called  me  by  name.  I  knew 
his  face.  He  said,  "Alderman,  don't  go  down  that  way  ;  they  will  shoot 
you."  But  I  said,  "  No,"  and  passed  on  through  them.  I  said  to  him, 
"  You  had  better  go  home,"  when  he  said  that  they  had  come  for  the  pur- 
pose of  fighting  the  militia,  and  were  going  to  fight  them. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  About  four  o'clock.     It  was  just  breaking  day. 

Q.  Now,  this  mob  gathered  around  in  the  vicinity  of  the  round-house 
— what  was  that  mob  composed  of? 

A.  I  recognized  that  mob  as  composed  nearly  all  of  people  who  were 
working  men  from  the  south  side  of  the  river. 

Q.  That  is,  Birmingham  ? 

A.  Yes;  some  few  of  them  were  citizens  that  I  knew.  And  I  would 
state  that  some  few  were  armed,  but  showed  no  disposition  to  violence 
except  that  they  had  an  antipathy  to  the  soldiers  that  had  fired  on  their 
relatives.  I  mention  this  fact  to  show  that  there  should  be  a  distinction 
between  the  rioters  proper  and  the  plunderers.  They  didn't  seem  to  be 
acting  in  concert.  A  posse  of  police  of  twenty  men  could  have  protected 
all  the  property  that  night. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  anybody  state  that  the  rioters  or  the  mob  had  prevented 
the  fire  department  from  throwing  water  on  the  railroad  property  ? 

A.  I  did  not.  But  I  have  no  doubt  they  would  have  prevented  it,  from 
the  disposition  of  the  mob.  I  didn't  see  any  person  setting  fire  to  the 
Union  depot.  I  took  my  stand  at  the  elevator.  I  met  one  of  the  clerks 
belonging  to  the  company,  and  he  told  me  that  they  had  refused  to  let 
them  take  their  books  out.  I  said,  come  back  with  me,  and  T  will  take 
them  out.  So  I  went  back  and  stationed  myself  at  the  elevator,  to  save  it, 
if  I  could,  by  my  presence  there,  and  by  calling  a  jiosse  comitatus  But  I 
could  not  get  any  person  to  serve.  The  sheds  below  Union  depot  were 
then  taking  fire,  and  two  or  three  men  came,  and  wanted  to  go  into  the 
elevator.  I  told  them  not  to  go  in.  At  this  time  not  less  than  twenty 
thousand  people  were  there — men,  women,  and  children — but  there  was  no 
rioting,  and  there  were  not  more  than  eight  or  ten  or  a  scoi'e  of  men 
engaged  in  spreading  the  fire  at  that  time.  They  seemed  to  be  peaceable. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  You  mean  the  men  who  were  setting  things  on  fire  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  went  to  it  deliberately. 

Q.  You  spoke  about  raising  a  posse  comitatus  ? 

A.  I  tried  to  raise  it.  I  called  on  a  gentleman  from  Allegheny,  named 
Gray.  I  summoned  him  to  my  assistance,  but  he  refused  to  act,  but  said 
if  I  could  get  ten  more  he  would  do  so.  1  afterwards  saw  some  other  par- 
ties, but  while  they  deprecated  the  burning,  they  said  it  was  worth  their 
lives  to  interfere.  I  then  went  with  Mr.  Gray  down  to  where  the  men 
were  running  the  burning  cars,  and  tried  to  reason  with  them.  At  that 
time  probably  twenty  men  were  engaged  in  that,  besides  the  persons  en- 
gaged in  carrying  the  things  off.  And  by  that  time  they  had  gotten  into 
liquor,  and  were  pretty  well  intoxicated.  On  Sunday  afternoon  I  also 
tried  to  raise  a  posse  comitatus.  I  called  on  some  citizens  that  I  knew, 
but  the}*  were  afraid  to  do  anything,  alleging  that  the  military  and  police 
should  do  it. 

0.  What  reasons  did  they  give? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  255 

A.  That  they  did  not  want  to  jeopardize  their  lives. 

Q.  Was  the  elevator  set  on  fire  while  you  were  there  ? 

A.  No ;  I  left,  and  supposed  the  elevator  was  safe,  and  went  down  to 
Seventh  avenue,  where  the  depot  of  the  Pan  Handle  road  was  just  being 
set  on  fire.  I  remained  there  some  time,  and  then  went  to  Allegheny  to 
get  my  supper,  and  came  back.  While  crossing  the  bridge,  I  noticed  the 
fire  coming  from  the  elevator.  I  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fire  until 
between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  that  night,  and  at  that  time  there  was  no 
further  spreading  of  the  destruction.  The  citizens,  in  the  meantime,  had 
organized  a  police,  and  there  had,  apparently,  been  a  number  of  arrests 
made. 

Q.  As  soon  as  the  police  began  making  arrests,  the  citizens  took  the 
matter  into  their  own  hands,  and  the  destruction  ceased  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  that  is  what  convinced  me  that  a  posse  of  twenty  policemen 
could  have  prevented  the  destruction.  But  at  any  time  during  Saturday 
night,  if  a  police  officer  had  gone  into  the  crowd  to  arrest  a  man,  the  mob 
would  have  interfered  with  him — I  am  satisfied  of  that. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 
.     Q.  When  you  told  those  persons  to  stop  setting  fire,  did  they  obey  your 
orders  ? 

A.  On  Saturday  night  they  paid  no  attention,  but  they  didn't  interfere 
with  me. 

Q.  You  asserted  your  authority  as  far  you  could  ? 

A.  As  far  as  I  could,  and  they  respected  my  authority  when  I  asserted 
it  resolutely.  Then  they  gave  way.  I  went  to  Allegheny  to  try  to  sum- 
mon a  poasi'  coniitatus,  but  I  found  it  collected,  and  I  then  repaired  to  the 
mayor's  office,  in  Allegheny,  and  took  part  with  them  for  the  protection 
of  our  city.  In  our  city,  I  may  say,  that  no  destruction  occurred.  The 
railroad  men  took  possession  of  the  railroad  property  there.  I  think  they 
took  possession  first  on  Thursday  evening.  Nothing  was  destroyed.  The 
railroad  men — those  I  conversed  with — said  that  they  had  determined  to 
protect  the  railroad  property  against  any  mob. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  did  they  say  was  their  object  in  taking  possession  of  the  rail- 
road property  ? 

A.  Well — my  office  seems  to  be  a  general  receptacle  for  persons  of  di- 
verse opinions.  Some  of  these  railroad  men  came  to  me  with  their  com- 
plaints. I  was  told  their  grievances,  and  that  their  purpose  was  merely 
the  restoration  of  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction. 

Q.  Those  were  employes  of  what  railroad  ? 

A.  The   Pittsburgh,  Port  Wayne  and  Chicago  road.     They  admitted 
their  actions  were  contrary  to  law,  and  that  they  might  be  amenable,  but 
still  they  asserted  their  assumed  right  to  stop  the  running  of  trains  until 
their  demands  were  complied  with. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  You  say  they  asserted  their  right  to  stop  the  trains  ? 

A.  An  assumed  right.     They  supposed  they  had  such  a  right.     Some  of 
them  supposed,  ignorantly,  that  they  had  such  a  right — a  great  many  of 
them  honestly  believed  that. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Did  they  claim  that  they  had  any  right  to  set  themselves  up  against 
the  authorities  ? 

A.  No ;  at  no  time ;  as  they  construed  the  laws  of  the  Commonwealth, 
they  did  not  want  to  set  themselves  up  against  them. 


256  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 
Q.  Do  you  know  what  the  feeling  was  in  this  city  when  the  strike  broke 
out? 

A.  I  know  that  the  people  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  almost  universally  con- 
demned the  reduction  of  the  salaries  of  the  railroad  men  at  that  time.  The 
strikers  knew  that  they  had  the  sympathies  of  the  people  of  Allegheny  county 
— of  all  classes — intheir  efforts  to  have  a  living  rate  of  wages  restored  to  them, 
and  thousands  of  people  not  engaged  in  the  strike,  on  that  Saturday  afternoon, 
in  July  last,  were  gathered  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  work- 
shops, not  for  the  purpose  of  violating  any  law,  but  either  from  motives  of 
sympathy  with  the  strikers  or  prompted  by  curiosity  to  witness  the  military. 
It  may  be  inferred,  that  at  least  one  half  of  those  people  were  women  and 
children,  and  these,  without  warning,  were  fired  into  and  many  of  them 
killed  or  wounded.  Of  course,  this  caused  universal  indignation  and  con- 
demnation, and  was  the  occasion  of  all  the  subsequent  troubles  and  de- 
struction. A  pacific  course  pursued  towards  these  men  would  have  avoided 
the  catastrophe  that  followed.  The  first  great  blunder  in  dealing  with  the 
strikers  in  Pittsburgh,  was  in  the  attempt  to  operate  the  road  by  the  use 
of  a  military  force,  instead  of  using  the  troops  to  preserve  order  and  to  . 
keep  the  peace. 

Q,.  You  say  that  the  sympathies  of  the  people  of  Pittsburgh  were  with 
the  strikers  or  with  the  railroad  employes  and  against  the  reduction  of  their 
wages.  Do  you  mean  as  long  as  no  overt  act  was  committed  ?  Or  what 
did  they  regard  as  an  overt  act  ? 

A.  They  would  have  regarded  as  an  overt  act  the  destruction  of  prop- 
erty. 

Q.  Did  they  regard  the  stopping  of  trains  as  an  overt  act  ? 
A.  I  think  that  certain  classes  of  people  did  not  regard  the  stopping  of 
the  trains  an  overt  act,  but  they  would  have  regarded  the  forcible  taking  of 
men  from  the  trains — men  who  were  willing  to  work — or  the  preventing 
them  from  working,  as  an  overt  act. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 
Q.   Will  you  tell   us  what  you  did  in  your  own  city — tell  us  how  you 
managed  the  trouble  there  ? 

A.  The  authorities  of  Allegheny  managed  the  strikers  differently — in  a 
different  way  from  that  pursued  in  Pittsburgh.  Several  days  prior  to  the 
burning  in  Pittsburgh,  the  strikers  took  possession  of  the  railroad  tracks, 
and  the  workshops  of  the  Pennsylvania  company  operating  the  Pittsburgh, 
Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  railroad.  They  threw  up  breast-works,  and  held 
armed  possession  of  the  railroad  property,  and  even  took  possession  of, 
and  regulated  the  running  of  passenger  trains  and  the  United  States  mail 
trains.  At  all  interviews,  they  insisted  that  it  was  not  their  intention  to 
destroy  property,  but  to  protect  the  railroad  property,  and  that  they 
wouldn't  commit  any  overt  act  in  violation  of  law,  as  they  understood  it. 
Many  of  them  believed  they  were  not  violating  any  law,  and  assumed  that 
they  had  a  right  lo  accomplish  the  object  they  had  in  view,  by  the  method 
they  then  were  pursuing.  The  authorities  and  the  citizens  of  Allegheny 
City  knew  that  they  were  dealing  with  a  powerful,  intelligent,  and  well 
organized  body  of  men,  who  were  determined  and  resolute  in  their  pur- 
pose-. To  have  attempted  to  force  those  men  from  their  position,  would 
have  precipitated  the  same  troubles  that  culminated  in  Pittsburgh  a 
few  days  subsequently.  So  the  citizens  appealed  to  the  better  judgment 
of  those  strikers,  they  reasoned  with  them,  and  instead  of  irritating  them, 
or  attempting  to  force  them,  they  permitted  them  to  have  their  own  way, 
believing  that  the  railroad  officials  and  their  employe's,  would,  in  a  few 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  257 

days,  adjust  all  differences.  This  policy,  under  the  circumstances,  proved 
to  be  a  wise  one,  as  when  danger  came,  and  when  the  mob  were  burning 
and  destroying  in  Pittsburgh,  the  strikers  in  Allegheny  actually  removed 
all  the  rolling  stock  out  of  the  way  of  danger,  and  volunteered  to  assist 
the  organized  citizens  in  protecting  the  depots  and  workshops,  and  all 
other  railroad  property  in  the  city  of  Allegheny.  Had  the  same  policy 
been  pursued  in  Pittsburgh,  there  would  have  been  no  destruction  of 
property. 

Q.  You  were  in  the  army.  What  position  in  the  army  did  you  hold  dur- 
ing the  late  war  ? 

A.  In  1861 — in  May,  1861 — 1  enlisted  as  a  soldier,  and  was  elected  lieu- 
tenant of  my  company,  and  went  out  as  a  member  of  the  Second  Virginia 
regiment,  as  lieutenant,  and  afterwards  became  captain  of  my  company. 

Q.   Was  it  a  Union  regiment  ? 

A.  Yes.  We  went  to  Wheeling  to  protect  the  people,  and  our  services 
were  accepted  by  the  people  of  West  Virginia.  On  the  19th  of  February, 
1862,  I  was  appointed  commissary  assistant  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  and 
that  position  1  held  until  about  the  1st  day  of  September,  1862,  when  I 
was  assigned  to  duty  as  chief  commissary  of  the  Twelfth  army  corps. 
About  the  15th  of  March,  1863,  I  was  assigned  to  duty  as  chief  commis- 
sary of  the  Fifth  army  corps,  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant  colonel,  on  Gen- 
eral Meade's  staff1. 

Q.   How  long  did  you  occupy  that  position? 

A.  Until  I  was  mustered  out  of  the  service,  or  until  the  corps  was  dis- 
banded, in  September,  1865.     1  remained  in  service  until  March,  1866. 

Q.  What  business  have  you  been  engaged  in  since  the  war? 

A.  For  the  last  eight  years  I  have  been  an  alderman  of  the  city  of  Alle- 
gheny.    The  year  before  that,  I  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature. 

Q.  From  the  time  you  left  the  army  until  you  were  elected  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  what  business  were  you  engaged  in  ? 

A.   I  was  following  my  occupation  as  a  scrivener. 

Q.  Where  did  you  reside  before  going  into  the  army  ? 

A.   From  the  year  1«36,  until  I  went  into  the  army,  in  this  county. 

Q.   What  business  were  you  engaged  in  ? 

A.  When  1  went  into  the  army  1  was  chief  clerk  in  the  county  commis- 
sioners' office  of  Allegheny  county.  Prior  to  that  I  was  a  clerk  in  a 
store. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee: 

Q.  Something  has  been  said  about  picketing  the  railroad  track  where 
the  riot  occurred.  Now,  taking  into  consideration  the  number  of  cars 
around  there,  how  many  troops  would  it  have  taken  to  reasonably  picket 
the  track  and  the  ground  there  in  possession  of  the  mob? 

A.  The  ground  in  possession  of  the  mob,  from  the  round-house  out  to 
Lawrenceville,  I  think  could  have  been  sufficiently  picketed  by  one  hun- 
dred men  on  both  sides.  At  no  time  were  more  than  one  hundred  persons 
on  the  ground  from  twelve  o'clock  that  night  until  four  o'clock  in  the 
in  fining,  from  the  round-house  out  to  Two  Mile  run.  1  consider  that  the 
movement  of  the  military  into  the  round-house,  at  the  time,  was  a  good  one, 
but  they  should  have  picketed  the  railroad,  and  all  the  approaches  to  the 
round-house.  To  have  retired  on  the  bluff,  above  the  railroad  tracks,  would 
have  been  a  military  blunder,  for  if  they  were  not  strong  enough  to  protect 
themselves  where  the  cars  and  buildings  afforded  them  shelter,  they  certainly 
could  not  have  held  a  position  on  the  hill  face,  where  they  could  have  been 
attacked  from  the  open  fields  above  them,  and  been  within  easy  range  of 
masked  or  rifle  shots  from  the  houses  fronting  on  Liberty  street.  Xo  officer 
17  Riots. 


258  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

of  any  military  experience  would  have  selected  that  hill  face  to  bivouac 
his  troops,  under  the  circumstances  then  existing,  but  the  retreat  of  two 
regiments  of  well  armed  and  equipped  soldiers,  commanded  by  officers  of 
undoubted  courage,  and  large  military  experience  in  the  face  of  a  disorgan- 
ized mob,  was  certainly  a  inexplicable  blunder. 

(,».  You  did  not  see  the  crowd  before  it  was  fired  into  and  dispersed  by 
the  military  ? 

A.   I  did  not.     I  only  arrived  there  afterward. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Now  in  your  judgment,  as  a  military  man,  do  3^011  think  that  there 
was  any  necessity  for  calling  on  the  militar}*-  to  quell  this  riot? 

A.  I  do  not.  I  honestly  believe  that  if  the  authorities  of  the  county  of 
Allegheny,  or  the  cit}^  of  Pittsburgh,  had  summoned  a  sufficient  posse  comi- 
tatus,  they  could  have  preserved  the  peace.  They  might  not  have  been 
able  to  run  the  railroad  cars,  but  the  peace  could  have  been  preserved 
without  calling  the  military. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  From  your  observations  during  this  disturbance,  what  opinion  have 
you  of  the  conduct  of  the  officers  and  those  in  charge  of  the  military? 

A.  I  was  not  brought  in  contact  with  them,  except  with  Colonel  Gray, 
of  one  of  our  regiments,  after  the  firing.  I  went  to  where  he  had  bivou- 
acked on  the  railroad  track,  and  he  had  one  hundred  and  twentj^  men  with 
him  at  the  time.  He  said  he  was  there  for  the  purpose  of  obeying  orders,  and 
that  his  men  would  stayb}7  him.  He  had  no  orders  at  that  time.  I  asked 
him  particularly  whether  he  had  any  orders,  and  he  said  he  had  none.  I 
asked  him  whether  he  thought  he  could  preserve  the  peace,  and  he  said  he 
could.  I  think  he  said  that  the  firing:  on  the  people  was  a  mistake,  and 
was  done  without  orders,  but  if  I  had  been  there  I  would  have  ordered  the 
mob  to  disperse,  and  then  fired  on  them  with  blank  cartridges. 

Q.  From  your  knowledge  of  these  men  as  soldiers  during  the  war,  do 
you  think  they  were  competent  or  incompetent  men  ? 

A.  1  know  General  Pearson  well.  I  knew  him  in  the  army,  and  I  know 
what  his  military  record  was  in  the  army,  and  there  is  no  young  officer  in 
the  United  States  service  who  has  a  prouder  record  as  a  brave,  a  careful, 
and  discreet  soldier.  He  served  in  our  own  corps,  and  I  had  daily  oppor- 
tunity of  knowing  what  his  military  services  and  military  abilities  were, 
and  his  record  in  the  army  was  certainly  very  creditable  to  him.  I  also 
knew  General  Brinton  in  our  corps,  and  1  know  that  his  record  is  equally 
good. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  They  were  good  soldiers,  ready  to  obey  orders  at  all  times  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  had  those  two  officers  had  the  management  of  this  affair, 
without  being  amenable  to  superiors,  much  of  the  destruction  would  have 
been  avoided. 

(,).  You  mean  Generals  Pearson  and  Brinton  ? 

A.  Yes;  they  had,  to  my  certain  knowledge,  years  of  experience  in  the 
army — active  experience  as  soldiers. 

Adjourned. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  259 


MORNING  SESSION. 

Pittsburgh,  Wednesday,  February  20,  1878. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  ten  o'clock,  A.  M.  Mr. 
Lindsey  in  the  chair.  All  the  members  present  except  Messrs.  Reyburn 
and  Torbert. 

Daniel  Corbus,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows : 

Examined  by  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  i-eside  ? 

A.  New  Brighton,  Beaver  county. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  resided  there  ? 

A.   I  was  born  there  in  1839. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Wire  drawer  by  trade. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  in  Pittsburgh  when  the  disturbances  of  last 
July  first  broke  out? 

A.  I  was  not  there  at  the  breaking  out  of  it.  I  arrived  here  the  same 
day,  about  a  quarter  past  one,  I  suppose — Liberty  street. 

Q.   State  what  you  saw  and  heard  ? 

A.  Saturday  night  the  news  was  very  exciting  out  home,  and  Sunday 
morning  at  eleven  o'clock  I  took  the  express  and  arrive  1  here  at  the  city — 
Federal  street — about  twelve  o'clock  I  should  judge  it  was.  Came  over 
to  Fifth  street  and  got  my  dinner.  Went  to  the  market-house  and  saw  a 
crowd  of  people  there.  Went  down  to  see  what  was  going  on,  and  found 
it  was  a  peace  convention. 

Q.  A  what  ? 

A.  A  peace  convention. 

Q.  At  what  point  was  that? 

A.  It  was  some  place  near  the  old  City  Hall — I  should  judge  it  was.  It 
was  in  the  street.  I  went  from  there  up  Liberty  street  until  I  met  the  fire. 
I  couldn't  state  how  far  it  was  from  the  Union  depot — how  many  squares 
it  was ;  but  I  stopped  at  the  first  crossing  below  the  last  car  that  was  on 
fire.  1  staid  there  until  a  car  load  of  spirits  exploded,  and  the  flames  ran 
down  from  there  about  a  hundred  feet. 

Q.  Where  was  this  explosion — at  what  point  ? 

A.  It  was  on  the  railroad  in  a  railroad  car. 

Q.  What  street  ? 

A.  It  was  on  Liberty  street — I  should  judge  that  was  the  street  that  the 
cars  go  out  of.  I  am  not  well  enough  acquainted  to  state  positively — it 
was  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad. 

Q.  Was  that  on  the  Alleghen}-  Valley  track  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  on  the  Pennsylvania  tracks. 

Q.  Near  what  cross  street? 

A.  That  I  am  not  well  enough  informed  to  know,  but  I  should  judge  it 
was  four  squares  above  the  Union  depot,  right  up  the  track. 

Q.  Four  squares  ? 

A.  Yes;  foursquares. 

Q.  Go  on  now? 

A.  While  standing  there  looking  at  the  flames  going  on,  I  made  a  remark 
to  some  person:  "Ain't  they  going  to  try  to  stop  it?"  and  he  said,  "no, 
we  don't  eare  anything  whether  it  is  stopped  or  not."  I  hadn't  staid  there 
long  until  I  heard  the  gong  of  a  hose  carriage.     The  crowd  didn't  seem 


260  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

disposed  to  give  way  or  do  anything — just  standing  in  the  road.  T  asked 
the  crowd  if  they  would  stand  back  and  let  the  hose  carriage  come  in.  I 
was  a  perfect  stranger  to  every  person  around.  There  was  a  movement 
made  in  the  ci'owd,  and  the  hose  carriage  came  up.  Sa3rs  I,  "  do  you  want 
any  assistance?"  says  he,  "yes."  Says  I,  "  give  me  the  end  of  the  hose 
and  I  will  make  the  attachment."  He  was  taking  it  off'  the  reel  and  one 
man  jumped  from  the  reel  and  went  to  the  plug,  and  him  and  I  made  the 
attachment.  The  reel  started  on — there  was  barrels  being  rolled  down  this 
street,  and  everything  was  in  confusion,  and  no  person  seemed  to  make  any 
effort  to  check  anything.  I  seen  that  the  hose  were  in  danger  of  being 
blocked,  and  I  told  some  parties  who  were  rolling  some  barrels  down, 
"  stop  that !  put  that  barrel  in  here."  They  stopped.  I  took  the  barrel 
out  of  their  hands,  and  rolled  it  into  the  gutter.  I  staid  there  for  ten  min- 
utes afterwards,  when  one  of  my  companions  came  along,  and  says  he,  "let 
us  get  out  of  here."  We  walked  on  down  do  the  Union  depot,  passed  the 
Union  depot  and  went  up  to,  I  should  judge  it  would  be  Washington  street, 
from  the  description  given — not  being  well  acquainted  with  the  streets — and 
stepped  into  a  segar  store,  got  some  segars,  and  told  the  proprietor  of  the 
store,  says  I,  "  I  think  you  had  better  move."  And  says  he,  "  no,  I  don't 
think  there  is  any  danger."  Says  I,  "in  a  couple  of  hours  you  will  be 
burned  out — they  ain't  making  any  effort  up  there  to  stop  it."  I  went  out, 
passed  around  on  to  the  side  of  the  hill  above  the  Union  depot,  where  I  had 
a  view  of  the  whole  transaction  that  was  going  on  ;  just  seen  the  burners 
going  along  and  doing  just  as  they  pleased,  having  everything  in  their  own 
hands.  I  was  on  the  side  of  the  hill  when  the  office  beyond  the  shed  at- 
tached to  the  Union  depot  building  was  set  on  fire. 

Q.  Did  you  see  it  set  on  fire  ? 

A.  I  seen  a  man  go  into  the  building,  and  in  a  few  minutes  I  seen  the 
flames  coming  out. 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  man  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  was  too  far  awa}\  The  smoke  coming  up  over  the  hill,  I 
moved  around  and  came  back,  then  down  to  the  Union  depot  by  the  same 
route  I  had  went  up,  and  there  stopped  by  the  elevator.  As  I  came  by 
the  Union  depot,  I  saw,  I  suppose,  twenty  armed  men  leaving  it,  some  with 
parts  of  uniform  on,  some  with  caps,  and  some  with  pants,  and  others  with 
citizens  overcoats.  They  were  going  through  the  gangway  to  the  hill, 
passing  out  of  the  side  entrance  to  the  gangwa}'  that  runs  across  the  Pan- 
Handle  road  on  to  the  hill.  I  stood  down  by  the  elevator,  and  saw  the 
parties  making  their  escape  from  the  upper  stories  of  the  Union  depot, 
and  then  I  got  in  conversation  with  a  gentleman  about  it.  Says  I,  "  I  sup- 
pose they  will  be  satisfied  when  that  is  burned."  "  No  ;"  says  he,  "  we  won't 
be  satisfied  until  this  elevator  is  down."  Says  I,  "  do  you  intend  to  burn 
this?"  Says  he,  "  everything  in  these  monopolies  has  got  to  burn" — he 
made  use  of  that  expression.  Says  he,  "  I  am  a  citizen  here,  and  I  own 
propertj7,  and  I  expect  to  help  pay  for  it."  Says  I,  "this  is  not  railroad 
property."  Says  he,  "  it  don't  make  a  damned  bit  of  difference,  it  has  got 
to  come  down  ;  it  is  a  monopoly,  and  we  are  tired  of  it." 

Q.   Did  you  know  that  man  ? 

A.  I  am  personally  acquainted  with  him,  but  I  would  rather  not  give  his 
name  publicly. 

Q.  I  think  we  ought  to  have  his  name  ? 

A.  I  would  give  it  to  you  privately.  He  is  a  friend  of  mine  from  bo}T- 
hood  up.  I  can  give  you  his  name,  and  you  can  have  him  before  you.  I 
would  like  to  be  excused  from  giving  his  name  publicly. 

Q.   What  kind  of  a  citizen  is  he — what  is  his  business  standing? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187 T.  261 

A.  He  is  a  machinist,  and  of  good  character,  so  far  as  I  know. 

Q.  How  long  has  he  resided  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh? 

A.  I  suppose  he  must  have  resided  in  this  neighborhood  for  twenty  years. 

Q.  Does  he  work  in  the  railroad  shops  as  a  machinist  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  one  of  the  city  shops. 

Q.  How  old  a  man  is  he  ? 

A.  I  suppose  he  would  be  between  thirty-five  and  forty  years.  About 
near  my  age.  We  were  boys  together  when  we  were  in  Brighton,  and  he 
came  to  the  city. 

Q.  A  man  of  family  ? 

A.  Yes ;  he  is  a  man  of  family. 

Q.  He  said  he  expected  to  help  pay  for  it? 

A.  He  says,  "  I  expect  to  help  pay  for  it." 

Q.  Did  he  set  fire  then  to  the  elevator  ? 

A.  Oh  !  no,  sir. 

Q.  Who  did  fire  that? 

A.  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  Did  he  take  any  part  ? 

A.  No  ;  he  didn't  seem  to  take  any  part.  He  seemed  to  know  and  under- 
stand what  was  going  to  be  done,  though. 

Q.  Was  he  leading  or  giving  directions  in  any  way  to  the  crowd  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  He  stood  with  me  in  the  crowd  back.  He  seemed  to  know 
certain  parties  that  were  in  it,  although  he  mentioned  no  names. 

Q.  Did  he  say  where  the  parties  were  from  that  were  in  it  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  he  made  that  remark — said  he,  "  Our  shop  boys  came  home  this 
morning  tired  out  with  the  night's  work." 

Q.  With  Saturday  night's  work,  did  he  allude  to  ? 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Our  shop  boys  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  shop  was  that  he  alluded  to  ? 

A.  Jones  &  Laughus,  I  believe — the  American  iron  works. 

Q.  How  many  men  do  the  American  iron  works  employ,  do  you  know  ? 

A.  I  can  only  give  an  estimate  of  the  reports — from  one  thousand  five 
hundred  to  two  thousand.  They  are  very  large  works.  I  have  been 
through  them. 

Q.  When  he  said,"  our  boys  came  home  tired  out  from  last  night's  work," 
what  work  did  he  allude  to  ? 

A.  The  conversation  was  on  this  burning  altogether — on  the  destruction 
of  the  property.     My  inference  was  that  it  was  the  work  we  had  witnessed. 

Q.  Were  you  talking  about  any  other  subject  at  the  time  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  nothing  but  the  disturbance  then  in  progress. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  attempt  while  you  were  there  to  destroy  or  set  fire 
to  individual  property? 

A.  No  :  I  did  not. 

Q.  When  you  arrived  at  the  scene  of  the  riot,  how  large  a  crowd  was 
there  ? 

A.  On  the  streets — it  would  be  impossible  to  judge  the  number. 

Q.   Engaged  in  actual  burning  and  rioting  ? 

A.   I  think  twenty-five  good  men  would  have  cleaned  the  crowd  out. 

Q.  I  asked  you  how  large  the  crowd  was  ? 

A.  Averaging  from  three  to  five  hundred,  not  over  that — boys — young, 
fellows. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  efforts  made  by  anybody  to  stop  the  burning  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  an  effort. 


)  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  See  any  policemen  around  there  ? 

A.  I  saw  two  or  three  policemen  about  two  squares  below,  but  none  in 
the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  burning. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  sheriff  or  any  posse  about  ? 

A.  I  did  not — no  person  in  authority,  or  any  person  using  any  authority*. 

Q.  When  you  attempted  to  make  the  connection,  were  you  interfered 
with  in  any  way? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  not  in  the  least. 

Q.  When  you  undertook  to  stop  the  rolling  down  of  barrels,  what  seemed 
to  be  the  feeling  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  They  just  stopped  and  let  me  have  my  own  way. 

Q.  Obeyed  orders  ? 

A.  Obeyed  orders. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  effort  to  stop  those  that  were  setting  fire  to  prop- 
erty and  burning  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not;  I  held  back  from  them  on  account  of  not  being 
a  citizen  of  the  town. 

Q.  The  crowd  that  was  standing  around,  of  whom  were  they  composed  ? 

A.  They  seemed  to  be  composed  of  the  better  class  of  citizens  of  the 
two  cities,  you  could  see — quiet,  orderly. 

Q.  Were  there  any  women  and  children  among  them  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  there  wore  a  great  number. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  business  men  of  the  city  standing  about  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  can't  say  that  I  did.  I  am  not  well  enough  acquainted 
with  the  business  men  of  the  city  to  know  whether  there  was  any  in  the 
crowd  or  not. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  mayor? 

A.  I  havn't  seen  the  mayor  to  know  him  since  1860;  I  probably  would 
not  know  him  on  the  street. 

Q.  Did  you  find  any  difficulty  in  getting  into  the  city  that  day,  from 
New  Brighton,  Beaver  county? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  found  no  difficulty  at  all.  Trains  came  in  on  time.  At 
the  Allegheny  depot  the  strikers  boarded  the  train  and  run  it  to  Federal 
street  station,  and  said  they  would  not  run  it  over  to  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Did  the  trains  go  out  on  the  roads  leading  west  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  went  out  whenever  Boss  Ammon,  as  he  was  called,  said 
that  train  should  go. 

Q.  He  allowed  the  passenger  trains  to  run  ? 

A.  No  interference,  so  far  as  I  know,  in  regard  to  passenger  trains.  I 
had  no  trouble  at  all  in  getting  home. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anything  of  General  Latta  that  day  ? 

A.  1  did  not;  I  am  not  personally  acquainted  with  him  :  probably  might 
have  seen  him,  and  not  known  him. 

Q.  Were  y ou  at  the  city  hall  that  day  or  any  other  day  ? 

A.  I  was  at  the  city  hall  at  seven  o'clock,  Monday  morning. 

Q.  Who  was  there  ? 

A.  I  can  say  that  the  mayor  was  not  there,  as  I  heard  him  inquired  for 
half  a  dozen  times.     The  rest  were  strangers  to  me. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  chief  of  police  or  any  of  the  officials  there  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge — there  was  not.  I  made  inquiry  for  the  chiet 
of  police — if  the  chief  of  police  was  in.  and  I  was  told  he  was  not. 

Q.   What  class  of  people  were  there? 

A.  They  seemed  to  be  employe's  around  there,  or  some  persons  that 
seem  to  be  well  acquainted  with  the  office;  they  were  sitting  there. 

(J.   Tell  us  what  you  heard  said  there  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  263 

A.  I  went  into  the  chief  of  police's  office — the  left  hand  entrance  going 
into  the  city  hall — and  seen  one  gentlemen  that  I  was  slightly  acquainted 
with,  Mr.  Carrigan,  and  spoke  to  him.  He  got  np  and  went  out.  There 
were  two  or  thi'ee  gentlemen — strangers — I  got  into  conversation  with  them 
about  it,  and  one  of  them,  a  large,  tall  man,  with  heavy  black  whiskers, 
says  lie,  "  We  won't  be  satisfied  here  until  this  track  is  torn  up  to  the 
point."  He  brought  his  fist  down  ;  says  he,  "  We  have  been  imposed  on 
long  enough." 

Q.  Until  the  track  was  torn  up  to  the  point — what  track  did  he  refer  to  : 

A.  He  mentioned  the  Liberty  street  track? 

Q.  What  was  referred  to  by  the  word  "  point?" 

A.  I  suppose  it  is  the  old  Duquesne  depot  on  the  point. 

Qr.   At  the  junction  of  the  Allegheny  and  Monongahela? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  He  referred  to  the  Liberty  street  track  ? 

A.  Referred  to  the  Liberty  street  track  to  be  torn  up  to  satisfy  the 
citizens. 

Q.  Who  was  the  man  ? 

A.  I  can't  name  him.     He  was  a  stranger  to  me. 

Q,.  Do  you  know  where  he  belonged  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know,  but  judged  from  his  conversation  that  he  belonged 
to  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  from  the  manner  in  which  he  used  that  expres- 
sion. 

Q.  What  else  did  you  hear  said  there? 

A.  People  were  commenting  about  it  in  general  terms.  I  came  down 
Sunday  night,  after  the  fire  had  got  cooled  down  somewhat.  I  went  to 
the  Saint  James  hotel,  opposite  the  Union  depot,  to  take  a  look.  I  went 
out  of  curiosity,  and  got  in  over  the  hot  coals,  so  as  to  have  it  said  that 
I  ate  a  meal  in  the  Saint  James  while  it  was  hot.  1  walked  all  around  the 
burned  district ;  that  is,  the  elevator,  Union  depot,  and  Pan  Handle  yard, 
watched  the  firemen,  went  down  to  where  the  firemen  were  playing  on  the 
ruins,  and  came  down  then  through  what  is  known  as  the  metal  yard,  and 
there  I  heard  a  conversation  amongst  the  men.  I  couldn't  tell  you  the  exact 
number,  but  I  should  think  there  was  a  hundred  and  fifty  congregated 
around  there,  some  of  them  dead  drunk,  and  some  half  drunk,  and  some 
of  them  drunk  enough  to  go  any  place.  I  heard  them  say:  "We  must 
go  to  this  place.  There  is  no  police,  and  they  won't  interfere  with  us 
any  way. 

Q.  What  place  did  he  refer  to  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  what  place  they  referred  to.  I  thought  it  was  a  rather 
dangerous  place  for  me,  being  without  any  arms,  any  more  than  natural 
fists,  and  I  didn't  stay  any  longer. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  conversation,  while  at  the  city  hall,  from  the 
mayor's  clerks  in  reference  to  the  riot  and  burning  ? 

A.  No ;  I  don't  know  as  I  did.  There  was  a  gentleman  came  in  there, 
and  inquired  for  the  mayor.  Says  he  :  "  There  is  a  big  lot  of  miners  coining 
down  here,"  and,  saj's  he, "  we  don't  know  what  to  do."  He  inquired  where 
he  was,  and  wanted  something  done  to  stop  them.  No  person  seemed  to 
know  what  to  do. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  at  the  city  hall  ? 

A.  I  remained  there  until  Monday  evening — at  the  city  hall  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  Probably  I  was  there  an  hour. 

Q.  Was  the  mayor  away  all  the  time  that  you  were  there? 


2^4  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  didn't  hear  of  the  mayor  coming  in  while  I  was  there  at  all.     He 
might  have  went  to  his  office  while  I  was  in  there. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  What  time  were  3^011  at  the  city  hall  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning — Monday  morn- 
ing. 

Q.  When  you  went  into  the  tobacco  store,  and  told  this  man  he  had 
better  be  moving,  what  reply  did  he  make  ? 

A.  Says  he:  "I  think  not.  They  won't  let  it  come  down  this  far  will 
they?" 

By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  How  did  you  happen  to  be  here  ? 

A.  I  came  up  on  purpose  to  see  it.     Heard  of  it  at  home,  and  came  up. 

Q.  On  purpose  to  see  the  riot  ? 

A.  On  purpose  to  see  what  was  going  on,  like  hundreds  of  others. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  This  man  that  was  in  the  city  hall  that  said  they  would  not  be  satis- 
fied until  the  track  was  torn  up  down  to  the  point — was  he  dressed  in  citi- 
zen's clothes. 

A.  Yes;  I  judged  by  his  dress  and  conversation  that  he  was  a  resident 
of  the  place. 

Q.  Did  the  other  men  make  any  reply  when  he  made  that  remark  ? 

A.  No  ;  no  reply  was  made. 

Q.  You  would  take  him  then  to  be  a  citizen  of  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  many  men  from  Beaver  county  came  up  ? 

A.  Indeed,  I  could  hardly  state — I  should  judge  a  hundred  or  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty. 

Q.  At  the  same  time? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  some  of  them  were  railroad  men  down  there,  and  were  in- 
terested here. 

Q.  Were  they  with  you  at  the  time  you  had  the  conversation  with  that 
man  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  at  that  time  I  was  by  myself. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Yon  spoke  about  some  armed  men  you  saw  going  up  the  hill — did 
you  ascertain  who  they  were  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  did  not.  I  was  told  they  wei'e  some  Philadelphia  men 
that  had  been  left  in  there. 

Q.  Left  in  the  depot  ? 

A.  Left  in  the  depot  as  a  guard. 

Q.  How  were  they  uniformed  ? 

A.  Some  had  caps  on,  some  pants — I  would  judge  they  belonged  to  the 
soldiers,  on  account  of  the  weapons  they  had  in  their  hands — the}^  were 
breech-loaders. 

Q.  Did  the}T  make  any  effort  to  prevent  any  destruction  of  property  ? 

A.  In  what  way. 

Q.  You  spoke  about  marching  along  the  hill,  or  up  the  hill  ? 

A.  When  I  spoke  about  them  they  were  escaping  from  the  Union  depot. 
At- that  time  the  flames  were  coming  in  from  the  shed.  They  were  going 
over  the  hill  towards  the  reservoir. 

Q.  This  man  you  had  the  conversation  with  down  at  the  municipal  hall, 
at  the  office  of  the  chief  of  police,  did  he  appear  to  be  connected  with  the 
office  there  in  any  way  ? 

A.  Well,  indeed  I  can't  say.     He  was  in  this  office,  and  I  struck  up  a 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  265 

conversation  with  him.  I  don't  know  how  we  got  to  talking  about  it.  I 
spoke  to  Mr.  Carrigan,  the  only  one  I  knew.  He  went  out,  and  there  was 
no  other  person  I  had  conversation  with  but  him,  and  he  seemed  to  be  at 
home. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  Mr.  Carrigan  lives  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  What  is  Carrigan's  name  ? 

A.  I  can't  tell  you  that. 

Q.  Does  he  live  here  in  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  believe  he  does. 

Q.  Can  you  give  his  place  of  business  or  residence  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  can't  do  that.     I  met  him  on  special  duty  at  one  time — 
he  appeared  to  be  connected  with  the  detective  force  at  one  time  here. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Can  you  name  any  gentlemen  that  came  up  from  Beaver  with  you  ? 

A.  Mr.  Robinson. 

Q.  What  is  his  first  name  ? 

A.  Hugh  Robinson. 

Q.   Any  other  ? 

A.  Mr.  Edgar. 

Q.  Mr.  Edgar — what  is  his  first  name? 

A.  John  P. 

Q.  Who  else  ? 

A.  Mr.  Jagger. 

Q.  What  is  his  first  name? 

A.  Fred. 

Q.  All  these  men  were  with  you  on  the  ground  ? 

A.  They  were  scattered  through  the  crowd.     I  was  separated  from  them 
pretty  much  all  the  time.     Only  just  occasionally  we  would  meet. 

Q.  Are  they  from  the  town  of  Beaver  ? 

A.  New  Brighton. 

Q.  Any  others  ? 

A.  There  was  Major  Henry,  from  Beaver,  and  Mr.  Macombcr,  of  Beaver 
Falls  file  works. 

Doctor  Edward  Donnelly,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows: 
Examined  of  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside? 

A.  Reside  at  62  Stevenson  street.     My  office  is  133  Grand  street. 

Q.  You  are  a  practising  physician  in  city  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Just  go  on  and  make  a  brief  statement  of  what  you  saw  in  relation 
to  the  riots  ? 

A.  My  first  knowledge  of  the  riots  was  on  Saturday,  the  21st  of  July, 
about  an  hour  or  so  previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  troops  from  the  east. 
I  was  induced  to  go  to  Twent3T-eighth  street,  hearing  that  there  was  a  large 
concourse  of  people  assemble  there,  and  they  were  there  for  the  purpose 
of  pi'eventing  any  trains  leaving  the  city — any  freight  trains,  and  having 
the  dread  of  riots  before  my  eyes — I  had  seen  other  riots  in  Philadelphia, 
in  1844 — I  apprehended  that  there  might  be  some  little  difficulty,  and  as 
1  have  some  influence  with  the  Irish  portion  of  the  people  of  the  city,  I 
thought  it  my  duty  to  go  there,  and  try  to  induce  them  to  leave  the  place, 
and  not  enter  into  any  measures  that  would  tend  to  criminate  themselves 
or  break  the  laws  of  the  country.  That  was  the  reason  I  went  there.  When 
I  arrived  at  the  ground — I  drove  out  in  my  buggy — when  I  arrived  there,  I 


266  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

found  about  fifteen  hundred  people.  I  presume,  assembled — fifteen  hundred 
to  two  thousand,  and  several  companies  of  soldiers — the  Fourteenth  regi- 
ment, Greys,  I  believe,  some  of  them,  and  the  Nineteenth.  I  am  not  sure  that 
there  was  any  Greys  there — I  think  it  was  the  Fourteenth  and  the  Nineteenth 
regiments.  I  saw  Colonel  Grey's  command  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  and 
I  inquired  of  him  who  had  charge  of  the  troops  here,  as  they  were  in  rather 
a  disorderly  condition,  I  consider,  in  a  military  point  of  view.  They  were 
mingling  freely  with  the  crowd  in  groups  here  and  there,  and  seemed  to 
have  no  order  or  discipline  amongst  them.  They  told  me  General  Brown 
had  command  ;  and  I  then  went  down  amongst  the  crowd  on  the  railroad 
track,  where  Twenty-eighth  street  intersects  the  road,  and  I  met  General 
Brown,  and  inquired  of  him  if  lie  was  in  command  of  the  troops.  He  said 
he  was.  Said  I,  "you  are  not  in  military  uniform — you  have  no  uniform 
on."  He  was  dressed  as  a  citizen.  I  thought  it  was  a  very  remarkable 
thing.  He  then  asked  me  if  I  would  make  a  speech  to  the  crowd,  so  as  to 
disperse  them,  or  induce  them  to  disperse,  and  leave  the  track  free  for  the 
cars  to  go  out — engines  and  so  on.  I  told  him  that  I  did  not  think  it  was 
my  place,  but  if  it  would  be  of  any  benefit  I  would  certainly  do  so  ;  and  he 
said  "  yes,"  he  thought  it  would  be.  necessary,  because  there  was  troops 
coming  from  Philadelphia  and  Easton ;  that  the  railroad  company  had  sent 
for  troops  to  disperse  any  mob  that  would  attempt  to  interfere  with  the 
running  of  trains ;  and,  perhaps,  it  would  be  best,  in  order  to  prevent  any 
disturbance,  for  me  to  address  the  crowd  to  that  effect.  I  hesitated  some- 
what, and  inquired  then  before  I  consented.  Said  I,  "  who  is  the  leader  of 
the  strikers?"  Said  he  "there  he  is,"  pointing  to  a  tall  man  that  was 
very  busy  in  the  crowd,  making  motions  with  his  fingers  to  his  companions 
— that  is,  trainmen,  firemen,  and  engineers.  Said  I  "call  him  here  and 
see  what  he  sajs  about  my  addressing  this  crowd."  This  man  was  called, 
and  he  also  thought  it  advisable  for  me  to  do  so — they  did  not  want  any 
disturbance,  and  they  would  like  the  crowd  to  disperse — they  could  man- 
age this  business  themselves  without  any  outsiders  ;  and  at  this  solicitation 
of  Brown,  and  this  chief  man  amongst  the  strikers,  I  got  up  on  the  steps 
of  a  small  oil  house,  that  is  fronting  the  round-house — standing  there  yet 
— and  I  addressed  the  crowd  present,  and  what  I  said  on  that  da}r  to  them 
was  published  in  the  afternoon  paper — in  the  Leader — I  have  a  copy  of  it 
here.  I  told  them  that  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  disperse — if  you  would 
like  to  here  the  exact  words  I  would  read  them  for  you. 

Q.  Is  it  lengthy  ? 

A.  No.  sir;  it  is  very  short.  It  was  so  to  the  point  at  the  time  that  I 
thought  it  best  to  preserve  it,  and  this  is  copied  from  the  Leader  of  the 
21st,  the  afternoon  of  the  day  of  the  occurrence,  and  this  address  was  de- 
livered about  one  hour  before  the  arrival  of  the  troops.  The  reporter  says 
he  addressed — that  is,  Doctor  Donnelly — addressed  the  strikers  as  his  fel- 
low-countrymen. I  did  so  because  I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  addressing 
Irishmen  in  public  meetings,  and  it  was  more  of  a  habit  thai,  anything  else. 
Instead  of  saying  "fellow-citizens,"  I  said  countrymen  ;  not  because  they 
were  all  Irish,  but  because  it  is  a  habit  I  had  in  using  that  term,  and  ex- 
horted them  not  to  resort  to  violence.  "No  striker,"  he  said.  "  had  ever 
yet  succeeded  where  violence  was  resorted  to.  Violence  was  invariably 
met  with  violence,  and  ended  in  the  discomfiture  of  the  strikers.  It.  was 
opposed  and  contrary  to  the  fundamental  laws  of  the  land.  He  entreated 
them  to  maintain  law  and  order.  To  reflect  before  taking  any  rash  step,  and 
to  remember  that  law-breakers  must,  in  the  natural  course  of  things,  suffer. 
He  urged  them  to  be  prudent  upon  the  arrival  of  the  troops  from  the  east. 
The  troops  from  Philadelphia,  said  he,  and  the  troops  from  Easton  and 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  267 

elsewhere  are  not  to  you  like  the  Dnquesne  Greys  or  the  Fourteenth  regi- 
ment or  the  Nineteenth  regiment.  They  are  not,  I  might  say,  your  brothers. 
Yon  cannot  go  to  them  and  take  their  hands  and  say  to  them,  'how  are  yon, 
Jim  V  or  '  how  are  yon,  Tom  V  or  "  how  is  it  with  }rou,  Patrick  ?'  These 
men  will  come  here  strangers  to  yon,  and  they  will  come  here  regarding 
you  as  we  regarded  the  rebels  during  the  rebellion,  and  there  will  be  no 
friendly  feeling  between  you  and  them.  For  this  reason,  I  implore  you, 
for  God's  sake,  to  stand  back  when  they  arrive.  To  stand  off  and  allow 
your  leaders,  who  hold  the  throttle  of  this  movement,  to  deal  with  them. 
For  this  reason  I  implore  those  of  you  who  have  no  business  here  to  go 
home  to  your  families.  It  is  your  duty  to  do  so.  It  is  your  duty  to  them, 
to  your  country,  and  to  the  laws  of  your  country.  Leave  the  matter  in 
the  hands  of  your  leaders,  who  know  what  is  for  the  best,  better  than  you 
do,  and  you  will  leave  it  in  good  hands.  I  have  been  assured  of  this.  I 
have  been  informed  by  the  men  who  are  leading  this  strike  that  they  will 
exercise  the  greatest  caution  and  forbearance  when  the  soldiers  arrive,  and 
I  entreat  yon  to  stand  back,  and  let  them  manage  the  thing  in  their  own 
way."     That  was  the  import  of  it. 

Q.  Were  you  near  Twenty-eighth  street  when  you  made  that? 

A.  I  was  right  amongst  them,  sir. 

Q.  At  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  At  Twenty-eighth  street  and  the  round-house.     The  crowd  was  be- 
tween the  round-house  and  myself — some  fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand, 
including  soldiers  and  all. 
By  Mr.  Yutzy : 

Q.  It  was  on  the  steps  of  the  watch-box? 

A.  I  was  on  the  steps  of  a  small  building  where  oil  is  kept.     The  steps 
are  high  up,  and  I  had  a  good  location  and  a  good  view  of  the  surround- 
ings.    They  listened  very  patiently,  and  as  there  was  a  great  number  of 
women  and  children  among  them,  I  deemed  it  my  duty  to  warn  them. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Before  you  go  on,  state  to  us  what  effect  this  address  had  upon  them  ? 

A.  It  seemed  to  have  a  good  effect  upon  them  as  far  as  the  women  and 
children,  and  a  great  number  of  men  retired  and  went  away ;  and  there 
was  a  kindly  feeling  apparent  amongst  the  people  and  amongst  the  soldiers 
that  were  there.  There  was  no  evidence  of  violence,  nor  none  apprehended, 
except  when  the  troops  would  arrive  from  the  east.  The  only  fear  that 
appeared  to  exist  amongst  the  bystanders  and  those  I  conversed  with,  was 
a  conflict  between  the  eastern  troops  and  the  people. 

Q.  Were  the  troops — the  soldiers  of  the  Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth 
regiments — mixed  up  with  the  crowd  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Yes;  there  was  neither  order  nor  discipline  amongst  them. 

Q.  Did  they  have  their  arms  with  them  ? 

A.  They  had  some  arms  on  the  ground.  Some  had  them  with  them 
and  some  were  stacked  in  different  places  along  the  side  of  the  hill  and  at 
the  bottom  of  the  hill. 

Q.  Were  they  dressed  in  uniform  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  with  the  exception  of  General  Brown,  who  was  in  citizen's 
dress,  and  he  was  the  commandei'-in-chief.  I  inquired  for  General  Pear- 
son.    I  understood  he  was  with  the  Philadelphia  troops. 

Q.  Go  on,  now,  Doctor. 

A.  My  address  seemed  to  have  considerable  influence  with  the  strikers 
and  trainmen  and  others  ;  and  they  had  their  meeting-place  on  Penn  street, 
near  Twenty-eighth.  I  think  it  was  over  a  segar  store ;  and  I  was  request- 
ed to  meet  them  that  afternoon.     I  did  so,  and  they  delegated  me  to  wait 


268  Report  of  Committee.  []Sto.  29, 

on  the  officials  of  the  road  to  make  terms,  to  put  an  end  to  any  further 
disturbances.  They  requested  me  to  see  Mr.  Thaw.  I  think  he  is  an  of- 
ficial of  the  road,  one  of  the  vice  presidents,  if  I  am  not  mistaken — Wil- 
liam Thaw,  I  think  his  name  is,  and  Mr.  McCullough  and  Mr.  Layng.  I 
went  to  Mr.  Thaw's  house  two  or  three  times,  but  was  unable  to  find  him. 
I  then  went  to  Allegheny,  and  met  Mr.  Layng  and  Colonel  McCullough, 
and  told  them  what  the  strikers  wanted,  and  endeavored  to  persuade  them 
to  meet  the  strikers  or  to  make  some  promise  that  would  put  an  end  to 
further  difficulty  and  trouble,  or  the  shooting  of  people  or  destruction  of 
property.  They  were  both  together,  and  I  conversed  with  them,  and  I 
gave  them  the  terms  the  strikers  had  authorized  me  to  make.  I  took  it 
from  the  strikers  and  wrote  it  down  in  pencil  at  the  time,  and  it  is  here — 
the  terms  they  wished  me  to  propose  to  the  officers  of  the  road,  to  Mr. 
Thaw  and  Colonel  Scott,  if  he  was  in  town.  After  informing  these  gen- 
tlemen what  the  strikers  demanded,  they  told  me  they  could  do  nothing 
in  the  matter  whatever — it  was  above  their  power  to  do  anything. 

Q.  You  may  read  what  the  strikers  demanded. 

A.  This  is  what  they  demanded  :  "Authorized  by  strikers  to  visit  Col- 
onel McCullough  and  Mr.  Layng  to  effect  a  compromise  on  the  basis  of 
taking  off  double-headers ;  same  wages  as  prior  to  June  1,  1877  ;  each  man 
to  receive  his  position  prior  to  strike." 

Q.  Retain  his  position  prior  to  strike — receive  or  retain  ? 

A.  They  said  receive  at  that  time — "  classification  of  engines  done  away 
witli  ;  each  engineer  to  receive  first-class  wages,  same  as  prior  to  June  1, 
1877  ;  each  engine,  road  or  shifting,  to  have  own  fireman  " — that  was  the 
conditions  on  which  they  wished  to  make  a  compromise  with  the  officials 
of  the  road,  and  by  all  means  to  endeavor  to  have  them  meet  them,  so  as 
to  make  some  kind  of  a  compromise.  Their  great  object  seemed  to  be  to 
have  a  conference  with  the  officials. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  get  that  proposition  ? 

A.  It  was  in  the  afternoon  of  Saturday. 

Q.  Before  the  collision  with  the  troops  ? 

A.  It  was  after  the  collision.  I  had  not  heard  of  the  collision  at  that 
time.  I  had  been  hunting  Mr.  Thaw  in  the  afternoon,  and  then  had  gone 
to  Allegheny,  and  I  had  to  procure  the  aid  of  a  gentleman  to  go  with  me 
to  learn  where  Mr.  McCullough  and  Mr.  Layng  lived. 

Q.  Did  you  get  the  proposition  before  the  collision  from  the  strikers? 

A.  The  strikers  gave  me  the  proposition  previous  to  the  collision,  I 
think. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  present  it  ? 

A.  I  presented  it — it  must  have  been,  perhaps,  four  o'clock  or  five — it 
was  in  the  afternoon. 

Q.  What  response  did  you  get — reply  ? 

A.  They  told  me  they  could  do  nothing  at  all  in  the  matter,  nor  did  they 
seemed  disposed  to  do  anything.  They  conversed  about  the  matter  as  in- 
differently as  if  it  was  a  thing  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic — took  no 
interest  in  it,  but  referred  me  to  President  Scott. 

Q.  Did  you  return  to  Twenty-eighth  street  that  night  again — Saturday 
night? 

A.  I  did,  sir;  went  there  several  times.  I  reported  the  interview,  and 
they  said  they  would  try  to  meet  tin-  officers — they  would  meet  the  officers 
at  East  Liberty,  and  that  they  had  sent  out  word  to  some  of  the  officers 
— T  think  Mr.  Pitcairn  and  some  other  officers — to  meet  them  at  East  Lib- 
erty, and  they  had  gone  out  there.  Tins  was  late  in  the  evening.  They 
had  gone  out  to  East  Liberty,  but  they  could  get  no  satisfaction  out  of  the 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  269 

officers  there  ;  and  they  had  also  telegraphed  to  Mr.  Scott,  president  of  the 
road,  and  had  received  no  answer,  and  that  they  had  used  every  means  in 
their  power  to  make  some  compromise  with  the  officers  of  the  road,  but 
had  failed. 

Q.  Were  you  present  when  the  fire  occurred  and  the  first  car  was  fired  ? 
A.  No,  sir  ;  I  was  not  present  at  any  firing.  I  was  pretty  late  that  even- 
ing out  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  there  was  an  immense  concourse  of 
people  all  along  Liberty  street  for  several  squares,  but,  as  I  had  my  horse 
with  me  I  did  not  go  amongst  them  at  all  on  the  tracks.  I  merely  re- 
ported my  interview  between  myself  and  Colonel  McCullough  and  Mr. 
Layng,  and  I  then  went  home. 

Q.  Your  effort  was  particularly  confined  to  adjusting  the  compromise 
and  difficulty  between  the  strikers  and  the  railroad  ? 
A.  Railroad  officials  at  that  time. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  negotiations  with  the  mayor  about  additional 
policemen  '( 

A.  That  Saturday  I  had  not.  On  Saturday  I  had  not,  but  on  the  next 
morning,  Sunday  morning,  I  was  very  active,  indeed,  to  endeavor  to  raise 
and  organize  a  vigilance  committee  for  the  purpose  of  suppressing  the  riot 
and  saving  the  property  of  the  railroad  company,  and  other  property  ; 
dreading  that  the  city  would  be  set  on  fire  and  plundered  by  mobs. 
By  Mr.  Yutzy  : 
Q.  These  railroad  officials  you  called  to  see  in  Allegheny — General  Mc- 
Cullough and  Thaw  and  Layng — what  railroad  company  are  they  connected 
with  ?     Pennsylvania  Central  ? 

A.  They  are  all  connected  with  the  same  company.  I  presume  they 
represent  the  Cleveland  and  Cincinnati — that  western  part  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Central. 

Q.  Pennsylvania  Company — not  the  Pennsylvania  Central  ? 
A.  I  didn't  know  that  there  was  any  difference.     Mr.  Thaw  is  certainly 
connected  with   the  Pennsylvania  Central.     I  think  he  is  one  of  the  vice 
presidents. 

Q.  The  Pennsylvania  Company  managed  the  road  west  of  Pittsburgh? 
A.  I  don't  really  know  what  their  positions  were.     I  was  solicited  by 
these  men  to  interview  them,  supposing  that  they  were  the  proper  authori- 
ties in  the  matter.     Mr.   Thaw   was    proper  authority  in  the  absence  of 
Colonel  Scott  or  other  officials  that  could  not  be  found. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 
Q.   What  success  did  you  meet  with  in  trying  to  organize  a  force  on  Sun- 
day morning  ? 

A.  On  Sunday  morning  the  citizens  met  near  the  old  city  hall  and 
formed  a  kind  of  organization  there,  and  finally  adjourned  to  the  new  city 
hall,  and  there  we  organized  a  committee  of  safety,  composed  of  citizens, 
to  take  measures  to  assist  the  mayor — employ  a  force  of  policemen,  as  he 
was  very  deficient  in  a  police  force  at  the  time,  and  had  but  a  few  men  on 
duty;  and  the  object  was  to  organize  a  strong  police  force  to  aid  and 
assist  the  mayor  in  suppressing  the  riot,  which  then  had  become  very 
alarming.  We  were  all  clay  nearly  in  doing  a  very  little.  The  citizens 
seemed  to  be  panic  stricken,  and  there  seemed  to  be  no  head  at  all  in  the 
city  amongst  the  officials  or  amongst  the  people.  The  mayor  seemed  to 
be  powerless.  The  sheriff,  I  believe,  had  ran  away,  and,  in  fact,  we 
seemed  to  have  no  cit}'  government  for  the  protection  of  the  city  or  the 
people. 

Q.  What  did  the  mayor  do  in  the  way  of  assisting  in  this  organization  ? 
A.  The  mayor — he  didn't  do  a  great  deal,  he  seemed  to  be  running  around 


270  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

at  one  thing  and  another,  and  he  seemed  to  be  so  confused  and  incapable 
of  organizing  anything,  that  he  really  did  do  nothing.  1  understood  there 
was  two  companies  of  troops  come  down  from  up  the  Monongahela  in  charge 
of  an  old  array  companion  of  mine.  I  suggested  that  he  had  better  try  to 
get  those  two  companies,  and  take  them  down  where  the  riot  was  going  on, 
and  do  something.  We  found  that  these  troops  had  returned  again,  and  the}- 
were  not  there,  and  we  came  back  again,  and,  finding  that  the  riot  was  still 
going  on  and  nothing  being  done,  he  authorized  me  to  collect  as  many  cit- 
izens as  I  possibly  could,  and  go  down  there  and  see  if  we  could  suppress 
the  disturbance,  and  I  organized  about  sixty  men,  composed  parti}' of  law- 
yers, a  few  physicians,  and  other  gentlemen,  who  were  determined  to  use 
every  effort  to  suppress  the  disturbance  ;  and  we  first  armed  ourselves  with  . 
axe  handles,  which  a  gentleman  on  Wood  street  procured  for  us  out  of  his 
store.  I  considered  that  didn't  look  very  military,  and  somebod}'  suggested 
that  there  were  rifles  at  the  Western  University,  up  on  Diamond  street,  and 
we  concluded  to  make  a  raid  on  the  university.  We  did  so,  with  the  sanc- 
tion of  the  mayor,  and  we  got  the  rifles,  and  then  there  was  no  ammuni- 
tion, and  we  put  the  ba3^onets  on  them,  and  with  a  company  of  sixty  men, 
and  myself  as  the  colonel — I  had  been  commissioned  by  the  maj-or  to  act 
as  such — we  marched  down  to  the  scene  of  the  riot  and  arson,  each  gentle- 
man had  a  white  handkerchief  tied  on  his  arm  to  distinguish  them  from 
the  rest  of  the  crowd  that  was  there  assembled — it  may  look  very  ludicrous 
just  now,  but  it  was  a  very  serious  matter  then.  We  marched  down  amongst 
them,  and  the  crowd  sort  of  stood  to  one  side  and  let  us  pass  through.  I 
arranged  the  men  on  each  side  of  Liberty  street,  where  I  supposed  they 
were  going  to  set  fire  to  the  large  stores.  At  that  time  the  grain  elevator 
had  been  destroyed,  and  the  property  adjoining  the  metal  yard,  adjoining 
this  large  ware-house,  was  also  on  fire.  There  was  a  fence  running  from 
the  middle  yard  up  to  one  of  the  stores,  I  proposed  to  some  of  the  rioters 
present  to  tear  that  fence  down  and  save  that  property,  two  or  three  of 
them  said,  well,  what  do  3rou  want,  I  said  we  didn't  want  private  propert}T 
destroyed,  so  a  gang  of  them  went  over  and  tore  the  fence  down,  and  the 
flames  didn't  extend  any  further  in  that  direction.  After  staying  there 
some  time,  and  seeing  that  there  was  no  evidence  of  breaking  into  stores 
or  setting  fire  to  private  property,  we  retired  ;  that  is,  we  retreated  to  the 
city  hall,  and  stacked  our  arms  in  the  building,  and  dispersed  for  the  night. 
The  next  morning  we  were  not  organized  again,  the  city  seemed  pretty 
quiet,  and  the  crowd  had  understood  that  the  citizens  were  taking  an  active 
part  in  protecting  the  city. 

Q.  Let  me  ask  you  a  question  there.  Supposing  you  had  arrived  with 
your  regiment — you  say  you  were  a  commissioned  colonel — suppose  you 
had  arrived  on  the  ground  before  the  fire  reached  the  Union  depot,  do  you 
think  that  yoir  could  have  kept  the  mob  back  and  prevented  the  firing  of 
the  Union  depot  with  that  body  ? 

A.  I  do  think  that  if  1  had  been  authorized  and  given  me  fifty  or  sixty 
good  men,  that  understood  their  duty,  and  were  obedient  to  orders  and  had 
loaded  rifles  before  that  depot  burned,  it  could  have  been  saved.  I  went 
there  and  tried  to  save  that  depot,  and  took  Bishop  Tuigg  with  me  to  go 
out  there,  thinking  that  there  might  be  a  number  of  our  countrymen  there 
engaged  in  that,  and  that  he  would  have  some  influence  with  them,  to  save 
the  property  of  the  company,  and  save  the  building.  I  stood  on  the  plat- 
form of  a  car  with  the  bishop,  and  he  first  addressed  them,  and  in  looking 
over  the  crowd,  I  found  that  tire  crowd  were  not  [rishmen.  As  we  soon 
discovered,  they  began  throwing  iron  ore  and  other  missiles  at  the  bishop's 
head,  which  no  good  Catholic  would  do,  unless  he  was  an  Orangeman.     I 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  271 

also  addressed  them,  and  a  burly  fellow  came  up  and  said,  get  down  from 
here,  Doctor,  we  are  going  to  set  fire  to  this,  and  I   considered  it  most 
prudent  to  get  clown.     With  fifty  good  men,  I  would  have  cleared  that 
place  in  a  very  few  minutes. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Do  you  know  that  man  that  came  up  to  you  ? 

A.  I  would  know  him  if  I  ever  saw  him.  I  felt  very  vindictive  towards 
him  at  that  moment.  I  did  try  to  save  an  engine  by  pulling  a  fellow  off 
who  would  not  allow  the  engineer  to  try  to  run  it  off.  I  pulled  him  off 
and  said  let  that  man  take  the  engine  off.  He  was  drunk  at  the  time,  and 
he  said  something  to  me,  but  anyhow  they  kept  the  engine  there  until  it 
was  burned.  If  the  officials  even  of  the  depot — if  the  officials  of  the  road, 
or  the  emploj^es  of  the  road,  had  any  courage  at  all  on  Monday,  they  could 
have  saved  that  building.  There  was  no  trouble  about  it,  because  the 
outside  people  were  perfectly  indifferent,  looking  on  and  affording  no 
resistance. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Supposing  the  officials  connected  with  the  road  there  had  made  an 
effort  to  have  driven  them  back,  what  effect  would  that  have  had  upon  the 
crowd  ? 

A.  The  crowd  that  was  there  at  that  time  could  have  been  easily  driven 
away. 

Q.  Would  it  have  excited  them  worse  ? 

A.  I  think  not.  I  think  the  citizens  were  all  disposed  at  that  time  to 
aid  to  enforce  law  and  order.  It  was  the  feeling.  That  was  on  Sundav, 
mind  you.  On  Sunday  afternoon  at  that  time  I  believe  every  citizen  was 
disposed  to  enforce  law  and  order,  and  that  the  rioting  element  would  not 
have  had  any  chance  whatever,  and  they  would  not  have  been  supported. 

Q.  How  many  were  actually  engaged  in  the  arson  and  rioting  at  that 
time? 

A.  From  my  looking  at  them  and  looking  amongst  them,  and  as  they 
were  assembled  together  to  listen  to  what  wp  had  to  say,  I  don't  think 
there  was  fifty  men  really. 

Q.  Engaged  in  the  riot  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  there  was  that  many,  because  they  were  dispersed 
amongst  the  crowd  of  people,  and  you  could  only  tell  the  bad  element 
amongst  them  by  their  appearance,  and  by  their  dress,  and  by  their  half 
drunken  condition. 

Q.  Had  you  an}'  talk  with  the  maj^or  during  the  day,  Sunday,  about  send- 
ing out  a  posse  of  policemen  there  ? 

A.  I  had  talked  with  the  mayor  on  several  occasions.  I  urged  him  to 
try  to  organize  a  force,  and  I  asked  him  several  times  very  plainty  why  he 
had  not  arrested  these  rioters,  I  mean  the  strikers,  the  head  of  them,  that 
were  inciting  riot,  and  he  said  that  he  had  done  his  duty  in  that  respect, 
but  that  he  had  been  superseded  b}>-  Mr.  Hampton  and  Dalzell,  and  other 
persons  connected  with  the  railroad,  in  taking  it  out  of  his  hands,  and 
placing  the  authority  in  the  hands  of  the  sheriff,  and  that  he  would  let  them 
manage  the  matter — something  to  that  effect — and  that  seemed  to  be  his 
principal  reason  for  not  having  acted  more  energetically — that  the  officers 
of  the  road  had  taken  the  matter  out  of  his  hands. 

Q.  He  was  out  there  during  the  day  Sunday  looking  over  the  crowd? 

A.  I  didn't  see  him  out  there,  I  think,  unless  he  was  there,  and  I  didn't 
see  him.  I  was  going  to  say  that  these  are  some  of  the  strikers  who  sent 
the  communication  [indicating  a  paper]  to  the  mayor  and  myself.  This  is 
addressed  to  the  Honorable  Mr.  McCarthy  and  Doctor  Donnelly.    Metzger 


Leg.  Doc] 


Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877. 


273 


I  know  the  gentleman  very  well,  but  I  cannot  think  of  his  name.     He  went 
out  afterwards  in  command  of  one  of  the  regiments  to  the  east  from  here. 
A  tall,  nice-looking  young  man.     He  had  charge  of  the  regiment.     How- 
ard, I  think  it  was — Hartley  Howard,  I  think,  was  the  gentleman. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Had  the  mayor  intimated  to  you  that  the  railroad  officials  had  taken 
this  matter  into  their  own  hands  ? 

A.  They  had  interfered  with  him  in  executing  an  order.  They  had  in- 
terfered in  arresting  some  man.  He  had  not  acted  as  promptly  as  they 
thought.  It  appears  that  Mr.  Hampton  and  Dalzell — I  think  he  used  the 
names  jointly — had  taken  these  writs  from  him  and  given  them  into  the 
hands  of  the  sheriff. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  And  that  he  would  not  interfere  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Engelbert  : 

Q.  You  said  a  while  ago  that  th-1  sheriff  had  run  away.  How  did  you 
know  he  had  run  away  ? 

A.  He  was  not  to  be  found  anywhere.  I  had  not  seen  him  that  day. 
I  heard  he  had  left.  They  had  threatened  to  burn  his  house,  and  he  had 
left  the  city.  As  the  sheriff  is  a  man  subject  to  heart  disease,  1  presume 
it  was  his  duty  not  to  risk  his  life  amongst  them.  I  heard  there  was  a 
strong  feeling  against  him,  and  he  had  left.  I  had  not  seen  the  sheriff 
after  that  day. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  day  was  this  you  were  speaking  of? 

A.  That  was  on  Sunday. 

Q.   Did  you  see  him  there  on  Saturday  with  the  troops  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  see  the  sheriff  on  Saturday. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  You  stated  in  your  speech  to  the  people  that  you  had  been  informed 
by  those  who  led  the  strike  that  they  would  manage  the  matter  prudently, 
so  as  to  have  no  trouble.  Who  were  those  parties  that  informed  you  they 
were  leading  the  strike  ?     Can  you  give  us  the  names  ? 

A.  I  can  ascertain  the  names  of  some  of  them,  but  I  don't  know  the 
names  now.  I  don't  remember  them.  There  was  one  little  man  very 
active.  His  brother  keeps  a  drug  store  at  the  corner  of  Twenty-eighth  and 
Penn  streets.     He  seemed  to  be  very  active  amongst  them. 

Q.  Do  you  know  his  name  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  can  find  out  his  name.  I  can  find  out  the  names  of  sev- 
eral of  them.  I  think  I  have  them  written  down.  This  gent — I  thought 
his  name  was  attached  to  that  paper — was  a  city  man,  very  active.  He 
seemed  to  be  the  leading  spirit  amongst  them,  but  I  found  he  was  the  man 
that  brought  that  document  there. 

Q.   He  is  not  the  one  that  signed  it  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  How  do  you  account  for  the  apathy  or  cowardice  that  existed  in  the 
city  about  going  out  to  take  steps  to  stop  this  ? 

A.  The  only  way  I  can  account  for  it  is  that  there  was  a  feeling  amongst 
the  people  that  these  men  had  been  treated  very  unjustly  by  the  railroad 
company  ;  that  it  had  reduced  their  wages  down  to  a  starvation  point,  and 
that  they  had  been  treated  unjustly.  There  has  been  a  feeling  here  more 
or  less  ever  since  I  have  been  in  Pittsburgh — twelve  years — -since  the  war, 
against  the  railroad  company,  on  account  of  its  unjust  actions  against  the 
18  Riots. 


274  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

mercantile  interests  of  Pittsburgh.  There  has  always  been  more  or  less  of 
that  kind  of  feeling  against  the  company,  as  I  told  the  Governor  in  my 
interview  with  him  on  the  Sunday  night  that  he  was  here.  That  feeling 
has  existed  against  Tom  Scott  and  the  railroad  company.  The  overbear- 
ing manner  of  their  officials,  and  their  want  of  making  any  compromise 
whatever,  or  showing  an}7  disposition  whatever  to  compromise  with  their 
employes  ;  that  has  been  the  feeling  engendered  in  this  city  for  years. 

Q.  How  extensive  is  that  disposition  ? 

A.  It  is  amongst  almost  the  whole  class  of  people,  intelligent  as  well  as 
ignorant,  that  feeling  has  existed. 

Q.  The  business  men  and  professional  men  ? 

A.  The  business  men — many  of  the  business  men — have  been  bitter 
enemies  of  the  road  on  account  of  the  discrimination  in  freights  that  has 
existed.  That  feeling  has  permeated  the  whole  community — it  permeated 
the  whole  community,  and  I  had  that  same  feeling  and  that  same  antago- 
nism to  the  road  mj-self.  As  I  told  the  Governor,  Tom  Scott  should  come 
down  from  his  empyrean  and  mingle  amongst  the  people,  and  he  should 
assert  his  right  of  being  Governor  of  the  State,  and  not  Tom  Scott. 

Q.  What  reply  did  the  Governor  make? 

A.  The  Governor  made  one  of  his  bland  smiles. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  He  is  a  good  listener  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  that  was  up  in  the  hotel  where  he  stopped  the  Sunday  night. 
By  Mr.  Lindse}- : 

Q.  In  your  negotiations,  mingling  with  the  strikers  and  endeavoring  to 
adjust  matters,  did  you  ascertain  the  reason  or  the  cause  of  the  strike? 

A.  This  was  the  cause  that  I  stated,  just  what  is  set  forth  in  this  paper, 
[indicating  paper,]  that  was  the  cause,  and  that  was  what  they  wanted,  an 
adjustment  on  that  basis. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Did  any  one  sign  that  paper  setting  forth  their  grievances? 

A.  Only  1  had  a  meeting  with  them.    I  wrote  down  what  they  wanted. 

Q.  You  wrote  that  down  yourself? 

A.  They  would  not  permit  anybody,  they  had  confidence  in  me  or  they 
wouldn't  have  entrusted  me.    They  saw  I  was  disposed  to  do  what  was  right. 
I  acted  prudently  with  them. 
By  Mr.  L,indsey : 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  strikers,  that  is  the  railroad  emplo3res,  who  first 
struck,  engaged  in  this  arson,  burning,  and  pillaging? 

A.  The  persons  whom  I  saw  engaged  in  this  arson  business,  and  the 
crowd  that  I  addressed  on  Sunday  were  rioters.  They  appeared  to  me  to 
be  all  strangers.  They  were  not  really  citizens  of  Pittsburgh.  They  ap- 
peared to  me  to  be  all  strangers.  There  was  no  strikers.  I  sawT  none  of 
the  strikers  that  I  knew,  whose  countenances  I  would  remember  amongst 
the  rioters.  They  appeared  to  keep  aloof.  They  appeared  to  keep  away,  and 
when  we  wanted  to  find  them  or  have  any  conversation  witli  them,  we  had 
our  meeting  down  at  their  place.  The  bishop  and  the  delegation  of  citi- 
zens from  this  committee  of  public  safety,  went  down  to  meet  them  away 
down  at  their  head-quarters,  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  where  we  had  a  con- 
ference with  them.  They  were  perfectly  powerless,  yet  disposed  to  do  all 
they  could  to  save  the  property  and  suppress  the  riot. 

<>.    Who  were  the  men  engaged  in  this  arson  and  burning? 

A.  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you  who  they  were.  They  appeared  to 
be  a  class  of  men  I  had  never  seen  before. 

Q.  Were  they  mill  men  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  275 

A.  Many  of  them  looked  like  laboring  men.  Most  of  them  were  young 
men,  reckless  young  fellows,  half  drunk,  and  of  a  class  you  would  call 
roughs,  which  you  will  find  always  around  cities  and  places  where  there 
is  anything  going  on,  you  don't  know  who  they  are — they  appeared  to  be 
all  young  men. 

Q.   From  the  works  about  the  cit}-  ? 

A.  They  might  have  been;  I  don't  know.     I  couldn't  recognize  them. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Didn't  one  recognize  and  call  to  you  "  Doctor,  get  down  from  that  ?  " 

A.  They  knew  me  well  enough — these  men  knew  me  well  enough. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Told  you  to  get  down  from  there,  and  said  they  were  going  to  burn 
that  car  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  had  made  up  their  minds  to  burn  the  depot. 

Q.  Did  he  say  that  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  judged  that.  That  was  our  effort  to  save  the  depot.  I 
induced  the  bishop  to  go  down  myself. 

Q.  In  the  pi'actice  of  your  profession,  have  you  become  acquainted, 
more  or  less,  with  the  laboi'ing  men  about  the  city  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  have.  I  am  a  great  deal  amongst  them — factories,  mills,  and 
all  around  the  neighborhood.  I  have  a  great  deal  of  intercourse  with  that 
class  of  people  as  a  surgeon  amongst  them. 

Q.  Did  you  recognize  any  of  that  class  in  this  crowd  ? 

A.  I  didn't  recognize — yes,  I  recognized  two  men,  that  I  have  since  en- 
deavored to  find,  who  were  amongst  the  rioters — that  was  the  only  two. 

Q.  On  Sunday  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  they  were  there  present,  and  one  of  them,  when  I  was  address- 
ing the  crowd,  made  the  remark  to  me  that  they  wouldn't  put  confidence  in 
any  man,  no  matter  what  he  said,  and  that  man  I  would  know  again.  He 
was  one  of  them,  and  he  was  an  aider  and  abettor.  I  have  gone  frequently 
around  the  depot  since ;  and  I  think  he  was  employed  by  the  company.  I 
would  know  him  if  I  was  to  see  him.  The  other  man,  that  threw  the  piece 
of  iron  ore  at  my  head,  I  would  know  him.  I  have  never  met  him. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Do  }rou  know  whether  any  of  3^our  command — of  your  company  had 
been  called  upon  by  the  sheriff  to  join  his  posse  to  suppress  the  riot  the 
day  before,  or  at  any  time. 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  they  ever  had  or  not.  I  don't  think  the  sheriff 
was  about  on  Sunday. 

Q.  The  day  before  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  he  was  Saturdaj-  night  or  not.  I  don't  know, 
sir,  anything  about  the  sheriff  and  his  posse.  There  was  no  sheriff  or  posse 
that  I  saw  at  all. 

Captain  P.  Gallisath,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  you  at  the  Union  depot  at  any  time  during  the  riots  of  July 
last — first  3^ou  may  state  where  you  reside. 

A.  No.  660  Diamond  street. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Tavern. 

Q.  Keep  hotel  ? 

A.  No  ;  tavern — restaurant. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  at  the  Union  hotel  or  not,  and  what  time  it 
was  ? 


276  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  was  at  the  Union  depot  about  half  past  two  in  the  afternoon. 

Q.  Of  what  day  ? 

A.  On  Saturday.  I  think  it  was. 

Q.  When  the  Philadelphia  troops  arrived  ? 

A.  I  got  notice  from  my  colonel,  who  is  captain  of  the  Black  Hussars, 
who  sent  a  man  to  me  with  a  note  that  one  of  his  men  lost  a  cap  on 
the  road,  and  for  me  to  bring  him  one.  I  went  out  myself  and  met  them 
at  the  depot  there — the  Black  Hussars,  and  I  saw — I  suppose  it  was  the 
First  regiment  or  Second  Philadelphia — the  infantry  getting  ready  to 
march  out  the  track  ;  and  I  was  talking  to  my  colonel,  and  asking  him 
how  things  goes,  and  what  he  came  on  here  for.  Says  he  :  "I  don't  know.'1 
He  says :  "  I  suppose  we  came  on  here  to  keep  peace  here  in  Pittsburgh." 
I  staid  there  with  him  for  about  an  hour  and  a  half.  I  told  him,  says  I : 
"  Colonel,  you  better  come  down  to  my  house.  There  is  nothing  going 
on  here.  It  is  all  nonsense  to  remain  here.  Leave  your  men  here  and 
come  down  with  me ;"  and  so  he  did. 

Q.  What  was  the  Colonel's  name  ? 

A.  Captian  Chues,  of  the  Black  Hussars.  He  was  my  colonel  in  the 
army.  We  went  down  home  and  got  something  to  eat  and  a  few  glasses 
of  beer,  and  all  at  once  an  orderly  sent  word  to  say :  "  Captain  hurry  up, 
they  are  firing  on  front."  I  went  out  with  him  to  the  depot,  and  staid 
there  until  dark  with  him.  They  had  charge  of  the  ammunition  from  Gen- 
eral Brinton,  at  the  Union  depot.  I  staid  there  until  dark,  and  the  infantry 
was  out,  and  a  great  man}7  people  passing  along  Liberty  street,  and  holler- 
ing and  cheering  over  to  the  boys,  but  they  didn't  take  any  notice.  I  told 
the  colonel,  says  I,  "never  mind,  just  leave  them  talk  and  mind  their  own 
business."  So  they  did,  I  says,  "colonel,  I  am  going  home.  I  will  be 
back  again  in  a  short  time."  I  had  to  see  how  business  was  at  home. 
Everything  was  upside  down  in  the  city.  I  came  back  about  eight  o'clock, 
and  went  to  the  depot  again,  and  I  found  there  was  nobody  there.  I  asked 
where  they  were,  and  they  said  they  were  in  the  round-house.  I  could  not 
go  out  there,  because  I  was  alone  myself,  and  1  understood  they  were  at 
the  same  time  in  the  Union  depot,  up  stairs — all  of  them — hid  up. 

Q.   Who  did  you  understand  that  from  ? 

A.  I  had  it  from  Major  Howard,  of  the  Fourteenth  regiment,  whose 
company  was  there  stationed  in  the  Union  depot.     This  was  after  this. 

Q.  Did  he  say  that  all  the  Black  Hussars 

A.  He  says  "they  are  not  there."  Then  I  went  back  home  again  in  the 
street  cars,  and  I  see  a  great  mob  making  raids  on  the  bonds  for  whisk}^ — 
anything  they  could  find — nearly  opposite  the  street  car  where  I  was  in. 
I  went  home.  About  twelve  o'clock  I  went  to  the  depot  again.  I  thought 
it  was  the  best  thing  for  me  to  see  where  these  boys  are. 

Q.  The  Hussars? 

A.  Yes.  I  went  out  with  one  of  my  men  to  find  out  where  they  were. 
I  saw  General  Howard,  of  the  Fourteenth  regiment,  right  at  the  gate  where 
the  train  comes  in.  I  went  to  him.  Says  I,  "  Do  you  know  anything 
about  the  Black  Hussars."  Says  he,  "Captain,  I  don't."  Says  I,  "Are 
they  in  the  round-house."  Says  he,  "  I  don't  know  anything  about  it.*'  I 
went  out  over  where  the  ammunition  was,  and  didn't  see  anybody  except 
two  or  three  watchmen  around  with  lanterns.  I  ask  them  where  they 
were,  and  they  said  they  didn't  know,  that  they  must  be  in  the  round- 
house. I  couldn't  believe  it,  because  I  know  Colonel  (Mines  aint  going  to 
block  himself  up  in  a  cage.  Says  I,  "  If  I  can't  find  them,  there  is  no  use 
for  me  to  go  out  in  the  round-house."  I  went  home  again,  and  couldn't 
get  any  satisfaction.     All  at  once,  Sergeant  Wilder,  from   Philadelphia, 


Leg  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  271 

orderty  sergeant  of  the  company  of  Black  Hussars,  about  half-past  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  I  was  sitting  on  the  bed,  and  he  asked  some  po- 
liceman where  my  house  was,  and  he  told  him  he  didn't  know.  Every- 
body knows  me,  whei'e  my  house  is,  especially  policemen,  and  he  says  he 
didn't  know  where  Captain  Gallisath  lived.  He  passed  my  house  two  or 
three  times  before  he  could  find  it.  All  at  once,  he  asked  somebody,  and 
they  told  him,  and  he  rang  the  bell,  and  I  was  sitting  on  the  bed.  I  was 
not  going  to  undress  until  I  heard  some  news.  A  darkey,  he  showed  him 
the  road.  He  came  up  and  told  me  the  whole  thing  as  it  stands.  Says 
he,  "  We  are  in  the  Union  depot,  and  I  don't  know  how  to  get  out."  I  got 
all  my  boys  up,  and  said  they  should  throw  out  every  stitch  of  clothes 
they  had  in  their  possession.  I  went  out  and  took  them  all  out  in  two 
squads  over  the  hill.     They  couldn't  get  through  Liberty  street. 

Q.  You  gave  them  citizens'  clothes  ? 

A.  All  my  own  and  all  my  men's. 

Q.  For  the  Hussai's  to  go  out  in  disguise  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  kept  them  there  for  three  days  at  my  house. 

Q,.  How  many  of  them  ? 

A.  There  was  sixteen  or  seventeen.  I  think  there  was  seventeen.  I 
kept  them  there  until  I  got  word  from  General  Brinton,  and  I  took  them 
over  to  the  West  Penn  road,  and  sent  them  home.  General  Pearson,  I 
suppose,  gave  them  a  pass.  The  Black  Hussars  were  on  the  road  to  Phila- 
delphia, and  were  telegraphed  to  come  back  to  the  junction  again. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee: 

Q.  There  were  sixteen  or  seventeen  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  they  have  arms  ? 

A.  Nothing  but  sabers. 

Q.  Where  were  their  guns  ? 

A.  They  had  none. 

Q.  Did  they  have  guns  when  they  came  in  from  Philadelphia  ? 

A.  Nothing  at  all  but  sabers. 

Q.  They  were  placed  in  the  Union  depot  to  guard  the  ammunition, 
Captain  Clines  at  the  head  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  that  all  that  came  there  Saturday — Saturday  afternoon — sixteen 
in  number  ? 

A.  That  is  all  they  had,  seventeen — I  suppose  it  was  seventeen — I  had 
them  in  my  house.  They  had  nothing  but  sabers.  They  had  no  carbines 
nor  pistols  nor  anything. 

Q.  Where  did  they  leave  the  ammunition  when  they  came  out? 

A.  The  ammunition  was  at  the  same  place  still — and  burned  up  too. 

Q.  In  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  That  is  the  report  that  I  heard  afterwards,  that  it  was  set  afire  on 
Sunday. 

Q.  They  didn't  bring  the  ammunition  out  with  them  ? 

A.  General  Brinton  gave  Captain  Clines  orders  to  take  charge  of  the 
ammunition,  so  they  could  ship  it  to  the  front,  but  they  never  came  back 
again,  the  Philadelphia  troops. 

Q.  General  Brinton  didn't  come  back  again  ? 

A.  No ;  they  were  up  in  the  round-house,  and  Sunday  morning  went 
away  to  the  other  side  of  the  river. 

Q.  Captain  Clines  left  the  ammunition  in  the  depot  ? 

A.  The  understanding  was,  that  they  were  cut  off  from  General  Brinton, 


278  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

and  nobody  knew  the  ammunition  was  in  there,  except  himself  and  his 
bo}'s. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  he  left  it  there  in  the  depot  or  not  ? 

A.  I  am  very  well  satisfied  he  couldn't  take  it  away.     I  heard  the  car- 
tridges cracking  around  there  on  Sunday  when  they  burned  up.     General 
Brinton  had  no  ammunition,  whatever,  when  he  was  cut  off,  and  he  couldn't 
get  none — not  what  he  brought  from  Philadelphia. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  Captain  Clines  and  his  command  carry  anything  awa3^from  there  ? 

A.  They  left  their  sabers  there  when  I  took  them  up  the  hill,  but  they 
got  them  back  afterwards,  and  I  shipped  them  to  Philadelphia  my  own  self. 

Q.  How  far  do  you  live  from  Union  depot  ? 

A.  Three  squares  and  a  half. 

Q.  What  street  ? 

A.  Diamond. 

Q.  How  many  people  were  there  along  Diamond  street  when  you  took 
these  clothes  out  ? 

A.  Nobod}" — everything  quiet. 

Q.  Couldn't  these  Black  Hussars  have  marched  out  and  down  to  your 
house  ? 

A.  They  couldn't  march  from  Union  depot  on  Liberty  street,  they  had 
to  go  around  the  hill  and  over  the  Pan-Handle  road  by  the  tunnel  and  back 
here — that  is  where  the  nigger  took  them  around. 

Q.  In  citizens  dress? 

A.  I  sent  the  clothes  out.  They  went  in  two  squads.  We  hadn't  so 
many  clothes  to  dress  them  all  at  once,  the  mob  was  waiting  for  them  to 
come  out. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  You  are  a  military  man,  and  have  had  a  great  deal  of  experience  in 
the  army.  In  your  opinion,  could  these  sixteen  men  have  cut  their  way  out 
with  their  sabers  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  they  couldn't. 

Q.  Why  not  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  see  how.  They  didn't  know  the  road,  nor  anything.  They 
were  strangers. 

Q.  If  they  had  had  a  guide  ? 

A.  I  don't  see  how  they  could  do  it  with  sabers,  when  the  mob  was  stand- 
ing outside  with  stones  and  pistols.  What  did  them  sixteen  meu  want  to 
do  with  sabers. 

(£.  Was  there  a  large  crowd  ? 

A.  There  was  a  big  crowd  there.  They  couldn't,  I  am  satisfied.  I 
wouldn't  have  risked  it,  and  I  wouldn'  tbe  afraid  if  I  were  acquainted  in 
the  city,  and  know  my  road. 

Q.  If  you  had  had  sixteen  men  well  armed 

A.  Yes;  well  armed,  that  is  all  right ;  but  they  were  not. 

Q.  Were  there  no  arms  there.     Were  there  not  some  siaeks  of  muskets  ? 

A.  They  had  nothing  but  their  sabers,  that  is  all.  I  saw  them  all.  They 
had  nothing  but  their  pocket  knives.  Some  of  them  had  no  knives,  because 
they  went  away  so  quick,  they  didn't  know  where  they  were  going,  and 
they  thought  they  were  going  a  few  miles  outside  of  Philadelphia. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  there  was  any  effort  made  to  take  any  provis- 
ions or  ammunition  to  the  troops  iii  the  round-house  on   Saturday  night? 

A.  Not  as  I  know  of. 
By  Mr.  Bngelbert : 

Q.  These  Black  1 1  nssars  are  generally  intended  as  calvary,  arc  they  not  ? 

A.  Yes;  they  are  all  mounted. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  270 

Q.  The  general  cry  was  against  the  Philadelphia  soldiers.  That  intimi- 
dated these  men,  did  it  ? 

A.  I  heard  them  hollering  in  the  street  for  to  kill  them — in  Liberty 
street. 

Q.  That  is  a  good  way  to  intimidate  a  person,  isn't  it  ? 

-A  .  Oh  !  yes  ;  I  was  right  with  them.  I  suppose  they  would  if  the}r  could. 
A  man  says  to  me,  what  I  got  business  to  do  with  the  Philadelphia  troops, 
keeping  conversation  with  them.     I  told  him  that  is  my  business. 

Q.  What  business  you  had  with  them  ? 

A.  Yes.     I  said  that  is  my  business. 

Q.  They  didn't  pretend  to  interfere  with  you — did  they  ? 

A.  I  suppose  they  would,  if  they  could.  I  don't  know,  I  wasn't  afraid. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  it  known  to  the  crowd  that  these  Black  Hussars  were  quartered 
in  your  house  ?  Did  the  crowd  know  that  the  Black  Hussars  were  in  your 
house  ? 

A.  No  ;  not  that  Sunday.  They  found  it  out  on  Monday,  though.  The 
people  came  in  the  house  keeping  very  nice,  quiet  conversation  with  them. 
I  never  heard  a  wrong  word  on  Wednesday.  The  house  was  crowded, 
and  they  were  sitting  around  with  them,  drinking  beer.  It  was  all  right ; 
very  nice,  quiet  conversation. 

Q.  The  Black  Hussars  did  ? 

A.  Our  Pittsburgh  friends  treated  them  very  kind. 

Robert  B.  Carnahan,  being  duly  sworn,  was  examined  as  follows  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside,  Mr.  Carnahan  ? 

A.  I  reside  in  Pittsburgh,  Nineteenth  ward.  We  call  it  the  east  end 
here. 

Q.  Practicing  attorney  ? 

A.  Practicing  attorn ey. 

Q.  Solicitor  for  the  sheriff,  I  believe  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  am  at  this  time,  and  have  been  for  two  years  past. 

Q.  Just  state  what  you  know  of  the  movements  of  the  sheriff  during  the 
riots  of  July  last  ? 

A.  At  the  time  of  the  first  disturbance,  which  occurred  on  Thursday 
evening,  it  was  preceding  the  Saturday  on  which 

Q,  That  was  the  19th— Thursday  evening,  the  19th? 

A.  Yes;  the  19th.  I  knew  nothing  whatever  of  anything  the  sheriff 
had  done,  or  had  been  called  on  to  do.  I  was  informed  the  next  morning 
that  during  the  night  of  Thursday  the  sheriff  had  been  called  on  by  the 
solicitor  of  one  of  the  railroads — Mr.  Scott — by  some  of  the  railroad  of- 
ficials, during  the  night,  and  that  he  had  been  at  Twenty-eighth  street  during 
that  night,  but  I  knew  nothing  of  it  personally.  My  residence  is  five  miles — 
nearly  six  miles — from  here,  though  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  and  I  was  not 
sent  for  that  night.  The  next  day  I  became  acquainted  with  what  had  been 
done,  but  I  think  I  did  not  see  the  sheriff  at  all.  He  was  out  at  Torrens 
station  during  a  considerable  portion  of  the  day,  with  the  railroad  officers, 
and  I  don't  remember  to  have  seen  him  that  day.  I  think  he  had  been  up 
pretty  much  all  the  night  before,  and  was  out,  away  from  his  office,  the  greater 
part  of  Friday,  and  I  don't  think  I  saw  him  at  all  on  Friday.  On  Satur- 
day morning  I  saw  the  sheriff,  and  had  a  full  conference  with  him  in  his 
office.  The  sheriff  submitted  tome  what  he  had  done.  Gave  me  an  account 
of  his  meeting  the  rioters  on  Thursday  night,  and  of  his  being  out  at  Tor- 
rens station  on   Friday,  where   I  think  he  was  a  considerable  part  of  the 


2S0  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

day — at  one  place  or  the  other — at  least,  I  did  not  find  him  during  busi- 
ness hours  ;  and  of  his  notification  of  the  Governor  that  he  was  not  able 
to  deal,  in  his  opinion,  with  the  rioters  or  mob  that  had  obstructed  the  run- 
ning of  the  trains.  Of  course,  I  made  inquiry  as  to  the  magnitude  of  the 
gatherings,  to  learn  something  about  their  threatening,  hostile  character. 
In  fact,  had  known  myself,  personally,  coming  in  on  the  road,  that  the  trains 
were  detained.  I  said  to  him  that  I  entirely  approved,  as  a  matter  of  law, 
of  what  he  had  done  in  notifying  the  Governor  to  send  on  troops.  The 
view  I  had  of  the  act  of  1864,  I  think  it  is,  was  that  the  Governor,  on  re- 
liable information  from  any  quarter  where  there  was  insurrection  that  the 
legal  authorities  were  not  able  to  deal  with,  might  call  out  the  troops,  and 
I  approved  of  that;  but  on  Saturday  morning  the  attorneys  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania railroad  went  into  the  court  of  common  pleas  No.  2,  and  obtained 
warrants  for  the  arrest  of  a  number  of  persons — my  recollection  is,  fifteen 
in  number — who  were  charged  as  leaders  of  this  riotous  movement.  I  think 
the  warrants  were  addressed  to  a  constable  of  the  name  of  Richardson, 
and  the  solicitors  of  the  road  made  a  demand  on  the  sheriff  that  morning 
for  a  posse  comitatus  to  attend  the  arresting  officers,  and  support  him  in 
the  discharge  of  that  duty.  This  took  place  sometime  in  the  morning,  at 
or  after  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning — it  was  after  eleven  o'clock,  I  think 
— and  I  advised  the  sheriff  to  assemble  a  posse  comitatus — as  large  a  number 
of  men  as  he  could  obtain — that  three  or  four  hundred  would  not  be  too 
large,  and  it  was  understood,  at  that  time,  that  troops  would  arrive  that 
evening.  They  would  arrive  here  at  twelve  o'clock,  or  about  twelve  o'clock, 
perhaps  earlier  than  twelve,  on  a  train  that  arrived  here  between  eleven  and 
twelve  o'clock,  and  it  was  understood  the  arrangement  was,  that  the  civil 
authorities  were  to  make  these  arrests,  the  constable  supported  by  the 
sheriff  and  his  posse  comitatus,  and  that  the  military  were  to  be  on  the 
ground.  There  was,  indeed,  very  little  time  for  obtaininga  posse  comi- 
tatus at  that  time,  but  the  sheriff  sent  out  his  deputies,  some  fifteen  or 
sixteen  of  them,  with  instructions  to  bring  in  a  posse  comitatus.  There 
was  not  time  to  write  out  summonses  and  serve  them  in  any  way,  but  I 
said  to  him  that  it  would  be  a  sufficient  demand  upon  a  person  to  at- 
tend if  given  verbally,  that  it  was  better  to  have  a  written  notice,  if  there 
was  time,  which  there  was  not  then — less  than  an  hour  to  do  it  nil  in. 
These  deputies  went  out,  some  fourteen  or  fifteen  of  them,  but  they  sev- 
erally came  in  and  reported  at  an  interval  of  an  hour,  or  an  hour  and  a 
half — it  was  nearly  one  o'clock — and  the  result  was,  I  think,  but  two  men 
were  obtained.  I  remember  of  one  man  being  brought  into  the  office 
who  was  very  much  alarmed.  The  sheriff  asked  him  if  he  was  willing  to 
go.  He  said  he  was  not  willing  to  go ;  he  was  afraid  to  go.  The  sheriff 
reproached  him  with  cowardice,  and  said  he  did  not  want  that  kind  of  a 
fellow  to  attend  him.  I  think  not  more  than  two  men  were  obtained.  Some- 
time between  twelve  and  one — I  think  nearer  one  than  twelve — the  sheriff, 
with  his  own  deputies,  went  up  to  the  Union  depot.  I  think  all  his  deputies, 
with  the  exception  of  one  or  two,  perhaps,  who  were  not  then  in  the  cit}-. 
Every  deputy  he  had  in  the  city  attended  him,  including  his  two  sons  and 
his  brother,  and  the}7  went  up  to  the  Union  depot,  and  I  think  the  constable 
was  with  him.  I  am  not  entirely  sure  about  that.  I  attended  them  myself 
up  as  far  as  the  Union  depot.  I  know  we  went  there,  and  some  of  the 
military  had  arrived  there  from  Philadelphia  at  that  time,  but  I  think  not 
all  of  them.  I  know  nothing  more  as  to  what  occurred  on  that  afternoon, 
for  I  was  not  at  Twenty-eighth  street  when  the  firing  took  place,  and  my 
personal  knowledge  ends  with  this,  that  the  sheriff  himself  personally  went. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*77.  281 

I  cannot  relate  about  anything  that  took  place  on  Saturday  night,  or  after 
that  time,  for  I  was  not  in  that  part  of  the  city,  but  was  at  home. 

Q.  Do  you  know  when  it  was  that  she  sheriff  made  the  call  on  the  Gov- 
ernor for  troops  to  support  him  ? 

A.  I  only  know  from  what  he  told  me  himself,  and  what  I  have  heard 
others  say,  and  what  I  have  seen  printed — it  must  have  been  on  Thursday 
night,  the  19th. 

Q.  In  your  opinion,  had  the  sheriff  then  exhausted  his  powers  and  re- 
sources to  cope  with  the  mob? 

A.  I,  of  course,  cannot  judge  that;  that  is  a  question  of  fact.  I  can 
only  judge  of  it  from  what  other  people  have  told  me.  I  can  judge  from 
what  I  personally  have  seen  of  this  mob  myself,  coming  in  on  the  train  every 
day,  for  these  trains  had  been  delayed  for  two  or  three  days.  The  freight 
trains  were  aecummulating,  and  had  been  detained  for  some  days  before 
that  or  some  time  before  that — at  least  one  day — one  whole  day,  if  not 
another.  I  should  judge  from  the  crowds  I  saw  assembled  abont  the  trains 
myself,  and  from  descriptions  of  them  by  others,  that  it  was  not  possible 
for  the  sheriff  with  any  posse  comitatus  that  he  could  obtain  to  deal  with 
them,  and  I  will  tell  you  on  what  I  found  my  opinion.  This  was  a  com- 
bination, I  ma}'  say,  of  what  we  call  here  in  Pittsburgh,  the  striking  ele- 
ment. T  don't  think  any  man  will  say  that  he  found  a  preponderance  of  the 
railroad  men  in  their  assemblages  about  Twent}" -eighth  street,  or  the 
Union  depot,  or  other  places  on  the  road.  Everybody  out  of  work  who 
belonged  to  what  we  call  the  striking  population,  were  directed  by  sympa- 
thy or  opinion  towards  these  people.  It  was  not  a  body  of  railroad  men 
alone,  and  I  don't  think  that  the  larger  part  of  them  were  railroad  men — 
the  iron  workers,  the  people  who  work  in  rolling  mills,  and  the  people  who 
work  in  the  various  branches  of  industry,  were  all  in  sympathy  with  them, 
so  far  as  I  observed,  and  so  far  as  my  knowledge,  derived  from  others,  ex- 
tends, and  it  was  a  sort  of  massing  of  the  striking  element  here.  The  strike 
of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  men  being  simply  the  occasion  that  brought 
them  together. 

Q.  Let  me  ask  you  another  question:  In  your  judgment,  had  the  sheriff 
at  that  time,  under  the  act  of  1864,  laid  the  grounds  for  calling  on  the 
Governor  for  aid  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember — I  have  not  the  act  of  1 864  before  me,  and  I  don't 
remember  whether  it  defines  any  ground.  My  recollection  is,  that  the 
act  itself  does  not  define  more  than  in  general  terms,  at  least,  the  ground 
upon  which  the  executive  aid  maybe  invoked.  I  was  satisfied  of  this,  and 
I  think  Senator  Scott  was.  I  know  from  his  conversations  with  me  that  it 
was  such  a  gathering,  with  such  a  purpose,  and  with  such  a  determination 
that,  at  least,  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  did  not  expect  to  deal 
with  them  without  military  forces  to  aid  them,  and  I  think  that  that  was 
the  prevalent  impression.  One  of  the  sheriff's  deputies  told  me  that,  though 
he  had  served  in  the  army  three  years,  lie  never  had  encountered  any  dan- 
ger that  alarmed  him  like  the  danger  he  expected  to  encounter  here.  He 
was  a  man  willing  to  do  his  duty.  It  was  a  mob  that  inspired  some  terror, 
even  at  that  time.  Before  any  blood  was  shed,  there  was  a  general  appre- 
hension of  trouble.  I  have  seen  many  strikes  here  of  coal  diggers,  of  men 
engaged  in  iron  mills  and  glass  houses,  and  the  various  departments  of  in- 
dustry. In  fact,  we  have  been  a  good  deal  accustomed  to  them,  but  there 
had  never  before  been  very  much  actual,  positive  mischief  coming  from 
them,  and  I  never  before  saw  a  mob  the  people  were  afraid  of,  before  that 
one  in  this  city.  However,  I  must  say  I  saw  but  little  of  it  until  Satur- 
day, and  then  the  soldiers  had  been  called  out  under  the  command  of  Gen- 


282  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

eral  Pearson,  and  some  Philadelphia  soldiers  had  arrived.  *  On  Saturdaj^, 
the  feeling  was  angry,  it  was  threatening  and  severe. 

Q.  What  preparations  is  it  necessary  for  the  sheriff  to  make,  or  what 
are  his  duties  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  before  calling 
on  the  Governor  for  aid  ? 

A.  Well,  gentlemen,  I  think  the  law  on  that  subject  has  been  very  much 
changed  by  the  act  of  1864.  That  is  here.  T  would  like  to  refer  you  to  it. 
I  think  very  radical  changes  were  made  in  the  law  relative  to  calling  out 
the  militia,  by  the  act  of  1864,  that  has  been  much  adverted  to  lately.  I 
think  it  establishes  a  very  different  system. 

Q.  From  that  heretofore  in  practice  ? 

A.  1  think  so.  I  think  it  is  altogether  different.  As  I  understand  that 
law,  it  is  not  necessary  at  all  that  the  sheriff  should  notify  the  Governor. 
It  might  be  done  by  the  mayor,  or  alderman,  or  even  by  any  citizen.  The 
Governor  himself  judges  of  the  sufficiency. 

Q.  As  you  understand  the  law,  is  it  necessary  for  the  sheriff  to  make  an 
effort  to  obtain  a  posse  comitatus  before  calling  on  the  Governor? 

A.  I  certainly  would  think  the  sheriff,  the  principal  peace  officer  of  the 
county,  ought  to  make  some  effort  to  get  a  posse  comitatus  to  control  that 
riot ;  but  there  are  cases  where  the  riot  has  taken  such  proportions,  as  I* 
think  this  one  had — I  do  not  regard  it  as  local  at  all,  for  it  extended  from 
the  Mississippi  to  the  Altantic — there  are  such  cases  where  no  posse  comi- 
tatus could  deal  with  them  at  all. 

Q.  At  the  time  the  sheriff  made  the  call  on  the  Governor,  was  it  not 
not  principally  local  ? 

A.  As  to  that  I  cannot  speak  from  personal  knowledge.  What  has  been 
told  to  me  was,  in  substance,  this  :  That  when  the  sheriff  first  met  the  gath- 
ering at  Twenty-eighth  street,  there  was  a  large  collection  of  people,  num- 
bering, I  don't  know  how  many,  but  one  or  two  thousand  people,  and  this 
was  in  the  middle  of  the  night — towards  eleven  o'clock  at  night.  They 
were  gathered  there.  They  insulted  the  sheriff,  threw  all  sorts  of  re- 
proaches upon  him,  blasphemy  and  obscenity  of  the  very  worst  character 
were  employed — this  I  don't  know  personally,  but  it  has  been  told  to  me — 
and  threats  were  made.  Now,  it  is  a  question  upon  which  you  can  judge 
as  well  as  I,  whether,  when  a  crowd  can  be  brought  together  at  that  hour 
of  the  night — a  crowd  greatly  in  excess  of  all  the  railroad  men  in  this  part 
of  the  country — whether  any  collection  of  citizens  you  might  obtain,  would 
be  able  to  successfully  disperse  them,  and  it  is  a  question  very  hard  to  de- 
termine. 

Q.  Would  it,  in  yoxir  judgment,  be  the  duty  of  the  sheriff  to  make  an 
effort  to  obtain  a  posse  before  calling  on  the  Governor  ? 

A.  Unless  the  effort  was  plainly  fruitless,  I  would  not  understand  the 
law  to  require  him  to  do  a  thing  that  is  plainly  unnecessaiy.  If  an  armed 
force  would  come  into  the  county  which  the  sheriff  evident^  could  not  deal 
with  with  citizens,  especially  without  arms,  I  would  not  think  it  necessary 
to  expose  himself  to  any  sacrifice  of  life.  If  the  disturbance  were  local, 
I  think  he  ought  to  make  a  serious  effort  to  disperse  it,  before  calling  on 
the  Governor.  The  law,  as  I  understand  it,  and  the  only  law  in  force  on 
this  subject,  is  the  act  of  1864,  which  was  passed  during  the  war — during 
the  time  of  the  rebellion,  and  when  there  were  disturbances  in  different 
paits  of  this  State.  I  understand  it  authorizes  the  Governor  to  call  (nit 
the  militia,  on  any  information  that  satisfies  his  mind,  whether  it  is  of  an 
official  character  or  not.     It  is  in  these  terms : 

"  When  an  invasion  of,  or  insurrection  in,  the  State  is  made  or  threat- 
ened, or  a  tumult,  riot,  or  mob  shall  exist,  the  commander-in-chief  shall 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  283 

call  upon  the  militia  to  repel  or  suppress  the  same,  and  may  order  out  divi- 
sions, brigades,  regiments,  battalions,  or  companies,  or  may  order  to  be  de- 
tached parts  or  companies  thereof,  or  any  number  of  men  to  be  drafted  there- 
from, and  may  cause  officers  to  be  detailed,  sufficient  with  those  attached 
to  the  troops  to  organize  the  forces." 

That  was  not  the  law  until  1S64.  At  one  period  in  Pennsylvania,  when 
the  military  were  called  out,  the}'  were  to  be  under  the  command  of  the 
sheriff's.  That  was  changed  by  the  act  of  1857 — I  am  not  entirety  sure 
about  that — it  was  about  that  time,  and  in  case  of  an  insurrection,  appli- 
cation was  to  be  made  to  a  judge,  and  so  forth.  But  it  will  be  observed 
that  that  law  seems  to  supply  all  existing  legislation  on  the  subject,  and 
applies  to  cases  of  insurrection,  invasion,  mobs,  tumults,  and  riots,  and  also 
authorized  the  Governor  when  these  exist,  to  call  them  out,  though  it  don't 
prescribe  on  what  terms  or  conditions  he  shall  call  them  out.  I  take  it 
that  if  you,  Mr.  Chairman,  or  any  gentleman  in  whom  the  Governor  had 
confidence,  were  to  communicate  with  him  information  that  a  mob  or  tu- 
mult existed,  and  it  was  necessary  to  call  out  forces  to  deal  with  them,  he 
would  be  perfectly  authorized  in  calling  out  the  militia,  whether  his  infor- 
mation is  of  official  character  or  not. 

Q.  Did  you  communicate  your  views,  as  you  have  given  them  to  us,  to 
Sheriff' Fife? 

A.  Yes;  I  said  I  approved  of  what  he  had  done.  He  had  sent  these 
telegrams  on  Thursday  night,  and  as  1  stated  to  you,  I  didn't  see  him  until 
afternoon. 

Q.  You  approved  of  what  he  had  done  ? 

A.  I  approved  of  what  he  had  done,  and  I  think  that  view  was  the  view 
of  Mr.  Scott,  the  solicitor  of  the  railroad,  and  I  think  of  everybody  that 
were  cognizant  of  the  fact.  At  a  later  period,  during  the  week  succeeding 
the  destruction  of  the  property,  the  various  railroads  here — the  Fort  Wayne 
and  Chicago,  the  Pittsburgh  and  Cleveland,  and  the  Allegheny  Valley,  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio,  and  the  Charleston  and  Virginia  road  sent  written 
demands  to  the  sheriff,  setting  forth  that  a  tumultuous  body  of  men  were 
holding  their  property,  and  threatening  to  destroy  it,  and  calling  upon  him 
to  protect  the  property.  The  sheriff  made  a  demand  for  aid  upon  General 
Brown,  who  was  in  command  of  the  Sixth  division,  having  succeeded  Gen- 
eral Pearson,  who  had  been  relieved,  to  enable  him  to  protect  this  property. 
I  cannot  give  you  the  views  the  military  had  of  their  duty  here 

Q.  We  will  take  the  evidence  of  the  military  men  ? 

A.  There  is  a  communication,  and  a  copy  of  the  communication,  written 
by  myself,  and  sent  to  General  Brown,  in  fact,  it  is  the  original  letter, 
which  I  have  here,  to  General  Brown,  making  a  demand,  and  I  have  a  copy 
of  his  reply.  The  sheriff,  at  the  same  time,  or  before  that  time,  had  con- 
stituted General  James  S.  Negley  his  deputy,  for  the  purpose  of  preserving 
the  public  peace  and  dispersing  the  rioters.  General  Negley  was  recruit- 
ing a  body  of  men  to  act  in  preserving  the  peace.  It  was  said  he  had 
several  hundred  men,  and  the  sheriff,  after  consultation,  clothed  him  with 
all  the  civil  character  which  the  sheriff  himself  had  in  dealing  with  these 
disturbances. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  done  ? 

A.  That  was  done  somewhere  about  the  25th  of  Juty.  It  is  about  the 
date  of  this  letter.  [Indicating.]  This  letter  will,  perhaps,  explain  about 
what  the  sheriff's  views  of  duty  were,  if  you  will  permit  me  to  read  it. 

Q.  I  don't  see  hardly  how  that  would  be  necessary,  because  he  called 
upon  the  Governor  as  commander-in-chief  to  send  troops  ? 

A.  But  the  Governor  was  not  here  with  his  troops. 


284  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Well,  he  ordere:!  his  troops  out? 

A.  There  were  no  troops  here  at  that  time,  except  the  Sixth  regiment. 
General  Brinton  had  been  here  on  Saturday,  but  he  had  left  with  his 
troops.  There  were  no  troops  here,  except  the  Sixth  division,  commanded 
then  by  General  Brown,  and  composed  of  the  Fourteenth,  Eighteenth,  and 
Nineteenth  regiments. 

Q.  Is  this  of  a  character  to  give  directions  to  General  Brown  or  asking 
him  for  aid  ? 

A.  Asking  him  for  aid. 

Q  I  think  it  would  be  proper  to  have  it  read. 

The  witness  then  read  the  following  communication  : 

Sheriff's  Office,  Pittsburgh,  July  26,  1877. 

To  General  Joseph  Brown,  in  command  of  the  Sixth  Division  National 

Guard  of  Pennsylvania : 

Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  enclose  to  you  copies  of  the  following  communi- 
cations, addressed  to  me  under  date  of  the  25thand  26th  days  of  July,  inst., 
by  Messrs.  Hampton  and  Dalzell,  solicitors  for  the  Pennsylvania  company, 
operating  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  railway,  and  the 
Cleveland  and  Pittsburgh  railroad  ;  also  by  the  same  parties,  solicitors  of 
the  Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis  Railway  Company;  also  by  the 
same  parties,  solicitors  of  the  Pittsburgh,  Virginia  and  Charleston  Rail- 
road Company,  and  by  Welty  McCullouffh,  solicitor  of  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  Railroad  Company  and  the  Pittsburgh  and  Connellsville  Railroad 
Company,  representing,  in  substance,  that  the  property  of  the  respective 
railway  companies  is  in  immediate  and  constant  danger  of  destruction  at 
the  hands  of  a  body  of  rioters  and  disaffected  workmen,  which  may  at  any 
time  become  a  mob,  and  which  said  companies  believe  has  an  intention 
of  destroying  said  property. 

I  beg  leave  to  inform  you  that  since  the  present  disturbances  began  I 
have  made  efforts  to  summon  a  posse  comitatus  to  suppress  the  unlawful 
and  riotous  proceedings  of  the  persons  referred  to  in  the  enclosed  com- 
munications, but  have  been  hereto  unsuccessful  in  procuring  the  services 
of  any  considerable  number  of  men  willing  to  come  to  my  aid  as  a  posse 
comitatus.  My  consequent  inability  to  disperse  the  unlawful  assemblages 
referred  to  (or  some  of  them)  has  been  communicated  to  the  Governor, 
who  has  ordered  out  the  military  power  of  the  State  for  that  purpose.  I 
cannot  protect  the  property  referred  to  without  your  aid.  Can  you  give 
it  ?  I  am  well  persuaded  that  no  mere  civil  force  that  I  can  raise  can 
protect  this  property.  If  you  can  give  me  the  aid  of  j^our  military  force 
please  inform  in  writing  immediately.  ' 

Yours  respectfully, 

R.  H.  Fife,  Sheriff. 

Signed  by  the  sheriff.  It  was  dated  the  2f>th,  and  the  answer  of  General 
Brown  came  two  days  afterwards,  July  28th,  and  is  as  follows  : 

[Official  Business.] 

Headquarters  Sixth  Division,  National  Guard,  Pennsylvania. 

(Copy.)  Pittsburgh,  July  28,  1877. 

Hon.  B.  II.  Fife,  Sheriff  Allegheny  county,  Pennsylvania : 

Sir:  Yours  of  date  25th  instant  came  to  hand  July  2«,  at  7.20,  v.  M.,  in 
which  you  request  the  aid  of  the  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania  to  pro- 
tect the  property  of  the  several  railroad  companies  centering  in  the  city  of 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  285 

Pittsburgh,  now  threatened  by  mobs.  You  will,  wherever  there  may  be 
any  riotous  proceedings,  bring  all  the  powers  with  which  you  are  clothed 
to  disperse  the  rioters.  After  you  have  made  such  effort  and  are  over- 
powered, your  posse  comitatus  completely  driven  from  the  ground,  then  I 
am  ready  and  fully  able  to  assist  you,  and  am  now  ready  to  assist  you, 
when  assured  your  power  is  exhaused. 

Very  respectfully, 

Joseph  Brown, 
Brigadier  General  commanding  Sixth  Division  N.  G.  P. 

Received  July  28,  1877,  at  9.30,  A.  M. 

I  sent  a  verbal  message  to  ask  General  Brown  whether  he  thought  it  was 
his  duty  to  wait  until  the  posse  comitatus  was  completely  driven  from  the 
ground.    If  his  duty  was  merely  to  bury  the  dead,  we  could  get  somebody 
to  do  that  as  well  as  him. 
Q.  This  is  dated  the  28th  ? 

A.  It  was  after  any  actual  destruction  of  property,  and  this  railroad 
property  was  still  held  by  the  rioters,  and  they  wouldn't  allow  trains  to 
move. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 
Q.  It  was  a  week  after  the  Saturday  ? 

A.  It  was  just  a  week.    The  Governor  hadn't  arrived  with  his  troops,  and 
didn't  arrive  until  some  days  afterwards — the  next  week. 
Q,.   What  troops  did  General  Brown  have  under  his  control  ? 
A.  General  Brown  had  under  his  control  the  Fourteenth  regiment  and 
the    Eighteenth    regiment  and   the    Nineteenth    regiment,    Pennsylvania 
National  Guards,  all  raised  in  and  about  this  place. 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  many  of  them  were  on  duty  at  that  time  ? 
A.  I  cannot  say  how  many  wei'e  on  duty,  except  from  what  I  have  heard, 
but  I  have  heard  the  number  estimated,  and  I  think  I  have  heard  military 
men  say  some  three  or  four  hundred  altogether.  General  Brown's  head- 
quarters was  less  than  one  square  from  the  court-house,  and  we  could  get 
no  answer  from  him  at  all  until  two  days  afterwards.  He  says  in  his  re- 
ply he  received  the  communication,  twenty  minutes  past  seven,  P.  M.,  on 
the  26th.  After  waiting  two,  days  he  replied,  and  replied  in  the  manner 
set  forth. 

Q.  I  wish  you  to  state  where  Sheriff  Fife  was  on  Sunday,  during  the 
riot,  so  far  as  you  know  ? 

A.  Sheriff  Fife  was  in  the  city,  at  home,  as  I  have  learned. 
Q.  During  the  day,  Sunday  ? 

A.  The  wnole  day  Sunday.     I  have  never  heard  he  was  out  of  the  city 
at  all. 

Q.  Did  you  see  him  any  time  during  Sunday  in  the  city  ? 
A.  I  didn't  see  him  any  time  during  the  day,  but  I  saw  him  on  Monday, 
the  next  day.  It  was  reported  that  the  sheriff  had  been  killed — it  was  tele- 
graphed all  over  the  country.  I  saw  the.  sheriff  on  Monday,  was  in  his 
company,  and  in  his  office.  As  to  the  sheriff  himself,  I  may  say  this  about 
it,  that  1  personally  advised  the  sheriff,  when  he  went  up  on  Saturday,  to 
constitute  a  deputy  to  take  charge  of  this  force.  The  sheriff  had,  three 
times  during  the  year  preceding,  been  at  the  point  of  death  with  heart 
disease,  and  I  don't  think  he  was  in  a  fit  condition  to  go  at  all,  but  he  in- 
sisted on  going,  and  did  go,  both  on  Thursday,  Frida}",  and  Saturday.  I 
know  nothing  more,  gentlemen,  that  I  can  tell  you  about  this. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  until  three  o'clock,  this  afternoon. 


286  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 


AFTERNOON  SESSION. 

Pittsburgh,  Wednesday,  February  20,  1878. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  met  at  three  o'clock.  All  pres- 
ent except  Messrs.  Means,  Reyburn,  and  Torbert. 

William  N.  Riddle,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  1 

A.  In  the  city  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Cashier  of  the  Penn  Bank. 

Q.  State  whether  you  had  any  negotiations  or  any  conference  with  the 
strikers  during  the  riots  of  July  last,  and  if  so,  what  it  was  ? 

A.  I  had  conversations  with  the  strikers  on,  I  think,  Friday  before  the 
riot,  and  Sunday  of  the  riot. 

Q.  State  what  the  conference  was  on  Friday — that  is,  you  mean  Friday, 
the  21st  of  July? 

A.  Friday  before  the  riot.  The  conversation  was  at  East  Liberty,  with 
the  strikers.  I  went  there  to  see  about  some  stock  that  had  been  consigned 
to  us.  While  there,  I  got  in  conversation  with  them.  They  seemed  to 
demand  their  rights  of  the  railroad,  but  they  didn't  want  to  inconvenience 
any  stock  dealers  there,  nor  anybody  else — didn't  seem  to  want  to  interfere 
with  the  business — wanted  their  rights — seemed  peaceable  enough  to  me 
on  Sunday.  I  suppose  the  paper  that  is  here — that  is  what  I  am  to  testify 
— in  regard  to  that,  (the  paper  referred  to  by  the  witness  is  the  paper 
written  to  W.  C.  McCarthy,  and  will  be  found  in  the  testimony  of  Doctor 
Donnelly,)  1  was  requested,  I  think,  by  Major  McCarthy,  after  the  citizens 
meeting  on  Sunday,  at  the  city  hall,  to  go  to  Twenty' eighth  street  and  see 
if  I  could  make  any  arrangements,  or  see  what  the  feeling  was  out  among 
the  strikers.  I  went  there,  and  found  this  man  Cunningham — I  don't  say 
it  was  him,  it  was  a  man  that  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  Cunningham.  He 
said  he  was  willing  to  go  down  and  join  Captain  McMunn,  and  help  us 
citizens  suppress  the  mob.  Then  this  paper  was  to  go  to  the  mayor.  I  met 
some  one  on  the  corner  who  said  he  was  going  there,  and  he,  this  man 
Cunningham  said,  would  deliver  the  note  properly,  and  he  sent  this  note  to 
the  mayor.  This  man  Cunningham  said,  that  he  also  thought  the  Penn- 
sylvania railroad  had  treated  them  wrong,  but  that  he  was  very  much  op- 
posed to  the  destruction  of  property,  and  that  he  was  willing  to  join  with 
the  citizens,  and  go  down  and  help  suppress  the  mob  then  going  on — I  sup- 
pose they  were  at  that  time.  I  couldn't  state  what  hour  this  was.  The}r 
must  have  been  in  and  about  the  Union  depot  and  elevator. 

Q.  Who  is  the  man  Cunningham.     Do  you  know  about  his  history? 

A.  I  know  nothing  at  all.  Never  saw  him  before  or  since  this  day. 
Wouldn't  know  him  now. 

Q.  Was  he  a  railroad  man  ? 

Q.  lie  was  a  brakeman  or  engineer  on  the  railroad — one  of  the  strikers 
said  to  be  at  the  meeting  at  the  city  hall.  I  cannot  testify  that  that  was 
the  man. 

Q.  This  is  the  note  you  sent  to  the  mayor  after  the  conversation  with 
Cunningham  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Will  you  read  this,  so  the  reporter  can  take  it  down  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  287 

"  Honorable  W.  C.  McCarthy  :  I  have  gone  to  Twenty-sixth  street. 
Cunningham,  of  the  strikers,  with  Captain  McMunn,  say  they  will  try  to 
go  down  at  once  to  new  city  hall  to  join  you.  I  will  do  my  best.  Tell 
Doctor  Donnelly  ;  and  if  they  come,  see  that  they  get  instructions."  "  In- 
structions "  meant — I  suppose  that  means  get  instruction  where  to  go. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  this  was  delivered  to  the  mayor  or  not ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  say. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  send  this  to  him? 

A.  That  I  wouldn't  like  to  say.  I  suppose  it  was  about  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon — Sunday  afternoon. 

Q.  Who  is  Captain  McMunn  ? 

A.  He  was  also  a  prominent  man  among  the  strikers.  He  made  a  speech 
at  the  city  hall  that  is  recorded.  A  very  good  hearted  man.  I  knew  him 
before. 

Q.  What  was  his  situation  on  the  railroad  ;  do  you  know  ? 

A.   I  don't. 

Q.  Was  he  in  the  employ  of  the  railroad  company  at  the  time  the  strike 
broke  out  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that  he  was  then.  I  was  always  led  to  believe  he  was 
before.  I  used  to  live  at  the  Union  depot,  and  I  know  most  of  these  people 
b}-  sight.  I  have  seen  him  several  times,  and  talked  to  him  on  the  street 
since  the  riot. 

(\.  Do  you  know  whether  he  is  in  the  employ  of  the  company  now  or 
not? 

A.  I  don't,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  you  understand  from  the  conference  you  had  with  Cunningham 
that  the  strikers  would  unite  with  good  citizens  to  suppress  the  riot  and 
disperse  the  mob? 

A.  Yes  ;  that  some  of  the  strikers  would — the  ones  inclined  peaceably  ? 

Q.  What  did  Mayor  McCarthy  say  in  reply  to  this  note  ?  Did  you  ever 
learn  ? 

A-  I  never  got  an  answer.  In  fact,  I  don't  think  I  ever  asked,  because 
when  I  came  down  the  people  had  all  gone  up  to  the  depot — all  that  seemed 
to  want  to  join.  In  fact  I  am  positive  1  never  said  anything  about  it 
afterwards.  I  suppose  if  they  had  gone  there  they  would  have  been 
assigned  to  proper  places. 

Q.  Were  they  to  act  in  conjunction  with  Doctor  Donnelly  and  his  armed 
force  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  that  was  the  understanding.  I  think  Captain  McMunn  told 
me  to  go  to  this  man  Cunningham,  and  that  he  would  help  us. 

Q.  The}-  were  to  join  Doctor  Donnelly  ? 

A.  Yes.  n 

Q.  Did  they  ever  join  Doctor  Donnelly  ? 

A.  That  I  can't  say.  I  don't  know.  They  might  have  joined  without 
my  knowing  it. 

Q.  State,  if  you  know,  what  elforts  were  made  by  the  city  authorities  to 
get  a  force  to  suppress  the  riot  and  disperse  the  mob  ? 

A.  At  what  particular  time,  or  do  you  mean  in  general  ? 

Q.  At  any  time  during  the  riots — during  the  violence  ? 

A.  I  can  tell  you  very  briefly — it  would  have  to  be 

Q.  Only  what  you  know  of  your  own  personal  knowledge  what  effort 
was  made  by  the  mayor  and  his  subordinates  to  suppress  the  riots  and  dis- 
perse the  mob  ? 


288  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  only  know  that  in  the  morning  I  went  to  the  mayor  and  asked — 
early  in  the  morning 

Q.  The  day  it  commenced  ? 

A.  On  Saturday,  1  was  in  Allegheny  that  night.  I  went  to  the  mayor 
early  in  the  morning,  and  asked  him  if  there  was  anything  that  could  be 
done — asked  him  if  he  couldn't  get  a  few  extra  police  by  issuing  a  call  for 
extra  police. 

Q.  That  is  the  mayor  of  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Mayor  McCarthy  ;  yes,  sir.  He  said  the  police  committee  were  then 
in  session  up  stairs.  I  asked  him  if  he  would  allow  me  to  go  up,  and  re- 
quest them  to  issue  a  call  and  guarantee  their  payment.  He  said,  I  might. 
1  went  up  and  stated  the  case,  and  they  said  to  me,  that  the}7  had  author- 
ized the  mayor  to  employ  a  certain  number,  which  I  don't  know  now,  of 
police.  I  went  to  the  mayor  and  asked  him  if  he  would — after  that  there 
was  a  meeting  at  the  city  hall,  pretty  shortly  after  that — I  asked  the  mayor 
if  he  couJd  get  any  extra  police.  He  said,  he  couldn't  get  them,  he  had 
tried,  and  couldn't  get  them.  I  joined  the  mayor  after  that,  and  went  to 
the  city  hall  meeting.  Going  down  Fifth  avenue,  I  asked  the  mayor  if  he 
was  going  to  make  an  attempt  to  get  additional  police,  as  he  had  been  au- 
thorized by  the  police  committee.  He  said  he  was,  but  who  was  going  to 
guarantee  the  payment  of  this  money.  I  told  him  we  would  fix  that  part 
of  it,  if  that  was  all  the  hang  there  was  to  it.  We  got  to  the  city  hall 
meeting,  went  on  and  got  partly  through.  If  I  remember  right,  I  said  1 
would  be  one  of  so  many  that  would  pay  the  police,  if  he  felt  backward 
about  employing  them.  Then  I  know  after  that,  he  made  an  attempt  to 
get  men,  and  succeeded,  I  don't  how  lar,  but  he  got  a  few,  at  least,  later  in 
the  day.  I  asked  him  if  he  was  going  to  send  out  police,  and  he  said  he 
had  not  been  asked  to  do  so. 

Q.  Send  them  to  the  scene  of  the  riots  1 

A.  Yes ;  I  am  a  friend  of  Mayor  McCarthy,  and  I  am  simply  testifying 
as  a  citizen.  I  think  there  is  very  much  of  a  mix  somewheres — who  it  be- 
longs to  or  where  it  rests — it  ought  to  be  placed  somewhere.  There  is  a 
very  decided  mix. 

Q.  I  wish  to  ask  you  another  question.  Do  you  know  what  efforts  were 
made  by  the  sheriff  and  his  subordinates  or  the  county  authorities  to  sup- 
press the  riot  ? 

A.  1  don't  know  anything  about  that,  nothing  at  all  except  hearsay. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Had  you  had  any  talk  with  Mayor  McCarthy  before  Sunday  ? 

A.  .No,  sir  ;  not  on  this  subject. 

Reverend  Sylvester  F.  Scoville,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  :  # 

Q.   Were  you  at  the  citizen's  meeting  on  Sunday  ? 

A.   i  arrived  just  at  the  close  of  it. 

Q.   What  occurred  then  ? 

A.  I  had  been  appointed  a  member  of  the  citizens'  committee.  I  went 
with  them  to  city  hall,  and  from  that  went  in  carriages  to  the  mob. 

Q.   Who  accompanied  you? 

A.  Bishop  Tuigg,  a  lather  of  the  catholic  church,  whose  name  I  have 
forgotten — Mr.  Bennett,  I  think  his  name  is  J.  I.  Bennett — Mr.  J.  Parker, 
junior,  and  others,  whose  names  1  forget  at  the  moment.  There  were  two 
carriages.  Doctor  Donnelly,  I  remember  him  distinctly,  he  was  there. 
Our  contact  with  the  mob  was  very  brief.  Bailings  were  torn  from  the 
fence  on  Liberty  street;  but  we  made  our  way  to  the  end  of  the  platform 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Eiots,  July,  1871.  289 

of  the  car — the  rear  platform  of  the  car.  One  of  the  gentleman  sought  to 
call  the  people  to  order,  and  introduced  Bishop  Tuigg,  who  endeavoured 
to  address  them.  They  listened  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  interrupted 
with  questions.  After  a  few  moments  further  they  began  to  throw  clin- 
kers or  pieces  of  iron,  and  we  were  warned  by  apparent  friends  to  with- 
draw, with  the  words,  "  It  is  growing  very  hot  here."  Other  ineffectual 
attempts  were  made  to  address  the  meeting.  After  withdrawing  we  pro- 
ceeded to  Twenty-sixth  street,  with  a  view  of  meeting  the  strikers,  and 
attempting  to  dissociate  them  from  the  rioters,  with  the  hope  that  they 
would  assist  in  suppressing  the  riot.  It  was  impossible  to  find  the  leaders. 
One  or  two,  who  seemed  to  have  some  influence,  were  finally  seen.  Then 
the  citizens'  committee  went  to  visit  the  railroad  authorities  at  a  private 
house  in  Allegheny. 

Q.  What  was  said  to  the  strikers  that  you  found,  and  what  did  the 
strikers  say? 

A.  Those  who  were  found  disclaimed  any  sympathy  with  the  riot,  and 
they  were  appealed  to  to  do  what  they  could  to  suppress  it. 

Q.  Did  they  seem  willing  to  help  in  suppressing  the  arson  and  riot  that 
was  then  going  on  ? 

A.  They  made  no  motion  in  that  direction,  but  there  were  very  few — 
they  were  so  scattered  here  and  there.  So  far  as  I  could  see,  all  that  was 
accomplished  by  that  committee  was  to  direct  the  attention  of  the  few  to 
the  efforts  that  were  going  on  in  the  city  to  organize  a  force.  The  charac- 
ter of  the  rioters  appeared  to  me  to  be  such  as  belonged  to  people  habitu- 
ally in  Pittsburgh.     I  saw  no  evidence  of  their  being  strangers. 

Q,.   What  class  of  people  were  they  ? 

A.  By  their  dress  and  language,  they  were  laborers. 

Q.  Laborers  from  the  factories,  and  rolling-mills,  &c.  ? 

A.  I  should  think  so.     Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  there  no  railroad  employes  that  were  actually  engaged  in  the 
arson  and  burning  and  riot  ? 

A.  I  recognized  none  whom  I  knew  as  railroad  employes,  but  it  was 
evident  that  somebody  that  understood  the  management  of  engines  were 
there,  and  the  crowd  was  not  wholly  confined  to  those  whose  dress  looked 
like  laboring  men.  They  seemed  to  have  no  wish  to  injure  anything  but 
the  railroad,  and  clamored  to  know  whether  any  proposition  came  directly 
from  the  chief  of  the  road,  Mr.  Scott,  and  when  they  found  no  such  propo- 
sition was  to  be  given  to  them,  they  would  not  listen  to  any  other. 

Q.  What  time  was  it  that  you  visited  the  scene  of  the  riot? 

A.  From  half  past  two  to  three.  Do  you  wish  to  know  anything  in  re- 
gard to  the  interview  with  the  authorities  ? 

Q.  Yes ;  I  would  like  to  have  you  relate  the  interview  with  the  city 
authorities  ? 

A.  I  mean  with  the  railroad  authorities. 

Q.  Relate  the  interview  with  the  railroad  authorities? 

A.  By  the  time  we  had  arrived  at  the  private  house,  in  Allegheny,  the 
depot  was  in  flames,  and  I  think  also  the  elevator.  So  that  they  answered 
in  a  word,  that  all  the  mischief  had  been  done  which  they  could  sustain, 
and  they  had  no  proposition  for  a  compromise  to  make,  and  it  is  just  to 
say,  that  they  would  have  said  the  same  if  they  had  other  interests.  They 
plead  also  the  general  interest  of  the  community  as  a  reason  for  not  treat- 
ing with  those  in  rebellion  against  the  authorities.  I  know  nothing  what- 
ever in  regard  to  the  conduct  of  the  city  authorities,  except  what  could 
be  observed  from  the  outside  of  the  building — the  city  hall — the  new  city 
hall — from  five  to  seven  o'clock — the  formation  of  the  companies — they 
19  Riots. 


290  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

went  up  to  the  scene  of  the  riot,  and  their  return,  which  I  witnessed,  that 
was  all. 

Q.  Companies  of  citizens  ? 

A.  Citizens — young  men  mainly.     Mr.  McCune,  and  myself,  and  some 
others  were  with  the  mayor  at  the  time  of  the  issuance  of  the  first  procla- 
mation, reading,  I  think,  in  this  way:  "  Veterans,  to  the  rescue.     Meet  at 
city  hall  at  ten  o'clock,"  1  think, "  the  citizens  will  follow  you." 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Whose  proclamation  was  that  ? 

A.  Written,  I  think,  by  myself,  at  the  instance  of  the  mayor.  That  was 
on  Monday.  There  was  no  citizens'  meeting  then,  that  I  knew  of.  This 
proclamation  was  designed  to  meet  the  necessity  which  came  upon  us, 
through  the  information  of  other  persons  coming  from  a  distance — a  boat 
load  down  the  Monongahela,  and  the  cars  full  from  McKeesport.  That 
was  very  soon  afterward  superceded  by  another  notice,  and  General  Neg- 
ley  took  the  whole  charge  from  that.  I  was  engaged  in  visiting  the 
wounded.  That  is  all  I  know  in  regard  to  it,  except  these  expressions  of 
opinion  I  heard  here  and  there. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  many  were  actually  engaged  in  the  burning  and  riot,  when  you 
were  out  at  the  scene  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  At  the  time  we  were  there,  before  the  firing  of  the  depot,  the  multi- 
tude was  in  an  elongated  form,  stretching  up  the  railwray,  so  that  all  were 
not  visible  at  any  one  point.  But  those  that  were  visible  to  us,  would 
number  anywhere  from  two  to  three  hundred  who  seemed  actually  par- 
ticipating, while  towards  the  city  there  was  a  large  crowd. 

Q.  Bystanders  and  lookers  on  ? 

A.  Yes ;  many  of  whom  I  recognized  as  our  citizens,  and  persons  of 
standing  in  the  community.  Many  statements  have  been  made  with  re- 
gard to  the  ease  of  checking  the  multitude  at  that  point,  which  are  cer- 
tainly hard  to  prove.  No  small  force  could  have  stopped  them  at  that 
time — that  is,  of  course,  in  my  judgment.  I  know  very  little  about  such 
things.  Some  boys  were  in  the  multitude,  and  several  of  them  evidently 
under  the  influence  of  drink,  and  fainting  from  exhaustion  and  excitement. 
But  the  most  of  them  were  stalwart  men,  under  most  powerful  excitement. 

Q.  Under  the  influence  of  spirits  ? 

A.  We  could  see  that  only  in  a  few  cases,  of  course,  where  it  come  to 
such  evidence  that  they  were  overcome  Iry  it.  It  is  evident,  there  were  a 
number  of  boys  who  were  on  the  point  of  falling,  from  exposure  to  the 
sun. 

Q.  Were  these;  two  or  three  hundred  that  you  speak  of  armed,  so  far 
as  you  could  see  ? 

A.  We  saw  no  arms.  The  engine  that  was  near  us — there  seemed  to  be 
an  effort  of  some  to  move  it ;  but,  if  1  understood  rightly,  those  who  wished 
to  remove  the  engine  were  pulled  down  from  it,  and  not  suffered  to  move 
it. 

Q.  Who  had  called  the  meeting  that  appointed  you  a  committee  ? 

A.  The  notice  I  received  and  read  from  the  pulpit  was  signed  J.  I. 
Burnett,  but  his  name  was  crossed  out,  as  though  he  desired  it  to  be  im- 
personal— written  hurriedly  on  a  piece  of  paper  with  a  pencil.  I  announced, 
at  the  time,  that  "  this  notice  comes  to  me  without  signature,  and  I  am 
unable  to  say  in  whose  name  it  is." 

Q.  Was  that  read  in  the  pulpit  of  the  churches  pretty  generally  ? 

A.  1  am  not  advised  as  to  that. 

Q.  At  what  hour  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  291 

A.  At  the  close  of  the  service. 

Q.  Morning  service — that  would  be  about  twelve  o'clock  ? 

A.  Yes ;  about  twelve  o'clock. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  gathering  of  the  citizens  at  the  meeting? 

A.  I  came  just  at  its  close,  but  1  suppose,  from  the  area  they  occupied 
in  the  street,  that  it  was  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred. 

Q.  This  appointment  of  this  committee  was  with  a  view  of  trying  to 
stop  the  arson  and  riot  by  peaceable  measures  ? 

A.  Conciliation — yes.  Our  effort  with  the  railroad  authorities  was 
based  upon  previous  efforts  to  dissociate  the  rioters  from  the  strikers,  and 
remove  that  cause  of  complaint,  and  the  only  proposition  that  was  made 
was  whether  they  could  make  any  proposition. 

Q.  Did  you  report  back  to  the  citizens'  meeting  ? 

A.  We  started  for  the  citizens'  meeting.  We  arrived  shortly  before  its 
close,  but  for  what  reason,  I  could  not  understand,  our  chairman  made  no 
report.  Probably  because  there  was  nothing  to  report — nothing  that  had 
been  done,  or  could  be  done. 

Q.  How  soon  after  you  came  back  was  it  before  the  citizens  began  to 
organize  into  companies  for  the  purpose  of  protection  ? 

A.  Almost  within  half  an  hour.  While  we  were  standing  on  the  verge 
of  the  assembled  crowd,  they  began  to  form  in  line,  and  march  to  the 
city  hall.     I  remember  the  person  who  headed  the  column. 

Q.  Were  these  companies  armed  that  night  ? 

A.  They  were  armed  when  they  reached  the  city  hall. 

Q.  With  what? 

A.  With  muskets,  as  I  understood,  taken  from  the  armory  of  the  univer- 
sity, as  I  was  afterwards  told,  without  ammunition. 

Q.  How  many  citizens  were  there  in  arms  that  night  do  you  think  ? 

A.  Do  you  mean  at  night  or  at  that  time  ? 

Q.  At  that  time  ? 

A.  At  that  time,  I  saw  probabl}-  a  hundred. 

Q.  Did  it  increase  in  number? 

A.  No ;  it  seemed  to  diminish.  Going  down  to  the  Duquesne  depot,  at 
nine  o'clock,  I  was  told  that  quite  a  large  number  had  come  originally  to 
guard  the  depot,  but  all  had  dispersed,  except  six. 

Frank  Haymaker,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows : 

Examined  by  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  Part  of  the  time  in  the  city  and  part  of  the  time  at  Laurel  station, 
four  miles  below  the  city. 

Q.  A  deputy  of  Sheriff  Fife's  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  State  whether  you  accompanied  Sheriff  Fife  to  Twenty-eighth  street, 
on  the  night  of  Thursday,  the  19th  of  July  last,  and  what  took  place 
there  ? 

A.  On  the  18th  of  the  month,  I  went  to  the  country.  On  the  19th 
I  got  back.  I  heard  they  were  striking  in  town  here,  and  there  were 
a  good  many  men  got  on  the  cars  coming  in  along,  and  they  were 
talking  considerably  about  it  on  the  road  coming  in — talking  that  they 
were  coming  in  to  take  part  in  the  strike.  That  was  on  Thursday, 
the  19th  of  the  month.  I  noticed  men  along  the  road,  on  the  road  com- 
ing in,  and  some  of  them  yelled  at  those  parties  who  got  on  the  train 
to  send  them  out  grub — they  had  been  out  for  some  time,  and  hadn't  had 
anything  to  eat.    They  were  out  at  East  Liberty.    I  came  in  town.    Didn't 


292  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

notice  much  of  a  crowd  in  the  city.  That  was  late  in  the  evening,  and  I 
went  to  bed  that  evening  about  nine  o'clock.  I  think  it  was  about  two 
o'clock  I  was  wakened  by  Sheriff  Fife  himself.  He  said  they  wished  us 
to  go  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  We  got  in  a  carriage  and  went  to  Mr. 
Pitcairn's  office,  and  from  there  we  went  out  to  where  there  was  a  consid- 
erable of  a  crowd  gathered. 

Q.  What  occurred  there — what  was  said  by  the  sheriff  and  done. 

A.  The  sheriff  talked  to  them,  and  he  told  them  what  the  result  of  it 
would  be,  and  they  would  have  to  go  away.  If  they  did  not,  he  would 
have  to  send  for  the  military.  He  said  he  would  use  all  the  power  that  he 
could,  but,  he  said,  if  they  would  not  disperse  he  would  have  to  send  for 
the  military.  They  hooted  him  and  hissed  him  and  gave  him  a  great  deal 
of  bad  language  while  I  was  there.  I  turned  around  and  came  back  to 
Pitcairn's  office,  and  he  told  me  he  would  not  need  me  any  longer,  I  might 
go  home.     I  went  home  and  went  to  bed. 

Q.  Did  he  make  any  attempt  to  arrest  anybody  that  night  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  that  I  know.  They  were  not  doing  anything  at  the 
time  we  went  out  there,  any  more  than  standing  there. 

Q.  Were  they  interfering  with  the  trains  that  were  passing  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  believe  they  said,  though,  that  they  would  not — they 
were  not  going  to  let  any  more  trains  go  out,  or  something  to  that  effect. 

Q.  The  sheriff  made  no  attempt  to  disperse  the  crowd  that  night,  did  he? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  the  two  of  us — I  don't  think  there  was  much  use  of  us  making 
any  attempt. 

Q.  Did  he  make  any  attempt  to  raise  a  posse  ? 

A.  He  told  me  he  could  not  find  any  other  of  his  deputies — he  had  sent 
for  several  of  them,  but  they  were  not  at  home,  or  something  of  that  kind. 
He  said  I  was  all  the  one  he  could  find. 

Q.  Did  he  call  upon  citizens  to  go  out  ? 

A.  That  night  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  to  my  knowledge — he  did  not. 

Q.  Do  you  know  when  he  sent  to  the  Governor  for  troops  ? 

A.  These  men  that  came  for  him,  told  him  all  they  wanted  of  him,  was 
to  go  out  and  make  a  demand  of  the  crowd  to  disperse. 

Q.  Who  told  him  that  ? 

A.  I  believe  it  was  Mr.  Scott  told  him  that. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  him  tell  him  that  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  I  am  not  certain  it  was  Mr.  Scott,  but  I  think  it  was. 

Q.  Was  it  one  of  the  railroad  officials  ? 

A.  It  was  one  of  the  railroad  officials  and  one  of  the  men  that  came  for 
the  sheriff. 

Q.  When  did  the  sheriff  call  on  the  Governor  to  furnish  him  with  troops  ? 

A.  That  night,  sir. 

Q.  After  he  returned  ? 

A.  After  he  returned. 

Q.  And  before  morning? 

A.  And  before  morning  ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  with  him  at  any  other  time  ? 

A.  On  Friday  I  was  out — Friday  morning — to  serve  some  writs,  and 
didn't  get  back  until  pretty  late  in  the  morning.  When  I  got  in,  he  told 
me  he  wanted  me  to  go  along  out  to  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  That  was  the  next  day  ? 

A.  Yes;  that  was  on  Friday.  We  two  went  down  to  the  depot.  The 
militia  was  gathered  there.     We  stood  there  several  hours.     I  think  he 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  293 

came  to  the  conclusion  not  to  go  out  on  that  day.  He  told  us  we  could 
go  home  again — would  not  go  out  before  the  next  day.  The  next  day  I 
was  out  some  place  attending  to  some  business  in  my  district,  and  came 
back.  He  told  me  that  the  rest  of  the  deputies  were  all  out  and  they 
wanted  men  to  go  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  That  was  the  day  before — 
that  was  on  Friday,  I  think  it  was  Friday — he  attempted  to  raise  a  posse, 
I  would  not  be  certain.  He  said  the  rest  of  the  deputies  were  all  through 
town  trying  to  get  a  posse  to  go  and  assist  in  making  arrests,  and  told  me 
he  wanted  me  to  go  out  and  raise  all  the  men  I  could — if  1  could  find  any, 
to  bring  them  in.  I  went  out  and  met  a  good  many  men  that  I  knew,  and 
some  that  I  was  not  acquainted  with,  anymore  than  I  knew  their  faces,  and 
spoke  to  them  about  going  out,  and  none  of  them  would  go. 

Q.  Where  did  you  go  to  raise  a  posse  ? 

A.  I  went  around  through  the  aity. 

Q.  On  what  streets  ? 

A.  I  believe  all  the  time  I  was  on  Fifth  street. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  did  you  ask  to  go  ? 

A.  Just  any  man  at  all  that  I  thought  there  was  any  show  of  getting. 

Q.  Did  you  ask  any  of  the  business  men  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  that  I  did. 

Q.  Who  did  you  ask — anybody  you  met  in  the  street  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  didn't  ask  strangers,  did  you  ? 

A.  There  are  a  great  many  men  in  the  city  that  their  faces  are  familiar, 
but  1  don't  know  their  names. 

Q.  Any  citizens  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  any  citizens  I  met. 

Q.  What  replies  did  you  get. 

A.  Some  of  them  stated  they  didn't  want  to  have  anything  to  do  with 
fighting  against  the  workingmen,  o^her  men  said,  damned  if  they  wanted 
to  go  out  there  to  get  killed,  and  such  replies  as  that. 

Q.  Did  you  demand — make  a  demand  on  them  to  go  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  they  absolutely  refused  ? 

A.  They  absolutely  refused. 

Q.  What  was  done  with  those  men  that  refused  ? 

A.  I  never  knew  of  anything  being  done  to  them. 

Q.  Was  any  report  of  it  made  to  the  court  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  Nor  no  arrests  made  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  State  in  what  way  the  demand  was  made  ? 

A.  Well,  sir,  I  just  made  a  verbal  demand. 

Q.  In  what  words  ? 

A.  I  asked  if  they  would  go  out,  and  assist  in  making  arrests  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Did  you  say  to  any  of  them  that  you  commanded  them  as  a  peace  offi- 
cer— you  demanded  their  assistance  as  a  posse  to  assist  in  suppressing  the 
riot  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  believe  I  didn't. 

Q.  It  was  a  mere  request,  then,  and  not  a  command  ? 

A.  I  suppose  it  was. 

Q.  And  they  declined  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 


294  Keport  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Did  you  go  outside  of  the  city  in  search  of  men  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  call  upon  professional  men  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  class  of  professional  men? 

A.  Attorneys. 

Q.  Did  you  succeed  in  getting  any  ? 

A.  They  just  laughed  at  me. 

Q.  Did  you  call  on  any  physicians  ? 

A.  I  believe  not. 

Q.  Any  dentists  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of.     We  don't  go  to  that  class  of  men. 

Q.  I  believe  you  cannot  state  anything  but  what  has  already  been 
stated  ? 

A.  I  believe  not,  sir.     I  have  not  heard 

Q.  We  have  had  a  great  many  witnesses  on  that  subject? 

A.  I  don't  think  I  can  enlighten  you  any  on  that  subject. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  The  sheriff  issued  no  proclamation  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  the  sheriff  go  out  himself,  and  command  men  to  join  him  in  put- 
ting down  the  riot  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  state  that,  whether  he  did  or  didn't.  I  was  not  in  the 
office  much.  I  was  away  in  the  morning,  and  when  I  came  back,  he  re- 
quested me  to  go  out. 

Q.  What  were  his  directions  to  you  ? 

A.  His  directions  were  to  go  out  in  town,  and  get  all  the  men  I  could 
to  assist  in  making  arrests  in  Twenty-eighth  street.  He  said  there  was 
three  or  four  men  there  they  had  warrants  for,  and  they  expected  trouble, 
and  wanted  a  posse. 

Q.  Didn't  tell  you  to  make  your  demands,  or  what  language  to  use,  nor 
gave  you  no  written  summons. 

A.  Nothing  more  than  what  I  have  told  you. 

James  H.  Fife,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.    \ »  here  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  Allegheny  City. 

Q.  Brother  of  Sheriff  Fife,  of  Allegheny  county  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  with  your  brother  at  any  time  during  the  riots  of  July 
last? 

A.  I  was  with  him  on  Saturday. 

Q.  With  him  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  went  with  him  from  the  Union  depot  up  to  Twenty-eighth 
street. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  meet  him  at  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  I  think  about  two  o'clock,  as  near  as  I  can  recollect. 

Q.  Go  on  and  state  what  took  place  from  that  time  on. 

A.  There  was  considerable  delay,  at  least  I  thought  so,  before  we  made 
a  start  to  go  from  the  depot  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  There  appeared  to 
be  a  delay  with  the  military.  They  had  not  all  arrived  at  the  one  time, 
and  those  that  had,  had  to  have  something  to  eat,  before  tliey  were  ready 
to  go  on.     There  appeared  to  be  considerable  delay.     I  think  it  was  near 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  295 

four  o'clock  before  a  start  was  made  from  the  depot — somewheres  between 
three  and  four  o'clock.  The  sheriff  and  I  think  seventeen  assistants  were 
in  advance  of  the  military,  and  marched  up  the  railroad  street  in  that  way. 
I  understood  the  object  that  we  were  taken  for  was  to  assist  Constable 
Richardson  in  making  some  arrests.  I  understood  that  there  was  an  order 
issued  from  court  to  arrest  some  ten  or  eleven  of  the  ring-leaders  of  the 
strikers,  and  we  were  to  assist  Richardson  in  making  the  rescue,  and  the 
military,  as  I  understood  it  at  the  time,  was  to  protect  us.  I  walked  with 
my  brother  the  greater  part  of  the  way.  We  went  two  by  two,  in  advance 
of  the  military.  We  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Twent}T-eighth  street, 
and  the  crowd  was  so  dense  it  was  with  difficulty  that  we  could  get  through 
it.  We  worked  our  way  on  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  I  stood  about 
the  center  of  the  street  for  a  considerable  length  of  time,  at  Twenty-eighth 
street,  where  the  railroad  crosses.  You  have  heard  the  statements  made 
in  regard  to  the  disposition  that  was  made  of  the  military  there,  and  my 
own  views  are  just  the  same.  They  were  put  into  what  is  termed  a  hollow 
square,  and  then  what  followed  after  that 

Q.  Did  you  find  any  of  the  men  you  went  to  arrest  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  my  understanding  before  we  started,  and  on  the  way  there, 
and  afterwards,  was,  that  Mr.  Pitcairn  was  to  point  out  the  men  to  this 
Constable  Richardson,  but  I  have  never  seen  Mr.  Pitcairn  but  once  since, 
and  that  was  before  your  honorable  body,  and  I  saw  no  men  pointed  out. 
There  was  no  attempt  made  to  arrest  that  I  know  of,  and  I  think  it  was 
very  well  that  it  was  so. 

Q.  When  you  got  to  a  certain  point,  the  crowd  resisted  your  further 
progress  ? 

A.  It  was  an  impossibility  to  get  through,  that  was  just  about  it.  They 
were  there  in  large  numbers.  In  front  of  us  appeared  to  be  one  dense  mass 
of  people,  for  a  square  or  more,  and  on  either  side.  Of  course  they  gave 
away  to  the  military,  to  a  certain  extent,  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  and 
there  the  military  halted,  and  appeared  not  able  to  go  any  further. 

(4.  When  the  hollow  square  was  formed,  where  was  the  sheriff's  posse? 

A.  The  sheriff  was  just — the  last  place  I  saw  him  was  just  at  wbat  we 
would  call  the  corner  of  this  hollow  square,  on  the  left  hand  side  as  you  go 
up.  His  posse  was — the  principal  part  of  them — right  in  front  among 
the  crowd — immediately  in  front.  I  know  that  was  my  position,  and  there 
was  several  others,  I  noticed,  that  went  with  us,  that  were  within  a  few 
feet  of  me  at  the  time  the  order  to  charge  bayonets  was  made.  I  was,  per- 
haps, no  further  than  to  that  wall,  [  indicating  about  fifteen  feet,]  from 
where  I  am  sitting  to  where  the  charge  was  made. 

Q.  Was  any  attack  made  upon  the  sheriff's  posse  ? 

A.  None  that  I  know  of.  I  was  looking  for  it ;  but  there  was  nothing  of 
the  kind  made.  We  were  distinguished  by  a  badge,  so  that  we  could  have 
been  known  by  any  person. 

Q.  Did  the  sheriff  say  anything  to  the  crowd  ? 

A.  He  tried  to ;  but  the  noise  was  go  great  I  don't  think  he  was  heard, 
only  by  a  very  few  in  the  immediate  neighborhood. 

Q.  What  did  he  say  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  really  what  he  did  say.  I  could  see  that  he  was  talk- 
ing ;  but  I  don't  know  what  he  did  say.  He  was  perhaps  twenty  (20)  feet 
from  me. 

Q.  Was  any  attack  made  on  the  military  by  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  presume  you  gentlemen  were  up  there  and  can  understand 
me.  Just  where  Twenty-eighth  street  crosses  the  railroad  there  is  a  road 
which  leads  diagonally  up  the  hill  to  the  hospital.     Just  where  that  road 


296  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

connects  with  Twenty-eighth  street  there  was  a  gate  that  was  hung  to  close 
up  that  road.  That  gate  was  swung  back,  about  two  parts  that  way,  and 
here  was  a  pile  of  stones  behind  it — between  it  and  this  fence.  There 
were  two  men  standing  behind  that  gate,  and  from  the  time  that  these  men 
attempted  to  make  a  charge,  these  men  commenced  throwing  stones  at  the 
military. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  The  stones  came  from  the  right  and  front  of  the  military? 

A.  Yes ;  and  there  was  quite  a  number  of  pieces  of  coal  and  other  mis- 
siles thrown  from  the  front  or  from  this  side  here.  These  two  men  that 
throwed  them  were  behind  this  gate. 

Q.  This  gate  is  east  of  the  street,  isn't  it — Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  East  of  the  street ;  it  is  to  close  that  road  that  runs  up  the  hill  to 
the  hospital. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  They  commenced  throwing  when  the  military  got  in  reach? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  until  the  time  the  charge  of  bayonets  was  made. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Where  was  it  on  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  Just  at  the  edge  of  it. 

Q.  Just  reaching  the  street  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  I  saw  the  two  soldiers  that  were  struck  with  missiles.  One 
of  them  was  knocked  down.  He  got  up  in  a  minute.  When  he  dropped 
his  cap  had  dropped  off,  and  when  he  got  up  he  held  his  gun  in  his  left 
hand  this  way,  butt  on  the  street,  and  he  was  wiping  his  face  so,  [indicating] 
it  was  bleeding  very  profusely.  The  other  one  didn't  fall ;  he  was  struck 
some  place  about  the  shoulder.  These  are  the  only  two  that  I  saw  that  I 
knew  to  be  struck,  and  it  was  over  in  that  neighborhood  where  these  two 
were  struck  that  the  firing  commenced,  the  firing  was  in  that  direction, 
over  towards  the  hill.  I  didn't  see  any  stone  thrown  immediately  in  front, 
but  there  was  coal  and  other  missiles — pieces  of  sticks  and  things  of  that 
kind. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Have  you  any  new  facts  to  communicate  to  us  that  have  not  been 
gone  through  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  that  I  have,  unless  there  will  be  some  question  occur- 
ring to  you. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  efforts  were  made  by  the  mayor  to  suppress  the 
riots  ? 

A.  I  know  nothing  about  that,  only  from  hearsay. 

Q.  You  live  in  Allegheny  City  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  live  in  Allegheny  City.  I  live  on  Anderson  street — that  is, 
at  the  far  end  of  the  bridge. 

Q.  Was  there  any  riot  over  thei'e  ? 

A.  We  didn't  permit  it  over  there. 

Q.  Was  there  any  strike  ? 

A.  Yes;  there  was  a  strike,  and  the  railroad,  as  I  understood  it,  and  to 
all  appearance,  was  in  the  possession  of  the  strikers.  There  was  no  de- 
struction of  property. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  of  strikers  was  together  at  any  one  time? 

A.  At  one  time,  I  suppose,  I  saw  two  or  three  or  four  hundred  together 
at  the  outer  depot. 

Q.  What  day  was  that? 

A.  That  was  on  Sunday.     They  didn't  appear  to  destroy  any  property, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187?.  297 

everything  appeared  to  be  just  at  a  stand-still.     There  was  men  standing 
talking,  and  didn't  appear  to  molest  anybody. 

Q.  What  preparations  were  made  by  the  city  authorities  of  Allegheny 
City,  to  protect  themselves  and  to  keep  down  the  riot  ? 

A.  Meetings  of  the  citizens  were  called  at  the  public  square — the 
mayor's  office — and  of  course  there  was  a  great  deal  of  talk  like  there  is  at 
all  these  kind  of  meetings,  and  a  good  many  propositions  made,  but  the 
one  that  was  adopted,  was,  that  they  should  organize  the  citizens  into  a 
military  force,  and  did  it,  so  that  General  Lesieur — General  Lesieur  was 
the  colonel  of  the  round-head  regiment  during  the  late  trouble.  He  is  now 
a  practicing  physician  in  Allegheny  City. 

Q.  What  time  was  it  organized  ? 

A.  Sunday  afternoon  or  Monday  afternoon,  the  time  of  the  troublest 
times,  anyhow. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Go  on  ? 

A .  To  let  you  know  a  part  of  what  was  done,  I  live  adjacent  to  the  bridge. 
There  was  a  piece  of  artillery  planted  there,  and  sixteen  men,  armed 
with  muskets,  stood  there  as  a  guard  for  a  week,  every  night,  and  I  was 
informed  it  was  so  down  at  the  other  bridges,  and  the  street  cars  that  run 
over  that  line,  many  of  them,  were  stopped  just  at  the  end  of  the  bridge, 
and  one  of  these  military  would  look  in  to  see  who  was  in.  There  was 
persons  coming,  as  I  understood,  from  a  distance  here,  roughs  and  rowdies, 
&c,  and  the  object  was  that  they  shouldn't  come  in  Allegheny  City — they 
had  to  go  back  on  this  side. 

Q.  How  long  did  that  crowd  continue  there  at  the  outer  depot — of 
strikers  ? 

A.  I  don't*know  the  length  of  time  it  continued  ;  there  was  more  or  less 
of  them  there  for  several  days,  until  the  thing  got  settled. 

Q.  What  was  done  by  the  mayor  and  his  subordinates  prior  to  the  citi- 
zens' meeting  in  Allegheny  City — Ma3*or  Philips? 

A.  Well,  I  don't  know  precise^  what  was  done,  it  is  only  from  hearsay, 
and  that,  of  course,  is  not  evidence. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Was  this  meeting  called  by  the  mayor  ? 

A.  Called  by  the  mayor,  as  I  understood. 

Q.  Organized  a  force  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  I  don't  know  the  number,  but  the  number  is  quite  small, 
compared  with  this  city.  I  saw  myself,  on  Sabbath  day,  a  policeman  stop 
two  persons  that  were  carrying  stuff  away,  that  afternoon,  they  had  got 
from  some  of  the  cars  here.  It  was  plunder.  They  stopped  them  and  took 
them  with  them,  I  presume  to  the  lock-up.  I  don't  know,  but  I  suppose 
so. 

Q.  Plunder  and  all  ? 

A.  Plunder  and  all.  A  question  has  been  raised  here  frequently  about 
who  gave  orders  to  fire  up  there.  I  think  I  was  in  a  position  that  I  would 
have  known. 

Q.  That  is,  at  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  heard  no  order  given  by  any  one,  and  during  the  time  the 
firing  was  in  progress,  I  saw  a  man  that  was  represented,  that  I  under- 
stood to  be  General  Brinton,  trying,  apparently,  to  stop  it.  He  was  using 
his  sword  this  way,  [indicating,]  under  their  guns,  to  get  them  to  shoot 
up  or  quit.     That  was  the  idea  conveyed  to  my  mind. 

Q.  I  would  like  to  ask  you  another  question  or  two  in  relation  to  this 
citizens'  meeting  in  Allegheny  City.     Were  the  people  generally  in  Alle- 


300  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  I  would  like  the  general  to  explain  what  he  means  by  disband. 

A.  He  meant  that  we  should  go  to  our  homes. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Broke  ranks  for  the  evening  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  re-assembled  the  next  morning  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  we  didn't  re-assemble  the  next  morning.  I  was  over,  and  a 
great  many  of  the  other  officers  were  over,  to  see  what  we  could  do,  but 
we  didn't  re-assemble. 

Q.  To  whom  did  you  communicate  these  facts  ? 

A.  I  communicated  them  to  a  number  of  persons. 
By  Senator  Clark : 

Q.  Will  you  give  the  names  of  those  persons  ? 

A.  I  want  to  state  this  fact  right  here,  that  I  understand  this  committee 
to  be  appointed  for  the  purpose  of  investigating  this  transaction.  Now, 
with  all  due  respect  to  the  committee,  my  idea  is,  that  the  committee  is 
appointed  for  the  purpose  of  investigating  the  facts. 

Q.  As  a  regiment  you  were  not  re-organized  until  Monday  morning? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  a  great  many  of  the  officers  were  there,  and  I  suppose  a 
great  many  of  the  men.  Everything  was  so  exciting  we  could  not  get  them 
together. 

Q.  While  you  were  on  the  hill,  during  Saturday,  did  your  soldiers  min- 
gle among  the  rioters,  or  did  they  preserve  order  ? 

A.  They  preserved  order.  There  was  a  few  that  would  get  leave  of 
absence  to  go  down  street  for  something  or  other — very  few. 

Q.  Did  they  remain  in  ranks. 

A.  Remained  in  ranks. 

Q.  You  staid  there  until  what  hour  ? 

A.  We  all  remained  there  until  the  Philadelphia  regiments  were  coming 
up  there,  and  I  got  instructions  from  Colonel  Grey  to  have  the  troops  got 
ready  to  move. 

Q.  At  what  time  did  you  abandon  the  hill  ? 

A.  I  think  we  received  oi'ders  to  move  down  there  about  six  o'clock.  I 
gue~s,  perhaps,  a  little  later  than  that — perhaps  a  little  earlier — I  am  not 
positive.     We  marched  down  there. 

Q.  Down  where  ? 

A.  Down  the  hill,  on  to  the  railroad  track  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and 
then  down  to  the  transfer  depot,  and  stayed  there  until  eleven  o'clock,  or 
near  eleven — half  past  ten,  anyway. 

Q.  Did  you  hold  your  position  on  the  hill  until  six  o'clock 

Senator  Yutzy  :  On  Saturday,  at  the  time  of  the  firing  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  the  Nineteenth  regiment  remain  on  the  hill? 

A.  They  were  laying  below  us  at  the  gate. 

Q.  Did  they  hold  their  position  until  six  o'clock? 

A.  There  was  some  of  them  did,  and  some  of  them  did  not. 

Q.  How  far  is  the  transfer  depot  from  the  round-house. 

A.  I  think  the  transfer  depot  is  on  Sixteenth  street — six  or  eight  blocks. 

Q.  Where  were  the  mob  when  you  marched  down  to  the  transfer  depot? 

A.  They  were  mostly  all  down  along  the  railroad,  at  Twenty-eighth 
street. 

(I-  Did  you  meet  with  any  resistance  in  marching  down  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Where  were  they  when  you  disbanded,  at  eleven  o'clock  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  301 

A.  They  were  most  everywhere  then,  because,  it  seemed  to  me,  that  all 
the  workmen  from  the  south  side,  Allegheny  City,  Sharpsburg,  and  all 
from  the  country  had  come  in  here,  and  so  far  as  I  could  learn,  they  were 
going  to  clean  out  the  Philadelphia  troops. 

Q.  Had  the  burning  commenced  when  you  disbanded  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  that  I  know  of.     When  I  got  home,  I  could  see  over 
that  they  were  burning — that  was  about  twelve  o'clock. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Your  regiment  was  resting  on  the  hill,  in  good  order.  What  position 
did  thej-  have  during  the  day.     Were  they  at  rest — stacked  arms  '( 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  stacked  arms,  and  we  had  a  guard  there. 

Q.  Your  men  laid  close  by  the  arms  ? 

A.  Close  by  the  arms. 

Q.  When  you  broke  ranks  down  by  the  Union  depot,  did  you  have  or- 
ders to  re-assemble  at  any  time  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  we  did  not. 

Q.  Who  gave  the  order  to  break  ranks  ? 

A.  Colonel  Grey  gave  orders  to  his  regiment.  So  far  as  I  could  learn, 
General  Brown  gave  him  the  orders. 

Q.  Did  they  take  their  arms  to  the  armory,  or  did  they  go  away,  each 
one  taking  his  own  gun  home  with  him  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  we  were  not  marched  to  the  armory. 

Q.  Broke  ranks  right  there  at  the  depot? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  any  mob  there  at  the  depot  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  they  were  running  all  up  and  down  the  street,  yelling  and 
shouting. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Was  there  any  effort  made  by  your  regiment  on  the  19th  to  clear 
the  crossing,  or  keep  it  clear  that  day  ? 

A.  We  were  there  from  three  or  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  until 
the  Philadelphians  came  in  that  day,  and  kept  it  clear. 

Q.  How  happened  there  to  be  such  a  large 

A.  That  is  to  say,  suppose  this  was  the  track.  We  would  go  and  clear 
this  off,  and  then  they  would  get  in  behind  us,  shouting  and  howling  and 
cursing.     It  kept  three  or  four  companies  going  there  all  day. 

Q.  Did  you  undertake  to  hold  possession  of  the  crossing  of  the  track 
any  distance  there  at  the  crossing,  or  merely  clear  it  off  and  fall  back  ? 

A.  Then  they  would  rush  in  behind  us,  and  we  would  have  to  send  an- 
other company. 

Q.  How  happened  there  to  be  such  a  large  crowd  on  the  crossing  at  the 
time  the  Philadelphia  troops  marched  up  ? 

A.  I  think  our  regiment  had  orders — that  is  the  companies — had  orders 
to  fall  back  and  let  the  Philadelphians  in.  Our  orders  were,  so  far  as  I 
can  remember,  that  we  were  to  go  on  a  train,  and  go  out. 

Q.  How  long  previous  to  the  Philadelphia  "troops  coming  up  there  had 
you  fallen  back  ? 

A.  I  suppose  it  was  about  a  minute. 

Q.  Some  testify  that  the  mob  was  mixed  up  with  the  troops  there  near 
the  crossing,  and  on  the  side  of  the  hill  ? 

A.  They  were  only  mixed  up  in  that  way,  just  as  I  told  you. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  The  troops  were  mixed  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  mixing  in  the  crowd. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 


302  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  How  ;  were  they  on  good  terms — the  crowd  and  the  troops  ? 

A.  They  didn't  say  anything.  Some  of  them  said  they  were  going  to 
clean  out  the  militia,  we  didn't  take  any  notice  of  that  at  all. 

Q.  No  particular  hard  feeling  by  the  crowd  against  your  troops? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  They  showed  considerable  feeling  against  the  Philadelphia  troops — 
it  was  supposed  that  they  would  clear  the  crossing  there. 

A.  They  were,  of  course,  from  Philadelphia,  and  they  didn't  like  them — 
that  was  about  it. 

Q.  Could  not  the  force  you  had  there — these  two  regiments — could  not 
that  crossing  there,  and  the  immediate  neighborhood,  been  kept  clear  en- 
tirely by  the  force  you  had  there  ? 

A.  I  think  they  could.  That  is  very  hard  to  tell.  We  didn't  know  what 
might  have  happened. 

Q.  Were  the  efforts  of  the  officers  directed  in  that  way — to  keep  it  clear. 

A.  Yes  ;  of  course  some  of  our  men  were  in  sympathy  with  the  strikers, 
but  if  we  were  to  take  away  two  or  three  regiments,  away  to  different  cities 
or  somewhere  out  away  from  Pittsburgh,  1  think  they  could  pretty  nearly 
clean  out  a  city  of  this  size. 

Q.  You  don't  think  they  were  as  firm  in  their  duty  as  they  would  have 
been  in  some  other  city  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  They  were  a  little  more  tender  of  the  people  they  were  dealing  with  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  they  were  friends  and  relatives. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Fraternize  with  the  people — with  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  think  if  you  would  take  the  Fourteenth  regiment  out,  in  fact,  even  in 
another  riot,  they  would  do  their  duty.  All  of  our  officers  were  men  in 
the  army  during  the  war  except  one  or  two.  It  is  like  all  these  other  things 
that  are  unexpected,  and  like  in  the  war  at  first ;  they  were  all  demoralized, 
and  didn't  stand  up  as  well  as  they  did  in  the  last  part  of  the  war. 

Q.  Was  the  military  at  any  time  deployed  on  the  railroad  track,  and  any 
attempt  made  to  drive  them  off  the  track  in  both  directions  ? 

A.  That  was  done  all  the  time — they  were  kept  off  most  of  the  time. 

Q.  Were  the  military  deployed  along  the  track  of  the  railroad  ? 

A.  Yes;  marched  back  and  forward. 

Q.  Were  they  stationed  with  a  skirmish  line  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  In  your  opinion,  as  a  military  man,  couldn't  that  mob  or  crowd  have 
been  kept  off  the  track  by  deploying  the  men  along  the  track  as  a  skirmish 
line,  or,  say  two  shirmish  lines,  one  on  each  side  of  the  track  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  don't  think  it  could,  unless  you  did  some  shooting. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Could  it  have  been  done  by  doing  some  shooting? 

A.  If  they  had  shot  everybody  that  came  they  couldn't  have  got  on. 

Q.  Could  a  skirmish  line  have  maintained  its  position  and  kept  the  crowd 
back? 

A.  I  don't  think  they  could  by  shooting,  for  the  reason  men,  women, 
and  children  would  come  in,  and  they  couldn't  have  kept  it  clear — not  kept 
the  whole  track  clear. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  The  reason  I  asked  him  that,  was  that  he  said  the  companies  marched 
over  on  the  railroad  and  they  would  fall  in  behind.  I  want  to  know  if  the 
military  had  been  deployed  with  two  skirmish  lines,  why  they  couldn't 
have  kept  the  crowd  away  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  303 

A.  There  was  too  many  people. 

Q.  Were  the  people  armed  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  that  I  saw.     They  all  might  have  had  revolvers'and  such 
things  as  that,  but  they  had  no  guns. 

Q.  Did  all  that  crowd  appear  to  be  violent  and  riotous,  or  were  there  a 
great  many  there  that  were  simply  there  out  of  curiosity  ? 

A.  Yes ;  there  was  a  great  many  out  of  curiosity — three  or  four  that 
were  working  for  me. 

Q.  How  many  hundred  men  do  you  think  there  were  there  that  were 
riotous  or  disposed  to  be  lawless  ? 

A.  I  should  judge — of  course  it  is  a  pretty  hard  thing  to  tell — there  was 
a  great  many,  indeed — two  thousand,  anyhow. 

Q.  What  proportion  of  that  crowd  were  disposed  to  be  riotous  or  law- 
less ? 

A.  There  might  have  been  five  hundred  in  the  first  place,  but  after  the 
shooting  commenced  all  were  or  pretty  nearly  all. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  At  any  time  before  the  Philadelphia  troops  came,  could  you  have  or 
could  the  military  have  dispersed  the  mob  at  any  time  ? 

A.  I  "think  they  could,  yes. 

James  I.  Bennett,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  State  where  you  reside,  Mr.  Bennett  ? 

A.  Allegheny  city  is  my  residence. 

Q.  Where  is  your  business? 

A.  In  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  And  what  is  it? 

A.  Manufacturing  of  iron  nails,  &c. 

Q.  Been  engaged  in  the  business  a  long  time  ? 

A.  Twenty  years  or  more.     About  twenty  years. 

Q.  What  is  your  firm  name  ? 

A.  Graff,  Bennett  &  Co. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  city  during  the  riots  of  July  last  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  Just  give  us  a  statement  of  what  you  saw,  the  hour  and  date  com- 


mencing- 


A.  I  was  not  in  the  riots.  I  was  in  the  city,  but  I  was  not  up  to  the 
depot  until  Sunday — until  Sunday  afternoon.  I  didn't  feel  very  much 
concerned.  Saturday  is  generally  a  busy  day  with  us,  but  Saturday  after- 
noon I  became  anxious  about  the  matter.  I  had  been  accustomed  to  be 
in  a  good  many  of  these  quarrels  with  laboring  men,  and  supposed  the 
thing  would  be  adjusted;  but  on  coming  home  on  Saturday  evening,  from 
what  I  heard,  learned  of  the  condition  of  affairs,  I  became  considerably 
alarmed  and  very  much  concerned.  I  live  down  that  side  of  the  river  at 
my  residence,  about  three  miles.  After  going  home,  I  hitched  up  my  bug- 
gy, and  came  back  to  the  city.  When  I  came  into  the  city,  the  crowd  was 
just  coming,  I  think,  out  of  Bowers'  store.  They  had  cleaned  out  a  gun 
store — hardware  store,  on  Third  street.  The  first  intimation  I  had  of  that 
was  seeing  a  man  with  a  gun,  and  I  asked  him  what  was  going  on.  I  was 
satisfied  that  he  had  no  business  with  the  gun.  He  told  me  there  was  a 
large  crowd  of  men  had  been  into  Bowers'  store  and  broken  it  open  and 
taken  all  the  arms  that  they  could  get  there,  and  that  they  were  marching 
then  to  the  railroad.  At  one  point  I  turned  around  my  horse  and  buggy 
and  drove  back  to  Mr.  Thaw's  house,  which  is  on  Fifth  street.     I  went  to 


304  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Mr.  Thaw's  house  and  I  called  him  out,  and  we  talked  about  the  matter. 
Thaw  didn't  appear  to  be  alarmed ;  he  said  he  was  going  to  his  business. 
He  thought  there  was  no  danger.  I  went  up  again  to  Third  street  and 
Fiftli  street,  and  was  satisfied  in  my  mind  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
trouble,  or  was  likely  to  be  a  great  deal,  and  I  went  back  to  Mr.  Thaw. 
He'  spoke  of  the  military  coming  in,  and  he  thought  there  was  enough  to 
protect.  I  advised  him  not  to  go  up  to  the  offices  of  the  Fort  Wayne 
road  at  all.  I  think  I  went  back  to  Mr.  Thaw's  house  the  third  time,  and 
he  then  appeared  to  be  very  much  more  concerned  and  alarmed  this  time. 
I  think  one  of  his  neighbors  came  down  that  had  been  up  there.  I  left 
him  then,  and  on  my  way  home,  in  Allegheny  city,  I  went  to  Mr.  McCul- 
lough's  house.  We  sat  until  perhaps  eleven  o'clock,  talking  together.  Mr. 
McCullough  at  first  felt  entirely  satisfied  that  the  military  would  be  suffi- 
cient to  prevent  any  serious  damage.  I  felt  very  much  concerned,  and 
advised  him  to  be  very  careful  and  not  put  himself  in  the  way  of  danger 
or  any  trouble. 

Q.   Who  is  Mr.  McCullough  ? 

A.  Mr.  McCullough  is  vice  president  of  the  Pennsylvania  Company.    He 
is  managing  man  of  the  Pennsylvania  Company's  lines. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  I  would  like  you  to  state  what  the  Pennsylvania  lines  were  ? 

A.  The  leased  lines  west  of  this. 

Q.  Pennsylvania  Central  ? 

A.  Their  offices  are  altogether;  but  they  are  connecting  lines.  I  live  in 
Allegheny  city,  and  I  felt  concerned 

Q.   What  is  Mr.  McCollough's  first  name? 

A.  J.  M.  He  told  me  there  was  a  regiment  coming  up  on  the  line  of 
the  road  that  night,  and  that  there  was  a  sufficient  number  of  troops  com- 
ing in  that  would  prevent  any  trouble.  He  felt  secure  ;  but,  as  J  said  be- 
fore, I  did  not.  I  told  him  that  there  was  trouble  certain  ahead,  and  I 
felt  very  much  concerned  from  what  I  could  learn  all  around,  that  there 
was  gathering  into  our  city  a  very  bad  set  of  men,  and  it  was  hard  to 
tell  what  the  consequences  might  be.  I  left  him,  and  started  home  about 
eleven  o'clock,  or  perhaps  a  little  after  eleven.  I  got  down  to  Strawberry 
lane,  which  is  below  the  shops  of  the  Fort  Wayne  road.  I  drove  right 
into  a  crowd,  I  presume,  of  several  thousand  persons.  I  had  come  up  that 
way  that  night,  and  there  was  no  person  there. 

Q.  The  evening  before? 

A.  That  same  evening.  There  were  no  parties  there  when  I  came  up, 
and  I  drove  in  and  called  some  of  them  to  know  what  it  meant.  I  was 
considerably  taken  aback,  coming  unexpected  into  it,  and  they  told  me 
they  were  waiting  for  a  train  of  soldiers  that  were  coming  up.  Three  or 
four  came  out  that  knew  me,  and  said  "  Don't  you  go  away ;"  says  I, 
"  Why?"  Says  he,  "they  have  rifle  pits  just  above  there,  and  if  the  train 
comes  in  you  will  be  in  the  line  of  their  fire,"  and  I  was  in  sight  of  m}' 
house  and  my* family  was  there,  and  I  could  see  the  situation,  and  drove 
rapidly  past  them,  after  inquiring  what  was  going  on  there.  When  I  came 
to  the  bridge  crossing,  perhaps,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  below  there,  as  I  drove 
up  there,  there  appeared  to  be  sentinels  stationed  along  the  line  of  the  rail- 
road across  this  bridge. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  At  what  point  was  this? 

A.  A  quarter  of  a  mile  below  this  place  where  they  were  waiting. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  On  the  line  of  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  305 

A.  They  were  there  patrolling  the  streets  with  their  guns,  as  orderly  as 
any  soldiers.  They  were  all  very  sober  and  polite  men,  nothing  like  riot- 
ers, and  ladies  from  the  adjoining  neighborhood  had  come  down  to  the 
bridge  to  see — that  was  the  only  place  they  could  see  anjrthing — and  about 
the  time  they  expected  the  train  in,  these  men  had  gone  up  to  them  and 
asked  them  to  retire  back  behind  the  hill,  lest  a  stray  shot  would  reach 
them.     There  appeared  to  be  a  perfect  organization. 

Q.  What  bridge  ? 

A.  This  was  a  bridge  in  Allegheny  City,  below  the  outer  depot  of  the 
Fort  Wayne. 

Q.  Bridge  across  the  railroad  ? 

A.  Bridge  across  the  railroad.  There  appeared  to  be  an  entirely  per- 
fect organization  on  that  side  of  the  river.  They  were  armed,  and  were 
sober  men.  Some  of  them  knew  me — they  all  knew  me — I  could  not  name 
a  great  many  of  them,  but  most  of  them  knew  me. 

Q.   Were  they  railroad  men — employes  ? 

A.  There  were  a  great  many  of  them  employes.  I  was  told  by  other 
persons  they  were  employes.  I  could  not  tell  certain,  but  I  made  an  in- 
quiry, and  was  told  that  a  great  many  of  those  men  were  employee  of  the 
railroad  company,  and  this  organization  appeared  to  me  to  be  very  perfect, 
and  they  were  very  orderly,  and  appeared  to  be  very  systematic.  There 
was  no  fighting  in  this  tremendous  crowd  above.  The  crowd  was  there, 
but  they  were  orderly — no  quarreling  nor  fighting  going  on. 

Q.   Were  they  all  men  that  were  in  that  crowd  ? 

A.  No;  there  was  a  great  many  boys,  but  the  most  of  them  were  men 
I  think  the  great  majority  of  them  were  men.  I  stayed  there  until  about 
twelve  o'clock  at  night,  about  half  past  twelve  or  one,  and  the  report  came 
down  about  the  tiring  on  this  side,  and  the  burning  of  the  round-house,  and 
the  soldiers  having  been  burned  up.  We  were  all  very  much  alarmed.  I 
could  do  nothing  but  stay  at  home,  seeing  the  crowd  there,  and  not  know- 
ing what  was  coming,  but  in  the  morning  I  came  to  town — on  Sunday 
morning.  I  stopped  in  Allegheny,  and  saw  one  or  two  gentlemen,  and 
got  them  to  go  over  witn  me.  I  went  to  Mr.  Barr's  office  at  the  Post,  but 
he  was  not  there.  He  had  been  there,  but  had  gone  out  to  the  outer  depot 
of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad.  I  went  around  and  saw  some  other  parties, 
and  went  down  to  the  Chronicle  office.  Mr.  Siebhch  was  there,  and,  I 
think,  the  Dispatch  people.  At  the  office  there  were  posters  out,  one  for 
a  public  meeting  of  the  citizens  at  twelve  o'clock — at  half  past  twelve,  at 
the  old  city  hall,  notices  of  which  were  then  sent  to  the  different  churches, 
that  there  would  be  a  citizens'  meeting — to  be  read  from  the  pulpits  in  that 
neighborhood.  There  was  a  large  number  of  churches  in  the  neighborhood 
There  were  no  citizens  but  what  were  extremely  anxious  to  do  anything 
and  everything  they  could  do,  but  they  appeared  to  be  paralyzed,  and  did 
not  know  what  to  do.  The  reports  came  in  that  the  military  had  gone, 
and  that  the  mob  had  everything  in  their  own  hands,  and  no  one  appeared 
to  know  just  how  things  stood.  That  meeting  came  together,  and  they  ad- 
journed to  the  mayor's  office.  I  understood  that  there  was  a  reason  for 
that:  that  the  city  null  then  was  used  as  an  armory,  and  they  had  adjourned, 
as  they  did  not  think  it  was  prudeut  to  open  that.  Some  gentlemen  I  was 
talking  tu  had  made  a  suggestion  that  we  should  go  and  see  Bishop  Tuigg, 
and  some  other  parties  wuo  would  go  out,  and  see  what  persuasion  would 
do,  and  there  was  no  man  that  was  more  extensively  known  than  Bishop 
Tuigg.  He  said  he  would  do  so,  and  tiiey  proposed  to  get  another  minister 
that  Ue  would  nominate  himself  to  go  along  with  him.  At  our  meeting 
in  the  mayor's  office,  the  minister  of  the  First  church,  Mr.  Scoville,  was 
20  Riots. 


306  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

at  the  meeting,  and  Mr.  Scoville  accompanied  Bishop  Tuigg.     Mr.  Farke 
and  some  other  gentlemen  went  up.     At  this  time  the  fire  had  got  down — 
it  had  burned  all  the  way  down  to  the  old  market-house — that  is  a  few 
squares  above  the  depot.     We  went  up,  and  he  addressed  these  people. 
By  Senator  Yutzy. 

Q.  Who  addressed  them  ? 

A.  Bishop  Tuigg.  He  did  everything  he  could  to  get  these  people  to 
desist.  I  saw  a  few  there  that  I  knew  of  our  own  people,  and  these  I  do 
sa}r  were  not  engaged  in  burning.  After  that,  we  went  up  to  try  and  find 
the  engineers  of  the  railroad — locomotive  engineers.  We  went  up  to  see 
them.  We  got  some  of  the  citizens  to  go  to  their  houses  and  tell  them 
that  we  would  meet  them.  We  went  up  there,  and  were  not  able  to  meet 
any,  but  two  or  three  of  them  at  a  time  came  in,  and  Mr.  Slagle  remained 
there.  Bishop  Tuigg  and  the  Reverend  Scoville  and  I  went  over  there  to 
Alleghenj-  City  to  see  the  officials  of  the  Pennsylvania  Company  and  Penn- 
sylvania railroad.  Mr.  Cassatt  was  there,  Mr.  Thaw,  Mr.  McCullough, 
and  their  solicitor,  Senator  Scott.  We  talked  with  them  upon  the  sub- 
ject, but  previous  to  that  I  had  gone  down  to  the  Monongahela  house,  and 
had  met  Mr.  Cassatt  there,  and  I  think  Mr.  Quay,  and  a  number  of  gentle- 
men that  were  there.  I  took  him  in  my  buggy  and  took  him  across  to 
Allegheny  City. 

Q.  Mr.  Cassatt  ? 

A.  And  left  him  there  with  the  other  gentlemen  connected  with  the  rail- 
road. 

Q.  What  is  Mr.  Thaw's  first  name  ? 

A.  William  Thaw. 

Q.  What  is  his  official  position  ? 

A.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Pennsylvania  Companj',  in  charge  of 
the  leased  lines  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad. 

Q.  In  what  capacity  ? 

A.  I  think  he  is  vice  president. 

Q.  Mr.  Cassatt  is  connected  with  what  road  ? 

A.  Connected  with  the  Pennsylvania  Central. 

Q.  And  Mr.  Thaw  with  the  Pennsylvania  ? 

A.  Mr.  Thaw  with  the  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Cassatt  was  at  the  Monon- 
efnhela  house,  and  these  gentlemen  had  connection  with  the  two  roads  run- 
ning  together.  He  said  he  would  like  to  go  over.  I  said  I  would  take 
him  over,  and  took  him  in  my  open  buggy,  which  he  did  not  appear  to  rel- 
ish very  well  just  at  that  moment,  but  really  there  was  no  danger.  I  went 
down  and  crossed  the  lower  bridge,  and  over  into  the  street  where  Mr. 
Layng  is  living.  I  do  not  think  we  saw  fifty  people.  The  people  had 
gone  up  to  the  fire.  Allegheny  City  was  at  that  time  as  quiet  as  it  is  on 
any  Sabbath  day,  outside  of  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  depot.  I 
nut  no  person  on  Sunday  who  was  not  just  as  anxious  as  they  conld  be  to 
do  anything  and  everything  they  could  to  put  down  the  rebellion,  as  I  called 
it,  for  as  I  have*said,  I  never  could  recognize  it  as  a  riot  or  anything  else 
than  an  uprising  of  the  people.  On  our  own  side  of  the  river  it  was  com- 
|i;ii':i live  quietness,  but  these  men  were  settled  on  having  their  own  way. 
If  they  had  not  commenced  it  before,  it  was  not  likely  that  they  could  or- 
ganize as  quickly  and  as  thoroughly  as  they  had  done. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

().  What  was  the  result  of  the  interview  with  Cassatt  and  McCullough 
and  Thaw  ? 

A.  1  think  Bishop  Tuig  asked  them  to  make  some  concessions  to  these 
parties,  which  they  declined  to  make.     1  think  the  bishop's  idea  was  to 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  307 

have  some  little  concession  made,  and  the  difficulty  might  be  adjusted  as 
between  the  men  and  them.     That  was  declined  on  their  part. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  reason  did  they  give  ? 

A.  The  reason,  so  far  as  I  understood  it  at  the  time  it  was  given,  was 
this :  That  they  would  not  make  anjr  arrangement  with  men  that  were  in 
open  rebellion  against  law,  and  everything  of  that  kind — could  not  recog- 
nize anything  of  that  kind. 

Q.  What  did  your  committee  do  then  ? 

A.  We  came  back  to  the  city  again,  and  there  was  a  meeting  in  the 
afternoon,  and  I  was  at  the  mayor's  office  again  in  the  afternoon.  The 
mayor  appeared  to  be  entirely  powerless.  He  had  no  police  to  do  anything 
with,  that  amounted  to  anything.  After  that  we  then  went  to  work  and 
organized  a  citizens'  meeting,  which  was  perfected  on  the  next  Monday 
morning,  and  everything  was  done  by  those  men  that  could  be  done.  I  do 
not  think  I  ever  saw  men  work  more  earnestly  in  trying  to  protect  the  city, 
and  railroad,  and  everything  else. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  At  whose  instance  was  the  citizens'  meeting  organized — who  were 
the  movers  in  it  ? 

A.  The  first  I  recollect  of  it  was  the  bulletin  boards  that  were  put  out 
on  Sunday — that  was  as  soon  as  the  citizens  could  be  got  together. 

Q.  What  bulletin  boards  ? 

A.  The  bulletin  boards  of  the  Post,  and,  I  think,  the  Disjjatch,  the  Com- 
mercial and  Gazette,  and  I  think  the  Chronicle  and  Leader.  They  are 
nearly  all  in  that  neighborhood.  I  think  Mr.  Barr  was  at  the  organization 
of  the  meeting.  He  was  at  the  meeting  they  had  on  Sunday  and  Monday 
morning.  The  citizens  were  called  together  again  and  adjourned  until 
Monday  morning.  There  were  a  good  many  of  our  leading  manufacturers 
that  were  out  of  the  city,  their  families  were  out  in  the  country,  and  they 
had  gone  out  on  Saturday. 

Q.  How  long  did  that  crowd  you  speak  of  in  Allegheny  City,  that  you 
ran  into  on  Saturday  night — how  long  had  that  crowd  remained  in  force 
there  ? 

A.  They  were  there  I  think  nearly  all  that  night.  They  were  away  the 
next  morning.  When  I  came  up  the  next  morning  the}'  were  not  there, 
that  is,  there  was  no  crowd  in  comparison  to  what  had  been  there — perhaps 
not  more  than  usual  there. 

Q.  There  were  some  there  ? 

A.  There  were  some  few  that  were  there.  They  had  possession  then  of  the 
trains. 

By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  The  strikers  had  ? 

A.  The  strikers  had  possession  of  the  trains  on  Sunday  morning.     They 
were  in  possession  there  at  that  time. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  How  many  were  engaged  in  actual  riot  and  arson  out  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  when  you  were  there  with  the  bishop  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  it  was  so  far  as  Twenty-eighth  street — it  was  within 
a  few  squares  of  the  depot.  It  would  be  impossible  for  any  one  to  say 
how  many  were  actually  engaged  in  it,  but  the  whole  railway  connection, 
so  far  as  you  could  see,  was  filled  with  people  on  both  sides  of  it — the 
street  on  both  sides  of  the  railway  track.  The  number  that  was  engaged 
in  it  appeared  to  be  but  few  compared  with  the  great  crowd  that  wasthere 
— very  few. 


308  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  What  class  was  the  crowd  that  was  there  composed  of  ? 

A.  The  citizens  you  speak  of  along  the  street  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  There  appeared  to  be  a  general  outpouring  from  the  entire  city — 
every  person.     They  were  attracted  there  from  every  place. 

Q.  By  curiosity  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  They  were  lookers-on  ? 

A.  They  were  lookers-on. 

Q.  Was  there  a  crowd  of  sympathizers  around,  immediately  around 
these  parties  that  were  engaged  in  actual  riot  and  arson  ? 

A.  There  were  some  that  were  sympathizers,  but  so  far  as  my  own 
knowledge  went,  men  of  any  standing  expressed  no  sympathy  with  them. 
A  great  many  of  the  workingmen  felt  that  the  railroad  was  oppressing 
these  men,  and  they  were  in  sympathy  with  them — that  is  not  taking  any 
part  in  it.  There  were  a  great  many  of  our  laboring  men  that  were  there 
in  their  Sunday  clothes  that  were  taking  no  part,  but  walking  around,  and 
a  great  many  of  them  absolutely  appeared  to  me  to  be  alarmed  and  fright- 
ened. That  paralyzed  them — not  doing  anything.  I  begged  of  the  men, 
for  their  own  sakes,  to  try  and  stop  that,  and  they  felt  as  though  their 
lives  were  at  stake  in  doing  it.  They  were  afraid  to  say  a  word  ;  did  not 
know  who  was  their  friend  or  enemy.  The  men  appeared  to  be  going  on 
in  a  quiet  way  without  saying  much  to  anybody,  except  this  crowd  that 
was  before  us — we  were  right  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  burning 
— as  rough  a  looking  set  of  characters  as  I  ever  saw.  I  have  no  desire  to 
get  amongst  such  a  crowd  again  very  soon. 

Q.  Were  these  men  laborers  or  men  that  you  had  ever  seen  in  and  about 
Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say  that  any  I  saw  in  the  burning  were  men  I  ever  saw 
before — could  not  say  that  they  were  men  I  ever  saw  before. 

Q.  Could  you  tell  from  their  dress  what  class  of  people  they  were  ? 

A.  It  would  be  very  hard  to  tell  that.     I  saw  a  great  many  of  our  own 
men  walking  around  looking  on  that  were  employed  with  us  at  our  mills. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Have  you  an  extensive  acquaintance  with  the  laboring  men  ? 

A.  I  know  a  great  many  of  them  by  sight,  and  where  they  work.  At 
the  two  mills  were  employed  six  or  seven  hundred  men,  one  way  or  an- 
other ;  and  back  and  forwards  I  have  become  quite  familiar  with  them, 
without  knowing  their  names.  Indeed,  all  the  laboring  men  about  the 
mills,  as  a  general  rule  they  know  me  by  sight,  and  I  know  a  great  many 
that  have  worked  with  us,  that  are  not  working  with  us  now,  among  the 
better  class  of  mill  men  and  laboring  men  about  the  mills.  I  do  not  think 
they  were  engaged.  We  have  some  men  engaged  with  us  that  are  very  bad 
men. 

O.  What  was  it  that  alarmed  you  on  Saturday  and  made  3011  apprehen- 
sive of  the  future  on  Saturday  afternoon  ? 

A.  What  alarmed  me  first  was  this,  when  I  began  to  make  an  inquiry — that 
our  nulls  all  stopped  on  Saturday  from  eleven  to  twelve  o'clock,  and  the 
men  about  the  mills  had  from  one  to  two  o'clock.  They  usually  dressed, 
and  generally  we  see  them  about  in  the  city,  and  they  are  free  from  any 
employment.  You  can  imagine  the  number  of  laboring  men  there  are 
about  the  city ;  and  that,  as  a  rule,  would  apply  to  nearly  all  branches  of 
manufacture. 

Q.  From  your  knowledge  of  the  city  and  manufacturing  establishments, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  309 

Sfive  us  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  laborers  that  would  be  out  of  em- 
ployment  and  at  leisure  on  Saturday  afternoon. 

A.  I  could  not  give  you  an  estimate.  T  should  say  you  could  count  it 
at  thousands,  though — thousands  of  men  that  would  be  unemployed  at  that 
time. 

Q.  Have  you  any  idea  of  the  number  of  thousands  of  laborers  employed 
in  and  about  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  1  could  not  give  any  correct  estimate  of  that. 

Q.  Have  you  had  experience  before  with  strikers?  Has  there  been 
strikes  ? 

A.  I  have  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  them  at  one  time  and  another  in 
our  own  business — men  that  we  had  employed  ourselves. 

Q.  Is  it  a  thing  of  very  frequent  occurrence — strikes  among  laboring 
men  ? 

A.  It  is  a  common  thing,  but  not  so  very  frequent,  these  large  strikes — 
what  we  would  call  large  strikes,  where  the  mill  hands  in  all  the  mills 
strike.  We  frequently  have  difficulties  of  that  kind  in  our  own  mill  when 
it  does  not  occur  in  any  others — upon  a  particular  branch  of  the  business  ; 
something  of  that  kind.  We  have  had  a  number  of  very  large  strikes  here 
in  the  city  where  all  the  rolling  mills  were  stopped  at  one  time. 

Q.  And  it  was  your  experience  with  the  strikes,  and  knowing  the  num- 
ber of  men  that  would  be  idle  Saturday  afternoon,  that  made  you  appre- 
hensive of  the  result  ? 

A.  That  made  me  apprehensive ;  because  these  men  were  idle.  They 
were  all  idle,  and  a  great  many  of  them  are  men.  For  instance,  to  explain 
more  fully  to  you  :  A  man  comes  along  and  he  wants  labor.  We  have  our 
labor  bosses.  We  do  not  inquire  into  his  character,  or  anything  else.  If 
we  need  a  man  badly  we  put  him  in.  He  may  be  one  of  the  worst  men 
possible,  and  we  may  have  quite  a  number  of  these  men  about  our  mills 
without  knowing  it.  Tramps  may  come  into  our  town,  and  if  it  is  a  time 
that  labor  is  a  little  scarce,  we  might  have  fifty  of  them  about  us  without 
knowing  it — if  they  behave  themselves  just  whilst  they  are  employed.  Bad 
men  may  come  in  and  settle  down  upon  us  in  that  way. 

Q.  Had  you  been  up  at  the  scene  of  the  riot  before  Sunday  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  had  not  been  there  before  that. 

Q.  Did  you  at  any  time  during  the  riot  have  any  talk  with  the  rioters 
themselves,  or  the  railroad  employes,  to  ascertain  their  grievances,  or  the 
causes  of  the  strike  ? 

A.  Not  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  ;  but  I  did  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  with  them  over  there. 

Q.  Go  on  and  give  us  the  facts. 

A.  I  had  on  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago.  I  was  among  these  men  at 
the  shops.  I  went  over  there  one  night  or  two  in  the  shops  with  those 
men,  talking  to  them,  and  they  claimed  that  the  railroad  company  had 
ground  them  down ;  that  their  wages  were  such  that  they  could  not  live. 
That  was  their  real  grievance,  and  they  wanted  their  wages  restored.  And 
they  complained  of  a  large  portion  of  the  men  unnecessarily  being  thrown 
out  of  employment  by  doubling  up  the  trains.  That  was  the  complaint. 
They  had  their  unions — there  are  unions  existing  among  the  laboring  men 
in  our  mills.  Puddlers  have  their  unions,  and  we  have  what  is  called 
"  The  Amalgamated  Iron  Works  Union,"  which  embraces  nearly  all.  The 
railroad  employes  had  their  unions.  These  unions  are  all  in  sympathy 
with  each  other,  and  as  a  rule,  will  aid  each  other.  There  would  be  a 
sympathy  existing  among  these  men  of  all  classes,  for  they  felt  that  they 
were  oppressed  by  the  railroad  company;  and,  as  I  say,  they  had  the 


310  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

sympathy  of  the  other  workingmen  of  nearly  ever}'  class — there  can  be  no 
question  of  that. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Are  these  unions  secret  organizations  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  I  think  the}'  are  all  secret  organizations.  I  have  never 
known  any  that  were  not  secret  organizations.  I  was  there  with  thern, 
and  after  some  time  Mr.  McCullough — I  don't  recollect  what  day  it  was — 
I  was  with  Mr.  McCullongh,  at  his  office,  to  get  information.  Telegraphs 
were  coming  there,  and  I  went  there  to  get  the  news — to  see  what  was  go- 
ing on  along  the  road.  Mr.  McCullough  had  not  seen  any  of  the  men  of 
his  own  road.  I  got  a  gentleman  to  go  and  see  them  and  tell  them  that  I 
thought  there  should  be  an  interview  between  them  and  Mr.  McCullough, 
and  I  arranged  that  interview.  I  think  there  was  one  engineer,  a  fireman, 
a  brakeman,  and  a  conductor — there  were  four,  and  they  agreed  to  meet 
Mr.  McCullough,  and  I  went  with  them  and  made  the  arrangement  to 
meet  at  B.  F.  Jones'  house  in  Allegheny  City.  Mr.  McCullough  came 
there  and  met  them,  and  Mr.  Layng  also.     They  had  a  conversation  there. 

Q.  Give  us  the  summary  of  that  conversation? 

A.  They  stated  to  Mr.  McCullough  what  the  grievances  were  with  re- 
gard to  what  the  hands  wanted.  A  portion  of  them  denied  that  they  had 
anything  to  do  with  the  strike. 

Q.  That  was  after  the  Sunday  ? 

A.  This  was  after  the  Sunday  of  the  burning.  Mr.  McCullough  talked 
with  them,  and  the  interview  was  a  very  pleasant  one.  Mr.  McCullough 
said  he  would  do  all  that  he  could  to  have  everything  made  right  and  sat- 
isfactory to  them  whenever  the  property  was  once  placed  in  their  hands, 
but  whilst  they  stood  out  and  kept  them  from  their  property  he  could  not 
do  anything  at  all.  I  told  these  men — I  said  to  them  afterwards  that  Mr. 
McCullough  was  right  in  his  position;  that  they  were  in  violation  of  law, 
and  they  claimed  they  were  there,  and  they  were  not  interfering  with  any- 
body nor  anything,  nor  had  they  purposed  to  interfere  with  anybody.  I 
told  them  that  their  simple  presence  was  enough  to  show  that  they  were 
in  sympathy  with  these  people.  They  might  almost  as  well  be  guilty  as 
to  be  doing  what  they  were  doing.  I  went  down  and  talked  to  a  number 
of  the  engineers  with  regard  to  the  matter.  As  a  rule,  they  were  very  reti- 
cent and  very  careful  about  giving  any  expression  at  all. 

Q.  Did  they  claim  a  right  to  stop  trains — interfere  with  trains  ? 

A.  Of  course,  they  didn't  to  me.  They  were  men  of  too  good  sense. 
They  denied  having  anything  to  do  with  it.  It  was  always  somebody  else. 
As  I  said,  they  were  there  giving  countenance. 

Q.  How  did  these  people  define  a  strike  ? 

A.  They  said  this  was  not  a  strike  of  the  engineers.  This  was  a  strike 
of  the  firemen — the  firemen  and  brakemen,  I  believe.  They  threw  it  on 
them.  I  thought  things  were  settled,  and  they  were  going  to  work.  I 
came  up  and  said,  "  Boys,  how  is  it,  I  thought  you  were  going  to  work." 
They  said  they  were  going  to  have  a  meeting,  and  asked  me  to  go  with 
them.  I  said  I  would  go.  They  said  they  were  going  to  have  it  then.  I 
went  down  to  the  meeting  in  the  Odd  Fellows'  Hall,  and  went  in  with  them, 
and  was  there,  and  they  denied  that  it  was  them  solely.  They  said  the  en- 
gineers had  as  much  to  do  with  it  as  they  had — just  the  same — and  that 
they  were  encouraging  them.  I  stated  to  them,  then,  that  I  would  do  all 
I  could  to  have  their  pay  made  right,  but  there  was  only  one  way  to  do  it, 
that  I  could  see,  and  that  was  to  report  themselves  ready  for  work,  and 
take  their  positions,  and  after  the  road  was  once  running,  and  in  order,  then 
the  citizens  would  see  to  it  that  their  case  was  properly  represented;  and 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  311 

that  they  would  be  more  likely  to  get  their  rights  in  that  way  than  in  any 
other. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  At  this  time  they  had  possession  of  the  railroad  property  ? 

A.  They  disclaimed  having  possession  of  the  property.  The}'  would 
not  admit  that  fact.  They  appeared  to  understand  that  that  was  in  viola- 
tion of  the  law. 

Q.  Was  that  the  fact  ? 

Q.  This  was  the  fact — there  was  no  doubt  of  that.  You  could  not  get 
any  of  them  to  admit  it,  though. 

C|.  Did  they  understand  that  they  had  no  right  to  interfere  with  the 
running  of  trains,  or  with  any  other  employe  who  desired  to  work  ? 

A.  The}r  denied  interfering  with  aujr  emploje.  There  never  was  a  man 
yet  that  said  he  interfered  with  any  one — never  got  an  admission  of  that 
kind  from  any  one.  They  said  if  a  man  wanted  to  go  to  work,  there  was  his 
engine.  At  the  same  time,  Mr.  Layng,  superintendent  of  the  road,  whilst 
he  was  but  a  few  squares  from  the  depot,  I  think  he  didn't  care  about 
going  over  to  the  railroad  at  that  time.  1  met  them  the  same  day,  and 
the}"  went  and  reported  themselves  to  the  officers  at  the  outer  depot,  and 
went  to  work. 

Q.  From  the  interviews  that  you  had  with  the  railroad  employes,  what 
did  you  gather  as  being  the  cause — the  real  cause  of  the  strike  ? 

A.  From  all  I  could  gather  from  the  employe's  in  one  way  or  another, 
my  impression  is  that  it  was  an  organization.  That  perhaps  the  strike  was 
a  little  sooner  than  was  intended.  It  was  a  regular  organization,  intendino- 
to  make  a  general  strike  throughout  the  whole  country  at  the  same  time, 
and  it  was  not  the  intention  to  be  commenced  at  Pittsburgh.  I  think  it 
was  all  over  our  country.  We  might  call  it  an  insurrection  of  these  people 
to  take  possession  and  enforce  their  demands  on  the  people.  They  then 
knew  that  the  other  labor  organizations  were  in  sympathy  with  them. 

Q.  What  led  you  to  that  conclusion  ? 

A.  From  the  fact  that  these  uprisings  at  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  and 
St.  Louis,  and  on  the  line  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  and  Altoona  and 
Harrisburg  and  Philadelphia.  If  it  had  been  of  an  ordinary  character,  it 
would  have  had  no  influence,  except  where  it  orignated. 

Q.  Did  you  ascertain  from  the  men  that  there  was  any  communication 
between  the  rioters  here  and  the  rioters  at  the  other  places  you  have  men- 
tioned ? 

A.  I  think  one  told  me  that  they  were  in  possession  of  the  telegraph 
lines,  and  knew  all  that  was  going  on,  and  one  stated  to  me  at  one  time 
something  like  this :  He  says,  "  We  knew  what  was  going  on,  because  one 
of  the  men  with  us  is  an  operator,  who  stood  outside  of  the  window,  and 
he  could  hear  the  instrument  and  could  tell  us  what  was  going  over  the 
line."  I  think  they  had  possession  of  the  telegraph  line,  and  a  good  many 
were  operators. 

Q.  He  told  you  they  knew  what  was  going  on — that  was  between  the 
authorities,  &c,  in  reference  to  the  matter;  but  did  he  say  that  they  had 
any^  communication  through  the  rioters  themselves  by  telegraph  ? 

A.  No ;  I  do  not  know  that  any  one  admitted  an}Tthing  of  the  kind. 
They  were  very  careful  in  making  any  admissions.  These  men  jtou  will 
find,  so  far  as  the  law  was  concerned,  they  really  understood  that  as  well 
as  any  other  class  of  men.  where  they  are  liable  and  where  they  are  not. 

Q.  The  strikes  at  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  and  Altoona  and  Philadel- 
phia that  you  have  mentioned,  were  not  until  after  the  strike  here — were 
they  ? 


312  Report  of  Committee.  [No. .29, 

A.  I  think  it  was  almost  simultaneous — it  was  very  nearly  the  same  time — 
on  the  Sunday  following  right  along — immediately  on  the  heels  of  it,  and  I 
should  think  it  was  all  during  two  or  three  days. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  days  the  strike  was  at  its  height  in  Chicago  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Nor  Fort  Wayne  ? 

A.  I  have  no  recollection  now  of  just  when  this  was,  for  I  took  no  note 
of  that. 

Q.  Nor  in  Philadelphia  ? 

A.  Nor  in  Philadelphia.     I  think  it  was  unfortunate  that  they  attempted 
to  start  these  trains  out — these  double-headers  here  on  Saturday. 
By  Mr.  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Why? 

A.  Because  there  were  so  many  men  loose — the  laboring  men  of  our 
town — you  may  say  that  certainly  four  fifths  of  the  laboring  men  were  un- 
employed after  twelve  or  one  o'clock,  and  that  is  the  best  reason  I  could 
give  you  for  it.  If  I  was  going  to  do  anything  to  a  crowd,  I  should  have 
postponed  it  until  these  men  were  at  work.  I  think  it  was  unfortunate, 
because,  as  I  stated  before,  we  all  knew  of  the  existence  of  these  organiza- 
tions, and  we  knew  that  these  men  that  were  in  these  organizations  were 
all  in  sympathy,  the  one  with  the  other. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  the  fact  that  there  would  be  so  large  a  number  of  unemployed 
men  on  Saturday  afternoon,  known  to  the  railroad  officers? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  of  my  own  knowledge.  Mr.  James  Park,  I  think, 
told  me  that  he  had  remonstrated  with  some  of  the  railroad  officials — I 
think  he  had  spoken  to  Mr.  Cassatt  on  the  subject. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  ? 

A.  I  had  no  conversation  on  the  subject,  because  I  was  engaged  and 
busy  on  Snturday,  and  was  not  alarmed  in  regard  to  this.  Mr.  Park's 
manufacturing  establishment  was  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  trouble, 
and  you  might  say  he  was  in  it.  He  was  located  right  in  it,  and  he  was 
there,  and  I  think  what  I  say  in  regard  to  that,  will  be  the  testinion}'  of 
every  manufacturer  in  the  city.  I  believe  if  the  thing  had  been  left  until 
Monday  or  Tuesday,  that  the  probabilities  are  that  men  would  be  gener- 
ally about  their  emplo37ment  at  one  thing  or  another,  that  there  might  have 
been  no  burning  here  at  all.  We  might  have  had  trouble  and  loss  of  life, 
and  things  of  that  kind.  Why  I  say  I  think  there  was  an  organization, 
when  I  went  home  on  Saturday  night,  coining  up  after  dark,  they  were 
expecting  this  train  in.  These  men  certainly  knew  that  train  was  coming 
with  soldiers,  and  they  were  prepared  to  meet  them.  They  were  orderly 
— a  quarter  of  a  mile  below,  at  the  bridge — there  appeared  to  be  entirely 
too  much  order  for  a  riot.  When  there  is  a  riot,  they  generally  do  things 
up  very  quickly,  without  regard  to  who  is  in  the  way.  These  men  were 
orderly  and  systematic. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  This  train  you  speak  of — was  that  train  from  Erie? 
A.  I  think  that  was  the  Erie  train.  Mr.  McCullough  told  me  he  ex- 
pected that  train  in.  I  was  informed  that  they  had  DO  ammunition  or  any- 
thing of  that  kind. 

Q.  These  men  you  conversed  with  gave  as  a  reason  for  their  strike  that 
the  wages  were  so  low  they  could  not  live  ? 
A.   That  was  the  general  complaint. 
Q.   Do  you  know  what  they  were  actually  getting? 


Leg.  Doc.]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  181*1.  313 

A.  I  did  know,  and  I  had  it  from  the  railroad  officials — I  bad  it  from 
them,  but  I  have  forgotten  what  it  was. 

Q.  Were  any  of  them  getting  less  than  a  dollar  a  day — trainmen  ? 

A.  I  think  they  were  paid  by  the  trip,  but  I  do  not  recollect  that  any 
of  them  were  getting  less  than  that.  I  would  not  speak  positively  in 
regard  to  that.  It  may  be  possible.  I  have  a  memorandum  of  that  in  my 
pocket-book.  I  never  expected  to  be  called  before  a  committee,  or  I 
would  have  saved  some  of  these  things  that  I  had.  It  may  be  I  have 
something  here  that  will  enable  me  to  answer  that  question. 

Q.  If  you  find  it  hereafter  you  can  send  it  to  us,  and  we  can  attach  it  to 
yorr  testimony. 

A.  It  was  a  copy  of  a  telegraph — you  asked  me  a  question  ;  it  would 
have  answered  it.  It  was  a  copy  of  a  telegraph  I  had  sent  to  Mr.  McCul- 
lough  on  the  subject,  and  his  reply  to  it,  but  I  think  that,  supposing  that 
the  thing  was  ended,  my  impression  is  that  I  have  destroyed  it. 

Q.  Have  you  anything  else  to  communicate,  Mr.  Bennett? 

A.  Nothing ;  but  I  would  bear  testimony  to  the  fact  that  the  citizens  of 
Pittsburgh  appeared  to  be  anxious  to  do  everything  they  could  to  put 
down  this  riot,  and  there  was  no  sympathy  with  the  rioters — none  what- 
ever. 

Q.  You  had  a  good  deal  to  do  in  raising  the  force  of  citizens  to  put 
down  the  riot  ? 

A.  I  had,  perhaps.  The  first  move,  I  told  you,  was  on  Sunday.  A 
good  many  of  my  most  intimate  acquaintances  were  among  the  rolling 
mills,  and  quite  a  large  number  of  them  were  out  of  the  city.  I  sent  for 
Mr.  Park. 

Q.  Did  you  meet  with  any  opposition  in  your  efforts  to  raise  the  men '{ 

A.  Not  a  single  instance.  Upon  the  contrary,  every  man  I  saw  was 
anxious  to  do  anything,  and  were  willing  and  did  go  up  there  at  the  risk 
of  their  lives,  to  do  everything  they  could  do,  and  no  man  I  met  an}rwhere 
at  all,  among  my  own  acquaintances,  but  what  were  ready  to  do  anything 
they  would  deem  in  reason,  to  try  to  stop  it ;  and  I  think  it  was  stopped 
b}T  the  citizens  at  last.  I  was  not  present,  but  from  what  I  heard  after- 
wards, the  citizens  prevented  the  burning  of  the  Fort  Wayne  depot. 

Q.  Was  there  any  move  by  the  citizens  prior  to  Sunday  morning  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of.  I  have  no  knowledge  of  an}' — no  recollection 
of  any  now.  It  was  early  Sunday  morning  that  they  set  fire  to  things  in 
the  first  place,  and  the  citizens  appeared  to  be  completely  paralyzed.  I 
saw  men  coming  along,  carrying  provisions,  bacon,  hams,  and  articles  that 
they  had  taken  from  the  cars  they  had  broken  open — carrying  them  away 
back  two  or  three  miles  into  the  country,  and  I  saw  them  walking  along 
the  streets,  and  it  appeared  to  me  that  people  were  afraid  to  say  a  word 
to  them.  They  were  alarmed — they  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it.  It 
appeared  to  come  upon  them  like  a  clap  of  thunder — they  were  unpre- 
pared for  it  in  any  way.  I  never  saw  men  labor  more  earnestly,  and  labor 
harder  to  try  to  do  their  whole  duty  than  that  citizens'  committee  did.  It 
was  through  their  individual  efforts  that  there  was  an  additional  police, 
and  it  was  by  private  subscription  to  pay  these  men,  that  they  were  put 
upon  the  force.  Our  city  was  in  a  helpless  condition,  and  these  bad  men, 
of  which  we  have  a  large  number  around  the  city — they  knew  exactly  what 
the  police  force  was,  better  than  we  did. 

Q.  Did  3^ou  know  the  police  force  had  been  reduced  in  the  city,  and,  if 
so,  when  were  you  informed  of  that  fact  ? 

A.  I  had  no  knowledge  that  our  city  was  in  so  helpless  a  condition.  I 
was  amazed  when  I  heard  it. 


314  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

Q.  Was  it  known  to  the  business  men — I  mean  generally — that  3'our  city 
was  in  such  a  condition,  in  regard  to  the  police  force? 

Q.  I  do  not  think  they  generally  undei-stood  the  matter.  They  might 
have  been  under  the  impression  that  there  was  a  reduction  of  police,  but 
so  few 

Q.  "Was  it  the  subject  of  conversation  when  it  became  known  ? 

A.  Of  course  it  was,  and  the  very  moment  it  was  discovered,  they  sought 
to  apply  the  remedy  by  making  contributions  of  money  themselves,  to 
have  the  force  put  on,  and  agreeing  to  pay  for  it. 

Q.  Did  3^011  have  any  talk  with  the  mayor  yourself  in  relation  to  that 
subject. 

A.  I  did,  at  his  office.  He  told  me  then  that  lie  had  no  power  to  do 
anything,  but  expressed  a  willingness  and  a  desire  to  do  anything  he  could, 
and  I  do  not  think  that  any  suggestion  I  made  to  him,  he  ever  refused  to 
do  anything  it  was  in  his  power  to  do. 

Q.  What  day  was  that  ? 

A.  1  had  a  conversation  with  him  on  Sunday,  and  again  on  Monday,  and 
as  I  met  him  at  different  times,  I  would  have  a  talk  with  the  mayor. 

Q.  Was  it  known  to  you  that  the  mayor  had  full  authority  and  control 
over  the  police,  to  increase  the  number  of  police,  or  to  call  out — was  it 
known  to  you  that  he  had  the  same  authority  that  the  sheriff  had  in  calling 
out  the  police  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  it  was  not. 

Q.  Did  he  make  any  proclamation  calling  for  police  ? 

A.  He  made  some  proclamation.  I  canuot  tell  you  what  it  was — do  not 
recollect  what  it  was. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  examine  to  see  what  powers  are  given  to  the  mayor  by 
your  city  charter  ? 

A.  I  did  not  in  regard  to  Allegheny  Cit}'.  After  Sunday,  I  was  more 
with  Mayor  Phillips,  and  more  on  that  side  than  I  was  on  this.  I  believe 
Colonel  Scott  telegraphed  to  me  himself,  and  said  that  the}7  would  com- 
mence laying  the  tracks,  if  their  men  would  be  protected,  and  I  went  to 
Mr.  Shinn  and  got  him  to  send  an  answer  to  him  that  thejr  would  be,  and 
I  would  lay  the  matter  before  the  committee  the  next  morning.  Imme- 
diately on  the  committee  convening,  I  brought  the  matter  before  them, 
and  the  committee  answered  Colonel  Scott  that  they  would  be  protected. 
I  went  out  of  the  committee  myself,  and  started  up  to  meet  Mr.  Pitcairn 
at  the  office  of  Mr.  Layng,  and  stated  to  Mr.  Layng  in  regard  to  that 
telegram,  and  my  own  impression  that  they  should  put  the  men  on  to 
work  to  feel  their  way,  and  if  they  were  interfered  with  to  withdraw  them, 
that  I  believed  that  before  night  would  come  that  they  would  have  more 
men  than  they  would  know  what  to  do  with,  and  that  was  the  result.  I 
spoke  of  being  out  on  Sunday  and  not  seeing  any  of  the  officials  of  the 
railroad  at  all.  I  think  they  did  right.  I  do  not  think  it  would  have  In  en 
prudent  for  them  to  be  there.  I  advised  those  I  knew  to  keep  away.  You 
could  not  tell  to  what  extent  this  excitement  would  lead  a  man,  nor  you 
could  not  tell  how  bad  men  were.  They  might  have  been  seiiousl}'  injured, 
if  not  killed,  if  any  one  of  them  had  gone  into  a  crowd  of  that  kind. 

Q.  Would  the  presence  of  the  railroad  officials  have  tended  to  exasper- 
ate the  crowd,  do  you  think  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  I  don't  think  it  would  have  been  safe  for  thein  to  have 
been  there.     I  think  it  would  have  exasperated  them. 

Q.  Where  was  Adjutant  Latta  during  the  day — Siinda}'? 

A.  I  think  he  was  at  the  Monongahela  house,  with  Cassatt — I  think  he 
was  there. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  315 

Q.  Until  what  hour? 

A.  I  was  introduced  to  him  when  I  took  Mr.  Cassatt  across  to  Allegheny 
City.  It  must  have  been  between  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock.  I  left  him 
there,  and  I  was  not  back  to  the  Monongahela  house  after  that.  I  learned 
they  had  gone  down  the  river  to  Beaver.  I  think  General  Latta  was  along. 
There  was  a  number  of  gentlemen  there.  Mr.  Cassatt  was  anxious  in  re- 
gard to  the  soldiers  that  they  had.  I  did  not  know  the  condition  of  them, 
nor  did  he — how  these  men  that  had  come  from  Philadelphia  were.  He 
appeared  to  be  under  the  impression  that  they  had  got  out,  and  had  neither 
provision  nor  ammunition,  and  I  said  that  I  could  fix  a  way  that  they 
could  have  the  supplies — that  there  were  parties  in  Allegheny  who  would 
attend  to  that.  I  went  down  on  Monday  to  Mr.  Ray,  and  he  sent  them 
out  provisions,  and  told  me  afterwards  that  they  had  removed  their  head- 
quarters, and  he  had  followed  them  up  to  Blairsville,  and  had  delivered 
them  cooked  provisions. 

Q.  Who  is  Mr.  Ray  ? 

A.  He  is  a  grocer  on  Liberty  street. 

Q.  In  Allegheny  City  ? 

A.  No,  sir;   Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Would  it  have  been  prudent  for  the  Adjutant  General  to  have  re- 
mained in  the  city  during  the  day,  Sunday  ? 

A.  To  have  gone  into  the  crowd? 

Q.  Yes  ;  or  remained  in  the  city  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  there  would  have  been  a  hair  of  his  head  harmed. 

Q.  Would  it  have  been  prudent  for  the  other  State  officials  ? 

A.  If  they  had  remained  at  the  Monongahela  house  they  would  not  have 
been  disturbed. 

Q.  If  the  Adjutant  General  had  gone  to  the  scene  of  the  riot,  would  he 
have  been  disturbed  ? 

A.  I  think  there  would  have  been  danger.     Any  man  went  in  at  the  peril 
of  his  life — any  officer  went  in  single-handed,  alone. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  have  a  very  extensive  knowledge  of  what  transpired  here  during 
the  riots.  I  want  to  know  whether,  in  your  opinion,  there  was  a  disposi- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  city  and  county  authorities  to  protect  property  and 
to  suppress  the  riot.     If  so,  could  they  have  done  so  ? 

A.  I  have  not  any  doubt  in  my  own  mind,  but  the 

Q.  Not  the  citizens.     I  am  speaking  of  the  city  and  county  officials  ? 

A.  In  regard  to  the  count}7  officials,  I  was  not  with  them.  So  far  as  my 
knowledge  goes,  I  was  acquainted,  at  the  time,  from  talking  as  I  would 
with  Mr.  Barr,  or  Slagle,  or  any  of  the  gentlemen,  and  I  believe  they  were 
all  anxious  to  try  to  prevent  any  loss  of  life  or  property,  and  do  all  that 
was  in  their  power. 

Q.  And  could  they  have  done  so,  if  they  had  made  a  vigorous  effort  to 
do  so — protect  the  property  and  prevent  the  lawlessness  ? 

A.  After  the  riot  got  started  they  could  not  have  done  it.  If  we  had 
the  full  force  we  would  have  only  had  about  two  hundred  policemen,  and 
they  would  not  have  been  able  to  have  done  very  much,  and  the  sheriff 
could  not  have  done  very  much  by  calling  upon  the  people  and  telling 
them  that  he  wanted  them  to  stop.  Nothing  but  imperilling  their  lives. 
They  would  keep  away  from  him.  I  do  not  think  he  had  much  chance  of 
doing  anything. 

Q.  It  is  only  a  matter  of  opinion  ? 

A.  You  could  readily  understand  that  those  men,  with  the  force  that 
they  could  command,  would  be  small  in  comparison.     After  the  firing  I 


316  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

have  no  doubt  the  report  that  there  was  ten  or  twenty  killed,  where  there 
was  one,  did  create  a  fearful  excitement,  and  I  do  not  ihink  any  sheriff  of 
any  county  could  have  done  anything  at  all  that  would  have  stopped  it, 
after  it  had  once  got  started  as  it  had  on  Sunday  morning. 
Ity  Mr.  Englebert : 
Q.  Did  you  take  any  active  steps  prior  to  Saturday  evening? 
A.  Xo,  sir ;  I  did  not  really  feel  very  uneasy  about  the  matter  until  Sat- 
urday afternoon,  when  I  learned — I  was  not  taking  much  interest  in  the 
matter,  and  I  got  very  much  this  way  —  the  railroad  people,  this  was  a 
matter  they  were  tending  to,  but  that  there  was  going  to  be  any  riot — 
there  might  be  some  quarreling,  fighting,  or  something  of  that  kind,  but  I 
didn't  expect  there  was  going  to  be  anything  of  the  magnitude  it  was.  On 
Saturday,  I  felt  concerned  about  the  matter,  and  the  reason  for  being  con- 
cerned was,  that  1  knew  that  the  manufacturing  establishments  were  idle, 
and  the  men  were  off*  work,  and  that  they  were  there,  and  if  you  have  had 
anything  to  do  with  iron  men,  you  know  they  are  a  class  of  men  who  are 
easily  excited. 

Q.  You,  as  a  business  man,  would  have  closed  up  all  business  at  that 
time,  under  this  state  of  excitement  ? 

A.  As  a  business  man,  when  I  found  it  was  necessary  to  get  the  military 
in  there,  I  would  not  have  undertaken  to  have  done  that  on  Saturday  after- 
noon. I  would  have  waited  until  the  men  were  employed  on  Monday,  or 
Tuesday,  and  then  there  would  not  be  the  danger  that  there  was  in  doing 
it  on  Saturday. 

Q.  The  majority  of  men  being  off,  of  course  there  was  great  travel  on 
the  streets  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  You  felt  satisfied  and  easy  that  there  would  not  be  any  disturbance 
up  to  Saturday — why  did  you  feel  easy  and  satisfied  that  there  would  be 
no  trouble  up  to  Saturday  ? 

A.  I  understood  that  the  military  were  here,  and  that  would  intimidate 
them.  I  was  tending  to  my  own  business,  and  really,  I  had  not  gone  out 
at  all  to  see  what  was  going  on  on  the  railroad,  although  we  have  a  mill 
opposite,  within  a  mile,  perhaps,  of  the  outer  depot,  across  the  river,  and 
I  came  back  and  forward  and  everything  was  quiet;  but  when  I  heard  of 
the  loss  of  life  and  of  the  firing,  which,  I  think  took  place  on  Saturday, 
and  the  men  coming  across  and  going  into  the  gun  shops  in  the  town, 
breaking  them  open  and  destroying  them,  then  I  felt  that  there  was  danger, 
because  there  is  this  fact :  there  is  a  large  number  of  men  that  were  through 
the  war  that  are  not  afraid  as  those  who  have  never  smelled  powder — they 
are  not  very  much  afraid  of  it,  and  they  are  brave  men,  and  if  you  under- 
stood that  there  is  danger,  they  say  "  we  know,"  and  you  cannot  do  any- 
thing with  them.  The  idea  was  this  :  The  first  I  heard  of  it  that  they  had 
shot  into  a  crowd,  killing  men,  women,  and  children  indiscriminately. 
These  men  are  men  who  are  read}1,  to  believe  anything  of  the  kind,  and 
they  will  believe  what  is  said  among  themselves  quicker  than  they  would 
from  you  or  me  or  anybody  else  on  the  outside.  They  were  excited  and 
exasperated,  and  then  you  cannot  control  them,  but  the  men  about  our  mills 
are  not  bad  men,  all  of  them.  We  have  bad  men  there  and  they  will  get 
into  the  mills,  but  I  do  not  think  there  is  a  better  class  of  men  anywhere 
than  in  Pittsburgh.  My  own  theory  is,  that  these  tramps  along  the  line  of 
the  railroad  had  a  knowledge  of  this  strike,  and  might  have  been  congre- 
gating in  here  for  two  weeks,  and  these  men  are  always  ready  to  apply  the 
torch  at  any  moment.     They  came  in  here  and  got  into  it.     I  think  a  great 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  317 

many  of  the  railroad  men  had  nothing  to  do,  and  had  no  idea  whatever  of 
getting  anything  bnt  their  wages — no  idea  of  any  loss  of  life  or  destruction 
of  property  ;  but  when  they  got  in  there  they  had  no  control  of  this  thing, 
and  they  did  not  know  themselves  whether  the  men  that  had  been  in  the 
lodge  room,  perhaps,  were  with  them  or  against  them.  The  people  were 
paralyzed  at  the  magnitude  of  this  thing. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  You  have  a  general  acquaintance  and  knowledge  of  the  manufacturing 
interests  of  this  State.  Is  there  a  larger  proportion  of  employe's  in  the 
manufactories  and  mining  in  this  vicinity  than  there  is  elsewhere  in  this 
State  ? 

A.  1  think  there  is ;  I  am  not  familiar  with  any  place  where  the  propor- 
tion is  so  large  as  it  is  just  here  in  our  city. 

J.  Howard  Logan  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  live  ? 

A.  Lincoln  avenue,  Allegheny. 

Q.   What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  1  have  a  foundry  in  New  Brighton.     Doing  business  in  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  with  Doctor  Donnelly  on  Sunday,  the  22d 
of  J  uly  ? 

A.  1  went  to  the  meeting  at  the  old  city  hall,  in  Market  street,  four 
o'clock,  Sunday  afternoon,  and  joined  the  citizens'  organization  to  go  up 
and  stop  the  riot  and  tiring.  We  had  great  trouble  getting  arms.  At 
first  we  went  to  the  university,  and  failed  to  get  them  there.  Then  went 
down  and  got  pick-handles  from  a  hardware  store  on  Wood  street.  After 
that  we  were  marched  up  to  the  university  again,  but  failed  to  get  them, 
and  from  there  we  went  to  one  of  the  armories  of  the  Fourteenth  regiment 
or  jN ineteenth,  and  failed  to  get  any  arms  there.  We  marched  back  again 
to  the  university,  and  we  got  some  old  rusty  muskets,  with  bayonets. 
There  were  plenty  of  men  willing  to  go;  but  being  marched  around  from 
one  place  to  another  they  dropped  off.  We  got  these  old  muskets,  and 
had  about  a  hundred.  We  marched  down  to  the  mayor's  office,  and  from 
there  we  went  up  Liberty  street  to  Wood,  right  into  the  midst  of  the  crowd, 
and  attempted  to  form  a  line  right  across  Liberty  street,  at  the  edge  of  the 
crowd  ;  but  we  were  surrounded,  individually,  and  failed  to  do  that.  Doc- 
tor Donnelly,  who  was  leading,  seemed  to  have  lost  control  of  the  men, 
and  seemed  to  be  very  much  excited.  We  stayed  there  about  ten  minutes 
without  accomplishing  anything,  except  having  pistols  at  our  heads  all 
around,  and  nothing  to  defend  ourselves  with  but  these  rusty  muskets. 

(4.   Without  any  ammunition? 

A.  Without  any  ammunition  or  anything  else.     Probably  one  or  two  of 
the  party,  or  a  few  of  them,  had  revolvers,  but  the  majority  of  us  had  not. 
(4.  What  did  you  do  then  ? 

A.   We  got  started,  and  about  half  of  the  company  went  out,  and  the 
balance  of  us  turned  around  and  came  out  then,  feeling  that  we  were  whipped. 
(4.  Then  you  had  not  the  means  to  cope — arms  or  weapons  to  cope  with 
the  crowd '( 

A.  No,  sir.     There  were  a  number  lost  their  muskets  in  wrestling  with 
the  crowd,  but  they  were  willing  to  fight  or  do  anything  to  hold  on  to  them, 
but  we  were  powerless  because  we  had  nothing  to  defend  ourselves  with. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  Were  the  muskets  wrenched  from  their  hands  ? 
A.  In  some  cases  they  were. 


318  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Did  your  men  fight  them,  or  use  the  bayonet? 

A.  Didn't  use  the  bayonets.  We  held  on  to  them,  and  pulled  them  away. 
It  was  very  fortunate  for  us  that  there  were  no  pistol  shots  fired,  or  we 
would  all  have  been  cut  to  pieces,  because  all  the  crowd  were  armed,  and 
we  were  not. 

Q.  If  you  had  had  a  bold,  deliberate  leader,  and  been  well  armed,  could 
you  have  accomplished  anything  in  the  way  of  driving  away  the  crowd  ? 

A.  We  might  have  done  something  just  at  that  place,  but  we  did  not 
have  more  than  enough  to  protect  that  one  spot  which  we  were  at. 

Q.  Where  was  that  ? 

A.  That  was  on  Liberty  street,  just  in  front  of  the  elevator. 

Q.  In  front  of  the  elevator  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  down  from  the  elevator. 

Q.  What  time  was  it? 

A.  About  six  o'clock. 

Q.  Sunday  evening  ? 

A.  Between  five  and  six. 

Q    Was  there  any  trouble  in  raising  a  company  of  citizens  at  that  time. 

A.  No,  sir;  there  were  more  than  we  had  arms  for — more  ready  to  go 
than  we  could  get  muskets  for,  and  some,  when  we  could  get  these  imper- 
fect muskets,  were  afraid  to  go  into  the  crowd  with  them.  When  we  came 
down  from  there  we  deposited  what  arms  we  had  in  the  ma3'or's  office,  in 
charge  of  a  policeman  there,  and  some  of  them  scattered  and  went  to  the 
depot — the  Duquesne  depot — and  others  to  the  depots  or  upon  the  street, 
individually. 

Q.  What  did  you  do  Sunday  night  yourself  ? 

A.  I  went  over  to  Allegheny;  found  the  citizens  were  organizing  there 
and  about  starting  out  to  guard  the  bridges.  I  went  with  a  party  to  the 
railroad  bridge  and  was  there  that  night.     I  had  a  revolver  with  me  then. 

Q.  The  railroad  bridge  ? 

A.  The  railroad  bridge  across  the  Allegheny  river  at  the  Fort  Wayne 
road . 

Q.  Was  that  well  guarded  by  citizens  ? 

A.  There  was  about  fifteen  or  twenty,  armed  with  muskets  and  revolvers. 

Q.  What  class  of  citizens  ? 

A.  There  were  several  policemen  and  some  officers  and  men  from  Alle- 
gheny. 

Q.  Were  you  molested  during  the  night? 

A.  No,  sir ;  the  orders  were  from  the  mayor  to  stop  every  person  com- 
ing over  that  bridge,  and  let  no  one  pass.  We  turned  a  great  many  men 
coming  over  there — we  turned  them  back,  and  made  them  go  around  to  the 
other  bridges. 

Q.  Allowed  nobody  to  pass  ? 

A.  Allowed  no  person  except  a  few  whom  the  policemen  recognized  as 
living  right  near  there,  and  were  respectable  people.  AnjT  person  we 
didn't  know  we  made  them  go  back. 

James  I.  Bennett,  being  recalled,  testified  as  follows : 

The  Witness.  Our  city  is  surrounded  by  large  mining  interests,  in  which 
thousands  of  men  are  engaged,  and  they  come  in  on  the  trains  Saturday 
to  do  their  marketing  and  other  trading.  When  we  learned  of  all  this 
thing — of  what  was  going  on  Sundaj7 — the}7  came  in  a  distance  of  four  or 
five  or  six  miles,  and  perhaps  there  might  have  been  thousands  of  these 
men  that  came  in  on  Sunday  and  on  Monday.  The  works  were  nearly  all 
stopped,  and  these  men  were  flowing  in  here  in  any  number,  and  I  think 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877. 

only  for  the  organization  that  the  citizens  had  themselves  perfected  on 
Monday,  that  I  do  not  know  what  the  consequences  might  have  been  later 
in  the  week,  but  they  saw  that  there  was  a  preparation  to  meet  them,  and 
the  thing  was  stopped. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  until  to-morrow  morning,  at  ten 
o'clock. 


Pittsburgh,  Thursday,  February  21,  1878. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  ten  o'clock,  a.  m.,  Mr. 
Lindsey  in  the  chair,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testimony. 
All  members  present  except  Senator  Reyburn. 

John  H.  Webster,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  Twenty-fourth  ward,  south  side. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Machinist. 

Q.  What  firm  are  you  at  work  for — Jones  &  Langhlin  ? 

A.  American  Iron  Works. 

Q.  Were  you  at  work  for  them  last  July  ? 

A.  I  have  worked  for  them  for  over  twelve  years. 

Q.  Were  }'ou  at  the  scene  of  the  riots,  near  the  Union  depot,  on  Satur- 
day ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  on  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  Ts'o,  sir. 

Q.  Were  }rou  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  I  was  on  a  hill  immediately  above. 

Q.  On  Sunday  ? 

A.  Yes;  got  there  about  ten  o'clock.  I  suppose  it  was  somewhere  in 
the  neighborhood  often  o'clock. 

Q.  That  was  your  first  appearance  in  the  vicinity  of  the  riots  ? 

A.  First  appearance. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  there,  when  you  got  there  Sunday  ? 

A.  There  was  an  immense  crowd. 

Q.  Of  what  class  of  people  was  the  crowd  composed  principally  ? 

A.  All  classes. 

Q.  Were  there  railroad  employes  there  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  say  whether  there  was  or  not. 

Q.  Were  there  mill  men  and  factory  men  and  employe's  in  the  shops 
about  Pittsburgh  there  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  seen  of  upon  the  hill  where  I  was.  I  don't  know  what 
was  done  on  the  track,  I  was  away  up  top  of  the  hill. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  up  at  the  top  of  the  hill  ? 

A.  I  followed  the  firing  down  until  the  Union  depot  got  fired,  then  it 
got  too  warm  for  me,  and  I  came  away. 

Q.  Were  you  down  near  the  track  when  you  followed  the  firing  along  ? 

Q.  I  was  up  on  the  hill. 

Q.  Were  you  near  the  elevator  ? 

A.  Coming  down  I  passed  the  elevator,  and  got  on  Liberty  street,  and 
the  crowd  made  a  rush,  and  came  near  knocking  me  down.     I  got  down 


320  •  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

near  the  corner  of  Penn  street  and  stayed  there,  and  watched  the  Union 
depot  burn. 

Q.  Did  you  have  an}'  conversation  with  those  that  were  engaged  in 
burning  ? 

A.  When  I  first  made  ray  way  on  the  upper  part  of  the  hill,  there  was 
a  number  of  young  men  lying  on  the  ground  under  a  fence,  a  tree,  or  some- 
thing, and  I  asked  one  of  them — he  appeared  to  be  lively,  he  w. inlying, 
kicki 
this 
ain' 

I  left  him,  after  talking  a  few  minutes  about  that. 
Q.  Who  was  he  ? 
A.  I  don't  know  who  he  was. 
Q.  Strangers  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  did  you  go  ? 

A.  I  went  on  from  there  down  to  look  at  the  firing,  and  see  all  that 
could  be  seen. 

Q.  When  you  arrived  at  the  elevator,  did  you  have  any  conversation 
with  anybody  there  ? 

A.  Oh,  3Tes  ;  had  a  conversation  with  almost  everybody — talking  to  each 
other. 

Q.  Did  you  say  that  the  elevator  was  going  to  be  burned  ? 
A.  I  told  several  parties  what  this  party  had  told  me  on  the  hill,  that  he 
allowed  it  would  come  to  the  elevator,  and  I  began  to  think  there  was  a 
good  deal  of  truth  in  it,  because  the  Union  depot  was  on  five. 
Q.  Did  you  see  Daniel  Corbus  near  the  elevator  ? 

A.  I  met  him  at  the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Fulton  streets,  and  we  walked 
down  together.  I  told  him  what  these  parties  had  told  me — they  were 
going  to  burn  down  the  elevator,  that  was  a  damn  monopoly,  too. 

Q.  Did  you  say  to  Daniel  Corbus  that  the  elevator  had  got  to  be  burned — 
that  it  was  a  monopoly,  and  bad  got  to  be  burned  ? 

A.  I  didn't  tell  him  that,  because  I  was  taking  no  active  part  in  it. 
Q.  Did  you  tell  him  that  the  other  party  said  it  was  a  damn  monopoly, 
and  had  got  to  come  clown. 

A.  Yes,  sir.  The  railroad  officials  had  stock  in  it,  and  they  were  death 
on  railroads. 

Q.  You  had  no  participation  at  all  in  what  was  going  on  ? 
A.  No,  sir  ;  just  went  over  to  seethe  fire,  and  to  see  what  was  going  on. 
Q.  How  many  were  with  this  fellow  that  made  this  remark  to  you  ? 
A.  There  was  some  four  or  five  of  them  laying  there,  I  think. 
Q.  Was  this  fellow  intoxicated,  did  you  think? 
A.  He  appeared  to  be  perfectly  sober. 

Q.  What  for  a  dressed  man  was  he  ?     How  was  he  dressed  ? 
A.  From  the  appearance  of  him — he  was  not  dressed  any  better  than  I 
am  just  at  the  present  time — dirty. 

Q.  Did  his  dress  indicate  a  railroad  employe-  or  a  factory  man? 
A.  I  couldn't  judge  that  from  his  dress.     Couldn't  say  what  he  was  by 
that — by  his  dress. 

Q.  He  was  dressed  like  a  laboring  man  ? 
A.  Yes  ;  he  was  dressed  like  a  workingraan. 
Q.   What  time  did  you  leave  the  depot  or  elevator  ? 
A.  I  left  when  I  was  standing  on  Liberty  street.     I  left  the  time  the 
Union  depot  fell. 

Q.  About  what  time  in  the  afternoon  was  that  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  321 

A.  Somewhere  very  near  six  o'clock. 

Q.  Did  you  go  back  again  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  stayed  home  all  night.  I  overheard  a  couple  of  gentlemen 
saying  that  a  committee  had  been  talking  to  the  crowd,  and  gotten  the 
promise  not  to  burn  the  elevator.     I  thought  the  firing  had  stopped  there. 

Irvin  K.  Campbell,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside? 

A.  Ninth  ward,  Allegheny  City. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  am  a  foreman  of  the  hinge  factory  of  Lewis,  Oliver  &  Philips. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  occupied  that  position  ? 

A.  About  three  years — possibly  four.     Between  three  and  four. 

Q.  Were  you  near  the  scene  of  the  riots  any  time  during  July  last,  in 
any  of  the  days  and  nights  ? 

A.  I  heard  of  the  firing  on  the  citizens  about  six  o'clock,  and  I  came  up 
on  what  we  call  the  Cleveland  train,  and  got  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  pro 
bably  at  eight  o'clock. 

Q.  What  was  ? 

A.  That  was  on  Saturday  evening — the  evening  after  the  firing. 

Q.  Twenty-eighth  street  ?     What  time  ? 

A.  It  was  probably  half  past  eight  o'clock. 

Q.  When  you  got  there  how  much  of  a  crowd  did  }rou  find  there  ? 

A.  There  was  not  much  of  a  crowd  when  I  was  there.  The  troops  had 
gone  into  the  round-house,  and  I  inquired  why  they  went  in,  and  received 
no  satisfactory  answer.  1  supposed  I  was  acquainted  with  some  of  the 
troops  that  went  in,  and  inquired  for  Colonel  Howard,  of  the  Nineteenth. 
I  was  acquainted  with  Mr.  Howard,  and  served  in  the  same  regiment  in 
the  army,  and  talked  of  going  in  and  advising  Colonel  Howard  to  get  out 
of  the  round-house,  and  was  advised  not  to  go  in ;  that  the  men  were  scared 
enough  to  shoot  any  man. 

Q,    Who  advised  you  this  ? 

A.  Alderman  Conlan,  of  the  Ninth  ward,  said  they  were  scared  bad 
enough  to  shoot  any  man.  I  came  out — I  just  steppe:! — probably  had  one 
foot  inside  of  the  fence  where  you  go  into  the  round-house  track — going 
into  the  round-house  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  I  went  down  Liberty  street, 
and  there  was  two  shots  fired.  I  was  with  a  gentleman  named  Joseph 
Steen,  son-in-law  of  Mr.  Bown's,  on  Third  street.  I  spoke  then  and  said 
something  about  firing  out  there  when  there  was  no  occasion  for  it.  I 
don't  mind  what  my  conversation  was,  but  kept  on  down  the  street,  and 
heard  no  more  firing  until  1  got  down  a  little  ways,  and  I  heard  several 
rambling  shots  fired.  At  this  time  there  was  no  organization,  or  any  crowd 
to  amount  to  anything.  I  had  been  up  to  the  hospital  in  the  meantime  to 
see  if  there  was  anybody  hurt  that  I  knew.  I  formerly  worked  for  the 
railroad  company  there,  and  was  a  little  interested  to  see  if  there  was  anjr- 
body  killed  or  wounded  that  I  was  acquainted  with. 

Q.  Where  were  those  shots  fired  from  ? 

A.  They  were  fired  from  one  of  the  windows  of  what  we  call  the  round- 
house for  passenger  engines — the  round-house  this  way.  You  might  call 
it  the  Twenty-eighth  street  round-house. 

Q.  Were  there  any  soldiers  there  ? 

A.  I  presume  there  was.     I  couldn't  see  from  the  outside. 

Q.  You  didn't  know  whether  tbey  were  soldiers  or  part  of  the  mob  ? 
21  Riots. 


322  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  knew  there  were  none  of  the  mob  in  there  at  that  time.  They  were 
soldiers  I  knew,  but  I  did  not  see  them. 

Q.  Was  there  any  burning  going  on  at  that  time? 

A.  No  burning  at  that  time.  I  think  after  I  came  from  there  down  the 
street  I  heard  burning  talked  of;  and,  if  I  recollect  right,  I  heard  it  inti- 
mated before  I  left  Twenty-eighth  street.  I  think  that  was  m}r  reason  for 
wishing  to  see  Colonel  Howard,  to  advise  these  men  to  come  out. 

Q.  By  whom  did  you  hear  it  talked  of? 

A.  I  couldn't  tell.  Although  I  formerly  worked  on  the  railroad,  I  didn't 
see  a  man  there  that  I  was  acquainted  with. 

Q.  Was  it  the  rioters  that  were  talking  about  the  burning  ? 

A.  At  that  time  37ou  couldn't  tell  who  was  rioters.  They  stood  around 
in  crowds  of  four,  or  five,  or  a  dozen.  The  only  active  rioters  I  noticed 
was  when  the  way  passenger  came  in  I  seen  probably  five  or  six  men  that 
looked  liked  brakesmen  on  the  road  run  up  to  uncouple  the  engines,  and 
the  engineer,  Tom  Wilson,  told  them  that  the  car  behind  him  had  one 
horse  in,  and  asked  them  to  let  him  take  it  on  through — there  was  no  am- 
munition, or  provision,  or  anything  of  that  kind.  I  listened  to  some  of 
the  arguments  whether  they  would  side-track  the  freight  car  or  allow  it  to 
go  through,  and  they  finally  told  Wilson  to  back  and  they  took  the  train 
into  the  Union  depot. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  there  ? 

A.  I  was  in  the  vicinity  of  the  crossing  probably  ten  minutes — not  long. 
The  train  moved  down,  and  I  started  to  go  towards  my  home. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  get  home  ? 

A.  I  came  clown  Penn  street  with  this  Mr.  Steen,  son-in-law  of  Mr. 
Bown's,  and  we  heard  of  the  trouble  at  Mr.  Bown's  hardware  store,  and 
we  stopped  there  for  a  few  minutes — we  stopped  there  probably  three 
quarters  of  an  hour.  I  don't  recollect,  positively,  how  long,  but  when  I 
left  there  I  got  over  in  Allegheny,  and  in  time  to  make  the  late  train,  and 
got  down  to  the  Ninth  ward.  The  train,  at  that  time,  left  Allegheny  some- 
time after  eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  When  you  got  to  Bown's  store,  had  the  rabble  been  in  and  ran- 
sacked things  ? 

A.  They  had  been  in  and  ransacked  things  and  had  gone  off.  They  had 
apparently  taken  things  that  were  of  no  account  at  all,  so  far  as  the  riot 
was  concerned. 

Q.  Were  there  any  rioters  still  around  the  store  ? 

A.  No  rioters  at  all.  The  police  were  standing  in  front  of  the  store  and 
refused  to  let  us  in,  and  I  explained  that  Mr.  Steen  was  son-in-law  of  Mr. 
Bown's  and  wanted  to  see  if  the  family  was  hurt. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  police  up  at  the  crossing  near  the  scene  of  the  riots  ? 

A.  Not  on  Saturday  afternoon. 

Q.  How  many  came  up  on  the  train  from  the  Ninth  ward  of  Allegheny 
City  witli  }rou  ? 

A.  There  was  quite  a  number.  The  word  came  down  that  there  had 
been  firing  up  there,  and  parties  killed  and  wounded — I  could  not  tell  posi- 
tively how  many  I  came  up  with — two  parties  with  me. 

Q.  Did  any  of  the  men  from  your  works  come  up? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of — there  was  none  came  up  with  me. 

Q.  Were  there  any  of  the  men  at  these  works  that  came  up  and  remained 
and  participated,  to  your  knowledge? 

A.   Not  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  Are  you  well  acquainted  with  the  laboring  men  about  the  city? 

A.  1  am  in  the  neighborhood  in  which  J  reside. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18??.  323 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  that  you  knew  in  that  vicinity  ? 

A.  Not  one — didn't  see  a  man  taking  an  active  part  in  the  riot  that  I 
knew.  I  was  pretty  well  acquainted  with  both  sides,  and  I  thought  that 
there  was  something  strange  about  that — men  that  were  supposed  to  be 
easy  led  by  excitement  of  the  kind — and  I  rather  wondered  at  it.  The  only 
man  I  noticed  making  any  resistance,  was  one  man  who  said  he  was  a  son 
of  a  bitch  from  Brownstone. 

Q.  That  is  in  the  vicinity  of  the  iron  works  ? 

A.  On  the  south  side.     That  was  on  Sunday,  near  the  elevator. 

Q.  He  was  near  the  elevator  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  He  was  engaged  in  the  riot  ? 

A.  He  said  he  had  been  at  it  all  night  and  all  day,  and  was  nearly  done 
out,  and  at  the  time  I  seen  him  he  had  a  keg — I  forget  whether  it  was  wine 
or  beer,  but  he  was  very  liberal  with  it,  giving  it  to  any  parties  that  wanted 
it,  urging  them  to  turn  in  and  help,  that  he  was  tired. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  return  on  Sunday  to  the  scene  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  It  might  have  been  half  past  eight  or  nine.  We  could  see  the  smoke 
from  down  where  I  lived.  That  was  the  first  I  knew  of  the  burning,  when 
I  got  up  next  morning,  and  came  up  to  see  what  was  burning.  I  got  to 
Twentieth  street  about  the  time,  or  just  before  the  police  made  their  ap- 
pearance there  to  stop  the  burning  of  ears. 

Q.  How  far  had  the  fire  progressed  towards  the  depot  when  you  got 
there  ? 

A.  I  am  not  positive  the  street,  exactly,  but  it  was  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Twentieth  street. 

Q.  Was  there  any  effort  made  by  the  police  or  any  other  parties  to  stop 
it  there  ? 

A.  In  the  vicinity  of  Twentieth  street,  the  police  came  along  the  wall 
that  holds  the  embankment  the  tracks  are  laid  on,  and  drove  parties  away 
from  the  cars.  Just  as  the  fire  would  catch  a  car,  the  rabble,  composed  of 
all  parties,  not  rioters,  but  thieves  or  whatever  you  choose  to  call  them, 
they  would  break  into  a  car  and  commence  carrying  the  things  off — men, 
women,  and  children.  The  police  drove  the  parties  off  the  wall.  Some 
of  them  fell  down,  and  one,  I  noticed,  got  hurt,  and,  apparently,  the  police 
at  that  time  had  possession,  and  I  thought  it  was  going  to  stop,  but  in  a 
short  time  I  noticed  smoke  starting  up  below,  further  down,  and  the  police 
went  down  that  way. 

Q.  How  many  policemen  were  there  ? 

A.  I  am  not  positive  of  the  number,  but  there  must  have  been  twenty  or 
thirty,  the  mayor  at  the  head  of  the  police. 

Q.  The  mayor  at  the  head  of  them  ? 

A.  That  is  my  recollection.  I  am  almost  positive  of  that,  because  I 
know  the  mayor  by  sight  when  I  see  him. 

Q.  Did  they  succeed  in  clearing  the  track  and  driving  them  away  from 
that  point  ? 

A.  There  was  five  or  six  tracks  in  that  vicinity.  They  entirely  cleared 
them  on  the  side  next  to  Liberty  street,  but  there  was  at  least  six  tracks 
there,  and  most  of  the  tracks  had  trains  laying  on  them.  Smoke  started 
over  a  little  further  amongst  some  of  the  other  cars. 

Q.   Did  the  rioters  make  any  resistance  to  the  police? 

A.  Not  any  that  I  noticed.  Some,  according  to  their  creed  or  nationality, 
held  on  longer  to  their  goods. 

Q.  What  nationality  seemed  to  hold  on  the  longest? 

A.  I  must  say  that  the  Germans  carried  the  heaviest  loads.     I  noticed 


324  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

that,  and  commented  on  it  coming  up  in  a  street  car,  that  the  Germans 
had  the  heaviest  loads.     I  mean  no  disrespect  to  anybody. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  About  what  time  was  it  that  the  police  cleared  the  crowd  off  the  wall  ? 

A.  It  might  have  been  half-past  ten  or  eleven. 

Q.  On  Sunday  ? 

A.  On  Sunday,  but  I  could  not  be  positive  ;  during  the  excitement  there 
I  was  paying  more  attention  to  what  I  could  see,  and  wondering  what 
would  turn  up  next. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  remain  there  during  the  entire  day  ? 

A.  I  remained  on  the  Pittsburgh  side  until  probably  six  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  I  then  heard  they  were  organizing  in  Allegheny,  and  that  is  the 
side  I  lived  on,  and  that  there  was  likely  to  be  trouble  over  there,  and  I 
went  over  to  the  other  side.  The  elevator  was  partially  burned  down 
when  I  left  the  ground. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  further  efforts  of  the  policemen  after  eleven  o'clock 
to  stop  the  riot  and  stop  the  fire  ? 

A.  After  that  time  the  police  appeared  to  be  scattered  in  squads.  I  did 
not  see  them  in  one  body  after  that.  I  believe  they  were  distributed 
around  after  that.  I  seen  a  few  policemen  after  that,  but  not  in  a  body. 
At  the  time  I  lost  sight  of  the  policemen  I  started  to  go  up  to  see  the  con- 
dition of  the  round-house.  From  there  I  went  up  to  Thirty-third  street — 
I  had  formerly  lived  up  in  that  neighborhood — and  then  down  to  what  they 
call  Lawrenceville,  and  back  down  to  the  Union  depot  in  that  direction. 
I  will  just  say  that  I  met  Captain  McMunn  on  Twenty-sixth  street  coming 
down,  and  inquired  of  him  if  there  was  any  effort  being  made  to  stop  it, 
and  my  recollection  is  that  he  said  they  had  made  a  proposition  to  try  and 
organize  the  employes  and  try  to  stop  it,  but  it  had  not  been  entertained. 
I  would  not  say  that  on  oath,  but  I  think  so. 

Q.  Captain  McMunn  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  he  was  one  of  the  strikers.  Another  employe"  standing  looking 
at  the  engine  in  the  morning  was  Robert  Aitchison,  known  on  the  road  as 
old  Bobby  Aitchison.  He  was  lamenting  about  the  destruction,  and  finding 
fault,  and  said  it  was  wrong,  and  he  told  me  he  was  sure  the  railroad  men 
had  nothing  to  do  with  it. 

Q.  What  is  Mr.  Aitchison's  first  name? 

A.  Robert. 

Q.  That  is  the  old  man  ? 

A.  That  is  the  old  man.  At  the  time  I  speak  of  seeing  Atchison,  he  was 
standing  where  he  could  see  the  engine  he  had  formerly  run — engine  281. 
I  was  acquainted  with  him,  and  had  fired  the  engine  myself  at  one  time. 
This  act  was  rather  impressed  upon  my  memory  more  than  any  other  things 
that  occured. 

Q.  Did  you  go  close  to  the  men  that  were  engaged  in  the  arson  and  riot 
during  the  day,  Sunday,  so  as  to  ascertain  who  they  were — that  is,  the  leaders 
in  the  burning,  I  mean  ? 

A.  I  could  not  recognize  any  man,  but  they  were  what  I  would  call  roughs — 
hard  cases,  desperate  men,  most  of  them.  I  was  told  that  some,  I  think, 
were  men  that  had  been — I  do  not  know  what  the  best  word  is — proscribed, 
or  whatever  you  choose  to  call  it,  been  discharged  from  one  railroad,  and 
got  a  situation  on  another,  and  been  discharged  from  there,  by  this  last 
company  receiving  a  letter.  There  are  a  great  many  men  in  this  country 
now,  that,  if  they  are  discharged  on  the  Fort  Wayne  road,  they  come  to 
the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  and  that  company  will  discharge  them,  and  give 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  325 

no  reason  for  it.  There  are  a  great  many  of  this  kind  in  the  country  to- 
day, that  are  desperate  men,  ready  to  do  anything  at  all.  I  have  no  doubt 
that  some  of  the  leaders  in  this  movement  were  men  of  that  kind,  because 
the  men  that  were  engaged  in  the  riot,  were  used  to  railroading,  because  they 
could  not  have  run  these  cars  in  and  burned  the  round-house  as  they  did. 
If  they  had  been  men  belonging  to  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  I  would 
have  recognized  them.  I  was  standing  by  the  elevator  when  the  firemen 
attempted  to  throw  water  on  there.  I  was  close  by  the  hose  when  some- 
body cut  the  hose,  and  the  water  went  over  the  crowd.  I  received  some 
of  it  myself. 

Q.  When  you  got  back  to  Allegheny  City,  you  said  they  were  organized 
there — how  large  was  the  crowd  there  ? 

A.  It  was  probably  six  or  half  past,  when  I  got  back  there.  There  was 
no  complete  organization — they  were  just  gathering. 

Q.  At  what  point  ? 

A.  The  center  appeared  to  be,  that  I  noticed,  near  the  round-houses  of 
the  Fort  Wayne  road.  I  noticed  parties  there  that  were  employes  in  the 
shops,  and  probably  there  might  have  been  some  on  the  road,  but  some 
that  I  knew  belonged  to  the  shops. 

Q.  Did  the  crowd  increase  there? 

A.  The  crowd  increased  there,  but  I  did  not  stay  there.  I  kept  on  down 
to  my  own  home. 

Q.  Remained  at  home  during  the  night — Sunday  night  ? 

A.  I  remained  at  home  all  night — was  not  outside. 

Q.  Monday  morning  did  you  return  ? 

A.  Monday  morning  I  reported  at  the  works,  and  we  organized  there, 
and  I  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  patrol  or  guard  we  had  round  the  com- 
pany's works. 

Q.  For  protecting  the  works  ? 

A.  For  protecting  the  works  and  do  what  we  could  for  the  whole  neigh- 
borhood. 

Q.  Did  your  men  all  join  in  that  organization  ? 

A.  Just  what  was  asked.  They  did  not  make  an  indiscriminate  thing 
of  it.  We  just  selected  men  and  placed  them  on  guard,  and  kept  them  on 
all  night,  and  let  them  off  in  the  morning,  but  were  ready  for  a  call  at  any 
time. 

Q.  Were  the  men  all  willing  to  unite  in  such  a  scheme  of  protection  ? 

A.  All  that  I  seen — I  heard  no  objection. 

Q.  If  there  is  anything  else  you  can  enlighten  us  on  state  it  ?  I  do  not 
think  of  any  further  question  to  ask. 

A.  I  will  just  say  that  the  first  night  we  were  on  we  arrested  two  differ- 
ent parties  down  there.  The  first  one  was  on  Pike  street,  Pittsburgh.  We 
found  him  skulking  around  the  works.  I  inquired  what  his  business  was, 
and  he  said  he  heard  there  was  going  to  be  fun  down  there,  and  he  came 
down  to  see  it,  and  gave  no  excuse — said  he  didn't  intend  to  do  anything, 
but  he  heard  there  was  going  to  be  fun ;  and  there  was  a  lot  of  freight  cars 
laying  full  of  freight.  We  put  the  fear  in  him  a  little,  and  let  him  go — 
didn't  keep  him. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  There  were  two  arrested  ? 

A.  I  arrested  another — that  was  a  boy  about  sixteen  or  eighteen.  I 
found  him  laying  in  a  metal  pile.  He  gave  the  same  excuse.  He  heard 
there  was  going  to  be  fun  down  there,  and  he  came  down  to  see  it.  We 
found  out  that  he  lived  a  mile  or  two  back  in  the  country  from  our  neigh- 
borhood. 


326  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  The  first  man  lived  in  Pike  street  ? 

A.  He  said  so.     He  gave  his  name  there,  and  the  young  man,  too. 

Q.  How  far  is  that  from  the  destruction  of  the  property  ? 

A.  It  is  right  in  the  vicinity — down  a  little.  Pike  street  and  Sixteenth 
street,  I  think  that  is  in  the  vicinity  of  Zug's  mill,  out  along  Penn,  between 
Penn  and  the  river.  The  city  was  full  of  men  at  that  time,  that,  while  the 
excitement  was  up,  they  wanted  to  see  what  was  going  on.  There  was  a 
great  many  outsiders  that  were  tramps,  I  suppose.  They  appeared  to  be 
strangers.  It  appears  this  strike  had  been  talked  of  for  sometime,  and  the 
tramps  appeared  to  understand  it,  and  they  appeared  to  be  gathered  in  for 
the  spoil. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  you  observe,  during  the  time  of  this  destruction,  whether  there 
were  two  separate  classes  of  individuals,  one  destroying  the  property  and 
breaking  up  cars,  and  the  others  carrying  away  ? 

A.  I  noticed  that  there  were  men  destroying  that  appeared  not  to  do  it 
for  personal  gain.     Just  appeared  fonder  of  destruction  than  anything  else. 

Q.  Did  you  think  that  either  of  these  two  parties — the  parties  carrying 
away,  and  the  parties  breaking  up  the  cars,  were  citizens  ? 

A.  The  parties  carrying  away  were  citizens,  but  just  appeared  to  be  car- 
rying away  because  it  was  there  to  be  had,  and  wanted  to  get  it. 

Q.  Those  who  broke  up  cars,  did  the}^  appear  to  be  citizens,  too  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say  about  that.  The  reason  that  I  suppose  these  parties 
that  carried  away  were  citizens  was  because  they  were  all  making  for  differ- 
ent localities,  and  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  they  were  citizens  from 
some  of  the  things  they  were  carrying  away,  such  as  rolling  away  barrels 
of  flour,  and  rolling  away  barrels  of  lard. 

Q.  Looked  as  if  they  had  a  place  to  put  it  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Would  these  goods  have  been  consumed  by  the  fire,  had  they  not 
been  carried  off? 

A.  That  was  the  excuse  which  some  of  them  gave  for  it.  There  were 
some  that  would  be  ashamed  to  steal  that  were  carrying  the  things  off. 

Q.  Because  they  were  being  destroyed  by  the  fire  ? 

A.  Because  they  would  be  destroyed  any  way. 

Q.  You  said  you  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  citizens  to  volunteer  and 
organize  into  bodies  to  assist  in  suppressing  the  riot  or  keeping  the  peace  ? 

A.  There  was  no  riot  in  Alle^henv. 

Q.  You  said  they  were  willing  to  organize  ? 

A.  They  were  very  ready. 

Q.  Did  the  citizens  generally  express  a  willingness  to  go  elsewhere, 
where  there  was  riot  or  lawlessness  besides  in  their  own  locality  ? 

A.  That  question  I  do  not  think  was  brought  up  at  all.  I  heard  noth- 
ing of  the  kind  mentioned.  I  know  citizens  of  Allegheny,  that  they  were 
in  Pittsburgh,  and  took  an  active  part  in  organizing  to  put  down  this  riot. 

Captain  W.  J.  Clenn,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.   Where  do  you  reside? 

A.  I  reside  at  Mansfield,  about  five  miles  out  of  the  city — west  of  the 
city. 

Q.  You  belong  to  the  National  Guard  ? 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

(J.   Captain  of  a  company  ? 

A.  I  command  company  K,  of  the  Fourteenth  regiment. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18TT.  327 

Q.  When  were  you  called  upon — called  out  ? 

A.  I  received  an  order  to  report  my  company  at  headquarters  from 
Pittsburgh  on  the  20th  day  of  July,  I  think  was  the  date — on  Friday. 

Q.  To  report  your  company  in  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  at  the  head-quarters  of  the  regiment. 

Q.  From  where  did  you  receive  the  order? 

Q.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Glenn,  commanding  the  regiment,  in  the  absence 
of  Colonel  Gray. 

Q.  Did  3^011  report  as  ordered  ? 

A.  I  did,  sir. 

Q.  At  what  time  did  you  report  at  head-quarters,  and  with  how  many 
men  ? 

A.  I  reported  at  the  Union  depot  at  seven  o'clock — I  think  it  was  about 
seven  o'clock — with  twenty-one  men. 

Q.  How  many  men  composed  your  company  ? 

A.  I  had  forty  men  on  my  roll — thirty-nine  men. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  difficulty  in  getting  your  men  together  ? 

A.  I  had  difficulty  in  getting  them  together  from  the  fact  that  the}^  are 
scattered.  I  live  in  a  country  town.  The  majority  I  got  word  to  reported 
promptly.  There  was  a  few  exceptions  that  I  knew  of  that  were  restrained 
from  coming  by  their  friends  that  thought  differently. 

Q.  Restrained  from  coming  by  friends  who  were  opposed  to  putting  down 
the  riot  ? 

A.  As  they  said,  they  were  opposed  to  fighting  the  workingmen;  that  is 
it. 

Q.  What  was  done  Friday  night  after  you  reported  at  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  The  first  thing  we  did  was  to  partake  of  a  very  excellent  supper  in 
Union  depot,  and  then  staid  at  the  Union  depot  until  sometime  early  in 
the  morning.     Two  o'clock,  perhaps,  at  the  Union  depot. 

Q.  What  time  in  the  morning  ? 

A.  Until  about  two,  I  think.     I  would  not  say  for  certain. 

Q.  Where  did  you  go  then? 

A.  We  marched  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  by  a  circuitous  route,  by  the  way 
of  Wjdie  avenue  and  Webster  avenue,  I  think,  are  the  streets,  and  then  down 
on  the  hill  to  Twenty-eighth  street — to  the  hill  above  Twenty-eighth  street, 
right  opposite. 

Q.  Were  you  joined  by  any  other  companies ;  if  so,  state  what  ? 

A.  We  there  met  our  regiment — we  there  found  the  Nineteenth  regiment, 
aud  a  battery  called  the  Hutchinson  battery,  that  I  understood  had  gone 
out  on  the  train. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  there  ? 

A.  We  remained  in  about  the  same  position  all  day,  with  the  exception 
of  details  that  were  made  to  go  clown  to  the  crossing,  until  about  five  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  I  think  it  was.  We  marched  to  the  transfer  station — per- 
haps later  than  that. 

Q.  What  was  done  then,  after  you  arrived  at  the  tranfer  station  ? 

A.  We  staj'ed  there  until  ten  o'clock  at  night,  then  we  were  ordered  to 
the  Union  depot,  and  about  eleven  o'clock — I  think  it  was  near  eleven 
o'clock — we  were  ordered  to  go  to  our  armories. 

Q.  Where  were  the  armories  ? 

A.  Our  armory  is  at  Mansfield. 

Q.  Did  you  go  ? 

A.  There  was  an  eleven  o'clock  train — 11.02 — which  starts  for  Mansfield. 
I  took  that  train  and  went  to  Mansfield. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  there  ? 


328  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  remained  until  Monday. 

Q.  Called  into  action  again  Monday  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Reported,  where  ? 

A.  I  reported  at  the  Central  armory,  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  During  the  day  on  Saturday,  while  occupying  the  hill,  you  had  a 
view  of  the  track,  and  the  scene  of  the  riot,  did  you  not  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  I  had. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  during  Saturday — and  what  was  their — 
were  they  demonstrative  or  not  ? 

A.  Very  much  so,  and  the  crowd  was  very  large.  They  seemed  to  in- 
crease after  three  o'clock. 

Q.  Was  any  attempt  made  by  the  Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth  regiments 
during  Saturday,  to  drive  the  crowd  from  the  tracks  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  was,  with  my  company,  several  times  ordered  to  go  down  to 
the  track,  and  clear  the  crossing  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  which  I  did,  and 
it  was  immediately  filled  up  again  by  some  on  the  other  side.  My  company 
being  small,  would,  of  course,  sweep  but  a  small  space  of  the  ground. 

Q.  Tell  us  in  what  manner  you  cleared  the  crossing. 

A.  I  marched  company  front  across  the  track  towards  the  river,  and 
then  I  would  wheel  from  the  left  to  right,  and  marched  back  again,  asking 
the  crowd  to  get  off  the  track,  which  they  would  do  reluctantly,  but  I  had 
no  trouble. 

Q.  At  a  charge  bayonet  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  I  came  to  a  charge  bayonet  at  all. 

Q.  Just  simpby  marched  through  and  back  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  at  a  carry. 

Q.  In  what  order  was  your  company  drawn  up — in  two  lines  ? 

A.  Sometimes  in  double  rank,  and  sometimes  in  single  rank. 

Q.  Would  you  sweep  the  track  the  width  of  your  company  ? 

A.  There  was  generally  two  companies  detailed.  One  would  be  pass- 
ing, perhaps  east,  keeping  the  crowd  towards  East  Liberty,  and  the  other 
would  face  the  river. 

Q.  Were  there  any  other  companies  of  your  own  regiment  there  ? 

A.  Where — on  the  track? 

Q.  Yes  ? 

A.  My  regiment  was  on  the  hill,  with  the  exceptions 

Q.  Was  your  regiment  on  there  ? 

A.  I  believe  I  said  in  my  testiinony,  that  the  Fourteenth  regiment 
marched  that  way  in  a  circuitous  route,  while  the  Nineteenth  went  out  the 
the  other  wa}\  I  reported  to  my  colonel,  who  was  then  in  command — Col- 
onel Gray. 

Q.  Was  there  any  resistance  to  your  attempt  at  clearing  the  track  ? 

A.  There  was  some  little  said.  They  were  obstinate,  some  of  them,  and 
considerably  mean  about  it,  and  would  not  go  away,  as  we  were  marched 
up,  but  a  few  words  would  make  them  go  away,  but  they  would  go  round, 
and  get  on  the  track  again. 

Q.  Were  they  stopping  trains  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  did  not  see  them  stop  any  trains  there. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  During  the  time  while  you  were  not  engaged  in  clearing  the  crossing, 
in  what  position  were  the  companies  of  the  Fourteenth  regiment  stationed, 
up  on  the  top  of  the  11111? 

A.  We  were  in  what  I  would  call  line  of  battle,  on  the  face  of  the  hill. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  329 

Q.  Was  the  crowd  mingling  with  the  regiment — mixed  up  with  the  regi- 
ment ? 

A.  With  very  few  exceptions.  I  mind,  during  the  day,  talking  to  sev- 
eral citizens,  but  I  did  not  consider  them  rioters. 

Q,.  While  you  were  stationed  in  line  of  battle,  on  the  brow  of  the  hill, 
where  was  the  Nineteenth  regiment  stationed  ? 

A.  The  Nineteenth  was  to  our  front  and  right  in  advance,  on  the  road 
that  leads  up  to  the  hospital. 

Q.  What  position  were  they  in  during  the  day  ? 

A.  My  recollection  is,  they  were  in  line  the  same  as  we  were,  with  the 
exception  of  this :  that  we  were  detailed  a  guard. 

Q.  There  was  something  said  by  some  of  the  witnesses  about  the  mob 
and  the  troops  being  mixed  up  indiscriminately.  Did  you  see  an}'thing  of 
that  kind  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  I  would  say  that. 

Q.  There  seemed  to  be  a  friendty  feeling  ? 

A.  There  was  no  picket  line  out,  to  keep  it  entirely  clear.  The  orders 
were  to  keep  the  crowd  away,  and  not  to  mingle  with  the  men.  Still  there 
was  no  pickets  put  out,  and  no  driving  them  away.  I  heard  some  remarks 
made  to  the  men  :  "  You  won't  shoot  workingmen." 

Q.  Were  there  any  efforts  made  that  day  to  form  any  line,  by  either  of 
the  regiments,  or  both  of  them,  to  form  a  line,  so  as  to  keep  the  mob  off 
from  the  tracks?  What  I  mean  is,  to  occupy  the  vicinity  of  the  track,  so 
as  to  keep  the  crowd  off  from  it  ? 

A.  I  have  said,  already,  that  my  company 

Q.  You  were  marched  down  and  marched  back,  and  took  your  position 
with  the  regiment  again  ?  There  was  no  effort  made  to  keep  the  track 
clear  at  any  place,  except  the  crossing  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  because  they  would  go  right  on  the  track  again. 

Q.  There  was  no  effort  made  to  string  out  a  line,  so  as  to  keep  the  crowd 
from  the  track  ? 

A.  Only  at  the  crossing,  sir. 

Q.  Where  were  you  at  the  time  General  Brinton's  troops  came  up  there  f. 

A.  I  was  a  very  short  distance  from  that  little  watch-house  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill — the  base  of  the  hill.  Perhaps  twenty- 
five  yards  from  where  the  company  was. 

Q.  In  full  view  of  what  was  going  on  ? 

A.  Yes;  Colonel  Gray,  I  heard  him  get  the  order  from  General  Brown 
to  send  a  company  down  to  support  Breck's  battery.  He  turned  around 
and  ordered  me  to  take  my  company  out,  and  also  ordered  another  captain 
to  report  to  me,  and  we  went  down  the  hill  and  supported  the  battery. 

Q.  The  battery  was  near  the  crossing  at  that  time '{ 

A.  Yes  ;  very  near  the  crossing. 

Q.  What  did  you  see  as  General  Brinton  came  up  the  track  ?  Were 
there  any  deputies  in  advance  of  them  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  sheriff  and  his  posse  was  there,  and  General  Pearson,  I  be- 
lieve. 

Q.  State  the  occurrence  as  you  saw  it,  just  immediately  preceding  and 
including  the  firing  on  the  mob  ? 

A.  There  was  a  company  came  up  the  track — at  least  one  company,  I 
say — there  were,  perhaps,  two.  They  came  up  company  front.  The  regi- 
ment— the  First  Penns3dvania  regiment,  I  believe — came  up  by  flank,  the 
sheriff  in  front.  The  railroad  came  this  way  [indicating]  and  they  met  the 
troops  and  the  sheriff. 

Q.  Advanced  to  meet  them  part  way  ? 


330  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Yes ;  they  were  going  out  to  see.  The  troops  were  stopped — the 
sheriff  was — and  I  saw  him  talking,  but  could  not  state  what  he  said,  be 
cause  there  was  a  very  loud  clamor  and  talk  from  the  hillside  then,  about- 
that  time.  Their  was  quite  a  crowd  accumulated  on  the  hill,  immediately 
in  my  rear  and  right  and  left.  The  crowd  ran  that  way  to  see  what  was 
going  on — men,  women,  and  children — and  it  became  very  noisy;  they 
were  crying  to  the  mob,  as  I  call  it,  to  hold  the  fort. 

Q.  Men,  women,  and  children,  that  were  spectators,  crying  to  the  mob 
to  hold  the  fort  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  "  Stand  to  your  post,  &c.,"  and  they  appeared  to  obey  the  com- 
mand, for  they  stood  pretty  solidly,  and  the  sheriff  appeared  to  become  so 
mixed  up  with  the  crowd  that  I  could  not  tell  where  he  was.  The  only 
front  I  saw  was  these  Black  Hussars,  I  think  they  call  them,  came  right 
up  and  told  them  to  go  back  and  came  to  an  arms  port,  and  finally  to  a 
charge  bayonet,  and  in  the  meantime  Colonel  Benson  got  his  regiment  to 
a  front  about  faced  his  rear  rank,  and  marched  out  across  the  railroad 
with  the  rear  facing  my  company,  and  they  formed,  what  some  have  termed, 
a  hollow  square.  It  was  simply  the  front  facing  one  way  and  the  rank 
about  facing  and  marching  across  the  railroad,  and  that  cleared  the  tracks, 
and  the  rear  was  protected  by  another  battalion,  and  these  troops  in  front 
tried  to  come  on  through — that  was  their  order  as  I  understood  it — they 
were  to  forward,  and  it  was  hard  work  for  them  to  go  forward  very  fast. 
Just  about  that  time,  demonstrations  became  very  lively,  clubs  were  flying, 
stones,  coal,  and  pieces  of  iron  ore.  There  was  a  difficulty  about  this  time 
over  some  soldier,  that  some  man  had  got  the  bayonet,  or  something,  and 
at  least  one  pistol  shot  was  fired  from  the  mob  into  the  troops,  and  some- 
body there — some  soldier — he  was  carried  away — I  do  not  know  whether 
he  was  shot  or  not,  but  just  then  there  was  firing  commenced  on  the  right 
of  the  third  rank  of  the  First  regiment. 

Q.  How  far  distant  from  you  was  that  first  firing  by  the  troops  ? 

A.  It  was  not  very  far — I  suppose  twenty  yards. 

Q.  What  order  did  you  hear  given  by  any  of  the  commanding  officers 
there  ? 

A.  I  heard  no  order,  except  this  captain  commanding  the  front  company 
to  forward. 

Q.  That  is  all  the  orders  you  heard  given? 

A.  That  is  all  I  heard  given. 

Q.  Heard  no  order  to  fire  ? 

A.  There  was  not  any  order  to  fire,  to  the  best  of  m}^  knowledge.  I  was 
paying  strict  attention  and  I  could  have  heard  it  if  the  battalion  had 
heard  it. 

Q.  What  was  the  effect  of  the  firing — what  was  the  result  ? 

A.  There  was  a  general  clearing  out  of  that  mob  for  about  ten  minutes 
— five  or  ten  minutes. 

Q.  They  scattered  and  left  that  neighborhood  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  the  firing  commenced,  and  the  troops  appeared  not  to  un- 
derstand exactly  where  their  enemies  was.  They  fired  too  much  towards 
where  your  humble  servant  was,  I  thought,  and  I  undertook  to  help  them 
to  stop  the  firing,  and  the  companies  were  fronted  down  Twenty-eighth 
street. 

Q.  The  time  this  firing  commenced,  was  the  crowd  all  about,  on  each 
side  of  this  body  of  troops  that  were  coming  up  the  track — they  were 
each  side  of  them — the  crowd  was  all  about  on  each  side  of  3'our  company  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q,.  Were  scattered  all  about  there  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  331 

A .  Yes ;  they  became  very  thick  in  a  very  short  time. 

Q.  Then  the  crowd  scattered  after  the  firing? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  any  attempt  made  to  prevent  their  gathering  again  there 
by  any  of  the  troops  ? 

A.  Nothing  more.  When  they  would  go  to  come  up  again  they  were 
ordered  to  right  and  prepare  to  fire,  and  that  scattered  them.  Some  of 
the  mob  kept  on  throwing  stones  and  clubs  from  behind  cars  until  this 
company  wheeled  to  the  left  and  faced  the  river,  so  as  they  could  see  be- 
hind the  cars. 

Q.  How  long  before  General  Brinton's  command  left  the  ground  there? 

A.  After  the  firing;  1  do  not  think  it  was  over  half  an  hour.  I  cannot 
remember  the  exact  time. 

Q.  After  his  command  left  the  ground  you  stayed  there  some  little 
time — your  regiment  ? 

A.  My  regiment  did.     I  went  up  on  the  hill  to  my  regiment. 

Q.  Was  there  any  effort  made  by  the  Fourteenth  or  Nineteenth  regi- 
ment, after  General  Brinton  left,  to  keep  the  crowd  from  the  crossing  ? 

A.  My  regiment  was  not  at  the  crossing  at  all. 

Q.  Was  any  effort  made  by  either  of  the  commands  to  prevent  their 
gathering  there  again  ? 

A.  Yes;  the  troops  from  Philadelphia  went  that  way,  and  they  would 
go  up  above,  further  towards  East  Liberty,  and  congregate  in  the  street 
again — in  Twenty-eighth  street — immediately  after  that  and  would  make 
demonstrations. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  That  is  not  answering  the  question.  Did  the  Fourteenth  or  Nine- 
teenth make  any  effort  ? 

A.  1  said  no — the  Fourteenth  regiment  did  not.     I  do  not  know  about 
the  Nineteenth.     I  did  not  see  them.     We  were  not  down  on  the  track  ; 
we  were  on  the  hill. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  You  kept  your  position  on  the  hill.  After  the  firing  you  went  back 
there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  On  Monday  you  say  you  came  back  to  the  city  and  reported  with 
your  command.     Where  were  you  sent  then — on  what  duty  ? 

A.  We  stayed  at  the  central  armory  for  several  days,  then  we  were 
ordered  to  the  court-house. 

Q.  There  was  nothing  of  any  importance  occurred  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  your  company  the  only  company  of  3rour  regiment  at  the  cross 
ing  at  Twenty-eighth  street  and  the  railroad  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  there  were  others. 

Q.  Was  the  whole  regiment  there  at  any  one  time  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  at  no  one  time. 

Q.  How  many  companies  were  there  of  your  regiment  at  one  time? 

A.  I  think  mostly  we  had  two  companies  at  a  time. 

Q.   And  the  balance  of  the  regiment  were  up  on  the  hill  ? 

A.  Or  if  there  was  only  one  company  the  cavalry  company  would  sup- 
port us. 

Q.  What  was  the  strength  of  your  regiment  about  that  time  ? 

A.  I  do  not  remember  the  figures.  There  were  two  or  three  companies 
had  not  yet  reported. 


332  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Never  did  report  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  they  had  not  yet  reported  on  Saturday.  One  company  had 
reported,  and  was  still  at  the  Union  depot,  up  the  river.  Another  com- 
pany was  kept  up  the  Allegheny  railroad  by  orders. 

Q.  Can  you  form  an  estimate  of  the  strength  of  your  regiment  on  Sat- 
urday ? 

A.  I  did  know  the  figures.  I  think  there  were  two  hundred,  perhaps,  or 
one  hundred  and  fifty. 

Q.  After  the  firing  on  the  Philadelphia  troops,  you  rejoined  your  regi- 
ment on  the  hill — your  company  ? 

Q.  Yes ;  General  Brinton  relieved  me,  and  told  me  he  would  support 
that  battery,  and  I  could  be  relieved,  and  I  reported  to  my  colonel  by  my 
sergeant,  and  he  ordered  me  up  on  the  hill  again. 

Q.  Did  you  take  the  battery  with  you  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  General  Brinton  said  he  would  support  the  battery.  Com- 
pany C,  Captain  Nesbit,  was  ordered  to  go  down  the  hill  with  me. 

Q.  Did  you  get  any  order  after  this  firing,  and  after  the  Philadelphia 
troops  had  entered  the  round-house,  to  clear  the  tracks  with  your  regi- 
ment ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  There  was  no  effort  made? 

A.  We  marched  down  through  the  crowd  to  the  transfer  station,  after 
the  Philadelphia  troops  left  to  go  to  the  round-house. 

Q.  Where  is  this  transfer  station  ? 

A.  It  was  two  hundred  yards  or  so  outside  of  the  round-house.     That 
is  my  recollection  of  the  distance — perhaps  two  hundred  yards. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  From  there  you  went  to  the  Union  depot? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  the  track  clear  down  to  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  there  wei'e  parties  of  men  standing  along  here  and  there. 

Q.  They  gave  way  so  that  you  could  march  through  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  didn't  molest  us.     Some  remarks  made  that  we  were  not 
the  Pliiladelphians,  &c. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Did  the  mob  appear  to  discriminate  between  the  Philadelphia  troops 
and  the  Pittsburgh  troops. 

A.  There  appeared  to  be  a  feeling  against  the  Philadelphia  troops. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  there  appear  to  be  any  feeling  on  the  part  of  your  regiment  men 
against  the  Philadelphia  troops  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  heard  no  such  remarks  made. 

Q.  That  feeling  was  expressed  in  the  mob  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  The  one  soldier  would  respect  another  ? 

A.  We  knew  they  were  soldiers  and  obeyed  orders. 

Q.  That  was  our  training  in  the  army  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  late  war,  captain  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  position  did  you  hold  there  ? 

A.  I  was  captain  of  company  E,  Sixty-first  Pennsylvania  regiment. 

Q.  Served  how  long  ? 

A.  Three  years. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  333 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  If  you  had  deployed  your  regiment,  or  probably  both  your  regiment 
and  the  Nineteenth,  too,  along  the  line  of  the  railroad  forming  a  line  on  each 
side  of  the  track,  could  you  have  kept  the  crowd  and  mob  away  from  the 
railroad  with  the  force  you  had  there  ? 

A.  If  I  had  been  ordered  to  do  so,  I  think  so,  certainly.  We  would  have 
tried  hard  anyway. 

General  Joseph  Brown,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.   Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Hardware  merchant. 

Q,.  A  member  of  the  National  Guard  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  not  a  member  of  it  now.  My  time  expired  on  November 
1st  or  2d. 

Q.  1877? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  in  July,  1877  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  what  position  did  you  hold  ? 

A.  Brigadier  General. 

Q.  What  regiments  were  under  your  command  ? 

A.  The  Fourteenth  and  the  Nineteenth. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  orders,  and  if  so,  what  were  they  in  relation  to 
the  riots  of  July  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  on  the  Friday  morning  I  came  to  the  city,  about  ten  o'clock,  I 
presume,  and  passing  by  the  city  hall,  I  saw  the  troops. 

Q.   Friday  morning,  the  20th  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  went  into  the  city  hall,  and  found  that  the  Eighteenth  regi- 
ment, of  my  brigade — one  of  the  regiments  of  my  brigade — had  received 
orders  to  go  out  to  the  depot,  that  there  was  trouble  there.  1  went  up 
with  them,  as  far  as  the  depot,  and  they  went  out  to  the  end  from  there. 
General  Pearson  ordered  me  to  get  out  my  other  two  regiments,  and  I  did 
so  as  quickly  as  possible. 

Q.  What  regiments  were  they? 

A.  The  Fourteenth  and  the  Nineteenth.  About  three  o'clock  I  got 
about  one  hundred  men — I  do  not  remember  now  which  companies  they 
were — which  regiments — but  I  started  to  go  to  the  outer  depot  with  a  bat- 
tery of  two  guns,  and  after  I  started,  about  three  squares,  or  two  squares, 
I  suppose,  I  got  orders  to  return,  that  the  force  was  not  strong  enough. 

(^.  From  whom  ? 

A.  From  General  Pearson.     I  returned  and  saw  General  Pearson.     The 
idea  was  to  get  more  troops  before  they  could  do  anything.     We  were  or- 
dered to  lay  by  until  during  the  morning  of  the  next  day,  and  go  out  to 
the  outer  depot — to  this  place  where  the  rioters  were  supposed  to  be. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.    What  time  was  this  ? 

A.  This  was  along  in  the  evening  about  five  o'clock. 

Q.  What  hour  did  you  get  the  orders  to  remain  at  rest  until  morning  ? 

A.  About  that  same  time — about  four  o'clock.  We  considered  which 
would  be  the  best  way  to  get  the  upper  hand  of  the  rioters.  I  supposed 
they  were  in  full  force.  About  four  o'clock,  I  suppose,  I  went  out  with 
the  Fourth  regiment,  up  through  the  city. 


334  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  About  four  o'clock  in  the  evening  ? 

A.  Four  o'clock  in  the  morning — Saturday  morning — and  we  occupied 
the  ground  immediately  back  of  the  depot. 

Q.  Of  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  at  this  outer  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing.  We  there  met 
General  Pearson,  with  Hutchinson's  battery  and  the  Nineteenth  regiment, 
and  I  deployed  them — placed  the  battery  fronting  on  Twenty-eighth 
street  and  the  regiment  up  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  in  front  of  the  Four- 
teenth regiment. 

Q.  Define  fully  the  position  of  the  battery — was  it  on  the  railroad 
track  ? 

A.  The  battery  was  right  at  the  railroad  track,  on  a  space  probably  as 
wide  as  this  room. 

Q.  At  the  side  of  the  track  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  pointing  down  toward  the  depot — towards  the  other  depot. 

Q.  How  many  pieces  ? 

A.  Two  pieces.  I  placed  two  companies  on  the  crossing  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street  there,  and  kept  them  there  for  an  hour  at  a  time,  I  believe, 
to  keep  the  track  clear — to  keep  everything  in  order. 

Q.  You  had  one  company  to  relieve  the  other  ? 

A.  Two  companies  to  relieve  each  other  from  each  regiment — two  com- 
panies from  each  regiment. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Alternately  from  each  regiment  ? 

A.  Yes ;  alternately  from  each  regiment. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Well? 

A.  We  cleared  the  ground  every  time  that  there  was  any  gathering,  ap- 
parently, upon  the  track.  There  might  be  a  few  persons — fifteen  or  twenty 
persons,  probably — on  the  track  at  that  time.  The  companies  would 
move  across — probably  there  might  be  more — they  would  move  across  the 
track  and  clear  it  off  entirely.  At  about  the  time  the  Philadelphia 
troops  came  through,  I  had  the  place  cleared  off  thoroughly,  and  had 
Doctor  Donnelly  make  a  speech  to  the  people  there,  and  tried  to  tell  them 
about  the  trouble  that  they  were  getting  into.  He  made  a  few  remarks 
there,  and  while  he  was  making  the  speech  I  cleared  the  whole  place  off 
thoroughly.  Then  I  remained  about  there.  1  was  in  my  citizen's  clothes 
all  this  time. 

Q.  You  were  in  citizen's  clothes  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  came  up  to  the  city — I  live  about  a  mile  and  a  half  below  the 
city — my  uniform  was  at  home.  I  was  in  citizen's  clothes  and,  of  course, 
they  did  not  know  me  so  well — the  men  who  were  about  me.  1  suppose 
there  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  men. 

Q.  You  mean  of  the  mob — the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  say  you  cleared  the  track  completely,  before  the  Philadelphia 
troops  arrived  at  the  crossing — by  what  means  or  disposition  of  your 
troops  did  you  do  so  ? 

A.  The  two  companies  of  one  of  the  regiments. 

Q.  Tell  me  how  you  did  that  ? 

A.  By  forming  in  line  and  moving  them  back  down  the  street,  back  of 
the  crossing. 

Q.  Threw  your  companies  across  the  street,  and  across  the  railroad  track, 
and  drawing  them  down  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  Yes ;  across  over  the  railroad  track,  and  passed  on  back  to  where 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  335 

these  brick  houses  came  up.  Part  of  the  column  was  there,  the  other  was 
across  the  other  way.  Therefore  we  had  them  all  on  this  side,  except  what 
was  on  the  hill. 

Q.  In  your  efforts  to  keep  the  crossing  clear,  what  course  did  you  pursue? 

A.  Just  merely  to  march — whenever  I  would  see  a  few  men  on  the  track, 
I  would  move  these  troops  across  there. 

Q.   March  across  company  front  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  division  front,  and  clear  the  track  off. 

Q.  Then  march  back  ? 

A.  March  the  other  side  of  the  track  again — up  on  the  track  all  the  time. 
They  were  on  the  track  next  to  the  hill — they  were  in  line  from  this  brick 
building  across  all  the  way,  and  whenever  they  would  get  in  the  rear  of 
the  soldiers  they  would  fall  back. 

Q.  During  this  time,  the  balance  of  your  regiment  reserved,  was  up  on 
the  hill — how  far  from  the  crossing  ? 

A.  Probably  seventy-five  yards. 

Q.  The  whole  brigade  ? 

A.  The  two  regiments. 

Q.  Not  over  seventy-five  yards  away  from  the  crossing  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  They  were  not  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  ? 

A.  The  Fourteenth  regiment  was  up  on  the  brow  of  the  hill,  probably 
seventy -five  or  eighty  yards  from  the  railroad  track,  and  the  Nineteenth 
regiment  was  down  on  the  road,  within  twenty  yards  of  the  track.  At 
about  half  past  one  to  two  o'clock,  I  went  into  the  Union  depot  to  see  Gen- 
eral Pearson,  what  he  was  going  to  do.  The  Philadelphia  troops  were  in 
there  lunching  at  the  time  I  thought  that  they  were  so  long  in  there,  I 
would  go  in  to  see  what  was  going  on,  and  make  calculations  what  I  should 
do.  I  saw  General  Pearson,  and  he  told  me  we  would  do  nothing  at  all, 
except  to  go  out  on  two  trains,  that  they  were  there  ready  for  us  to  go 
out  on. 

Q.  He  said  you  were  not  to  do  anything  at  all,  except  to  go  out  with 
those  trains  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  time  was  this  ? 

A.  It  was,  I  suppose,  one  or  two  o'clock.    I  cannot  tell  the  time.    While 
I  was  in  there,  he  told  me  this  was  all  he  had  to  do — to  get  on  these  two 
trains  to  go  out  there. 
By  Senator  Yutay : 

Q.   Did  you  make  any  further  effort  to  keep  the  track  clear  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  track  was  kept  clear,  until  the  Philadelphia  troops  came 
out,  and  there  was  such  a  rush  of  people,  and  gathering  when  they  arrived 
at  the  depot,  that  it  was  utterly  impossible  to  keep  them  from  surrounding. 

Q.  Did  you  understand,  from  what  Pearson  said  to  you  then,  that  he 
had  countermanded  the  order  to  keep  the  track  clear? 

A.  Oh,  no  ;  the  track  was  being  kept  clear. 

Q.  To  do  nothing  but  that — to  take  out  these  trains  ? 

A.  To  take  out  these  trains. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  when  the  firing  took  place  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  suppose  twenty  or  thirty  yards — well  I  was  at  the  guns  at 
the  time — five  or  ten  yards  away  from  them. 

Q.  Was  General  Pearson  there  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  him. 


336  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Who  was  in  command  of  the  troops  that  came  up — the  Philadelphia 
troops — at  that  time  ? 

A.  General  Pearson,  I  thought,  was  in  command  of  the  troops — he  was 
in  command. 

Q.  Was  he  present  ? 

A.  That  I  could  not  say. 

Q.  Was  Brinton  present  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  all  I  know  is — I  was  watching  everything  as  close  as  I  could — 
the  general  outline  of  thousands  of  people  at  the  time,  and  I  was  trying  to 
watch  it  as  much  as  I  could,  to  see  how  the  thing  was  going  to  get  on,  and 
the  first  things  I  saw  was  the  firing,  when  the  stones  were  thrown. 

Q.  The  first  thing  you  saw  was  the  firing  after  the  stones  were  thrown  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  after  the  stones  were  thrown. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  sheriff  in  front  of  the  military  ? 

A.  I  saw  him  there. 

Q.  With  a  posse  ? 

A.  Yes;  with  twelve  or  fifteen  men. 

Q.  Were  they  assaulted  by  the  mob  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw. 

Q.  Any  stones  or  missiles  thrown  at  them  ? 

A.  Oh,  no ;  they  were  thrown  at  them — the  stones  were  thrown  at  the 
military. 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  military  injured  before  the  firing  took  place  ? 

A.  There  might  have  been.  1  do  not  know.  They  say  there  was.  I  do 
not  know. 

Q,.  Did  you  hear  any  command  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  the  first  1  heard  was  the  firing. 

Q.  Were  you  in  a  position  where  you  could  have  heard  the  command  to 
fire  if  there  had  been  one  given  ? 

A.  I  guess  the  noise  was  so  great,  the  hooting  and  yelling  was  so  great, 
I  could  not  have  heard. 

Q.  What  was  the  effect  of  the  firing  ? 

A.  The  people  all  ran. 

Q.  Scattered  ? 

A.  Scattered  in  every  direction — there  was  not  a  man  about  at  all,  ex- 
cept one  man  I  saw  standing  there,  and  he  did  not  seem  to  pay  any  atten- 
tion at  all  to  us. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  effort  after  this  firing  to  keep  the  track  clear? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  any  effort  made  by  any  of  the  military  to  keep  the  track 
clear  ? 

A.  They  rested  a  short  time  on  the  track,  and  whilst  they  were  resting 
Colonel  Glenn  showed  me  an  order,  signed  by  General  Pearson,  for  his 
regiment  to  move  down  to  some  place  at  the  depot — one  of  the  sheds. 

Q,.  You  saw  an  order  from  General  Pearson  to  Colonel  Glenn ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  it  directed  to  colonel  or  to  you  ? 

A.  It  was  directed  to  Colonel  Glenn  and  Colonel  Howard,  the  same. 

Q.  That  was  the  19th? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  received  one,  may  be  six  o'clock. 

Q.  You  did  receive  an  order  from  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  at  six  o'clock. 

Q.  There  was  no  effort  made  then  to  prevent  the  crowd  or  mob  from 
re-assembling? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  337 

A.  They  did  assemble  two  or  three  times,  and  the  soldiers  would  raise 
their  guns. 

Q.  They  were  persuaded  away  by  military  persuasion? 
A.  Yes  ;  by  military  persuasion. 

Q.  Was  any  effort  made  by  your  brigade  to  rescue  the  Philadelphia 
troops  while  they  were  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  They  were  very  nearly  three  to  our  one,  I  suppose.  Two  to  one 
anyhow. 

Q.  You  mean  there  were  three  times  as  many  of  the  Philadelphia  troops  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Would  not  your  force  have  added  to  the  strength  of  their  force  if  you 
had  re-info  reed  them  ? 

A.  We  did  not  receive  any  such  orders  to  relieve  them. 
Q.  Who  was  in  chief  command  during  all  this  time  of  your  troops  ? 
A.  General  Pearson  was  chief  in  command  of  the  round-house  until  I 
found  out  after  dark  some  time  that  he  had  left. 

Q.  You  found  he  had  left  ?     Had  you  any  superior  officer  present  then  ? 

A.  Nobody  except  General  Brinton. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  orders  from  him? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  And  if  he  had  been  disposed  to  give  you  orders 

A.  I  do  not  know  whether  he  could  have  got  out  or  not.  There  was  no 
trouble  until  after  he  fired  and  killed  those  citizens.  Then  there  was  a 
great  ieeling  against  him,  of  course. 

Q.  In  the  absence  of  any  superior  officer,  did  you  consider  yourself  chief 
in  command  of  your  troops,  or  the  brigade  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not.     I  commanded  what  troops  I  had. 
Q.  You  considered  yourself  justified  in  exercising  your  own  discretion 
in  any  military  movement  after  that  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Then  what  did  you  do  ? 

A.  About  ten  or  eleven  o'clock  I  received  word  that  the  crowd  was  so 
very  great,  and  the  excitement  so  terrible,  that  it  would  be  hardly  worth 
my  while  to  do  anything. 

Q.  You  got  such  information  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Who  did  j^ou  get  this  information  from  ? 
A.  Different  persons. 

Q.  In  your  judgment,  did  you  think  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to  drive 
away  the  mob  ? 

A.   It  was  at  that  time  with  what  troops  I  had. 
Q.  How  many  troops  had  you  then  ? 

A.  I  suppose  I  had  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five. 

Q.  Of  the  two  regiments  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  had  become  of  the  balance  of  your  troops  ? 
A.  Some  of  them  had  left. 
Q.  By  orders  ? 
A.  No,  sir;  not  by  orders. 
Q,.  By  any  orders  that  you  know  of? 
A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  they  had  deserted  ? 
A.  They  left.     There  was  quite  a  large  number  left. 
Q.  Were  they  missing  ? 
22  Riots. 


338  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  They  were  among  the  missing. 

Q.  That  was  not  more  than  about  one  fourth  of  your  command — one 
hundred  and  fifty  men  ? 

A.  One  hundred  and  seventy-five  men  was  not  much  more  than  one 
fourth. 

Q.  Any  of  your  officers  missing — subordinates? 
A.  No  ;  I  could  not  say  that. 

Q.  How  many  hours  had  you  been  in  active  service  and  on  duty  ? 
A.  From  the  morning  previous — say  ten  o'clock — until  Saturday  even- 
ing. 

Q.  From  ten  o'clock  Friday  until  ten  o'clock  Saturday  evening  ? 
A.  I  was  up  continuously  until  Sunday  at  noon. 
Q.  Your  troops  were  in  active  service  all  that  time  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  they  provisioned  regularly  ? 

A.  They  were  to  a  certain  extent.     Grub  was  brought  to  them  in  baskets. 
It  was  regular  feeding. 
Q.  Not  regular  rations  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  did  not  suffer  from  want  of  rations,  however? 
A.  They  did  not  to  a  certain  extent. 

Q.  How  did  you  account  for  the  absence  of  the  names  of  your  men  ? 
A.  I  suppose  it  might  have  been  in  sympathy  with  the  movement. 
Q.  With  the  mob  movement  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  It  was  not  out  of  fear  the  desertion  took  place  ? 

A.  No;  I  do  not  think  it  was. 

Q.  Did  you  regard  the  conduct  of  your  subordinate  officers  commend- 
able during  these  troubles  ? 

A.  They  all  did  their  duty.     I   do  not  know  of  any  to-day  but  what 
stayed  there. 

Q.  Rank  and  file,  do  you  think  their  conduct  commendable  as  soldiers  ? 

A.  There  were  some  few  that  left.     There  was  not  a  full  gathering  of  the 
command  at  the  first  start  of  it. 

Q.  Those  that  deserted  you  or  left,  was  their  conduct  commendable  ? 

A.  I  did  not  say  it  was. 

Q.  The  conduct  of  those  that  remained  was  good  as  soldiers  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes. 

Q.  Had  a  great  portion  of  your  command  seen  service  ? 

A.  Well,  yes  ;  I  think  a  good  many   of  them — quite  a  large  number  of 
them  had  seen  service. 

Q.  What  experience  had  you  in  active   military  service  during  the  last 
war,  or  any  other  war  ? 

A.  About  nearly  three  years. 

Q.  Active  service  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  In  what  capacity  ? 

A.  I  was  captain,  adjutant,  major,  lieutenant  colonel. 

Q.  What  regiment  ? 

A.  The  One  Hundred  and  Second  and  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Q.  Heavy  artillery  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  at  the  Union  depot  with  your  command  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*77.  339 

A.  Until  about,  I  suppose,  it  was  eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  On  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Then  what  did  you  do  ? 

A.  I  received  messages  from  different  persons  who  came  there  to  see 
me.  They  stated  to  me  that  they  thought  I  had  better  disband  my  com- 
mand.    That  was  on  Saturday  evening  about  eleven  o'clock,  I  suppose. 

Q.  Will  you  name  some  of  those  persons  ? 

A.  No,  I  could  not. 

Q.  Gave  you  gratuitous  advice  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  just  talked  to  me. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  they  citizens  ? 

A.  Yes ;  citizens  and  military  besides. 

Q.  What  military  men  ? 

A.  Captain  Macfarland  was  one  military  man  that  I  remember  dis- 
tinctly. 

Q.  Was  he  under  your  command  ? 

A.  He  was  not  out  with  his  command. 

Q.  Any  other  militai'y  men  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know,  there  was  quite  a  number  of  persons  there.  We  talked 
the  matter  over. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  orders  from  General  Pearson,  or  from  any  of 
your  superior  officers  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  You  took  the  responsibility  of  disbanding  them  without  orders  from 
your  superiors  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  You  considered  yourself  supreme  in  command  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  considered  I  was  in  command  of  all  the  troops  that  were  there. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Why  did  you  think  it  was  best  to  disband  your  troops  at  that  time — 
what  reasons  ? 

A.  We  did  not  have  enough  to  compete  with  the  crowd  that  was  sur- 
rounding us — that  was  about  the  whole  thing. 

Q.  Was  that  all  the  reason  that  was  given  ? 

A.  That  we  were  not  sufficient. 

Q.  Not  able  to  compete  with  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  therefore  you  should  disband  entirely  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  You  said  you  considered  yourself  superior  in  command  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Of  the  post  where  I  was. 

Q.  Where  was  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  That  I  could  not  tell  you. 

Q.  Had  you  any  communication  with  him  ? 

A.  I  heard  that  General  Pearson  had  left. 

Q.  You  heard  he  had  left  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  When  did  you  receive  the  last  communication  from  him  ? 

A.  The  last  communication  I  received  from  him  was  at  the  Union  depot 
when  I  went  in  there — noon  sometime,  or  near  two  o'clock. 

Q.  Where  was  Adjutant  General  Latta  at  that  time  ? 


340  Report  of  Committee.  ["No.  29, 

A.  I  suppose  he  was  at  the  Union  depot  hotel. 

Q.  At  what  time  ? 

A.  At  all  this  time  I  suppose  he  was  there. 

Q.  Eleven  o'clock  Saturday  night  ? 

A .  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  communication  or  order  from  him  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  send  for  any  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q,  Did  you  understand  that  he  was  acting  commander-in-chief  of  the 
forces  ? 

A.  I  only  understood   he  was  acting  adjutant  general,  and   that  the 
orders  emanated  from  him  as  from  some  higher  authority. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  you  know  at  that  time  that  the  adjutant  general  was  in  the  Union 
depot  ? 

A.  I  had  an  impression  that  he  was. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  effort  before  you  disbanded  to  see  him  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Knowing  him  to  be  there,  or  believing  him  to  be  there  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  did  not  make  any  effort  to  see  him.  At  this  time  I  sup- 
pose that  the  mob  was  gathered  in  such  great  crowds  it  would  be  advisable 
for  the  military  to  be  out  of  the  road  of  the  mob  so  as  not  to  get  their  ill 
will. 

Q.  In  your  military  experience,  in  your  judgment,  could  you  have  taken 
a  position  and  intrenched  yourself  and  held  your  ground  against  the  mob 
during  the  night  ? 

A.  Oh,  no. 

Q.  Nowhere  in  the  vicinity  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  unless  I  had  been  in  the  round-house. 

Q.  Could  you  not  have  marched  out  away  from  there  and  held  your 
body  ? 

A.  They  would  have  suffered  great  loss  to  have  marched  away. 

Q.  You  did  march  to  the  depot,  did  you  not,  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes. 

Q.  Were  you  interfered  with  in  any  wa}r  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  much. 

Q.  Marched  all  the  way  down  the  track  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.     It  would  not  have  been  advisable  to  march  down  the  street. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Could  you  have  taken  a  position  in  the  Union  depot,  and  used  it  as 
a  fortification  to  defend  yourself  against  the  mob  ? 

A.  There  was  no  mob  at  the  Union  depot. 

Q.  Why  could  you  not  have  held  the  position  then  ? 

A.  At  the  Union  depot,  the  idea  was  to  get  away  so  as  we  would  not 
get  the  ill  will  of  these  men  ;  that  they  would  probably  disperse  at  this 
time. 

Q.  Did  I  understand  you,  that  you  disbanded  for  fear  of  exasperating 
the  mob? 

A.  Yes — with  this  number  of  troops  that  I  had. 

Q.  Was  it  your  opinion  that  that  was  the  way  to  disperse  the  mob,  by 
the  military  disbanding? 

A.  I  thought  it  was  probably  the  best  way. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  341 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  order  from  General  Pearson,  after  the  firing  at 
Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  I  received  one  order. 

Q.  What  was  that  ? 

A.  For  to  adjourn  these  two  regiments  to  this  depot. 

Q.  The  transfer  depot  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  to  take  your  regiments  to  the  transfer  depot? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  The  colonels  of  the  regiments  had  already  received  the 
orders  sometime  previous,  and  they  did  not  want  to  move  until  they  saw 
me,  and  they  showed  me  the  order. 

Q.  In  that  order,  did  he  tell  you  to  hold  your  position  ? 

A.  As  long  as  possible,  I  believe. 

Q.  To  take  your  regiments  to  the  transfer  depot,  and  to  hold  that  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  at  eleven  o'clock  you  marched  down  ? 

A.  We  marched  down  as  a  command  down  there. 

Q.  You  disbanded  at  the  transfer  depot  ? 

A.  We  disbanded,  and  the  men  got  away  the  best  they  could. 

Q.  Left  the  transfer  depot  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Were  these  orders  addressed  to  you,  or  to  the  colonel  ? 

A.  Addressed  to  me,  and  the  orders  addressed  to  the  colonels  of  the  regi- 
ments, too. 

Q.  Of  the  same  purport  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  consider  that  they  had  superceded  you  by  the  order  ? 

A.  I  did  not  know  what  was  the  matter. 

Q.  Did  it  not  look  to  you  like  it  ? 

A.  Yes ;  it  did  look  to  me  very  strange  for  them  to  receive  a  written  order. 

Q.  You,  as  a  military  man,  of  course,  felt  aggrieved  at  that  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  said  that  they  could  obey  the  order  cheerfully,  and  I 
marched  down  to  the  depot  with  them. 

Q.  You  did  not  consider  that  under  your  order? 

A.  Things  were  mixed  up  so  I  did  not  know. 

Q.  Which  way  which  ? 

A.  Which  way  which,  and  I  obeyed  the  order.  Afterwards  I  received 
this  order. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Received  by  the  same  order  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  When  you  left  the  transfer  depot,  did  your  men  go  in  a  body,  together, 
or  did  they  strike  out  ? 

A.  Each  came  away  by  himself. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Were  you  called — did  you  call  3rour  men  together  after  that  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  we  did  on  Monday  morning,  and  I  reported  to  the  mayor  what- 
ever he  wished  me  to  do.  I  took  one  company  up  on  Second  avenue,  and 
dispered  a  crowd  that  were  coming  here  on  boats  in  large  crowds.  There 
must  have  been  towards  three  hundred. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  in  service  ? 

A.  I  remained  in  service  then  half  a  month,  or  three  weeks.  On  Wed- 
nesday night  Governor  Hartranft  passed  through  here,  and  he  gave  me  an 
order  to  assume  command  of  the  troops  here,  and  I  did  so.     I  went  over 


342 


Report  of  Committee. 


[No.  29, 


to  the  Union  depot  in  Allegheny,  and  I  had  them  turn  over  the  property 

to  me  at  the  Fort  Wayne  road. 

Q.   Maintained  order  there,  did  yon? 

A.  I  had  no  troop?  there.  I  only  went  over  as  a  citizen,  and  I  put  on 
my  citizen's  clothes,  and  went  over  there  and  talked  to  them.  The  second — 
I  believe  they  turned  over  their  property  to  me.  I  called  out  Mr.  Cassatt, 
I  think — not  Mr.  Cassatt.  but  the  agent  of  the  Fort  Wayne  road. 

Q.  Fitcairn? 

A.  Not  Fitcairn.  The  agent  of  the  Fort  Wayne  road — 1  forget  his  name 
now.  I  told  him  the  cars  and  property  were  there,  and  he  could  do  as  he 
pleased  with  them.  That  the  crowd  had  given  them  to  me.  That  I  turned 
them  over  to  him. 

Q.   There  was  no  further  trouble  here  about  the  city  ? 

A.  >>~o.  sir:  there  was  no  further  trouble. 

Henry  King  being  duly  affirmed,  testified  as  follows: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.   Where  is  your  residem 

A.  In  Allegheny  City. 

Q.  And  what  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Furnace  man.  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  pig  iron,  interested  in 
the  manufacture  of  pig  iron. 

Q.  I  wish  you  would  state.  Mr.  King,  all  the  facts  in  relation  to  the  riot 
here,  that  came  under  your  observation — that  von  know  personally  vour- 
self? 

A.  On  this  side  of  the  river  I  do  not  know  so  much  about  what  was 
sroin£-  on.  I  was  over  here,  of  course,  every  dav  attending  to  mv  business, 
and  I  got  glimpses  of  this  matter  once  in  a  while.  I  think  probably  that 
I  had  better  first  state  as  to  the  origin.  I  think  that  is  what  my  testi- 
mony propably  would  have  the  most  weight  in. 

Q.   That  is  what  we  called  you  to  find  out  about  ? 

A.  At  one  time,  from  1849  to  1855,  I  was  engaged  in  railroading.  First 
as  a  civil  engineer  ;  next  as  a  mechanical  engineer  :  and  had  made  acquain- 
tance of  many  railroad  men — pretty  extended — a  great  many  were  of  the 
men  who  are  railroading  at  the  present  day.  and  were  railroading  previous 
to  this  strike  and  during  the  strike,  and  for  a  length  of  time  previous  to 
the  strike  were  men  I  was  acquainted  with,  and  I.  perhaps,  knew  as  much 
about  their  grievaiu  -  s  they  did  themselves,  or  what  they  considered 
their  grievances.  They  talked  to  me  very  freely,  most  of  them,  and  I  told 
Several  of  my  acquaintances  in  the  city  here  that  I  thought  there  would 
be  a  great  deal  of  trouble  amongst  railroad  men  :  that  there  seemed  to  me 
to  be  a  great  deal  of  dissatisfaction. 

<^.  When  was  that  ? 

A.  This  was  iu  the  early  part  of  last  summer,  commencing  in  May  perhaps. 
These  men  talked  to  me  a  great  deal.  I  traveled  a  great  deal  on  the  rail- 
road, and  these  men  talked  freely  to  me.  I  felt  pretty  confident  from  what 
they  told  me  that  there  would  be  a  great  deal  of  trouble:  there  appeared 
to  I         _  eat  amount  of  diss      -    etion. 

«y   You  communicated  that  to  your  acquaintances  in  the  citj 

A.   Ye-:   my  business  connections. 

I  \.  Business  men  ? 

A.  Yes;    business  men.     Some  believed    and   some   didn't   believe,  of 
course.      1  felt  very  confident  there  would  be  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  and 
.  too,  that  it  was  not  going  to  be  a  local  matter,  but  would  be 
very  general,  and  it  proi       9   , 


Leg.  Doc] 


Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877. 


343 


Q.  On  what  did  you  base  your  opiniou,  if  anything  ? 

A.  As  to  whether  it  would  be  general? 

Q.  res? 

A.  From  the  manner  in  which  these  men  spoke  about  what  they  con- 
sidered grievances.     I  didn't  wholly  agree  with  them  on  that. 

<v>.   What  did  the}'  consider  as  their  grievan* 

A.   Reduction  of  pay  ;  that  seemed  to  be  the  chief  complaint. 

Q.  They  complained  of  the  reduction  ? 

A.   Complained  very  bitterly  about  that. 

Q.  Did  you  talk  with  the  men  on  different  roads — did  you  converse  with 
men  on  different  roads  ? 

A.  Yes;  on  several  different  roads. 

i,;.   What  roads  ? 

A.  There  were  some  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad;  some  on  the  Pitts- 
burgh and  Fort  Wayne  road  ;  some  on  the  Cleveland  and  Pittsburgh  run, 
and  also  some  men  on  the  Atlantic  and  Great  Western  road. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  converse  with  any  of  the  employes  on  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  road  ? 

A.  Xo.  sir  ;  I  had  no  acquaintances  amongst  these  men.  That  is  a  road 
I  travel  on  very  little.  Didn't  go  out  of  my  way  to  hunt  up  any  informa- 
tion :  it  all  came  to  me  incidentally. 

Q.   Were  all  these  roads  reducing  the  wages  of  their  employes  ? 

A.  It  was  so  reported  to  me — it  was  so  talked  among  the  men. 

Q.  How  was  it  throughout  the  country  '■  Did  you  know,  of  your  own 
knowledge,  that  the  leading  railroads  throughout  the  whole  country  were 
reducing  the  wages  of  the  employes  '." 

A.  Speaking  of  it  in  a  general  way,  I  have  no  authority,  except  news- 
paper account,  that  wages  were  being  very  generally  reduced. 

Q.  Speaking  then  of  your  own  knowledge,  you  simply  speak  of  roads 
leading  in  and  out  of  Pittsburgh  ? 

A .   My  knowledge  in  this  particular  is  from  the  employes  of  the  road. 

Q.  And  your  conversation  was  with  the  employes  of  the  roads  leading 
in  and  out  of  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Mostly  roads  leading  in  and  out  of  Pittsburgh.  I  may  say  wholly 
so,  with  the  exception  of  the  Atlantic  and  Great  Western. 

Q.  In  conversation  with  these  men  did  they  mention,  or  did  you  find 
out  from  them,  that  there  was  any  organization  among  them  ? 

A.  Oh!  yes;  I  knew  of  an  organization — the  Trainmen's  Union — I  knew 
there  was  such  an  organization  as  that. 

Q.  As  the  Trainmen's  Union? 

A.  Yes.  sir. 

(,).  Did  you  know  the  object  and  purpose  of  that  organization  ? 

A.  Yes;  they  talked  to  me  that  there  were  several  objects  they  wished 
to  accomplish  by  that  organization.  We  had  a  great  many  discussions 
about  the  thing.  The  only  object  they  had,  of  course,  was  to  make  an 
organization  that  they  thought  would  be  sufficiently  strong  to  enable  them 
to  have  something  to  say  about  the  rate  of  pay.  Another  was  to  re-instate 
some  men  who  had  been  discharge  for  cause. 

Q.  Did  you  gather  from  these  conversations  that  their  object  was  to  force 
the  railroads  to  payT  them  the  wages  which  they  demanded  1 

A.  They  expected  to  put  it  to  that  as  a  finality.  They  expected  to  resort 
to  that  before  giving  it  up. 

Q.  Did  you  talk  with  them — did  they  state  to  you  how  they  intended  to 
force  the  railroad  ? 

A.  Well,  by  stopping  work  and  stopping  business. 


344  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Themselves  only  ? 

A.  They  talked  about  it,  that  they  would  stop  themselves,  and  they 
would  stop  others.  Of  course,  I  expressed  my  opinions.  Everybody  said 
what  they  pleased.  I  told  them  it  was  every  persons  right  to  stop  work. 
If  the  work  did  not  suit  them  they  had  a  perfect  right  to  quit,  and  to  go 
off;  but  whatever  they  did,  not  to  do  anything  they  would  be  sorry  for 
afterwards,  because  the  matter  would  be  settled,  undoubtedly,  sooner  or 
later,  and  they  had  better  not  do  anything  they  would  afterwards  have 
cause  to  regret.  As  I  said  before,  they  would  have  a  perfect  right  to  stop 
work,  but  they  had  no  right  to  interfere  with  others. 

Q.  Did  they  claim  that  they  had  the  right  to  interfere  with  others  ? 

A.  They  did  not  claim  they  had  a  right,  but  they  claimed  the  ability  to 
do  that. 

Q.  And  their  purpose  of  doing  it  ? 

A.  Well,  they  expected  to  do  that. 

Q.  Did  they  say  anything  to  you  or  did  they  expect  to  ally  other  classes 
of  laboring  men  with  them. 

A.  No  ;  they  did  not  care  about  having  any  help  from  outside  parties  ; 
at  least  if  they  did,  there  was  no  intimation  of  that  kind  to  me.  They  ex- 
pected to  accomplish  it  themselves.  I  have  no  knowledge  of  their  making 
any  effort  whatever  to  induce  other  trades  unions — I  do  not  know  that  they 
made  any  effort  to  have  others  cooperate  with  them  ;  if  they  did,  I  do  not 
know  of  it. 

Q.  This  intercourse  you  had  with  the  men,  and  from  talking,  led  you  to 
be  apprehensive  of  the  results  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  felt  very  confident 

Q.  Did  you  communicate  that  very  freely  to  your  acquaintances  here  ? 

A.  With  my  more  intimate  business  acquaintances  the  matter  was  talked 
over  pretty  freely. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  communication  with  the  railroad  officials  in  regard 
to  it? 

A.  No;  I  supposed  them  capable  of  taking  care  of  their  own  business. 
I  fortified  myself  in  regard  to  the  strike.  I  have  occasion  to  have  a  great 
deal  of  freight  moved,  and  I  put  myself  in  a  condition  against  any  strike. 

Q.  In  what  way  ? 

A.  In  getting  in  a  good  supply.  If  the  strike  had  continued  a  month 
it  would  not  have  hurt  me,  anything  more  than  I  could  not  have  shipped 
anything  away.  I  had  plenty  of  raw  material  on  hand — it  answered  a  very 
good  purpose,  too. 

Q.  Did  you  communicate  these  facts  and  your  apprehensions  to  the  city 
officials,  any  of  them,  of  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Or  the  county  officials? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  only  talked  with  parties  who  were  interested  in  the  same 
manner  that  I  am  myself  and  others,  perhaps,  I  am  well  acquainted  with, 
in  the  same  line  of  business,  by  fortifying  in  the  way  of  getting  in  plenty 
of  raw  material.  I  was  so  certain  it  would  come  to  pass,  that  I  advised  it 
all  the  time. 

Q.  Did  you  gather  facts  enough  to  enable  you  to  determine  when  this 
strike  would  probably  take  place? 

A.  Yes ;  I  had  a  very  good  idea  when  it  would  come.  I  do  not  know 
that  I  could  see  that  my  idea  was  so  clear  upon  that,  that  I  could  fix  the 
hour  or  perhaps  the  day,  but  I  think  I  could  have  named  a  time  of  ten 
days  that  it  would  have  occurred  within  that  time.  I  could  have  done 
that,  perhaps,  twenty  days  before  the  strike  occurred. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18TT.  345 

Q.  Did  A^ou,  in  any  conversation  with  these  railroad  men,  have  any  talk 
with  them  about  the  wages  they  were  receiving,  and  whether  it  was  ade- 
quate for  their  support  ? 

A.  Yes ;  that  was  talked  about  considerably. 

Q.  In  the  business  that  you  are  engaged  in  you  employed  a  large  num- 
ber of  laborers  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  did  their  wages  compare  with  the  wages  of  your  men  ? 

A.  If  they  had  steady  employment — if  they  had  been  employed  each  and 
every  day — the  wages  they  had  would  have  been  sufficient,  and  would  have 
compared  very  favorably  with  the  employment  in  other  lines  of  business — 
in  other  departments.  As  I  looked  upon  it,  the  prime  cause  of  the  trouble 
was.  that  there  were  more  men  than  there  was  work  for,  and  they  under- 
took to  make  a  little  work  divide  around  amongst  a  great  many  men,  and 
that,  of  course,  made  a  small  amount  of  pay  for  each  one.  In  many  other 
businesses,  an  employer  so  situated  would  have — I  know  I  should  have 
discharged  my  men  down  until  I  had  full  employment  for  those  that  were 
retained. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  From  that  I  would  infer  that  it  was  not  the  pay,  but  it  was  the  time 
they  were  making  ? 

A.  They  did  not  make  enough  time. 

Q.  Had  they  made  full  time  they  would  have  made  ample  pay  ? 

A.  Perhaps  satisfactory. 
By  Mr.  Englebert : 

Q.  Has  not  that  been  the  case  in  all  business  for  the  last  year  ? 

A.  I  think  that  some  employers  have  made  the  same  mistake  as  the  rail- 
road men.     It  was  out  of  the  goodness  of  their  hearts  that  they  kept  men 
about  that  they  had  not  employment  for.     I  would  either  give  them  work 
or  not  give  them  work. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  In  your  opinion,  it  is  bad  policy  to  keep  men  working  on  half  time  ? 

A.  It  is  very  bad  policy. 

Q.  That  was  the  policy  adopted  by  the  railroad  company  ? 

A.  It  seems  to  have  been. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  I  simply  want  to  know  this  :  Did  the  railroad  officials  believe  that 
half'  a  loaf  was  better  than  no  bread  ? 

A.  I  have  heard  them  talk  that  way.  I  think  the  railroad  officials  took 
that  view. 

Q.  That  half  a  loaf  was  better  than  no  bread  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  but  as  opinions  are  going,  I  would  say,  a  man  had  better 
go  and  try  to  make  a  whole  loaf  somewhere  else,  than  hang  around  and 
make  a  half  loaf. 

Q.  Suppose  he  could  not  get  the  work  ? 

A.  There  is  a  way  where  there  is  a  will.  I  never  kept  a  man  half  em- 
ployed. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Did  you  visit  the  scene  of  the  riot  at  any  time  during  its  progress  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  Sunday  I  was  up  in  that  part  of  the  city.  I  did  not  go  up 
to  where  it  was  said  to  be  the  worst,  but  far  enough  to  see  all  that  I  cared 
about  seeing. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  were  engaged  in  the  actual  burning  and  pillage 
so  far  as 

A.  So  far  as  I  observed,  and  judging  by  appearance,  it  was  about  the 


346  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

class  of  men  you  see  going  backwards  and  forwards  on  the  railroads  and 
thoroughfares,  known  as  tramps. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  the  railroad  employes  with  whom  you  had  con- 
versations before  and  were  acquainted  ? 

A.  I  saw  some  there  ;  yes,  sir.     They  appeared  to  be  lookers-on  only. 

Q.  Not  engaged  in  the  actual  arson  and  riot  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  did  not  see  one  of  them  that  had  anything  except  what 
appeared  to  belong  to  him. 

Q.  Were  any  engaged  in  burning  and  setting  afire  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw — none  that  I  had  any  acquaintance  with. 

Q.  Did  you  meet  any  of  them  to  have  conversation  with  them  on  that 
day? 

A.  Yes  ;  Sunday  I  saw  a  great  many  of  them. 

Q.  How  did  they  talk  then  ? 

A.  They  appeared  to  regret  very  much  that  there  was  any  destruction 
of  property. 

Q.  Have  you  talked  with  them  since  any  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  talked — I  believe  three  days  out  of  six  I  am  more  or  less  on 
the  railroads,  and  acquainted  with  a  great  many  railroad  men.  It  has 
pretty  much  ceased  to  be  the  subject  of  conversation  now,  but  for  a  time 
afterwards  it  was  the  principal  topic. 

Q.  Did  you  ascertain  from  them,  or  from  any  reliable  source,  whether 
they  had  anything  to  do  with  the  attack  that  was  made  on  the  Philadelphia 
troops  at  Twenty-eighth  street  on  Sunday,  when  the  firing  took  place? 

A.  I  have  never  seen  any  of  them  that  acknowledged  having  anything 
to  do  with  making  that  attack  on  the  troops.  They  spoke  of  it  as  the  at- 
tack having  been  made  by — well,  tramps  and  roughs  they  called  them. 
There  was  a  pretty  strong  organization  among  the  men  on  the  north  side 
of  the  river  to  prevent  any  force  coining  over  to  shoot  the  Pennsylvania 
boys,  or,  as  they  termed  them,  P.  R.  R.  boys.  That  is  the  way  they 
talked  about  it.  They  did  not  propose  to  have  aivybody  coming  in  there 
to  shoot  them  down.     That  was  a  pretty  thoroughly  organized  force. 

Q.  That  is,  to  stop  the  trains"  having  troops  in  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  they  were  expected  in  with  troops.  That  occurred  in  the 
immediate  neighborhood  where  I  live.     The  whole  region  was  patrolled. 

Q.  Patrolled  by  the  railroad  men  ? 

A.  By  the  railroad  men  ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  from  these  men  where  the  first  strike  was  to  be  made  ? 

A.  No.  They  talked  of  it  as  though  it  would  be  a  general  uprising  through- 
out the  whole  country.     They  did  not  designate  any  particular  place. 

Q.  You  did  not  get  the  particulars  ? 

A.  I  never  heard  the  particular  place  designated  as  to  how  it  would 
start,  but  simply  it  would  be  a  strike ;  that  they  would  all  quit  work ;  not 
work  themselves  nor  allow  others  to  work,  and  block  travel  and  traffic  in 
that  way,  expecting  as  the  result  it  would  bring  the  managers  of  railroads 
to  their  terms. 

Q.  You  travel  on  the  roads  a  great  deal  you  say,  and  have  a  great  deal 
of  shipping  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  From  your  knowledge  was  there  a  less  amount  of  work  to  be  done 
on  the  railroads  by  the  men  than  then'  had  been  formerly  ? 

A.  There  appeared  to  be  a  very  decided  falling  off  in  through  traffic; 
the  local  traffic  is  holding  its  own,  perhaps;  furnace  work  and  mineral 
traffic  appeared  to  be  about  the  same  as  it  had  been. 

Q.  It  was  in  the  through  traffic  that  there  was  a  falling  off? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18TT.  347 

A.  Principally  in  the  through  traffic. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Who  was  in  command  of  this  armed  force  you  speak  of  that  was  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river? 

A.  I  never  heard  the  commander's  name  mentioned.  Those  men  whom 
I  met  in  the  street  in  my  neighborhood  said  that  their  commander  says  so 
and  so,  and  requested  citizens  to  keep  away — that  the  trains  were  about 
due — that  the  commander  sa}rs  so  and  so.  I  do  not  know  who  the  com- 
mander was. 

Q.  They  had  apparently  an  organization  ? 

A.  They  had  apparently  an  organization,  and  obeyed  instructions,  per- 
haps, as  well  as  the  soldiers  on  this  side. 

Q.  What  train  had  that  reference  to  ? 

A.  The  Erie  train. 

Q.  With  troops  ? 

A.  The  train  that  was  expected  to  arrive  with  troops. 

Q.  What  steps  did  this  armed  force  take  to  prevent  trains  from  coming 
from  Erie  to  assist  the  military  ? 

A.  The  plan  that  they  had  proposed  was  to  give  the  signal  to  that  train 
and  stop  it. 

Q.  But  if  that  was  not  heeded  ? 

A.  They  had  a  rifle  pit  shortly  above  there,  and  if  the  train  had  not 
heeded  the  signals  they  would  have  undoubtedly  fired  into  it. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Was  the  man  who  was  called  Boss  Ammon — was  he  in  command  of 
that  force  ? 

A.  I  did  not  hear  Amnion's  name  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  mat- 
ter to  any  extent  until  the  day  following.  I  know  that  Ammon  was  not 
installed  in  the  dispatcher's  office  on  that  side  until  the  Sunday.  This  at- 
tempt to  stop  the  Erie  train  was  on  Saturday  night,  and  Sunday  after- 
noon Ammon  was  installed  as  head  man  in  the  dispatcher's  office.  I  did 
not  hear  that  name.  I  have  no  recollection  of  hearing  his  name  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  the  matter  at  all,  until  some  time  during  the 
forenoon  of  Sunday.  I  had  heard  of  a  man  of  that  name  ;  but  did  not 
know  he  was  in  this  part  of  the  country  at  all.  I  did  not  know  who  their 
commander  was  Saturday  night.  The  name  was  not  mentioned,  except  as 
I  spoke  of,  as  our  commander  says  so  and  so,  and  requested  people  to  keep 
out  of  the  way  in  a  certain  locality  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  station. 

Q.  What  time  did  that  organization  first  show  itself  in  Allegheny  to 
stop  trains  with  troops? 

A.  That  was  on  Saturday  night. 

Q.  When  was  the  first  freight  train  stopped  ? 

A.  Friday;  I  think  it  was  Friday  morning. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  trenches  dug  along  the  road  ? 

A.  Strawberry  lane  ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  was  the  object  of  that  ? 

A.  To  intercept  the  Erie  train  in  the  event  of  their  disobeying  the  signal. 

Q.  Were  they  along  the  road,  or  across  .the  road  ? 

A.  Parallel  with  the  road. 

Q.  Where  is  Strawberry  lane  ? 

A.  It  is  in  the  Ninth  ward  of  Alleghen}T  City — one  of  the  lower  wards. 

Q.  Who  put  in  the  rifle  pits  ? 

A.  The  railroaders — strikers. 

Q.  This  mob  ? 


348  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  It  did  not  partake  of  the  nature  of  a  mob  over  there.     It  was  a  very 
thoroughly  organized  force — armed  and  equipped. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  How  many  railroad  men  did  you  converse  with,  do  you  think,  that 
led  you  to  form  your  conclusions  ? 

A.   On  the  different  roads,  perhaps  fifty  men. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  principally? 

A.  They  were  conductors  and  engineers,  chiefly,  I  talked  with. 

Q.  Any  brakemen  ? 

A.   With  many  brakemen. 

Q.  Fifty  men  on  the  different  roads  that  you  have  mentioned  before — 
3'ou  mentioned  the  roads  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  When  did  that  restlessness  begin  to  show  itself  among  the  men  ? 

A.  Began  to  manifest  itself  in  the  latter  part  of  May. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  The  persons  that  dug  that  trench,  were  they  Allegheny  railroad  men 
or  were  they  tramps?     What  do  you  suppose  they  were  ? 

A.  Most  of  them  were  railroad  men.  There  did  not  seem  to  be  many 
tramps  connected  with  those  men  over  there.  These  men  were  acting  on 
their  own  account,  and  did  not  ask  anybody  to  help  them.  They  said  they 
were  working  for  the  right,  and  appeared  to  be  very  earnest.  They  were 
very  orderly. 

Q.  Things  were  done  systematically  ? 

A.  Things  were  done  very  systematically. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert: 

Q.  Were  these  men  in  the  employ  of  the  railroad  company  or  were 
they  discharged  men? 

A.  There  were  a  few  discharged  men.  Of  course  I  do  not  know  how 
mau}^  of  them  were  discharged,  but  from  their  talk  I  got  the  impression 
that  there  were  some  six  or  eight  that  had  been  discharged. 

Q.  That  was  a  part  of  the  grievances  ? 

A.  Yes;  that  was  the  object — to  have  them  re-instated.  They  made 
that  one  of  the  conditions — of  those  men  going  to  work  again.  I  was 
amongst  these  men  a  great  deal  during  the  time  that  they  were  discharging 
them  and  reducing  the  work.  I  was  very  desirous  that  they  should  go  to 
work,  for  as  long  as  they  were  not  at  work  it  brought  a  class  of  people  in 
our  part  of  the  city  that  I  did  not  want  to  have  around  there.  I  knew  if 
the}^  went  to  work,  and  the  trains  were  moved— 1  talked  with  them  when- 
ever I  could — they  would  all  gather  about  me. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  You  say  you  thought  you  could  have  named  within  ten  days  of 
when  the  strike  would  take  place.  Did  you  hear  anything  about  the  pro- 
posed strike  of  the  27th  of  June  that  was  talked  about  by  the  Trainmen's 
Union  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  heard  them  talk  about  that  ? 

A.  I  heard  them  talk  about  that. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  the  railroad  men  fix  that  time  or  talk  about  that  time 
as  there  would  likely  be  a  strike  ? 

A.  There  seemed  to  be  a  difference  of  opinion  in  their  views  as  to  that 
being  the  right  time.  They  would  talk  of  it  in  that  way — some  thought 
it  would  be  a  good  time,  and  others  did  not. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  hear  them  name  any  special  day,  or  any  particular  time 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  349 

when  there  would  likely  be  a  strike,  or  when  there  would  probably  be  a 
strike  ? 

A.  After  the  27th  of  June  they  felt  pretty  certain  that  it  would  be 
sometime  not  far  from  the  middle  of  Jul}'.  They  talked  like  this.  They 
wanted  the  money  for  the  work  that  had  been  done  during  the  month  of 
June  before  they  struck.  If  they  had  their  money  in  their  pocket  it  would 
be  fortifying  themselves. 

Q.  What  time  was  the  pay  day  of  the  railroad  company? 

A.  I  believe  the  usual  pay  day — of  course  it  varies  along  the  line  of  the 
road — I  think  on  most  of  the  roads  they  commence  paying  sometime  from 
the  seventh  to  the  tenth,  and  go  along  various  places  until  they  get  paid. 

Q.  You  supposed  from  that  that  probably  if  the  strike  occurred  it  would 
probably  occur  pretty  soon  after  they  got  their  pay  ? 

A.  As  soon  as  the  men  along  tlie  line  of  the  road  had  been  paid  off. 

Q.  Was  there  anything  done  by  the  railroad  men  on  your  side  of  the 
river  that  you  know  of  towards  organizing  for  the  strike,  or  committing 
any  overt  act  until  after  the  strike  occurred  here  ? 

A.  I  think  the  trains  had  been  moving  regularly  up  to  that  time. 

Q.  It  did  not  really  break  out  there — no  overt  act  was  done  nor  any 
trains  prevented  from  going  out  until  the  Saturday  after  the  Thursday  it 
broke  out  on  this  side  ? 

A.  It  broke  out  here  on  Thursday,  and  I  think  the  first  there  was  Fri- 
day morning. 

Q.  Were  you  talking  or  did  you  talk  on  this  Thursday  or  Friday  with 
those  classes  of  railroad  men  you  had  previously  had  conversation  with,  in 
regard  to  what  was  going  on  ? 

A.  On  Friday  I  had  some  talk.  I  went  out  on  a  train  that  leaves  here 
at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  on  the  Fort  Wayne  road,  and  had  consid- 
erable talk  with  some  of  the  freight  train  conductors. 

Q.  What  did  they  say  about  the  difficulties  that  had  occurred  here? 

A.  There  is  a  schedule  of  quite  a  number  of  freights  following  imme- 
diately after  that  passenger  train,  and  of  course  they  talked  about  the 
strike  being  in  fact  over  here,  and  talked  with  some  of  the  men  at  the 
station  before  the  train  left  there.  I  was  on  the  lookout  to  see  whether 
the  trains  were  moving  out,  and  the  trains  appeared  to  be  ready  to  go  out. 
When  I  got  some  thirty-five  or  forty  miles  up  the  road,  the  conductor  on 
the  train  I  was  on  told  me  that  the  freights  that  would  follow  immediately 
after  the  nine  o'clock  train,  had  been  intercepted,  and  that  the  strike  had 
organized. 

Q.  As  this  strike  finally  did  take  [dace,  there  was  no  general  understand- 
ing on  all  the  roads  that  it  should  take  place  on  each  railroad  on  a  certain 
day,  that  you  found  out.  It  did  not  actual^  take  place  on  the  different 
roads  on  the  same  day  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  do  not  think  the  strike  became  general  throughout  the  country 
until,  perhaps,  three — it  may  have  been  four — days  after  its  first  commence- 
ment. The  first  general  demonstration  was  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
road. 

Q.  You  heard  nothing  in  any  of  these  conversations  of  any  fixed  day 
after  the  27th  of  June — any  date  named  ? 

A.  As  I  said  early  in  my  testimoivy  here,  I  do  not  know  that  I  could  fix 
the  hour  or  the  day,  but  I  think  I  could  have  named  the  time  within  ten 
days,  from  the  information  I  had  in  talking  with  the  various  employes,  and 
that  was,  to  wait  until  the  payments  had  been  pretty  generally  made  on 
all  the  roads  throughout  the  country — that  seemed  to  be  the  time. 


350  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  the  railroad  strikers  in  Allegheny  City,  on  the  Fort  Wayne  and 
Chicago  railroad,  show  any  disposition  to  destroy  property  or  commit  any 
violence  or  illegal  acts  except  stopping  the  trains  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  there  was  a  great  effort  made  upon  their  part  to  preserve 
all  property — railroad  property  and  private  property. 

Q.  They  made  efforts  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  property  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Private  property  and  railroad  property  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  In  what  way  or  what  efforts  did  they  make  ? 

A.  On  Sunday  afternoon  the  report  became  current  over  there  that  these 
destructionists — I  do  not  know  what  else  to  call  them — were  coming  to 
Allegheny,  and  the  railroad  men  talked  amongst  themselves  like  this  : 
That  this  is  the  employment  we  are  living  on,  and  it  shall  not  be  de- 
stroyed ;  we  will  take  care  of  it.  The  trade  of  the  road  is  such  there 
that  from  the  upper  end,  or  what  is  known  as  the  outer  depot,  cars  and  lo- 
comotives and  everything — I  suppose  they  run  twenty  miles  up — laying 
on  the  tracks,  and  within  a  very  brief  space  of  time  there  was  some  four- 
teen or  fifteen  miles  of  locomotives  taken  entirely  out. 

Q.  By  the  strikers  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  To  protect  them  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  they  did  protect  them  most  effectually.  Many  of  those 
cars  were  loaded  with  very  valuable  merchandise,  and  there  was  an  armed 
force  of  these  strikers  who  protected  these  cars — regularly  stood  guard 
over  them — fourteen  or  fifteen  miles  of  cars — every  day  and  every  night, 
relieved  regularly. 

Q.  Did  you  see  them  or  any  of  them  commit  any  illegal  acts — railroad 
men  ? 

A.  I  suppose  that  would  have  been  an  illegal — would  have  been  con- 
sidered an  illegal  act  to  stop  that  train. 

Q.  Didn't  they  stop  other  trains — freight  trains  ? 

A.  The  regular  trains  were  stopped. 

Q.  Forcibly? 

A.  Not  forcibly.  They  seemed  to  be  stopped  at  the  dispatcher's  office. 
If  they  got  a  permit  they  would  allow  them  to  pass.  If  a  train  went  out 
with  a  permit  they  would  not  trouble  it. 

Q.  Did  they  take  forcible  possession  of  the  dispatcher's  office  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  whether  it  was  forcible  or  not,  they  seemed  to  have 
possession  of  it. 

Q.  Did  they  use  any  violence  towards  men  that  were  willing  to  run 
trains  ? 

A.  I  did  not  hear  of  an  instance  of  intimidation. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  effort  being  made  to  have  trainmen  take  out 
trains  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  there  was  any  effort  made.  They  appeared  to  be  all 
of  one  mind  about  that. 

Q.  Did  the  strikers  say  they  would  prevent  them  from  going  out  by 
violence  ? 

A.  I  think  I  heard  some  talk  that  would  amount  to  about  that.  Passen- 
ger trains  were  allowed  to  come  and  go  as  they  had  done  before.  A  good 
many  of  the  passenger  trains  stopped  at  the  dispatcher's  office  to  get  a 
permit  that  would  enable  them  to  pass  other  localities  where  the  strikers 
were  congregated. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  351 

Q.  Thai  would  be  called,  in  railroad  parlance,  orders? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Who  was  the  dispatcher  during  the  riots  thei*e  ? 

A.  Amnion  was  known  as  dispatcher  ? 

Q.  He  took  possession  of  the  dispatcher's  office  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  he  the  man  that  issued  these  orders  ? 

A.  I  think  the  orders  were  signed  with  his  name.     I  never  saw  any  of 
the  orders.     T  heard  the  passenger  train  conductor  speaking  of  them. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  He  was  general  superintendent  and  dispatcher  both  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  he  seemed  to  be  the  principal  man  on  that  side.  I  have  thought 
of  that  matter  frequently  since  then,  and  it  appeared  to  me  that  it  was  a 
fortunate  circumstance  that  these  men  were  willing  to  recognize  some  man 
as  a  head,  if  they  had  not  done  that  matters  would  have  been  worse  than 
the}'  were. 

By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  Did  the  mayor  of  Allegheny  City  send  a  relief  guard  ? 

A.  I  heard  that  he  did.     I  do  not  know  that  I  ever  saw  it. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  that  as  a  fact? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Was  not  the  force  that  he  organized  in  other  parts  of  Allegheny  City 
at  the  bridges  ? 

A.  I  suppose  that  is  where  his  force  was  employed  chiefly  ? 

Q.  Was  there  a  general  disposition  manifested  on  the  part  of  the  citizens 
to  quiet  the  troubles  ? 

A.  Yes ;  all  the  talk  was  with  a  view  to  get  to  work  again. 

Q.  I  am  speaking  of  the  citizens  ? 

A.  All  the  citizens  desired  to  have  these  men  go  to  work,  so  far  as  I 
talked  with  any  of  them. 

Colonel  P.  N.  Guthrie,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  reside  at  East  Liberty,  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  at  the  present  time  ? 

A.  I  am  a  book-keeper  in  the  Exchange  National  Bank. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  held  that  position  ? 

A.  About  twelve  years. 

Q.  Are  you  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  ? 

A^  I  am  Colonel  of  the  Eighteenth  regiment. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  held  that  position  ? 

A.  Since  1874.     I  think  my  commission  dates  1874. 

Q.  Just  state  to  us  now  what  orders  you  received,  and  when  you  first 
received  them,  and  from  whom,  in  relation  to  the  riot  last  summer  ? 

A.  Well,  on  Friday  morning,  about  half  past  four  o'clock,  I  was  awakened 
by  a  knock,  and  received  an  order,  a  telegraphic  order,  from  General  Pear- 
son, informing  me  that  by  orders  of  the  Governor,  my  regiment  was 
ordered  out  for  service,  and  ordered  me  to  report  at  seven  o'clock,  at  the 
Union  Depot  hotel.  1  have  one  company  whose  head-quarters  is  at  East 
Liberty,  where  I  reside,  some  five  miles  out.  I  notified  them  by  hunting 
up  the  captain,  and  then  came  into  town,  sent  off,  the  best  way  I  knew  how, 
to  get  my  officers  together,  and  notified  them.     They  notified  their  sub- 


352  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

ordinate  officers,  and  assembled  the  regiment.  It  was  too  late  to  get  any 
orders  in  the  newspapers,  they  had  all  gone  to  press.  It  was  too  early  to 
find  messengers,  and  the  work  had  to  be  all  done  by  carrying  messages 
from  man  to  man,  by  the  corporals  and  sergeants  of  companies.  My  com- 
mand was  ready  at  half  past  eleven  o'clock,  and  by  a  little  after  twelve  I 
was  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel. 

Q.  With  how  many  men? 

A.  I  had  then  about  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  men. 

Q.  How  many  men  have  you  in  all  the  regiment  ? 

A.  I  have  about  three  hundred  and  twenty-six  uniformed  men.  Well, 
the  regiment  was  formed  in  my  armory.  There  was  present,  Major  Gen- 
eral Pearson,  commanding  the  division,  and  the  sheriff  of  the  county. 
When  I  deemed  that  I  had  sufficient  men  for  service,  I  marched  down  to 
the  Union  Depot  hotel,  accompanied  by  the  sheriff.  At  that  time  I  thought 
that  my  regiment  was  the  only  regiment  ordered  into  service,  and  had  the 
direction  of  military  affairs,  and  so  far  as  my  regiment  was  concerned  was 
with  me.  I  had  my  own  ideas  what  should  be  done,  but  when  I  got  to  the 
Union  Depot  hotel,  Major  General  Pearson  had  ordered  out  the  division, 
which  made  me  a  subordinate  officer.  My  regiment  was  then  ordered  out 
to  the  stock-yards,  five  miles  and  a  half  from  here,  where  I  remained  until 
Sunday  night  on  duty. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  arrive  at  the  stock-yards  ? 

A.  Torrens  station — that  is  the  stock-yards.  I  arrived  there  about  half 
past  one  o'clock.  We  remained  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel,  waiting  there 
for  a  consultation  between  General  Pearson,  the  railroad  officials,  and  my- 
self, as  to  what  was  the  best  course  to  be  pursued.  My  regiment  was 
finally  ordered  out  to  the  stock-yards,  with  the  understanding  that  the 
Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth  regiments  would  soon  report,  and  they  be  sent 
to  Twenty-eighth  street.  Upon  their  arrival  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  trains 
were  immediately  to  be  started.  Sending  me  to  the  stock-yards  was  to 
secui'e  the  passage  of  trains  through  and  beyond  the  stock-yards. 

Q.  That  was  the  result  of  your  consultation  there  at  the  depot? 

A.  That  was  the  result  of  the  decision  of  Major  General  Pearson.  My 
opinion  was  that  I  should  go  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  the  Fourteenth 
and  Nineteenth  go  to  the  stock-yards.  I  believe  no  interference  with  the 
trains  had  been  made  at  the  stock-yards,  and  up  to  that  time.  If  there  had 
been,  I  don't  know  it,  and  there  certainty  had  been  interference  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street. 

Q.  You  desired  to  stop  at  Twenty-eighth  street? 

A.  I  desired  to  stop  at  Twenty -eighth  street.  I  could  have  taken  pos- 
session there  without  any  trouble,  I  think,  at  that  time. 

Q.  In  going  out  to  Torrens,  were  you  interfered  witli  on  the  route  ? 

A.  Not  at  all.  There  were  about  two  hundred  or  three  hundred  men  at 
Twenty-eighth  street — I  guess  twelve  hundred  or  thirteen  hundred  when 
I  got  there. 

Q.  You  went  out  on  the  train,  did  you  ? 

A.  Went  out  on  the  train. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  trouble  or  meet  with  any  resistance  in  disembark- 
ing your  command  ? 

A.  I  had  one  company  at  East  Liberty  that  I  had  ordered  at  once  to 
Torrens  station,  and  they  had  taken  possession  of  the  platforms  there, 
and  we  disembarked  from  the  cars  without  any  trouble  whatever,  or  any 
demonstration  of  any  kind — not  even  noise.  Everything  was  quiet  and 
still. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  until  three  o'clock,  this  afternoon. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187 7.  353 


AFTERNOON  SESSION. 

Pittsburgh,  Thursday,  February  21,  1878. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  three  o'clock,  p.  m.  Mr. 
Lindsey  in  the  chair,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testimony.  All  mem- 
bers present  except  Senator  Reyburn. 

Colonel  P.  N.  Gutherie,  resumed: 

Q.  When  we  adjourned  you  had  got  at  Torrens  station.  I  wish  you 
would  state  to  us  how  large  a  crowd  you  found  there,  what  the  appearance 
of  the  crowd  was,  and  go  on,  and  give  3rour  movements  from  that  time  ? 

A.  "When  I  got  to  Torrens  station  I  found  at  least  twelve  hundred  men 
there,  composed  of  strikers,  and  the  crowd  and  mob — not  a  mob — lookers 
on.  I  had  no  trouble  in  getting  into  position,  no  trouble  of  any  kind. 
Was  not  greeted  with  hisses,  noise,  or  demonstration  of  any  kind  what- 
ever. As  soon  as  I  got  my  command  in  the  position  I  wanted  them  in,  I 
brought  them  to  a  rest.  Then  I  went  around  on  the  tracks  to  see  what 
the  condition  of  affairs  was.  I  found,  as  I  stated  before,  that  the  mob  con- 
tained two  elements  there — strikers  and  lookers  on.  I  sent  for  the  man  who 
was  represented  to  me  to  be  a  leader  among  the  strikers,  had  him  brought 
down  to  my  position,  and  had  a  long  conversation  with  him.  I  informed 
him  that  I  had  been  sent  out  there  with  orders  from  General  Pearson  to 
see  that  all  trains  passed  through  the  stock-yards.  It  was  my  duty  to 
keep  the  tracks  clear,  and  keep  the  crowd  from  interfering  with  the  pas- 
sage of  trains,  &c.  I  didn't  want  to  have  any  trouble  or  any  disturbance 
of  any  kind  ;  but  the  moment  a  train  approached  there  it  was  going  to  go 
through.  He  told  me  that  the  strikers  had  no  intention,  no  disposition  to 
interfere  with  the  passage  of  the  trains,  that  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  might 
send  all  the  trains  through  the}-  had  got.  He  said  the3r  could  not  send  any 
through  because  they  could  not  get  the  men  to  man  them  ;  but  if  they  could, 
they  could  send  them  through  ;  they  didn't  intend  to  interfere.  I  told  him 
I  was  glad  to  hear  that,  that  it  would  probably  make  things  a  great  deal 
easier,  because  if  the  crowd  interfered  outside  of  the  strikers  a  man  would 
have  less  hesitation  in  dealing  with  them.  This  conversation  with  this 
leader  of  the  strikers  occurred  immediately  after  I  got  there,  as  soon  as  I 
got  my  command  into  a  position  and  gave  the  command  rest.  Almost 
immediately  after,  and  during  my  conversation  writh  this  man,  a  train  came 
up  to  the  stockyards  from  Pittsburgh.  That  was  a  freight  train  or  a  pas- 
senger train — I  have  forgotten.  I  did  not  probably  look  at  that  time  ;  but 
I  think  it  was  a  freight  train  :  but  that  train  was  loaded  down  with  rouo;hs 
on  the  cars,  and  platforms  of  the  cars,  the  engine,  cow-catcher,  and  even- 
available  space.  I  think  the  ti'ain  was  crowded  with  the  most  infernal  lot 
of  scoundrels  that  a  man  ever  saw.  I  do  not  think  that  they  were  strikers 
entirely,  though.  There  were  a  great  many  men  from  Pittsburgh  that  I 
recognized  ;  but  there  was  a  large  element  on  that  train  I  could  not  ac- 
count for  at  all.  They  became  very  noisy  and  offensive.  All  of  them  got 
off  that  train  and  crowded  on  to  any  trains  that  were  stationary  there — cars 
standing  on  the  track,  which  brought  them  within  a  very  few  feet  of  my 
regiment.  Their  remarks  became  so  offensive  to  me  that  I  was  afraid  that 
if  it  was  allowed  to  continue  it  might  bring  about  trouble.  I  had  the 
bayonets  fixed  on  my  guns,  and  I  charged  ba3ronets  on  this  crowd.  They 
broke  and  fled  away,  and  got  some  distance  off.  In  the  interval  I  formed 
my  men  in  another  position  more  satisfactory  to  me — got  them  on  the 
23  Riots. 


354  Report  of  Committee  [Xo.  29, 

street,  and  in  what  we  call  column  of  companies.  Before,  I  was  in  line  of 
battle.  I  remained  in  that  position  for  some  time.  I  would  say  here  that 
the  understanding  between  General  Pearson  and  myself,  when  I  went  to 
the  stock-yards,  was  that  the  trains  would  be  sent  out  immediately.  I 
urged  it  upon  General  Pearson.  I  believed  it  was  the  best  thing  then, 
and  I  believe  so  now,  that  a  train  should  have  been  started,  that  if  one 
train  could  have  got  through,  all  the  rest  would  have  followed,  and  even 
one  train  would  have  broken  the  force  of  the  strike ;  but  I  waited  and 
waited  and  waited  in  position  there  until  the  men  could  stand  it  no  longer, 
The  crowd  three  times  during  my  stay  at  the  stockyards  annoyed  me. 
and  crowded  close  on  my  lines,  and  became  somewhat  demonstrative,  so 
much  so  that  I  was  afraid  to  allow  the  thing  to  continue,  and  I  charged 
bayonets.  Every  time  I  charged  bayonets  the  crowd  dispersed,  and  twice 
I  loaded  the  guns  in  the  presence  of  the  mob,  and  the  moment  the  guns 
were  loaded  the  crowd  fled  and  dispersed  ;  but  would  return  almost  imme- 
diately after.  As  soon  as  the  crowd  would  go  away  from  my  front  1  would 
take  the  cartridges  out  of  the  guns  to  prevent  the  men  from  recklessly 
firing  and  bringing  about  any  conflict  between  the  troops  and  the  crowd. 
That  continued  time  after  time  during  my  whole  stay  at  the  stock-yards. 
These  men  were  easily  driven  away  by  me.  At  any  appearance  I  would 
make  of  a  disposition  to  fire  upon  them  or  use  force  against  them,  the  mob 
would  disperse — the  crowd  would  disperse,  because  it  was  hardly  a  mob. 
I  could  not  see  that  they  were  armed  at  all.  If  they  were  armed  they  had 
pistols — they  had  no  guns  of  any  kind. 

Q.  Had  they  thrown  any  missiles  ? 

A.  The  second  time  I  charged  on  them,  they  began  throwing,  but  it  didn't 
amount  to  anything — no  more  than  five  or  six  men  were  engaged.  One 
man  who  stood  on  the  top  of  the  cars — a  man  known  as  Monkey  John,  a 
man  who  has  since  been  tried  by  the  courts  here — was  the  most  offensive 
in  the  whole  crowd.  He  expressed  a  great  desire  on  his  part  to  split  my 
head  open,  but  he  didn't  try  it.  He  was  within  a  few  feet  of  me,  and  I 
was  strongly  tempted  to  split  his  head  open,  but  I  thought  I  had  better 
not.  During  the  time  I  remained  at  the  stock-yards,  I  was  frequently 
visited  by  General  Pearson,  and  to  all  of  my  inquiries,  why  trains  had  not 
started  out,  his  answer  was,  the  troops  were  not  ready  in  the  town,  and 
hadn't  been  able  to  get  possession  of  Twenty -eighth  street,  which  brings 
me  back  to  my  original  assertion,  that,  if  the  first  troops  had  gone  to 
Twenty-eighth  street,  we  might  have  had  the  trains  moving.  General  Pear- 
son, every  time  he  came  out,  was  accompanied  by  some  of  the  railroad  of- 
ficials, and  all  of  them  seemed  to  be  very  anxious  with  regard  to  my  ability 
to  hold  that  place ;  but  I  told  them  there  was  no  mob  in  front  of  me,  only 
a  crowd,  that  might  become  a  mob  if  they  got  the  upper  hand,  and  so  long 
as  they  didn't  have  the  upper  hand  they  were  a  crowd.  That  was  the  state 
of  affairs  until  the  arrival  of  the  troops  from  Philadelphia.  At  the  time 
they  arrived,  General  Pearson  informed  me  that  as  soon  as  they  got  into 
the  Union  Depot  hotel  they  would  be  disembarked,  and  brought  out  to 
Twenty-eighth  street,  and  placed  in  position  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and 
the  Fourteenth,  and  Nineteenth,  and  Breck's  battery  would  be  sent  out  to 
me,  and  the  trains  moved.  I  waited  until  nearl}-  two  o'clock  that  night, 
(Saturday,)  waiting  for  trains,  and  waiting  for  information.  Not  a  train 
appeared,  and  not  a  word  of  official  information  reached  me  until  Sunday 
morning.  On  Sunday  morning,  about  half  past  two  o'clock,  I  received  a 
communication  from  .lames  W.  Latta,  Adjutant  General,  which  was  the  first 
information  I  had  that  General  Pearson  was  not  in  command,  and  that  Gen- 
eral Latta  was  directing  affairs — informing  me  that  ammunition  would  be 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  355 

sent  out  to  me  by  wagon,  under  the  charge  of  an  officer  of  the  staff.  Upon 
the  arrival  of  that  ammunition,  I  would  be  joined  by  troops  from  Walls 
station,  and,  when  that  junction  was  formed,  I  was  to  march  into  town  to  the 
relief  of  General  Brinton,  besieged  in  the  round-house.  I  prepared  my 
men  for  marching,  and  waited  the  arrival  of  the  ammunition.  Sometime 
after  that  the  ammunition  arrived,  and  I  am  not  able  to  state  the  time  ex- 
actly, because  my  watch  had  run  down,  and  everybody  else's  around.  When 
the  ammunition  reached  me,  an  order  also  came  with  it,  stating  that  the 
troops  at  Walls  station  were  without  ammunition,  that  the  engineer  was 
unable  to  bring  the  train  in,  and  they  could  not  make  a  movement  until 
they  had  ammunition.  That  all  the  approaches  to  the  city  from  Walls  sta- 
tion were  crowded  by  rioters.  That  all  points  along  the  railroad,  suitable 
for  their  purpose,  was  in  possession  of  the  rioters — a  fact  which  I  demon- 
strated afterwards  by  sending  men  out  of  my  own  command  to  determine 
whether  that  was  the  case  or  not.  I  received  orders  also  to  send  ammuni- 
tion by  wagon  out  to  these  men.  As  soon  as  that  ammunition  was  received, 
they  were  directed  to  continue  to  march  in  to  me,  and,  when  they  joined 
me,  I  was  directed  to  complete  the  movement  as  ordered  in  my  first  dis- 
patch. 1  hired  a  wagon,  and  sent  a  squad  of  men  out  with  it.  They  had 
to  take  a  roundabout  way  to  get  there.  I  sent,  I  think,  five  thousand 
rounds  of  ammunition  out  to  these  men.  Time  was  passing  away  very 
rapidly,  and  it  was  nearly  ten  o'clock  before  these  men  got  to  Walls  station 
with  that  ammunition. 

Q.  Ten  o'clock  on  what  day  ? 

A.  On  Sunday  morning.  In  the  meantime  I  had  made  up  my  mind  that 
the  Walls  station  troops  could  not  get  in.  About  five  o'clock  1  had  made 
up  my  mind  that  the  troops  from  Walls  station  could  not  get  in  to  me  in 
time  to  make  the  junction  and  march  in  to  the  relief  of  General  Brinton, 
and  I  sent  Captain  Aull,  of  my  regiment,  in  to  General  Latta,  with  instruc- 
tions to  tell  him  that,  in  my  opinion,  these  forces  couldn't  join  me,  and  to 
countermand  the  order  so  far  as  Walls  station  troops  were  concerned,  and 
order  me  into  the  city.  On  the  way  in  to  General  Latta,  Captain  Aull  wit- 
nessed the  leaving  of  the  round-house  by  General  Brinton's  command.  He 
conveyed  that  information  to  General  Latta.  General  Latta  then  sat  down 
and  wrote  an  order  to  General  Brinton,  ordering  him  to  unite  with  me  at 
the  stock-yards,  and  sent  a  copy  of  that  order  out  to  me.  Of  course  that 
prevented  me  acting  on  my  own  responsibility,  and  I  was  compelled  to 
remain  at  the  stock-yards.  The  order  reached  General  Brinton,  and  Gen- 
eral Brinton  refused  to  join  me — at  all  events  he  didn't  join  me.  I  waited 
there  until  about  twelve  o'clock,  and  I  was  satisfied  then  that  it  was  not 
General  Brinton's  intention  to  come  to  me — that  he  had  left  the  city,  and 
he  didn't  intend  to  return.  I  then  made  up  my  mind  I  would  go  into  town 
and  see  myself  what  was  going  on.  In  all  this  time  I  hadn't  one  word  of 
official  information  concerning  what  was  going  on  in  town.  Colonel  Smith 
came  to  my  camp  on  Sunday  morning,  and  gave  me  the  first  informa- 
tion of  the  state  of  affairs  in  Pittsburgh.  Of  course  1  could  see  a  dim  light 
in  town,  but  the  extent  of  what  had  occurred  I  didn't  understand — I  could 
hardly  believe — and  I  could  hardly  believe  that  the  large  force  of  well 
drilled  men  under  General  Brinton  could  not  control  any  mob  that  might 
be  brought  against  them.  At  twelve  o'clock  and  about  ten  minutes,  these 
troops  from  Walls  station  came  down  to  Torrens  station. 

Q.  Twelve  o'clock  Sunday  night  ? 

A.  Twelve  o'clock  noon  on  Sunday.  At  that  time  I  knew,  from  the 
officers  I  had  sent  out  after  Brinton,  that  Brinton  was  not  going  to  come 
back  to  Pittsburgh.     I  had  official  information  from  the  staff  of  the  Sixth 


356  Report  or  Committee.  [No.  29, 

division  that  the  Fourteenth  regiment  and  the  Nineteenth  had  been  dis- 
banded by  General  Brown,  and  there  was  no  military  force  in  the  city  of 
Pittsburgh.  I  didn't  deem  that  the  troops  from  Walls  station  were  of  any 
assistance  to  me  whatever,  at  that  time.  I  thought  they  were  a  great 
hinderance  to  my  efforts.  I  ordered  them  back  to  Walls  station,  and  to  go 
from  there  to  Blairsville,  which  would  be,  I  thought,  almost  necessary 
that  Brinton  should  make  a  junction.  I  didn't  see  how  he  was  to  get  home 
unless  he  did  go  to  Blairsville  in  some  way  or  another.  I  then  came  into 
town  to  see  how  affairs  stood.  I  went  to  the  Union  Depot  hotel ;  reached 
the  Union  Depot  hotel  just  about  the  time  it  had  been  fired — it  was  then 
in  a  blaze,  commencing  to  burn,  though  the  fire  was  not  thoroughly  under 
way.  I  went  to  the  end  of  the  building,  and  I  saw  some  fifty  or  sixty  men 
on  the  tracks  engaged  in  burning  and  pillaging.  I  think  at  that  time  that 
twenty -five  good  men  could  have  checked  that  whole  business.  There  was 
a  large  crowd  in  the  open  space  in  front  of  the  Union  Depot  hotel,  and  a 
large  crowd  on  Liberty  street.  I  went  through  the  crowd  in  front  of  the 
hotel,  and  went  through  the  crowd  on  Liberty  street,  and  I  am  satisfied 
there  were  not  men  enough  in  the  Sixth  division  to  stop  that  burning. 
The  crowd  on  Liberty  street  and  in  the  space  in  front  of  the  Union  Depot 
hotel  was  merely  lookers-on,  but  it  only  needed  a  demonstration  of  some 
kind  against  them  to  have  made  every  one  of  those  men,  or  nearly  every 
one  of  those  men,  part  and  parcel  of  that  mob  engaged  in  pillaging  and 
burning.  They  would  have  gone  to  the  defense  of  those  men  without  any 
question.  I  satisfied  myself  of  this  matter  pretty  thoroughly.  I  was  not 
hasty  about  it — calmly  went  through  that  crowd  and  heard  them  talk,  and 
knew  exactly  what  they  meant.  They  were  men  that  were  not  disposed  to 
take  upon  themselves  to  burn  or  pillage,  because  there  was  no  necessity, 
since  they  had  other  men  to  do  it  for  them. 

Q.  Were  you  in  military  uniform  1 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  was  not.  I  could  never  have  got  into  town  with  a  military 
uniform  on.  I  came  into  town  not  only  disguised,  but  in  a  great  measure 
hidden.  I  did  that  for  the  reason  that  men  that  joined  my  command, 
within  a  few  moments  of  leaving,  had  told  me  of  being  stopped  on  the  way 
themselves.  They  had  to  take  a  roundabout  way  to  go  out  to  the  camp. 
I  saw  on  my  way  in  there  were  crowds  of  men  everywhere  who  would  have 
put  a  stop  to  any  person  coming  into  town  in  uniform.  I  went  to  the 
Union  Depot  hotel  for  the  purpose  of  finding  General  Latta,  and  discover 
what  was  being  done  and  what  had  been  done.  The  moment  I  got  there 
I  saw  for  myself  what  had  been  done  by  the  rioters,  but  what  the  military 
authorities  were  doing,  of  course,  I  couldn't  ascertain  until  I  had  found 
General  Latta.  1  hunted  around  through  the  town  and  found  General 
Latta  at  the  Monongahela  House.  He  was  regretting  very  much,  at  that 
time,  that  General  Brinton  had  gone  out  of  the  city  instead  of  going  out 
to  me  or  coming  into  the  city.  He  was  powerless  to  do  anything,  he  had 
no  troops  under  his  command  except  my  own  regiment.  I  went  to  my 
arinory,  and  I  sent  out  to  Colonel  Smith  and  the  adjutant  general  of  the 
Fourth  brigade  instructions  to  my  regiment  to  march  into  town.  Through 
some  delay  on  the  part  of  Captain  Aull,  the  regiment  was  delayed  about 
two  hours.     They  reached  here  about  dark. 

Q.  By  what  route  ? 

A.  They  came  in  on  Fifth  avenue,  the  only  route  they  could  have  gotten 
into  town.  The  crowd  was  very  large  on  Penn  avenue.  Notwithstanding, 
they  came  into  town,  I  believe,  without  any  demonstrations  of  any  kind 
againsttliem  whatever;  marched  down  to  the  armory.  We  remained  there  on 
duty  continually.    Colonel  Howard  came  in  and  he  brought  his  regiment  to- 


Leg.  Doc]  "Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  357 

gether.  Colonel  Gray,  of  the  Fourteenth, got  his  regiment  together.  On 
Monday  morning  the  three  regiments  were  here  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh 
ready  for  duty,  and  on  Monday  morning,  the  three  regiments,  I  believe,  pa- 
raded through  the  streets.  Colonel  Howard's  and  my  own  regiment  paraded 
together.  I  think  I  remember,  after  going  back  to  the  armory,  seeing  Colo- 
nel Graj^'s  regiment  return  to  the  armory  after  their  parade.  1  am  not  certain 
about  that,  but  I  think  I  did.  Those  two  regiments  returned  to  their  armory, 
were  ready,  and  could  have  been  assembled  had  anybody  taken  the  trouble 
to  order  them — could  have  been  assembled  in  a  very  short  time.  On  Mon- 
day morning,  I  believed  that  I  was  in  command  of  the  troops  of  the  Sixth 
division.  I  certainly  was  in  command  of  the  Eighteenth  and  Nineteenth 
regiments,  because  Colonel  Howard  was  then  in  my  armory  with  his  regi- 
ment and  had  agreed  to  obey  orders  under  me.  General  Brown  came  in  and 
assumed  command  on  Monday  morning,  and  I  refused  to  recognize  or  obey 
any  orders  from  him.  He  remonstrated,  but  1  insisted  that  I  wouldn't 
obey  his  orders.  I  was  in  command  of  the  troops,  and  I  intended  to  han- 
dle them,  and  he  went  out  and  various  men  came  in  and  thought  it  was  a 
very  serious  thing  to  have  dissensions  in  the  military  at  that  time — the 
city  was  apparently  in  the  hands  of  the  mob,  and  it  would  be  better  for  the 
military  to  proceed  as  a  military  body,  without  any  dissensions  in  rank. 
After  listening  to  them,  I  agreed  to  serve  under  General  Brown,  and  I  so 
notified  him.  From  that  time  until  the  troops  were  ordered  to  Luzerne, 
and  until  we  returned,  I  served  immediately  under  the  command  of  Brig- 
adier General  Brown.     That  is  the  outline  of  my  service. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  orders  from  General  Brown  to  disband  your 
regiment  at  any  time  ? 

A.  On  the  31st  of  July,  about  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  General 
Brown  sent  an  officer  of  his  staff  to  my  head-quarters,  requesting  my  pres- 
ence at  his  head-quarters.  I  think  it  was  the  31st  of  July.  I  went  up  to 
General  Brown's  head-quarters,  and  he  gave  me  a  verbal  order  to  dismiss 
my  regiment.  I  asked  him  by  what  authority  the  regiment  was  disbanded. 
He  said  he  had  just  come  from  the  Governor's  head-quarters,  or  he  had  re- 
ceived an  official  communication  from  the  Governor's  head-quarters,  I  have 
forgotten  which.  At  all  events,  the  orders  were  from  his  superior  officers 
that  my  regiment,  and  also  Colonel  Gray's  and  Colonel  Howard's  were  to 
be  disbanded.  I  think  he  had  sent  to  Colonel  Howard  and  Colonel  Gray 
also.  I  determined  that  I  wouldn't  disband  my  regiment,  and  I  couldn't 
see  why  the  Sixth  division  should  be  dismissed  when  the  Governor  was 
rapidly  assembling  all  the  ti'oops  of  the  State  in  this  cit}^.  Could  not  un- 
derstand it,  and  felt  there  was  a  mistake  of  some  kind  about  it.  I  went 
back  to  the  armory.  That  afternoon  I  paraded  m}r  regiment,  and  before 
I  got  through  the  parade  I  had  official  knowledge  that  the  Sixth  division 
was  to  go  to  the  coal  regions,  which  demonstrates  fully  to  my  mind  that 
there  had  been  a  mistake  made  somewhere,  or  there  never  was  a  commun- 
ication of  the  Governor's  that  the  Sixth  division  should  be  dismissed 
at  all.  So  far  as  official  knowledge  of  what  took  place  in  the  city  of 
Pittsburgh  on  Friday  after  half-past  one  o'clock,  and  on  Saturday  until 
six  o'clock,  I  know  nothing  at  all.  1  was  not  present  with  my  regi- 
ment and  knew  nothing  at  all  about  it,  except  on  Sunday  afternoon,  when 
I  came  in  myself.  With  the  burning  of  the  elevator  on  Sunday  afternoon, 
I  think  all  danger  of  a  mob  had  passed.  The  men  had  got  all  the  whisky 
they  could  get  hold  of,  and  the  whisky  had  worked  its  effect  on  these  men. 
The  burning  and  pillaging  of  this  city  was  stopped  by  the  giving  out  of 
whisky,  and  with  the  natural  working  of  the  whisky  on  the  human  hod}'. 
The  men  were  dead  drunk.     On  Monday  morning  there  was  no  mob  in  the 


358  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

city  of  Pittsburgh  that  I  could  see,  though  the  railroad  property  and  trains 
were  in  the  possession  of  the  strikers,  and  remained  so  until  the  arrival  of 
Governor  Hartranft  with  the  national  guard. 

Q.  What  day  was  that? 

A.  I  do  not  remember  what  day  that  was ;  that  was  probably  the  25th 
or  26th  of  July — it  was  later  than  that.  I  cannot  state  the  date  of  his 
arrival.  They  were  here  on  the  31st  of  July.  I  remember  that,  because 
I  went  to  out  to  see  General  Brinton  on  that  day. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  trouble  in  assembling  your  regiment — in  getting 
them  together  ? 

A.  When  they  were  first  ordered  out? 

Q.  Yes. 

A.  Oh,  I  had  a  great  deal. 

Q.  What  I  mean  is,  were  the  men  willing  to  serve  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes;  no  trouble  of  that  kind  in  m}'  regiment  whatever.  The 
only  trouble  was  in  getting  hold  of  the  men. 

Q.  Was  there  any  disposition  among  your  men  to  aid  or  sympathize 
with  the  strikers  ? 

A.  Not  a  bit,  sir. 

Q.  Could  you  have  depended  on  them,  do  you  think,  for  any  emergency  ? 

A.  Depended  on  them  for  any  emergency  whatever.  I  had  no  trouble 
of  that  kind.  I  never  gave  a  thought  of  trouble  of  that  kind.  I  had  no 
personal  worry  or  annoyance  with  the  men  in  my  regiment.  I  do  not  be- 
lieve there  was  much  of  that  thing  in  any  of  the  other  regiments. 

Q.  How  much,  or  under  what  circumstances,  would  you  deem  it  proper 
for  an  officer  under  command,  in  the  face  of  a  mob,  to  give  the  order  to 
fire.  That  is,  how  much  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  mob,  or  demonstra- 
tion on  their  part,  before  an  officer  would  be  justifiable  in  firing,  or  giving 
the  word  of  command  to  his  men  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  would  hesitate  some  before  I  would  give  an  order  to  fire,  unless 
there  was  a  shot  fired.  The  firing  of  a  gun  or  pistol  into  the  ranks  of  my 
men  would,  I  believe,  justify  me  in  giving  an  order  to  fire,  and  I  would  at 
once  do  it.  A  man  in  command  of  troops  has  to  judge  a  good  deal  of  the 
disposition  of  the  crowd,  as  he  can  see  it.  I  can  hardly  tell  you  exactly 
what  I  mean.  Sometimes  you  find  a  crowd  in  front  of  you  good-natured, 
meaning  no  harm,  and  3rou  generally  find  among  the  crowd  a  lot  of  men 
who  are  working  the  mischief — see  an  element  of  that  kind  in  a  crowd.  I 
do  not  think  an  officer  is  justified  in  hesitating  at  all,  because  these  men 
can  soon  influence  a  crowd  to  do  as  they  want  to.  If  a  crowd  attempted 
to  seize  hold  of  the  guns  of  my  command,  I  should  certainly  give  an  order 
to  fire.  I  would  not  give  the  order  reckless^  to  fire.  I  would  give  the 
crowd  time  to  get  out  of  the  way,  by  simply  announcing  to  them  that  I 
would  fire  if  the  crowd  did  not  disperse.  If  they  had  been  firing  into  me, 
and  committing  acts  imperilling  the  lives  of  my  men,  I  do  not  know  that 
I  would  give  them  that  warning.  These  are  little  things  a  man  would 
have  to  judge  of  as  they  occurred.  I  believe  an  overt  act  committed  by  a 
mob  justifies  the  officer  who  commands  the  troops  to  fire. 

Q.  Would  the  hurling  of  missiles  into  your  men  by  the  mob  be  a  pro- 
vocation sufficient  to  justify  the  commander  giving  an  order  to  fire? 

A.  I  believe  it  would,  but  the  commander  would  consider  the  previous 
acts  of  the  mob  and  all  the  conditions  of  it,  the  character  of  it,  and  the 
character  of  the  people  in  it,  &c.  I  believe  whenever  a  mob  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  military  does  damage  to  the  military  that  the  military  are  jus- 
tified in  doing  damage  to  the  mob,  and  doing  it  right  quick. 

Q.  And  use  the  necessary  efforts  to  disperse  the  mob  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*77.  359 

A.  Yes  ;  fire  at  them,  and  do  it  quickly,  and  do  enough  of  it  to  prevent 
them  ever  coming  back.  I  do  not  believe  a  man  in  command  of  troops 
has  any  right  to  act  rashly,  and  would  hesitate  some  before  he  would  do  a 
thing  of  that  kind.  My  idea  of  the  military  has  always  been  that  they 
are  subordinate  until  the  sheriff  is  satisfied  he  can  do  nothing — that  then 
they  step  in  and  act  quickly.  Probably  there  would  be  no  demonstration 
against  the  military  if  the  military  officer  would  inform  the  mob  that  if 
they  did  not  disperse  within  a  certain  time,  he  would  fire  upon  them,  and 
if  necessary,  load  in  the  presence  of  the  mob,  and  ninety-nine  times  out 
of  one  hundred,  I  believe,  there  would  be  no  mob  by  the  time  they  got 
loaded. 

Q.  Did  the  mob  flee  or  disperse  before  your  men  every  time  you  gave 
the  order  to  load  ? 

A.  They  scattered  every  time.  I  had  no  trouble  at  all  with  the  mob. — 
I  did  not  consider  that  I  had  a  mob  in  front  of  me.  I  simply  had  a  large 
crowd,  which  I  believe  would  have  been  a  mob  if  they  coifld  have  got  the 
upper  hand  in  any  way. 

Q.  You  ordered  to  charge  bayonets  once  or  twice  ? 

A.  Three  times. 

Q.  In  the  charge  bayonets,  did  the  crowd  stand  until  your  men  came 
close  to  them  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  they  fled  in  a  good  natured  way.  Laughed — no  trouble  at 
all  to  get  rid  of  them.  My  object  only  was  to  prevent  them  coming  too 
close.  If  the  men  get  close  enough  some  men  in  the  crowd  might  feel  like 
taking  a  musket  away,  and  that  would  bring  about  a  disturbance.  It  is 
better  to  prevent  anything  of  that  kind  than  to  allow  it  to  come  and  ther 
act  afterwards. 

Q.  Your  object  was  to  preserve  the  military  character  of  your  regiment  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Keep  the  troops  and  the  mob  separate  ? 

A.  Yes.     I  never  let  the  mob  in  with  my  troops  at  all,  sir. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  were  in  active  service  during  the  last  war,  were  you  not  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  In  what  capacity  ? 

A.  I  went  out  in  the  service  as  second  lieutenant,  and  came  back  a  majo^ — 
filled  all  the  intermediate  ranks. 

Q.  How  long  were  you  in  the  service  ? 

A.  Three  years  and  seven  months. 

Q.  You  were  speaking  about  taking  command  of  the  three  regiment* — 
the  regiments  commanded  by  Colonel  Howard  and  Colonel  Gray — did  you 
take  command  by  virtue  of  }rour  seniority  over  them  ? 

A.  I  would,  but  I  do  not  think  I  spoke  of  taking  command  of  the  three 
regiments,  as  I  had  not  seen  Colonel  Gray.  I  do  not  know  what  he  would 
do  if  he  had  been  dismissed  by  General  Brown.  I  suppose  he  would  think 
General  Brown  had  his  reasons  for  that.  Colonel  Howard  had  voluntarily 
offered  to  join  with  me,  and  I  did  assume  command.  I  had  no  conversa- 
tion with  Colonel  Gray  at  that  time,  nor  for  weeks  afterwards.  I  did  say 
that  on  Monday,  when  Colonel  Gray  and  myself  were  parading  the  streets, 
that,  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  as  we  were  returning,  I  saw  Colonel 
Gray  out  with  his  regiment  doing  the  same  thing.  That  continued  during 
the  time  we  remained  in  our  armory  afterwards.  In  other  words,  I  am 
satisfied  that  the  Fourteenth  regiment  was  organized  and  ready  for  duty 
on  Monday. 


360  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  After  the}'  bad  been  dismissed  by  General  Brown  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  say  you  refused  to  receive  orders  from  General  Brown  on  Mon- 
day? 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  Give  us  the  reason  for  that  ? 

A.  My  reason  for  that  was,  that  General  Brown  had  dismissed  his  com- 
mand, and  when  he  dismissed  his  command,  his  authority  ceased  over 
them  until  he  re-organized.  The  act  of  re-organizing  or  bringing  together 
the  Nineteenth  regiment,  was  a  personal  matter  on  the  part  of  Colonel 
Howard;  General  Brown  had  nothing  to  do  with  that;  it  was  between 
Colonel  Howard  and  myself,  until  General  Brown  got  a  brigade  together. 
He  could  not  command  me.  One  regiment  does  not  need  a  brigadier  gen- 
eral and  a  colonel  to  command  it ;  there  would  be  a  conflict  of  authority 
at  once  ;  those  were  my  reasons. 

Q.  Did  you  not  regard  him  as  your  superior  officer,  if  you  were  the  only 
man  in  his  brigade  ? 

A.  I  would  regard  him  as  my  superior  officer.  I  believe  I  could  have 
done  better  service  than  he.  I  was  willing  to  take  the  responsibility.  I 
think  that  is  the  trouble  with  all  the  National  Guard — there  are  too  many 
officers. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  And  not  enough  men  ? 

A.  And  not  enough  men. 

.  Q.  Was  there  any  reason  you  had  for  disobeying  his  orders  or  receiv- 
ing orders  from  him  ? 

A.  There  was.  I  believe  that  General  Brown  has  been  suffering  from 
sickness  more  or  less.  He  was  physically  weak,  and  I  did  not  believe  was 
fully  equal  to  the  fatigues  and  annoyance  of  the  command.  I  had  no  dis- 
position to  ignore  General  Brown,  but  I  did  think  that  in  the  great  excite- 
ment of  that  day  I  could  have  handled  my  regiments  better  without  being 
hindred  by  orders  from  brigadier  generals. 

Q.  In  other  words,  you  regarded  him  incapacitated  for  his  position  in 
consequence  of  his  illness  and  mental  distress? 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  And  that  would  justify  you? 

A.  That  would  have  been  my  defense  if  I  had  got  into  any  trouble. 

Q.  If  it  had  not  been  that,  as  a  disciplinarian  and  a  military  man,  3-011 
would  have  considered  it  your  duty  to  obey  ? 

A.  I  would.  I  considei'ed  General  Brown,  under  ordinal}*  circum- 
stances, was  fully  competent  for  his  command;  a  braver  man,  I  know, 
never  breathed  than  General  Brown — possesses  every  quality  for  bravery. 
His  military  capacity  can  hardly  be  doubted,  when  a  man  has  fdled  the  va- 
rious commands  that  he  had  in  the  army. 

Q.  That  is,  when  he  is  in  good  health  ? 

A.  When  he  is  in  good  health,  he  is  a  good  man. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  tiling  of  General  Brinton's  command  during  this 
trouble,  up  to  the  time  the  collision  occurred  at  Twenty-eighth  street? 

A.  I  saw  nothing  of  any  troops,  except  my  own  regiment,  until  Sunday 
night  or  Monday  morning,  when  I  came  to  town.  I  saw  the  troops  of  Gen- 
eral Brinton  in  the  cars,  as  the  passed  the  stock-yards  on  their  way  to 
Pittsburgh.     That  is  all  1  saw  of  them. 

Q.  As  an  officer  of  experience  in  the  army  and  active  service,  did  you 
think  it  was  prudent  for  General  Brinton  to  retire  to  the  round-house  when 
he  did  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  361 

A.  I  would  not  like  to  have  done  it.  If  I  had  had  command  enough  to 
have  guarded  every  approach  to  the  round-house,  and  to  Lave  had  a  guard 
around  the  round-house,  for  the  purpose  of  allowing  one  portion  to  sleep 
while  the  other  was  on  duty,  I  might  have  taken  the  round-house. 

Q.  For  the  reserves  ? 

A.  Yes,  for  the  reserves;  but  under  no  circumstances  would  I  go  into 
the  round-house,  without  I  was  certain  that  every  approach  to  the  round- 
house was  thoroughly  and  properly  guarded,  and,  if  it  was  going  to  take 
too  many  men  to  guard  the  approaches  to  the  round-house,  I  would  not  go 
into  it  then. 

Q.  Where  would  you  have  stationed  your  men  ? 

A.  The  hill  side  there  furnished  an  excellent  position.  Men  could  have 
slept  there,  and  with  a  small  portion  of  them  guarding  it,  and  been  free 
from  attack.  They  could  have  been  free  from  danger.  I  like  to  be  out  in 
the  open  air  myself,  where  I  can  swing  free  and  clear. 

Q.  Could  you  have  intrenched  yourself  on  the  hill  side,  so  as  to  make 
the  position  secure  and  safe? 

A.  I  do  not  think  it  needed  any — it  is  naturally  a  strong  position.  If 
it  was  necessary  they  could  have  gone  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  nothing 
could  have  come  in  there.  A  very  small  force  would  have  guarded  any 
approach.  It  would  not  be  likely  that  anybody  would  have  crawled  up 
there. 

Q.  If  there  would  have  been  an  assault  made,  would  not  the  troops  have 
been  exposed  without  entrenchments  ? 

A.  Not  to  any  extent.  Men  could  have  hidden  behind  a  house  here  and 
there,  and  might  have  taken  advantage  of  the  inequalities  of  the  ground, 
and  no  large  body  could  have  got  there. 

Q.  That  hillside  is  terraced  with  ravines  and  wash-outs,  which  would 
have  given  your  men  as  much  protection  as  the  enemy  ? 

A.  Just  as  much,  and  with  the  advantage  that  a  man  in  command  of  the 
troops  would  have  the  selection  of  the  ground.  I  never  walked  over  the 
ground  particularly — I  walk  by  there  twice  a  clay,  and  I  am  familiar  with 
the  appearance  of  the  hill.  What  the  number  of  inequalities  of  the 
ground  are,  I  do  not  know,  but  it  is  a  hill,  at  all  events,  and  the  mob  would 
come  from  below. 

Q.  The  hill  would   have  been  the  most  eligible  position  for  the  force 
From  your  knowledge  of  the  Union  depot,  would  that  have  served  as  a 
fortification  for  General  Brown's  command  to  repel  the  mob,  in  case  they 
had  made  an  attack  on  the.  depot? 

A.  To  go  down  to  the  Union  depot  ? 

Q.  For  instance,  if  they  were  in  the  depot  ? 

A.  Oh,  no ;  I  think  not.  I  do  not  think  that  depot  was  a  desirable 
place  for  any  defense,  because  there  was  too  much  space  between  there  and 
the  transfer  station,  where  General  Brown  was,  but  the  Union  depot  was 
certainly  the  only  place  where  these  troops  could  get  supplies,  and  it  would 
have  been  a  good  thing  to  have  kept  that  space  open,  between  the  Union 
depot  and  General  Brown.  I  do  not  think  that  the  force  could  have  scat- 
tered them  to  the  extent  that  you  speak  of,  defending  the  Union  Depot 
hotel  and  transfer  station  and  the  round-house.  I  do  not  think  they  had 
enough  men  for  it. 

Q.  Was  there  any  available  position  between  the  transfer  station  and 
the  Union  depot,  where  he  could  have  entrenched  himself  and  secured  a 
position  ? 

A.  The  hillside  was  there.     I  think  there  was  too  much  space  between 


362  Report  of  Committee.    ■  [No.  29, 

Twenty-eighth  street  and  the  Union  depot  for  General  Brinton  to  have  at- 
tempted to  protect  all  that  line  of  property.     He  had  not  enough  for  that. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Could  he,  with  his  men  stationed  at  the  Union  depot,  have  gone  out 
and  driven  off  any  crowd  of  men  that  might  attempt  to  set  fire  to  the  cars 
and  thus  keep  the  space  clear  by  sallying  from  the  Union  depot. 

A.  I  think  he  could  ;  and,  if  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  go  into  any 
house,  1  would  have  preferred  taking  the  whole  command  down  to  the 
Union  depot,  than  going  into  the  round-house  and  transfer  station. 

Q.  And  then  guarded  it  as  far  out  as  you  could  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  The  reason  for  that  would  have  been  that  the  supplies  were  all  at  the 
Union  depot? 

A.  All  at  the  Union  depot. 

Q.  And  the  ammunition  ? 

A.  The  ammunition  was  there.  However,  I  do  not  think  that  General 
Brinton  knew  anything  about  the  ammunition,  where  that  was,  or  anything 
about  it,  when  he  went  into  the  round-house,  and  neither  do  I  believe  that 
General  Brinton  anticipated  any  trouble  when  he  went  into  the  round-house. 
Firing  upon  the  mob  and  dispersing  it,  he  was  left  without  any  disposition 
for  some  time,  and  then  he  went  into  the  round-house. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  General  Brinton  received  the  order  from  Gen- 
eral Latta,  to  join  you  at  the  stock-yards? 

A.  No ;  I  can  only  answer  that  by  hearsay. 

Q.  Did  he  report  that  he  received  that  order? 

A.  Yes,  he  does.  The  adjutant  general  in  his  report  states  that  Colonel 
Norris  and  Colonel  Stewart  went  out  to  deliver  an  order  to  General  Brin- 
ton. General  Brinton  in  his  report  states  that  at  a  certain  time,  Colonel 
Norris  did  join  ;  he  did  not  state  whether  Colonel  Norris  gave  him,  or 
what  answer  he  gave  Colonel  Norris ;  but  the  two  put  together,  demonstrate 
pretty  clearly  that  he  did  receive  an  order. 

Q.  Was  there  anything  to  prevent  General  Brinton  from  joining  you  at 
the  stock-yards  ? 

A.  Nothing  at  all,  except,  probably  he  might  have  not  known  the  way 
out,  but  he  could  have  found  that  by  inquiring.  There  was  not  even  that 
excuse,  because  he  had  an  officer  of  the  Sixth  division  with  him,  I  believe, 
showing  him  the  way. 

Q.  In  his  retreat  or  march  from  the  city  to  Blairsville,  how  far  did  he 
pass  from  you,  from  the  stock-yards,  how  near  ? 

A.  He  was  going  away  from  me  within  fifteen  minutes  of  the  time  he  left 
the  round-house — about  fifteen  minutes'  march  from  the  round-house  he 
came  to  the  junction  of  the  Sharpsburg  and  p]ast  Liberty  roads.  The  East 
Liberty  led  to  the  right  and  the  Sharpsburg  road  to  the  left.  He  took  the 
road  to  the  left,  so  he  was  going  away  from  me  all  the  time  after  he  got  to 
where  these  two  roads  united.  General  Brinton  did  not  get  this  order 
that  General  Latta  speaks  of  in  his  report  and  that  Colonel  Norris  carried 
to  him — he  did  not  get  that  order,  and  Colonel  Norris  did  not  join  him 
until  he  got  to  the  Sharpsburg  bridge. 

Q.  Until  he  got  to  it — he  received  it  before  he  crossed  the  river  ? 

A.  I  think  he  did.  This  is  only  hearsay  on  my  part.  I  do  know  that 
General  Brinton  had  not  received  that  order  until  he  got  to  the  Sharps- 
burg bridge,  because  Captain  Aull  of  my  regiment  had  a  cop}'  of  the 
order.  He  had  the  written  order.  Colonel  Norris  had  a  verbal  copy. 
Stewart  and   Norris  reached    General    Brinton.      Captain  Aull  did   not. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*77-  363 

Captain  Aull  was  in  uniform,  and  had  not  the  same  facilities  for  passing 
through  crowds  that  the  other  two  men  had  who  were  in  citizens'  clothes. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  In  the  absence  of  the  commander-in-chief,  who  is  the  senior  ? 

A.  The  next  officer  of  the  line,  the  senior  officer? 

Q.  Who  is  he — what  person  would  be  the  next  ? 

A.  In  these  troops  out  here  I  believe  General  Pearson  would  be  in  com- 
mand. 

Q.  Of  the  troops  of  the  State  who  would  be  ? 

A.  The  Governor  is  the  commander-in-chief.  After  the  Governor,  the 
next  senior  major  general.  I  believe  the  senior  major  general  was  General 
Dobson  or  General  Osborne.  I  have  forgotten  which.  After  him  comes 
General  Pearson  in  order  of  seniority,  and  after  all  the  major  generals  had 
been  exhausted  the  brigadier  generals  would  come  in  ;  then  the  colonels. 

Q.  Is  there  any  other  person  except  the  Governor  as  commander-in- 
chief  who  has  authority  to  call  out  the  militia  ? 

A.  I  think  not.     That  is  a  matter  of  law,  and  that  I  am  not  exactly  able 
to  give  an  opinion  upon.     My  understanding  as  a  military  officer  is  that 
no   one  but  the  Governor  can  call  the  troops  out.     I  certainly  would 
hesitate  a  long  time  before  I  would  obey  an  order  from  anybody  else. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  In  the  absence  of  the  Governor  from  the  State  is  there  any  one  that 
could  call  out  the  troops? 

A.  Unless  he  left  orders  with  his  adjutant  general. 

Q.  Can  he  delegate  that  power  as  commander-in-chief  to  any  person  ? 

A.  That  is  another  fine  legal  point.  I  will  say  this  :  That  if  the  Gover- 
nor is  absent  and  an  order  came  signed  by  order  of  the  commander-in- 
chief,  James  W.  Lalta,  Adjutant  General,  I  should  obey  it.  It  is  not  my 
business  to  know  whether  the  Governor  is  present  or  not.  The  order  the 
official 

Q.  He  might  exercise  his  powers  as  commander-in-chief  out  of  the  State, 
and  without  the  exercise  of  the  power  from  him,  could  any  other  person 
exercise  that  power  of  commander-in-chief  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  there  is  no  power  can  order  out  the  militia  but  the  Gover- 
nor. 

Q.  Is  there  such  a  thing  as  a  Governor  pro  tern,  in  the  absense  of  the 
Governor  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  Governor  pro  tern. 

Q.  The  Lieutenant  Governor,  would  he  exercise  the  functions  of  Gover- 
nor in  case  of  the  death  of  the  Governor  ? 

A.  Of  course  in  event  of  his  death  he  becomes  Governor  at  once.  I  do 
not  understand  that  anybody  can  exercise  the  functions  of  the  Governor 
but  the  Governor.  That  is  a  little  bit  of  teaching  I  learned  in  the  Demo- 
cratic party  when  I  was  a  very  little  bit  of  a  fellow,  and  never  forgot  it. 
We  have  a  respect  for  law  and  authority  in  our  party. 

Q.  Is  there  anything  else  you  can  enlighten  us  on  in  regard  to  the  mili- 
tary movements  of  the  mob  that  you  can  think  of? 

A.  There  is  nothing  that  I  can  say,  except  to  give  an  opinion  about  the 
character  of  this  mob,  and  the  sufficiency  of  the  military,  and  civil  authorities, 
&c.  I  looked  around  very  closely  into  this  matter,  and  I  am  perfectly 
satisfied,  in  my  own  mind,  that  this  mob  was  not  to  be  dealt  with  by  a 
trifling  force.  I  do  not  believe  it  was  in  the  power  of  the  civil  authorities 
to  have  put  it  down.  I  do  not  believe  it  was  within  the  power  of  the  small 
militaiy  force  that  was  first  called  out  to  have  put  it  down.     It  ceased  to 


3(U  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

be  a  riot  and  got  to  be  an  insurrection  almost  instantly.     The  time  was 
very  short  that  intervened  between  the  mob  and  the  insurrection. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  distinction  do  you  make  between  a  mob  and  an  insurrection  ? 

A.  I  believe  that  a  mob  is  an  uprising  in  a  locality,  either  here  or  any- 
where else — a  small  uprising  that  is  within  the  power  of  the  sheriff  to  look 
after.  The  sheriff,  with  what  posse  he  might  get  together,  may  attempt  to 
restore  peace,  and,  failing  in  that,  call  out  the  local  military.  I  make  the 
dividing  line  as  to  when  it  becomes  an  insurrection  when  the  executive  of 
the  state  is  compelled  to  interfere.  If  the  sheriff  and  the  Eighteenth  regi- 
ment and  the  Fourteenth  regiment  and  the  Nineteenth  regiment  had  put 
down  that  thing  and  restored  peace  and  order,  and  placed  the  cars  of  the  rail- 
road in  the  hands  of  the  company,  I  would  have  called  it  a  riot. 

Q.  And  then  the  difference  between  a  mob  and  an  insurrection  is  in 
strength  and  power  ? 

A.  Strength  and  power.  If  they  overcome  the  local  authorities  and  the 
State  authorities  have  to  interfere,  then  it  is  an  insurrection.  The  sheriff 
is  one  arm  of  the  executive.  If  he  cannot  quell  it,  then  the  executive  himself 
has  to  come  in. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  When  3^011  first  arrived  at  the  Union  depot,  that  was  on 

A.  Friday,  at  noon. 

Q.  Would  it  have  required  a  large  force  to  disperse  the  mob  then  ? 

A.  It  would  not — not  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  I  did  not  get  off  the 
cars  at  Twenty-eighth  street ;  and  I  did  not  go  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street ; 
and  I  did  not  know  what  the  disposition  of  the  crowd  was;  and  I  do  not 
know  what  was  back  there — what  could  be  seen — but  those  that  could  be 
seen  certainly  did  not  appear  over  two  hundred  or  two  hundred  and  fifty 
men. 

Q.  If  there  had  been  active  measures  taken  on  Friday  or  Saturday,  could 
not  that  mob  have  been  dispersed  and  the  rioting  suppressed  ? 

A.  I  believe  it  could  on  Frida}\  I  do  not  believe  it  could  on  Saturday. 
On  Friday  it  could,  because  the  strikers  were  determined  themselves  not  to 
go  to  work,  and  some  of  them  were  rioters.  There  is  no  doubt  about  it ; 
because  some  of  them  had  interfered  with  the  civil  authorities,  and  a  great 
portion  of  them  were  simply  determined  that  they  would  not  work,  and 
they  would  not  furnish  an}r  assistance  to  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  in  run- 
ning their  trains.  For  that  reason,  I  believe  the  trains  ought  to  have  been 
started  at  once.  I  believe  if  a  train  had  been  started,  the  backbone  of  the 
thing  would  have  been  broken.  I  believe  so  to-day  ;  but  it  was  impossible 
to  move  trains,  because  you  could  not  get  men  to  man  them.  They  were 
afraid  of  the  strikers.  It  was  not  necessary  for  a  striker  to  go  up  and 
stick  a  pistol  at  a  man's  head,  or  say,  "  I  will  shoot  you."  Some  of  them 
would  give  a  wink  and  lift  a  finger,  which  would  be  just  as  effectual  as  if 
they  had  shot  at  you.  I  saw  one  striker  go  on  the  back  part  of  an  engine 
tender  of  a  locomotive  and  take  hold  of  a  brake  that  was  there.  The  engi- 
neer attempted  to  start  the  train.  He  just  lifted  his  finger  and  the  engineer 
never  moved  that  train. 

Q.  If  these  trainmen  that  were  willing  to  run  had  received  the  protec- 
tion either  of  the  military  or  civil  authorities,  could  the}'  not  have  run 
out  these  trains,  and  do  you  not  think  they  would  have  been  run  out? 

A.  I  think  everybody  got  all  the  protection  it  was  possible  to  give  them. 
The  Pennsylvania  railroad  were  not  prepared  to  run  these  trains,  and  they 
knew  what  the  riot  was,  and  what  it  would  amount  to  more  than  we  did. 
I  knew  no  reason  why  troops  should  be  called   out  on  the  morning  1  was 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  365 

called  out.  Never  heard  of  a  disturbance  of  any  kind.  After  the  military 
had  been  called  out,  then  affairs  had  progressed  so  far  that  to  have  started 
a  train  from  Twenty-eighth  street  would  have  required  to  place  upon  that 
train  a  large  force  of  military  to  protect  it.  You  could  have  moved  it, 
probably  to  the  stock-yards,  and  through  the  stock-yards,  because  there 
was  a  military  force  to  protect  it  there,  but  as  soon  as  they  got  a  little 
west,  why  something  might  be  thrown  upon  the  track — a  demonstration 
made  of  some  kind  that  would  block  the  cars  up.  There  was  no  certainty 
it  could  go  very  far  after  it  had  started.  But  for  the  reason  that  there 
had  been  no  demonstration  made  at  any  point,  I  believe  if  the  train  had 
been  started,  it  could  have  gone  through  ;  not  that  it  was  in  the  power  of 
the  small  force,  civil  or  military,  to  put  down  the  strikers,  had  they  de- 
termined to  resist,  because  there  were  too  many  of  those  strikers  and 
fellow  helpers  in  the  mob. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  think  there  was  a  necessity  for  calling  on  the  military  ? 

A.  Oh,  undoubtedly.  There  is  no  question  about  it  in  my  mind.  The 
only  thing  I  find  to  regret  was  that  the  military  did  not  have  proper  in- 
formation as  to  what  it  meant.  I  am  but  an  humble  citizen  of  the  city 
of  Pittsburgh,  and  I  know  nothing  about  the  strike  on  the  Penns3rlvania 
railroad,  and  what  led  to  it,  and  what  it  meant.  I  went  down  to  Union 
depot,  and  until  I  met  General  Pearson,  or  the  sheriff,  I  knew  no  reason 
why  the  military  should  be  called  out.  When  I  got  back  I  could  see  why. 
There  wTas  a  demonstration  against  law  and  order. 

Q.  There  was  a  necessity  ? 

A.  There  was  a  necessity,  for  the  evidence  proved  that. 

Colonel  Joseph  H.  Gray,  sworn : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside,  Colonel  ? 

A.  I  reside  in  Pittsburgh,  East  End. 

Q.  What  is  your  official  position  in  the  National  Guard  ? 

A.  I  am  colonel  of  the  Fourteenth  regiment. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  war  of  the  late  rebellion  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  rank  did  you  hold? 

A.  I  was  orderly  sergeant  of  a  company  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth 
Pennsylvania  regiment. 

Q.  How  long  were  you  in  the  army  ? 

A.  1  went  in  in  1861,  and  remained  in  the  service  until  the  battle  of 
Fair  Oaks,  where  I  was  laid  up  from  service. 

Q.  State  when  you  received  the  orders  calling  3rou  into  service  in  July 
last — what  day  it  was  and  what  time  ? 

A.  I  was  not  present.  I  had  left  Thursday  morning  and  gone  to  the 
country,  fourteen  miles,  and  on  Friday  the  order  reached  head-quarters 
for  Colonel  Glenn  to  assemble  the  regiment,  about  noon  or  after  dinner 
some  time. 

Q.  Was  he  lieutenant  colonel  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  lieutenant  colonel.  About  Friday  evening  I  heard  that  there 
was  trouble  in  the  city,  and  that  the  militaiy  was  called  out,  and  I  also 
heard  that  the  men  could  not  be  depended  on — that  they  were  not  going 
to  respond.  Citizens  from  East  Liberty  came  up.  I  jumped  in  my  buggy 
and  started  to  the  city,  and  I  met  one  company  at  East  Liberty.  I  stopped 
there  and,  to  my  astonishment,  found  that  the  company  had  been  assembled, 
and  that  a  large  majorhvy  of  the  company  had  responded  to  the  call,  and 


366  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

were  ready  for  service,  in  their  armory.  I  spoke  a  few  words  to  the  cap- 
tain and  told  him  to  remain  there  until  I  came  from  the  city,  and  he  re- 
quested me  to  telegraph  him  immediately,  and  send  him  some  orders.  I 
stopped  at  my  home,  and  put  on  my  fatigue  uniform,  and  came  to  the 
citjr,  and  went  to  the  central  armory  and  found  there  my  adjutant,  and 
that  Lieutenant  Colonel  Glenn  had  taken  what  men  had  assembled  there — 
there  are  three  companies  who  have  their  armories  there — and  he  had  taken 
them  to  the  Union  Depot  hotel.  I  immediately  went  there  and  reported 
for  duty  to  General  Brown.  I  inquired  of  my  officers  as  to  the  number  of 
men  that  had  reported  for  duty,  and  then  I  had  six  companies  in  the  city 
and  four  in  the  country.  I  inquired  whether  Captain  Shof  had  been  or- 
dered out  at  East  Liberty — he  told  me  not.  I  went  to  the  dispatcher's 
office,  at  the  end  of  the  hotel,  and  telegraphed  to  those  companies  to  re- 
port to  me  immediately,  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel.  However,  at  that 
time  they  could  not  very  well  get  in,  and  I  changed  the  order  to  report  to 
me  on  the  first  morning  train  coming  into  the  city.  About  7  o'clock  Cap- 
tain Nesbitt  came  up  and  Captain  Glenn,  of  Mansfield,  reported  with  their 
companies.  That  was  Friday  evening.  It  was  six  o'clock  when  I  came  to 
the  Union  depot,  and  they  arrived  at  seven.  I  went  out  to  the  dispatcher's 
office  the  second  time,  to  order  Captain  Perchman  in.  I  then  met,  for  the 
first  time,  General  Pearson  and  told  him  what  I  proposed  doing,  and  he 
said  that  he  preferred  that  Captain  Perchman  should  remain  in  his 
armory  there  for  the  present,  and  Colonel  Moore,  as  chief  of  staff,  told 
me  he  had  communicated  with  Captain  Perchman  to  this  effect,  that 
he  should  sro  and  set  his  men  rations  and  remain  there,  so  that  I  then 
turned  my  attention   to   having    my  men  fed.      I  asked    the  gentleman 

in  charge  of  the   depot  if  he  had  any  cars  in  the he 

should  run  them  down,  so  that  I  could  put  my  men  into  them  for  the 
night,  until  further  orders.  He  immediately  had  cars  run  down.  I  did 
that  because  I  wanted  to  get  my  men — there  was  a  great  deal  of  talking 
on  the  platform  around  the  depot  about  the  future  operations.  General 
Latta  had  just  come  in,  and  there  was  a  good  deal  of  excitement,  and 
I  did  not  want  my  men  to  know  anything  about  it.  I  put  them  in  the 
cars  and  kept  them  there  until  three  o'clock,  in  the  morning.  Then  I 
received  an  order,  about  twelve  or  one  o'clock,  to  take  my  command,  at 
three  o'clock,  sharp,  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  by  way  of  Webster  avenue. 
I  marched  out  of  the  Union  depot  precisely  at  three  o'clock,  and  General 
Brown  and  Colonel  Smith  and  another  gentleman.  We  went  to  Twenty- 
eighth  street  by  a  circuitous  route,  and  took  a  position  on  the  hill  side 
center,  opposite  Twenty-eighth  street,  in  line.  There  we  remained  during 
the  day.  I  should  say  about  nine  o'clock,  perhaps  between  eight  and  nine 
o'clock,  General  Brown  sent  his  adjutant  to  me,  asking  the  detail  of  one 
or  two  companies — I  think  he  said  fifty  men. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  That  was  on  Saturda}r  ? 

A.  That  was  on  Saturday  morning.  I  sent  two  companies  to  the  foot  of 
the  hill,  and  they  were  on  duty  there  for  an  hour,  perhaps  an  hour  and  a 
half,  and  they  were  relieved  by  two  other  companies. 

Q.  From  your  regiment  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  during  the  forenoon  I  sent  a  request  to  General  Drown  that 
my  two  companies  should  be  relieved.  They  had  all  been  down,  and  I 
asked  that  they  be  relieved  by  the  Nineteenth  regiment.  1  thought  we 
were  doing  more  than  our  share  of  duty,  and  for  other  reasons  I  asked  to 
be  relieved. 

Q.  You  speak  here  of  Colonel  Glenn  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  367 

A.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Glenn.  He  assembled  my  regiment  in  the  city, 
and  reported  to  the  Union  depot. 

Q.  You  say  you  were  accompanied  by  Colonel  Smith  ? 

A.  Colonel  Smith. 

Q.  What  regiment  ? 

A.  He  is  connected  with  another  regiment. 

Q.  During  the  day,  what  companies  were  on  duty  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  ? 

A.  They  were  not  under  my  command.  I  never  knew  what  orders  they 
had  that  were  detailed.  I  do  not  know  to-day  what  their  orders  were.  [ 
know  what  duty  they  were  performing.  I  was  never  down  on  the  railroad 
myself  until  I  was  ordered  off  the  hill.  We  were  there  when  the  Philadel- 
phia troops  came  there,  and  we  were  witnesses  of  the  conflict.  About  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  I  received  an  order — I  think  it  was  about  that 
time — the  only  order  I  received  from  the  time  I  had  got  an  order  to  go  to 
Twenty-eighth  street — I  received  an  order  to  have  my  command  in  readi- 
ness to  move,  at  a  moment's  notice,  on  board  a  train.  I  immediately  sent 
my  commissary,  Captain  Wallace,  to  provide  rations.  While  there  was  no 
explanation  of  that  order,  I  understood  his  meaning  that  we  should  take 
charge  of  a  freight  train.  I  had  the  provisions  there.  The  captain  got 
the  provisions  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  three  days'  rations,  and  we  re- 
mained, momentarily  expecting  an  order  to  move  down  the  hill  and  get  on 
board  a  train.     At  the  time  that  the  Philadelphia  troops  came  out 

Q.  Before  you  come  to  that — did  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  had 
no  knowledge  of  what  orders  those  companies  had  that  were  detailed,  and 
sent  down  to  the  crossing  of  the  railroad  ? 

A.  They  were  detailed  away  from  my  command,  and  I  had  no  knowl- 
edge of  what  was  to  be  done. 

Q.  Who  did  they  report  to  ? 

A.  They  reported  to  General  Brown  I  know  whnt  duty  the}*  were 
performing  there — could  see  it  all.  I  might  just  say  here  that  I  had  great 
apprehensions  of  the  whole  matter.  They  were  not  the  impressions  I  had 
since.  Those  were  what  I  had  then.  I  want  to  sny  this  :  that  I  gave  or- 
ders distinctly  and  positively  that  my  men  should  not  be  allowed  to  talk 
with,  or  in  any  way  have  any  conversation  with,  the  strikers,  and  I  say, 
also,  that  that  order  was  positive.  Of  course,  men  sometimes  were  away  ; 
it  was  a  pretty  hot  day,  and  they  had  to  go  for  water,  and  occasionally, 
perhaps,  they  talked  ;  but  I  do  not  think  my  orders  were  violated  at  all  in 
any  respect.  I  stayed  with  my  men  all  day  long  watching  their  behaviour, 
and  at  this  time  I  received  an  order  to  get  my  men  ready  to  go  on  a  train. 
I  felt  pleased  at  this,  for  I  thought  those  who  were  at  the  head  of  affairs 
understood  the  situation.  I  had  my  doubts  before  that  whether  they  did. 
Though  we  did  not  go  on  the  train,  we  were  there,  ready  to  go  on  after 
the  firing  was  over. 

Q.  Give  us  the  circumstances  of  the  affair  ;  how  it  occurred — you  were 
present  there  at  the  time,  were  you  not? — as  briefly  as  you  can  ? 

A.  1  would  say,  first,  that  the  Philadelphia  troops  came  out  in  as  grand 
style  as  ever  men  went  to  airv  duty,  and  their  position  was  good.  There 
can  be  no  exceptions  taken  to  the  position.  They  moved  up  the  ti'acks. 
My  recollection  of  the  matter  is  that  there  was  one  company  in  advance 
of  the  First  regiment.  I  did  not  know  it  was  the  First  regiment  at  that 
time.  I  know  that  from  the  report.  They  moved,  and  they  were  formed 
in  line  and  marched  to  the  left  to  the  round-house,  cleared  the  tracks,  and 
then  the  rear  rank  was  about  faced,  and  cleared  the  track,  leaving  an  open 
space.  Two  other  companies  were  brought  up,  and  a  Gatling  gun  brought 
up  to  that  space,  and  the  company  in  advance  marched  right  into  the  crowd. 


368  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

They  were  as  determined  men  as  ever  stood  before  anybody.  I  looked 
ver}r  earnestly,  and  with  a  good  deal  of  solicitation,  when  the  stones  were 
thrown  and  pistol  shots  fired.  I  could  not  see  whether  there  was  many 
or  not.  There  was  a  greal  deal  of  confusion,  and  the  firing  began  and  was 
kept  up — a  continuous  firing. 

Q.  You  say  that  pistol  shots  were  fired  from  the  mob  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  stones  thrown  from  the  mob  and  other  missiles? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  from  the  troops  before  that  ? 
A.  There  was  not  a  shot  fired  until  after  they  were  attacked.  The  first 
thing  I  saw — I  knew  it  was  coming.  I  was  not  disappointed  a  particle  in 
regard  to  the  whole  matter — the  company  charge  bayonets  on  the  crowd, 
and  the  first  thing  I  saw  was  a  man  in  the  mob  take  hold  of  a  gun,  and 
one  man  wrenched  the  gun  away  from  him,  and  struck  him  with  the  bayo- 
net with  a  good  deal  of  force. 
Q.  That  is,  one  of  the  soldiers  1 

A.  Yes;  and  then  the  pistol  shots  were  fired.     It  was  all  done  in  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  the  fire  began  by  the  soldiers. 
Q.   Was  there  any  command  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  It  was  too  fir  away  for  hearing  the  command;  but  I  may  say  it  was 
effectually  done,  and  if  that  was  so,  it  was  only  a  pity  the  command  had 
not  been  given. 

Q.  Was  it  a  volley  or  was  it  a  scattering  fire  ? 

A.  It  was  a  scattering  fire,  but  it  extended  all  along  the  line.     We  were 
immediately  in  front  of  the  rear  rank  that  faced  to  the  rear,  and  received  a 
good  share  of  the  fire. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.   Was  there  a  rush  made  by  the  mob  towards  the  troops  before  the 
firing  began  ? 

A.  The  thing  had  been  gathering  momentum  from  ten  o'clock.     It  was 

not  a  mob — the  mob  in  front — that  I  was  afraid  of  at  all.     It  was  the 

feeling  that  existed  there,  apparently  strong  outside,  and  when  the  mills 

closed  that  afternoon,  it  seemed  to  me  they  just  came  up  there  in  hundreds. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Rolling  mills,  iron  mills,  and  so  forth  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;    the  crowd  accumulated  rapidly.     They  were  going  and 
coming  all  the  time,  and  they  were  there  in  force. 

Q.  The  mill  hands  are  generally  at  leisure  on  Saturday  afternoon  ? 
A.  I  think  they  came  right  out  of  the  mills,  when  they  closed  down.    A 
great  many,  perhaps,  came  there  out  of  curiosity,  but  there  was  a  great 
many  added  to  the  mob  down  on  Twenty-eighth  street.     The  crowd  in- 
creased rapidly  at  that  time. 

Q.  From  what  you  saw,  would  you  consider  an  order  to  fire  justifiable  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  took  place  after  that  ? 

A.  The  crowd  ran  away.  Those  that  were  on  the  hill  side  came  up  and 
devoted  themselves  to  the  carrying  away  of  the  wounded  for  a  time.  The 
Philadelphia  troops  moved  up  and  took  their  position  by  the  crossing,  at 
Twenty-eighth  street,  and  placed  their  Gatling  gun  in  position  there,  and 
I  ordered  my  companies,  Captain  Glenn  and  Captain  Xesbtitt,  up  in  line 
of  battalion.  The  crowd  down  the  road,  that  had  been  there,  collected  again. 
However,  they  did  nut  make  any  attempt  to  force-  themselves  on  to  the 
railroad.     The  Philadelphia  troops  would  strike  terror  into  the  crowd  and 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  3G9 

they  would  run  away  for  a  time,  and  then  would  find  there  was  no  danger, 
and  then  they  would  come  back. 
Q.  When  did  }rou  go  after  that  ? 

A.  Five  or  six  o'clock,  after  quiet  had  been  restored,  and  the  wounded 
had  all  been  carried  away,  I  received  an  order  from  General  Pearson,  to 
assist  Colonel  Howard,  in  moving  Breck's  guns  to  the  round-house,  and 
then  go  to  the  transfer  office,  and  hold  it  against  any  attack.  I  sent  that 
order — it  was  a  written  order — with  my  adjutant,  to  General  Brown,  who  was 
with  Colonel  Howard,  on  my  right  and  front,  and  reported  to  him  that  I 
was  ready  to  move,  in  obedience  to  the  order.  However,  I  want  to  say, 
that  was  very  reluctantly  done. 
Q.  What  was  reluctantly  done  ? 

A.  That  movement  by  me.  That  was  done,  because  their  officers  and 
their  commands  were  there.  Captain  Breck  came  to  me  at  that  time,  and 
said  he  had  such  an  order,  and  asked  me  if  1  would  not  see  General  Pearson, 
and  protest  against  the  matter.  I  said  to  him  that  there  were  my  men  im- 
mediately in  my  line,  and  he  commenced  to  explain  the  situation  that  he 
could  be  in,  and  I  said  to  him,  "Captain,  I  won't  allow  any  discussion  of 
that  kind  here.  "  I  told  him  to  step  to  one  side,  and  this  order  reached  me, 
just  at  that  time,  and  after  I  read  the  order,  I  found  Captain  Breck  was 
waiting  and  I  went  to  him.  He  asked  me  if  I  had  concluded  to  do  any- 
thing in  the  matter,  and  I  said  to  him,  we  will  obey  the  order.  I  felt  then 
it  was  a  great  mistake. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.   For  what  reason  ? 

A.  I  did  not  think  we  had  any  business  down  on  Twenty-eighth  street. 
Q.  You  went  down  to  obey  the  order  ? 

A.  We  obeyed  the  order.     However,  just  immediately  at  that  time  the 
Philadelphia  troops  began  moving  into  the  round-house,  commencing  on 
the  left,  and  moving  in  all  the  way  up,  and  Captain  Breck  took  this  battery, 
and  then  went  away,  and  left  me  on  the  hill.     When  I  moved  up  they  were 
all  in  the  round-house,  and  the  mob  was  pressing  down  this  track.     I  moved 
down  the  hill.    Had  to  go  down  by  a  flank  movement.    I  anticipated  trouble 
then,  because  I  knew  by  their  actions — they  hooted  and  jeered  and  taunted 
the  soldiers — the  Philadelphians — as  they  went  away.    I  anticipated  trouble. 
Ho  wever,we  marched  down  by  the  gate-way,  and  marched  through  the  crowd, 
and  to  the  transfer  station.     Upon  my  arrival  at  the  transfer  station,  I  took  a 
view  of  the  station  myself.     Colonel  Howard  came  and  asked  me  in  regard  to 
the  matter.    Colonel  Howard  asked  me  if  I  would  take  command  of  the  sta- 
tion.    I  told  him  General  Brown  was  here,  and  he  was  in  authority.     I  told 
him  that  I  would  throw  out  pickets  on  my  front.     The  transfer  station  was 
separated  by  tracks  in  between.    Colonel  Howard  was  on  the  side  next  to  the 
hill,  and  I  was  on  Liberty  street,  and  I  told  him  I  would  take  care  of  my  side ; 
that  he  could  dispose  of  his  own  troops.    We  remained  there,  and  the  most  of 
them  went  and  laid  down  to  sleep.     It  was  dark,  and  most  of  m}r  men,  ex- 
cept those  on  duty,  went  to  sleep.     During  the  night  General  Brown  came 
to  me,  and  said  that  the  place  was  untenable,  and  he  advised  me  to  get  out 
of  it.     We  commenced  to  consult  about  the  matter,  and  I  told  him  there 
was  no  trouble  there,  that  it  was  a  good  place  to  rest,  and  that  if  we  got, 
into  any  trouble  we  could  get  out  of  it.     A  short  time  afterwards  he  and 
Colonel  Howard  came  back,  and  I  had  the  situation  in  my  own  mind,  an  I 
had  sent  my  officers  out  on  the  hill  side,  and  at  that  very  time  I  had  s.  ut 
Doctor  McCandless,  surgeon  on  my  staff.     He  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
hill  side  in  that  part  of  town.     I  sent  him  up  there  to  look  at  the  situati  >n — 
it  is  a  very  ragged  hill — to  see  in  case  these  was  a  necessity  to  pick  out  the 
24  Riots. 


870  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

best  way,  of  a  return  by  the  way  of  the  hill  side  to  ray  old  position  on  the 
hill  side.  When  General  Brown  and  Colonel  Howard  came  to  me,  I  told 
them  what  I  had  done,  that  I  expected  that  our  position  was  such  we  could 
not  do  any  fighting,  but  we  could  from  the  hill  side,  and  I  had  sent  officers 
out  to  select  a  way  by  which  we  could  get  out,  if  necessary.  There  was 
no  immediate  danger.  About  ten  o'clock  General  Brown  came  to  me 
again,  and  said  we  must  get  out.  He  had  information  that  we  must  leave 
that  place.  Says  I,  "General  Brown,  you  cannot  persuarle  me  to  leave 
this,  I  will  obey  your  orders,  but  I  do  not  see  any  necessity  for  leaving 
this  position  at  this  time."  He  immediately  ordered  me  to  take  my  com- 
mand, and  go  to  the  Union  depot.  I  formed  my  command,  and  we  started, 
but  the  road  was  full  of  cars,  and  we  had  to  go  out  the  best  way  we  could. 
We  got  out  into  the  open  track  below,  and  when  I  got  out  there,  I  halted 
the  advance  of  the  regiment,  re-formed  and  marched  into  the  Union  depot 
in  good  order. 

Q.  Will  you  please  tell  me  about  how  far  it  is  from  the  transfer  station 
to  the  round-house,  where  the  Philadelphia  troops  were  ? 

A.  From  the  transfer  station  ? 

Q.  From  where  you  were  stationed  ? 

A.  I  have  very  little  knowledge  as  to  the  location  of  that  transfer  depot. 
I  never  passed  through  there,  except  going  east  on  the  train  at  night,  but 
I  do  not  think  it  is  very  far,  probably  two  hundred  yards. 

Q.  That  is  where  you  were  stationed,  about  two  hundred  yards  from  the 
round-house  ? 

A.  I  should  think  so.  That  is  my  idea  of  the  distance  there.  When  I 
arrived  at  the  Union  depot,  I  was  pretty  disgusted  with  the  thing — had 
been  all  day,  for  that  matter.  After  I  re-formed  my  men,  I  had  expected 
to  get  some  rations.  I  knew  my  commissary  was  there  getting  some,  and 
I  sent  an  officer  to  inquire  and  find  out.  General  Brown,  1  went  to  him, 
and  asked  him  for  orders,  and  to  my  utter  astonishment  he  told  me  I  could 
dismiss  my  command. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  obey  him? 

A.  Not  then.     1  called  around  my  officers — those  that  were  nearest  to 

me surrounded  the  general,  and  protested  in  the  strongest  terms  that  I 

was  allowed  to,  in  regard  to  the  matter,  that  it  was  a  disgrace  to  the  officers 
and  men  that  1  had  there  willing  to  do  their  duty ;  that  it  was  a  disgrace 
also  to  desert  the  Philadelphia  troops.  The  general  was  a  little  startled 
at  my  talk,  and  he  says,  "  You  remain  here  a  few  minutes,  and  I  will  see 
you  again."  He  left  me,  and  I  did  not  see  him  again. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  1  would  like  to  know  where  and  when  your  regiment  was  disbanded  ? 

A.  When  and  where  it  was  disbanded.  It  was  disbanded  a  few  minutes 
before  eleven  o'clock  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel,  by  myself,  in  obedience  to 
General  Brown's  order.  And  I  want  to  say  this  in  regard  to  that  matter : 
After  I  remained  there  awhile,  I  went  up  to  the  office  of  the  Union  Depot 
hotel,  and  inquired  for  General  Pearson,  and  they  told  me  that  the  general 
was  not  there.  I  inquired  for  General  Latta,  and  they  told  me  he  was  not 
there.  I  wondered  where  he  could  have  gone  to,  and  I  saw  Mr.  Murdock, 
who  is  one  of  the  officers,  and  he  made  the  same  reply  ;  and  I  had  great 
confidence  in  him. 

(4.  Your  head-quarters  is  here  at  the  market-house,  isn't  it  ? 

A.  I  had  in}'  head-quarters  at  my  office.     That  is,  our  armory. 

Q.  Your  regiment  was  not  brought  there,  then,  as  a  regiment,  and  dis- 
banded ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  371 

A.  Not  that  night.  No,  sir;  because  I  had  four  companies  who  had  to 
go  home  by  railroad. 

Q.   Were  any  of  the  companies  brought  down  here  and  disbanded  ? 

A.  That  night? 

Q.  Yes,  sir? 

A.  No,  sir.     I  directed  my  staff  officers  to  notify  the  commanding  officers 
of  companies  that  their  services  were  not  needed,  and  to  take  their  men  to 
the  armories  and  dismiss  them. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  What  the  captain  wishes  to  get  at  is,  did  your  men  break  ranks  there 
at  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  I  had  a  compan}^  in  the  next  day  at  ten  o'clock. 

Q.  They  marched  out  by  companies? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q;  What  I  want  to  get  at  is  this  :  If  your  regiment  was  disbanded  at 
the  Union  depot;  and  alter  that,  did  you  not  have  command  of  them  as  a 
regiment  ? 

A.  Well,  sir,  I  dismissed  my  regiment  at  the  Union  depot.  I  also  sent 
word  to  the  companies  who  had  to  leave  the  city — I  had  four  companies — 
that  the}r  were  perfectly  safe,  and  they  better  not  go  away  till  morning. 

Q.  What  did  they  do  with  their  arms,  when  you  dismissed  them  ? 

A.  They  took  them  home,  except  one  company  ;  they  could  not  get  away 
that  night,  and  stayed  there.     At  ten  the  next  day,  I  had  three  companies 
that  went  out  on  the  eleven  o'clock  train. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  The  companies  that  left  lived  in  the  rural  districts  ;  they  took  their 
arms  with  them  to  their  homes  ? 

A.  I  think  they  all  did,  so  far  as  I  know,  except  one  company. 

Q.     And  they  remained  in  the  city  ? 

A.  That  company  was  a  home  company,  and  remained  at  the  Union  de- 
pot until  ten  o'clock  next  day,  before  it  left. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  many  rounds  of  ammunition  had  you? 

A.  I  think  we  had  about  eight  or  ten  rounds  to  a  man.  It  was  not  very 
equally  divided,  but  we  averaged  that  during  the  morning.  We  had  re- 
ceived our  ammunition,  our  share  of  the  ammunition,  by  requisition,  a  few 
weeks  before  that  time,  and  had  sent  out  to  the  arsenal,  and  they  had  not 
received  it,  and  it  was  left  at  Captain  Fox's  armory,  in  Lawrenceville,  and 
on  that  morning,  I  think  that  we  hadn't  enough,  and  I  sent  out  a  wagon  and 
had  a  box  of  a  thousand  rounds  brought  in,  and  it  was  carried  up  from 
the  crossing  to  my  regiment,  and  a  great  many  of  the  strikers  came  up  to 
see  what  kind  it  was,  and  that  was  the  only  time  that  any  of  them  was  up 
there  in  any  considerable  number.  That  is,  if  there  were  any  up  there,  they 
were  strikers  away  from  the  fold.  They  came  up,  and  I  allowed  them  to 
remain  there  until  the  ammunition  was  distributed  and  issued,  so  that  they 
could  see  what  it  was.  Then  I  ordered  them  down  the  hill  and  they  went. 
A  few  minutes  after  that  one  of  their  number,  I  presume  him  to  be  one 
of  their  number,  came  up  and  commenced  to  me  about  our  being  there, 
and  I  asked  him  who  he  wa*,  and  he  said  he  was  a  striker,  and  that  they 
were  armed  and  that  they  were  going  to  fight  for  their  rights. 

Q.  This  was  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Before  the  Philadelphia  troops  came  out  there? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  he  said  they  were  armed  and  they  were  going  to  fight  for 


372  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

their  rights.  I  heard  him,  and  told  him  if  that  was  all  the  business  they 
had  np  there  he  had  better  get  down  the  hill,  or  I  would  arrest  him.  He 
left.  That  is  the  only  man  I  talked  to  that  day  outside  of  my  own  regi- 
ment. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Did  j'ou  know  who  that  man  was  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  did  not  know  him. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  At  the  time  your  dismissed  your  troops  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel, 
about  eleven  o'clock,  was  the  whole  number  with  you  that  you  took  out  in 
the  morning  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  there  was  not. 

Q.  What  had  become  of  those  that  were  not  there  ? 

A.  I  dismissed  some  men  early  in  the  day  of  Saturday  morning,  men 
whom  I  think  were  not  in  a  condition  to  do  service  there  under  the  cir- 
cumstances. 

Q.  For  what  reason  ? 

A.  There  was  two  of  them  got  something  to  drink  and  got  drunk.  I 
think  they  were  drunk,  and  I  relieved  them  from  duty  and  sent  them  away. 
That  was  one  thing  I  had  great  care  about.  I  believe  that  a  commander 
is  responsible  for  the  morality  of  his  men,  and  I  was  looking  after  that 
particularly  on  that  occasion. 

Q.  How  many  less  men  did  you  have  at  night  ? 

A.  I  had  between  thirty  and  forty. 

Q.  That  were  missing — some  of  those  went  off  on  their  own  account  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  dismissed  one  company  entire.  I  had  one  company  after 
the  firing  of  the  troops — a  great  many  of  the  killed  and  wounded  were 
killed  immediately  in  front  of  my  line,  and  I  saw  the  xaeu  raising  their 
guns  to  fire,  and  I  ordered  my  men  to  lie  down,  and  I  think  I  saved  the 
lives  of  some  of  them  by  so  doing.  Immediately  after  that  there  was  a 
great  deal  of  excitement,  and  the  crowd  down  on  the  hill  side  came  rush- 
ing back  and  got  in  the  rear  of  my  line.  I  ordered  the  captains  to  exam- 
ine the  men  to  see  that  they  had  not  loaded  their  arms.  I  did  not  antici- 
pate that  that  was  the  end  of  it,  but  I  wanted  to  know  whether  any  of  my 
men  had  loaded  their  arms  under  the  excitement,  and  I  found  it  was  re- 
ported that  some  of  them  had.  I  saw  some  myself,  and  this  compan}^ — 
the  lieutenant  had  an  altercation  and  tussle,  and  took  a  gun — the  man 
refused  to  obey,  and  the  lieutenant  took  hold  of  the  gun  and  took  it  from 
him.  It  created  a  panic  in  the  company,  and  they  ran  back  of  the  line  for 
a  few  yards,  and  I  sent  Colonel  Glenn  to  see  what  the  trouble  was,  and 
the  men  were  a  good  deal  excited.  Afterwards  the  captain  came  to  me  and 
I  sent  an  order  to  have  them  remain  there  in  that  position,  and  the  captain 
came  to  me  afterwards  and  asked  me  to  order  them  back  into  the  line, 
which  I  refused  to  do.  I  determined  to  send  them  home.  I  dismissed 
twenty-eight  men  in  one  company.  I  want  to  say  that  I  believe  I  did 
these  men  a  gi*eat  injustice.  Some  of  these  men  tried  to  get  back  here  at 
night.  I  did  not  know  the  circumstances,  and  I  supposed  that  under  the 
excitement  of  the  firing  that  they  had  run  back.  And  when  the  matter 
was  explained  to  me  afterwards,  I  believe  I  did  them  a  great  injustice.  I 
know  I  did,  because  they  did  service  after  worthy  of  all  praise. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.   Did  any  of  your  men  straggle  off  and  desert? 

A.   Some  men  went  awa}r — not  many. 

Q.  How  many  men  had  you  at  night,  or  about  how  man}r,  when  j'ou  dis- 
missed the  regiment? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Ri  >ts,  July,  1877.  373 

A.  I  had  about  one  hundred  and  forty-six  men  and  twenty-seven  officers. 
I  had  my  men  counted  before  I  dismissed  them.  I  was  not  deceived  in 
regard  to  them  from  first  to  last. 

Q.  What  was  the  captain's  name  of  that  company  you  sent  off? 

A.  Captain  Graham. 

Q.  Were  they  veterans  as  a  general  thing — had  seen  service? 

A.  Which? 

Q.  These  men  in  the  company. 

A.  I  could  not  answer  that ;  some  of  them  were,  I  know  that.  All  my 
officers  are  old  veterans,  except  one. 

Q.  You  have  seen  service  in  the  war  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  In  what  capacity  did  you  serve  in  the  army? 

A.  Orderly  sergeant. 

Q.  For  how  long  were  you  in  the  service? 

A.   From  September,  1  "561,  until  the  last  day  of  May,  1 S I j  1 . 

Q.  When  you  were  wounded  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Wiiat  explanation  did  you  have  from  General  Brown  for  disbanding 
the  regiment  or  dismissing  the  regiment  at  that  time? 

A.  There  was  no  explanation  of  it  at  that  time. 

Q.  l'id  you  think  that  that  order  of  General  Brown's  to  dismiss  the  regi- 
ment could  be  justified  on  any  grounds? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  dismissed  your  regiment  upon  that  order,  simply  because  you 
consider  it  your  duty  to  do  so.     You  obeyed  orders  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  obeyed  orders. 

Q.  Where  was  the  Nineteenth  regiment  at  that  time? 

A.  I  only  saw  one  of  the  officers  of  the  Nineteenth  regiment  at  the 
Union  depot,  and  that  was  Captain  Bingham. 

General  A.  L.  Pearson,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside? 

A.  I  live  in  the  city,  sir. 

Q.   What  is  your  profession  ? 

A.  I  am  a  member  of  the  bar  of  this  city. 

Q.  Member  of  the  National  Guard  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  command  the  Sixth  division  National  Guard. 

Q.  With  what  rank  ? 

A.  The  rank  of  major  general. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  late  war  of  the  rebellion  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  ? 

A.  I  entered  the  service  in  the  beginning  of  1882,  as  captain,  and  went 
through  the  intermediate  ranks  of  major,  lieutenant  colonel,  colonel,  and 
was  afterwards  brevetted  brigadier  and  major  general — commanded  a  bri- 
gade at  the  end  of  the  war. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  city  on  the  19th  of  July  last? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  I  was. 

Q.  State  when  you  first  heard  of  the  disturbance  among  the  railroad 
employes,  and  your  connection  with  it  thereafter? 

A.  On  the  evening  of  the  19th  July— Thursday,  I  believe--!  wasgoing  home 
— I  live  just  at  the  Allegheny  arsenal — 1  live  on  Thirty-ninth,  just  directly 
opposite  the  Allegheny  arsenal — going  out  in  the  street  car,  and  I  observed 


374  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

numbers  of  men  standing  up  along  the  railroad.  At  that  time  I  knew  there 
was  no  difficulty.  Had  not  heard  of  any  strike  or  an}'  disturbance  of  any 
kind  or  character.  I  suppose  I  retired  about  half-past  nine  o'clock.  In  the 
neighborhood  of  ten,  or  probably  half-past,  a  carriage  drove  up  to  my  door, 
and  the  bell  rang,  and  I  went  to  the  door  and  found  a  telegraph  dispatch  from 
General  Latta,  asking  if  I  knew  anything  relative  to  the  disturbance  on  the 
Pennsylvania  railroad.  The  messenger  who  was  in  the  carriage  requested 
me  to  go  with  him.  Who  the  gentleman  was  I  do  not  know.  I  went  with 
him. 

Q.  What  time  was  the  message  received  at  the  office  ? 

A.  That  is  what  I  cannot  tell  you. 

Q.  Did  not  notice  that  ? 

A.  1  did  not  notice  it.  I  supposed  it  had  just  been  received,  and 
brought  directly  from  the  office  to  my  residence.  I  received  it  probably  a 
few  minutes  after  ten — between  ten  and  eleven.  I  got  in  the  carriage  and 
accompanied  the  gentleman  down  to  Mr.  Pitcairn's  office,  which  is  at  the 
corner  of  Twenty-sixth  and  Liberty  avenue.  When  I  got  there  I  think 
Mr.  Scott  was  present,  who  was  the  solicitor  of  the  road,  and  several  other 
gentlemen.  They  told  me  about  the  difficulties,  and  stated  that  they  had 
sent  to  Sheriff  Fife!  At  that  time  I  knew  of  no  difficulties.  Did  not  know 
there  were  any  troubles  at  all,  and  I  waited  a  long  time,  and  I  presume  it 
was  in  the  neighborhood  of  twelve  o'clock  when  Sheriff  Fife  arrived,  and 
they  talked  over  the  situation  of  affairs,  and  at  the  request  of  the  sheriff  I 
accompanied  him  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  walking  up  the  track. 

Q.  Twelve  o'clock  at  night? 

A.  I  suppose  in  the  neighborhood  of  twelve  o'clock  in  the  night.  When 
we  arrived  in  the  neighborhood  of  Twenty-eighth  street,  several  shots  were 
fired — not  at  us,  however.  They  were  fired,  I  presume,  in  the  air,  at  least, 
nobody  was  hurt,  and  we  went  in  among  the  crowd,  and  the  sheriff  mounted 
a  little  pile  of  lumber  or  so,  and  told  this  crowd  who  he  was,  and  was  an- 
swered with  most  outrageous  language.  He  told  them  he  was  there  as  a  law 
officer  of  the  county,  and  insisted  upon  them  dispersing.  Told  them  the 
consequences  of  their  illegal  acts.  After  he  had  spoken  sometime,  some 
one,  who  evidently  was  leader  of  the  party,  cried  out,  "  Why,  you  can  go 
and  bring  your  posse,  we  don't  care  a  damn  for  you  or  your  posse.  Mayor 
McCarth}7  and  his  police  are  with  us."  Then  they  mentioned  the  name  of 
some  merchant  who  had  promised  them  a  thousand  bai'rels  of  flour,  and 
another  gentleman  who  promised  them  one  thousand  dollars  if  they  would 
continue.  After  they  had  made  these  remarks,  two  or  three  of  the  fellows 
took  me  one  side,  and  told  me  about  a  man  named  McCall,  who  had  been 
arrested  for  striking  Mr.  Watt,  and  wanted  to  know  if  I  would  defend  him 
next  morning  at  the  mayor's  office  at  ten  o'clock.  I  told  them  if  it  was 
necessary ;  that  I  was  an  attorne}',  and  I  would  go  with  them,  and  advised 
them  to  leave  the  railroad  property  at  that  time.  Talked  to  them  quietly, 
and  promised  to  meet  them  the  next  morning  to  defend  this  fellow  who  had 
struck  Mr.  Watt.  Sheriff  Fife  still  talked  with  the  crowd.  The  crowd 
was  very  large,  and,  while  he  was  talking,  one  or  two,  maybe  three,  dis- 
patches— whether  they  were  telegraphic  dispatches  or  not,  I  do  not  know — 
but  they  received  one  or  two,  and  probably  three  dispatches. 

Q.  The  mob  ? 

A.  The  mob;  and  as  some  person  would  announce  the  fact  that  they  re- 
ceived these  dispatches  they  would  run  hurriedly  with  a  lantern,  and  he 
would  read  it  out.  They  said  we  don't  care  a  damn  for  you,  or  3'our  posse, 
to-morrow  at  eleven  o'clock  we  will  stop  every  road  in  the  Commonwealth. 
There  will  not  be  a  railroad  train  run  to-morrow  after  eleven  o'clock. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187?.  375 

Their  language  was  simply  outrageous.  One  or  two  women  in  the  party 
were,  if  anything,  worse  than  the  men,  and  extended  invitations  to  the 
sheriff  which  he  did  not  accept  at  that  time.  Whether  he  has  or  not,  I 
don't  know.  No  such  invitations  were  extended  to  me,  however.  At  that 
time  I  was  treated  very  civil,  indeed.  Thejr  treated  me  very  nicely  with 
the  exception  of  the  boisterous  language  which  had  been  used  more  directly 
to  the  sheriff.  Finding  nothing  could  be  done  they  insisted  upon  remain- 
ing where  they  were,  and  stopping  the  trains.  We  walked  down  to  the 
telegraph  office  where  we  had  left,  and  there  in  consultation  with  Mr. 
Scott  and  others  who  were  present,  the  sheriff  sent  communications  to  the 
Governor,  to  the  Lieutenant  Governor,  to  the  Adjutant  General,  and  Mr. 
Quay,  and  whether  he  sent  to  any  other  State  officers  or  not  I  can't  say. 
He  hesitated  at  first  in  regard  to  writing  these  communications,  and  said 
he  would  prefer  to  have  his  attorney.  Says  he :  "  I  can't  reach  Mr.  Car- 
nochan,  but  I  will  submit  and  ask  your  advice  in  regard  to  this  matter." 

Q.  That  is,  addressing  himself  to  you  ? 

A.  Addressing  himself  to  me.  I  told  him  I  was  very  free  to  confess 
that  after  having  heard  what  had  been  said  by  the  mob  at  Twenty-eighth 
street,  and  the  fact  that  there  was  not  a  single  police  officer  to  be  seen  in 
that  neighborhood,  although  large  crowds  had  congregated  there,  that  it 
was  more  than  likely  that  what  they  said  in  regard  to  the  mayor  was  true, 
that  everything  looked  very  serious,  that  he  had  but  one  duty  to  perform, 
and  that  was  to  call  out  his  posse  comitatus,  and  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
everything  looked  so  badly  just  then,  that  I  would  not  hesitate,  were  I  the 
sheriff  of  the  county,  under  the  circumstances,  to  notify  the  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral of  the  true  state  of  affairs.  He  then  sent  the  telegraphic  dispatches 
as  I  have  stated. 

Q.  By  whom  were  they  written? 

A.  That  is  what  I  cannot  tell  you,  sir.  They  were  sent,  I  know,  by  the 
sheriff.  They  were  not  written  by  niyself,  and  I  do  not  think  they  were 
written  by  Sheriff  Fife. 

Q.  Were  they  written  by  Mr.  Scott,  the  solicitor  ? 

A.  I  think  it  is  more  than  probable  that  Mr.  Scott  wrote  the  dispatches. 
When  I  knew  he  was  going  to  send  the  dispatches  1  had  other  things  to 
think  about.  I  knew  my  command  was  scattered,  and  I  would  have  a  good 
deal  of  work  to  get  them  out  if  I  was  so  ordered. 

Q.  Who  first  suggested  the  calling  out  of  the  militia  in  that  con- 
versation ? 

A.  That  would  be  hard  to  tell.  The  conversation  was  a  general  one. 
Probably  there  were  half  a  dozen  gentlemen  present  at  that  meeting. 

Q.  Between  yourself  and  the  sheriff? 

A.  There  was  Mr.  Scott  was  there,  and  I  think  Mr.  Watt  and  the  sheriff, 
and  two  or  three  other  railroad  officials,  and  myself.  The  dispatches  were 
sent.  I  telegraphed  General  Latta  that  1  was  then  at  the  telegraph  office, 
and  subject  to  any  orders  that  he  might  send.  At  about  three  o'clock, 
probably  half  past  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  I  received  a  telegraphic 
communication — order  from  General  Latta — ordering  me  to  place  one  regi- 
ment— ordering  out  one  regiment  for  duty.  Upon  that  order  I  telegraphed 
Colonel  Guthrie,  who  resided  at  the  East  End,  telling  him  I  had  ordered 
out  his  regiment — the  Eighteenth  regiment.  I  came  down  to  the  city  and 
stopped  one  or  two  of  the  newspaper  presses,  and  got  my  order — I  think 
it  was  in  the  Gazette  and  the  Dispatch — calling  upon  the  Eighteenth  regi- 
ment to  assemble  at  their  armory  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  report 
at  the  Union  depot  at  seven.  My  adjutant  was  out  of  town,  and  I  had 
no  means  of  reaching  any  members  of  my  staff;  but  having  telegraphed 


3*76  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Colonel  Guthrie,  I  fortunately  met  him  early  on  the  following  morning, 
and  he  had  been  at  work  from  the  time  he  had  received  my  dispatch  in 
getting  his  men  together.  From  the  fact  that  his  regiment  was  scattered 
all  over  town,  it  was  almost  impossible  for  him  to  have  access  to  the  mem- 
bers of  his  command,  and  they  did  not  report  at  the  hour  named,  to  wit : 
seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  but  at  about  twelve  o'clock.  Colonel  Guth- 
rie reported  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel.  I  deemed  it  then — at  that  time,  at 
Tori-ens  station,  where  the  stock-3'ards  were — there  was  a  large  number  of 
sheds,  and  a  great  many  cattle  congregated  there,  and  a  large  crowd  had 
been  there,  and  I  considered  it  was  the  principal  point  of  attack — that  there 
was  more  danger  to  be  apprehended  there  than  any  place  else.  I  conse- 
quently sent  Guthrie  and  his  command  to  Torrens  station  by  rail.  I  had 
telegraphed  General  Latta  of  the  situation  of  affairs,  and  suggested  the 
propriety  of  calling  out  the  remainder  of  my  division,  and  received  an 
answer  thereto,  with  orders  to  that  effect.  General  Brown  lived  at  Mc- 
Kees,  some  distance  below  the  city,  and  I  had  no  means  of  communicat- 
ing. I  consequently  issued  my  orders  directly  to  the  regimental  com- 
manders, Colonel  Gray  and  Colonel  Howard  ;  also,  instructing  Captain 
Breck  to  report  with  two  pieces  of  artillery.  Late  in  the  afternoon  of 
Friday,  probably  in  the  neighborhood  of  half  past  three  o'clock,  Captain 
Breck  reported  with  his  two  pieces  of  artillery,  and  Colonel  Howard  re- 
ported with  but  a  very  few  men — I  suppose,  all  told,  not  fifty  from  his 
regiment.  I  then  ordered  Colonel  Howard  and  Captain  Breck,  with  his 
two  pieces  of  artillery,  to  take  their  position  on  Liberty  avenue,  with  the 
expectation  of  moving  out  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  Mr.  Thaw,  Mr.  Scott, 
and  Mr.  Cassatt.  and  one  or  two  other  gentlemen,  met  at  the  office  of  Mr. 
Butler,  who  was  the  depot  master,  and  wanted  to  know  whether  I  could 
clear  Twenty-eighth  street  with  the  number  of  men  I  then  had — that  was 
about  seventy-five.     I  told  them  there  was  no  doubt  about  my 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  That  was  at  four  o'clock.  I  told  them  there  was  no  doubt  about  my 
ability  to  clear  the  tracks,  at  that  time,  with  the  number  of  men.  That  I 
had  already  ordered  them  to  start,  to  go  out  Liberty  avenue  to  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  and  up  Twenty-eighth,  and  take  possession  of  the  tracks  at 
that  point.  I  had  no  doubt  of  my  ability  to  clear  the  tracks,  at  that  time, 
but  I  was  compelled  to  say  that  it  would  be  at  a  fearful  loss  of  life,  a  thing 
that  I  preferred  to  avert,  if  possible.  Mr.  Thaw  and  Mr.  Scott  both  ex- 
postulated, and  asked  if  I  would  send  an  aid,  and  stop  the  troops  from 
going  at  that  time,  which  I  did.  They  halted  at  the  Catholic  church,  and 
we  then  talked  the  matter  over.  Mr.  Cassatt  thought  it  much  better  to  go 
out  and  take  possession  of  the  property  then,  even  if  there  should  be  a 
trouble.  I  told  them,  then,  that  I  could  go  and  take  possession  of  the 
track,  that  I  thought,  from  the  feeling  that  was  existing  then,  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  me,  with  sevent}^-five  men,  to  hold  the  position.  I  would  clear 
the  tracks,  but  I  would  not  promise  to  hold  the  position  at  that  locality 
After  considerable  conversation,  believing  it  better  to  avert  bloodshed  and 
loss  of  life, and,  acting  upon  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  William  Thaw  and  Mr. 
Scott,  I  re-called  the  troops,  and  brought  them  into  the  Union  depot,  but,  in 
the  meantime,  I  had  visited  Torrens  station,  in  company  with  the  sheriff,  and 
he  there  had  spoken  to  the  crowd,  and  commanded  and  demanded  that 
they  should  disperse.  They  treated  him  with  a  very  great  deal  of  disrespect, 
hurling  all  sorts  of  outrageous  epithets  at  him,  and,  seeing  quite  a  num- 
ber in  the  crowd  whom  I  knew,  not  by  name,  but  whom  I  knew,  I  thought 
if  I  would  talk  to  them  I  might  have  some  influence,  and  I  got  up  011  a 
tender,  and  spoke  to  them.     It  just  had  the  opposite  effect.     They  said, 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  377 

we  don't  care  a  damn  for  you  or  your  troops.  One  man  in  particular  said, 
"  I  have  been  in  the  army  for  four  years,  and  many  of  us  have  been,  and  we 
are  going-  to  have  bread  or  blood,  and  we  will  wade  up  to  our  waists  in 
blood  before  this  thing-  is  over."  1  told  them  that  was  the  language  gener- 
ally used  by  fellows  who  ran  away.  There  was  a  good  many  women  and 
children,  and  I  begged  that  they  would  go  away.  We  then  returned  to 
Twenty-eighth  street,  and  I  again  spoke  to  the  crowd  there,  with  a  like  re- 
sult. After  the  troops  had  been  re-called  into  the  Union  Depot  hotel,  it 
was  suggested  that,  inasmuch  as  very  many  of  the  men  of  my  division 
were  workingmen,  who,  probably,  had  fathers  or  brothers  who  were  directly 
interested  in  the  railroads,  being  employes  of  the  road,  that  their  sympa- 
thies wonld  be  with  those  that  were  opposing  law  and  order,  that  some 
other  troops  should  be  called,  and  Mr.  Cassatt  suggested  that  a  Philadel- 
phia regiment  be  sent  for.  I  telegraphed  to  General  Latta  what  had  been 
suggested,  and,  in  answer  thereto,  he  asked  what  I  thought  of  affairs.  I 
told  him,  from  the  situation  of  affairs,  that  I  thought  it  would  be  much 
better  to  bring  additional  troops  here,  and  that  we  ought  not  to  have  less 
than  two  thousand.  That  there  was  but  one  way  to  avoid  the  shedding  of 
blood  and  loss  of  life,  and  that  was  to  overawe  the  strikers  and  rioters  by 
an  appearance  of  strength.  Acting  upon  that  suggestion,  I  think  General 
Brinton's  command  was  ordered  here.  In  the  evening,  T  received  a  tele- 
graphic dispatch  from  General  Latta,  stating  that  he  had  ordered  General 
Brinton's  division  to  report  to  me.  I  received  a  dispatch  from  General 
Brinton.  stating  that  he  would  leave  at  one  o'clock  with  eighteen  hundred 
men,  fully  armed  and  equipped.  At  that  time,  Colonel  Gray  had  reported 
with  the  Fourteenth  regiment  at  the  Union  depot,  and  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  the  Nineteenth  regiment — Colonel  Howard's  regiment — had  also  re- 
ported, swelling  the  entire  strength  of  the  division  to  the  neighborhood, 
probably,  of  six  hundred  men.  Of  that  number  Colonel  Guthrie,  prob- 
ably, had  two  hundred,  and  over,  men  at  Torrens  station.  Anticipating  the 
arrival  of  General  Brinton  early  on  Saturday  morning  before  daylight,  I 
ordered  Colonel  Gray,  and  Colonel  Howard,  and  Captain  Breck  to  have 
their  men  under  arms,  and  ready  for  any  movement  I  might  suggest. 

Q.  On  Saturday  morning? 

A.  Yes.  sir;  and  I  think  about  two-thirty  o'clock  that  morning,  I  sent 
Colonel  Gray  out,  taking  a  circuitous  route — taking  Bedford  avenue,  so 
as  to  strike  the  top  of  the  hill  directly  opposite  Twenty-eighth  street,  with 
orders  to  deploy  on  the  summit  of  the  hill,  and  move  down,  and  giving  him 
time  to  get  to  that  locality.  I  had  taken  out  Breck's  two  guns  upon  gondola 
cars  and  what  troops  of  the  Nineteenth  had  reported  under  Colonel  How- 
ard, and  just  as  we  reached  Twenty-eighth  street,  Colonel  Gray's  regiment 
could  be  seen  coming  down  from  the  summit  of  the  hill,  and  moving  down 
towards  the  pieces.  At  that  time  there  were  not  many  men  there — not 
many  of  the  mob.  We  disembarked  Captain  Breck's  guns,  and  placed  them 
in  position,  facing  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  commanding  that  position. 
Colonel  Gray  moved  his  command  down,  probably  half  way  down  the  hill 
and  halted.  Colonel  Howard  took  possession  of  the  railroad  tracks,  and 
I  walked  up  to  meet  Colonel  Gi'ay's  command,  and  found  half  a  dozen  men 
who  had  evidently  been  posted  there,  and  we  drove  them  off  the  hill.  We 
pushed  the  crowd  back  clear  to  the  westerly  track,  and  I  told  them  then 
and  there,  that  the  Philadelphia  troops  had  been  ordered  here,  and  that 
we  had  no  blank  ammunition,  that  these  men  were  all  sworn  into  the  ser- 
vice, that  they  had  but  one  duty  to  perform,  and  that  was  to  obey  orders, 
and  that  they  were  there  in  opposition  to  the  law,  and  that  they  must  leave. 

Q.  The  mob  was  there  in  opposition  ? 


378  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  The  mob  was  there  in  opposition  to  the  law,  and  they  must  leave  the 
tracks,  that  the}'  had  no  right  there,  and  that  the  orders  that  1  would  give 
to  my  troops  would  be  to  keep  the  hill  side  clear,  and  the  tracks  open  for 
the  passage  of  any  trains  the  railroad  officials  might  see  fit  to  send.  There 
was  considerable  howling  at  that  time,  and  some  of  them  spoke  about 
wanting  bread,  and  says  I,  "  If  you  want  bread,  if  you  will  go  away  from 
there,  I  will  send  you  a  car  load  of  bread.  I  will  furnish  you  witli  all  the 
bread  you  want,  if  you  go  away  and  let  these  tracks  alone."  The  tracks 
then  were  comparatively  clear.  There  was  no  person  on  the  hill  side  with 
the  exception  of  the  troops.  I  then  gave  directions  to  General  Brown, 
who  had  command  of  the  infantry  portion  of  the  division,  to  keep  the  hill 
side  clear,  and  allow  no  person  upon  the  track,  and  to  hold  it  in  the  posi- 
tion until  he  received  further  orders  from  me.  He  spoke  of  the  fact  that 
Twenty-eighth  street  was  a  public  street,  and  that  the  public  had  a  right 
to  use  it.  I  told  him  that  was  a  matter  he  had  no  concern  about  whatever. 
I  had  the  responsibility  of  closing  up  that  street,  and  I  gave  him  an  order 
to  keep  the  hill  side  clear,  and  the  people  off  the  track,  and  anything  he 
might  do  to  carry  out  that  order  I  would  be  responsible  for,  and  he  would 
be  doing  what  would  place  him  in  no  false  position.  I  then  jumped  on 
the  locomotive,  and  returned  to  the  Union  Depot  hotel.  During  this  time 
numbers  of  people  had  come  to  me  to  expostulate  with  me  for  calling  out 
the  troops.  I  told  them  that  was  a  matter  in  which  I  had  no  concern 
whatever  ;  I  was  merely  obeying  orders.  I  was  a  sworn  officer  of  the  Com- 
monwealth, and  that  every  officer  and  every  man  in  my  command  had  filed 
their  oaths  to  obey  orders.  I  was  there  to  obey  orders,  and  anything  that 
might  happen  would  not  be  upon  my  shoulders,  but  upon  those  who  were 
breaking  the  laws.  I  received  telegrams  from  General  Brinton  from 
various  points  on  his  route  to  Pittsburgh  from  Philadelphia.  When  he 
reached  Pittsburgh,  it  was  then  in  the  neighborhood  of  two  o'clock.  He 
had  about  five  hundred  and  fifty  men  and  two  Gatling  guns,  and  I  think 
twenty  thousand  rounds  of  extra  ammunition.  Upon  his  arrival,  we  fur- 
nished his  command — they  came  in  two  sections — when  the  first  section  ar- 
rived, we  furnished  the  troops  of  that  section  with  such  rations  as  we 
could  procure,  which  was  nothing  more  or  less  than  a  sandwich  and  cup  of 
coffee,  and  probably  thirty  minutes  after  the  second  section  arrived,  and 
we  furnished  the  troops  in  that  section  with  sandwiches  and  coffee.  We 
took  the  ammunition  and  placed  it  in  the  small  building  near  the  track, 
and  I  then  took  General  Brinton  out  and  had  a  consultation  with  General 
Latta,  who  was  then  in  the  Union  Depot  hotel.  He  wanted  to  know  what 
my  plans  were,  and  I  told  him,  and  he  asked  me  the  question,  ,lDo  you 
still  think  that  it  is  better  to  overawe  the  mob  with  the  large  number  of 
troops?"  And  I  told  him,  certainly  I  did,  and  General  Latta  agreed  with 
me.  Says  he,  "  I  think  you  are  pursuing  a  wise  policy.  We  will  try  to 
avert  the  shedding  of  blood  and  loss  of  life  if  possible."  He  then  wanted 
me  to  show  General  Brinton  the  situation  of  affairs,  and  I  drew  a  small 
plot  of  Twenty-eighth  street  and  the  hill,  and  the  track,  the  round-house, 
&c.  And  General  Latta  asked  me,  "Who  will  you  send  out  witli  General 
Brinton  to  show  him  the  situation  ?"  I  told  him  I  had  better  go  out  my- 
self. We  started  out  the  tracks,  taking  the  two  Gatling  guns  by  hand. 
At  that  time  a  large  crowd  was  congregated  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Union  Depot  hotel,  many  of  them  looking  over  the  fences,  and  others  had 
got  inside,  and  were  mingling  witli  the  troops,  but  we  pushed  out  the 
tracks,  and  in  the  neighborhood  of  Twenty-fourth  street  there  was  quite  a 
crowd  lining  the  tracks,  standing  on  the  cars,  occupying  the  side  of  the 
hill.     Probably  at  that  time  there  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  one  thousand 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  379 

five  hundred  or  two  thousand  cars  laden  with  all  kinds  of  goods  there,  and 
I  suggested  to  General  Brinton  the  propriety  of  leaving  a  portion  of  his 
troops  to  guard  his  flank  and  rear,  as  well  as  to  protect  the  cars,  which 
he  did.  I  think  that  was  probably  General  Loud's  brigade,  consisting 
probably  of  three  hundred  men.  They  were  deployed  over  that  locality 
clear  up  to  the  lower  round-house.  We  pushed  on  with  the  balance  of  the 
troops,  headed  by  the  sheriff  and  his  posse.  When  we  got  to  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  instead  of  finding  the  tracks  clear,  and  the  hill  side  clear  of 
people,  there  was  one  dense  mass  of  humanity,  men,  women,  and  children — 
the  hill  side  was  crowded  with  people.  I  could  not  see  Colonel  Gray's 
regiment,  the  Fourteenth.  I  found  a  small  portion  of  the  Nineteenth  oc- 
cupying the  right  hand  track  of  the  railroad,  and  the  entire  tracks  in  pos- 
session of  the  mob.  As  we  went  up  the  track  the  sheriff  was  received  with 
all  manner  of  derisive  shouts,  calling  him  all  sorts  of  names.  I  was  re- 
ceived in  a  like  manner,  but  the  crowd  seemed  to  know  me  very  well  by 
name.  They  pointed  me  out,  and  everything  that  a  dirty,  low  man  could 
say  was  said.  At  that  time  one  of  the  mob  pushed  through  the  line  of 
soldiers  and  struck  at  one  of  the  officers — whether  it  was  General  Brinton, 
or  General  Mathews,  who  commanded  one  of  his  brigades,  I  don't  know. 

Q.  What  did  he  strike  with  ? 

A.  Struck  him  with  his  fist.  I  got  the  fellow  by  the  shoulder  and  quickly 
pushed  him  towards  the  sheriff.  Says  I,  "  Here  is  a  fellow  that  will  make 
trouble  ;  take  charge  of  this  man."  The  sheriff  pushed  him  into  the  midst 
of  his  posse.  At  that  time  there  was  a  fellow  standing  upon  my  right,  just 
off  the  railroad  tracks,  and  he  was  doing  a  good  deal  of  loud  talking  and 
making  all  sorts  of  threats.  I  pointed  him  out  to  the  sheriff,  and  says  I, 
"  Here  is  another  fellow  you  had  better  arrest;  he  will  make  trouble."  I 
pushed  through  the  mob  and  started  up  the  hillside  to  find  where  General 
Brown  was — to  find  where  the  Fourteenth  regiment  was,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  Nineteenth  was.  I  found  Colonel  Howard,  who  commanded  the 
Nineteenth  regiment,  occupying  a  position  on  a  private  road  leading  to  the 
West  Pennsylvania  hospital,  and  asked  him  the  question  what  he  was  doing 
there.  He  said  he  had  been  ordered  to  report  there,  and,  says  he,  "  I  am 
sorry  to  say  you  can  place  but  little  dependence  upon  the  troops  of  your 
division,  and  some  of  the  men  have  thrown  down  their  arms  and  others 
have  left,  and  I  fear  the  situation  very  much ;"  and  spoke  in  like  terms — 
says  he,  "  I  think  the  Fourteenth  regiment  is  in  the  same  position."  I 
then  gave  orders  to  Colonel  Howard  to  move  his  command  in  such  a  posi- 
tion that  they  would  be  of  some  use  in  case  of  attack,  which  he  immediately 
proceeded  to  do.  I  then  came  down,  pushed  through  the  mob,  and  having 
heard  this  information  from  Colonel  Howard  of  the  situation  of  affairs,  and 
finding  General  Brown  was  not  to  be  found,  I  did  not  see  him,  and  did  not 
know  where  he  was — had  not  seen  him  that  day  at  all — and  finding  the 
hill  side  occupied  with  people,  the  tracks  in  complete  possession  of  the  mob, 
the  troops  outnumbered  in  a  very  large  degree,  I  concluded  it  was  my  duty 
then  to  notify  General  Latta  of  the  state  of  affairs,  and  to  ask  that  addi- 
tional troops  be  sent  for.  I  knew  that  four  divisions  had  been  ordered  un- 
der arms  prior  to  that — General  White's,  General  Huidekoper's,  General 
Gallagher's,  and  probably  General  Bolton's,  had  been  ordered  under  arms 
prior  to  that.  As  I  pushed  through  the  mob  I  found  that  General  Brinton 
had  deployed,  by  what  command  I  cannot  state.  But  one  single  line  of 
his  troops  occupied  a  portion  of  the  westerly  track.  There  was  a  single 
rank  facing  the  hill  side,  and  as  1  passed  down  the  company  was  moving 
up  from  his  rear  and  moving  directly  up  the  tracks  towai'ds  Twenty-eighth 
street.     1  left  my  station  there  with  Major  Evans,  walked  down  the  tracks, 


380  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

entered  the  telegraph  office  at  the  corner  of  Twenty-sixth  and  Liberty  ave- 
nue, and  telegraphed  General  Latta  of  the  situation  of  affairs,  asking  if  he 
would  immediately  telegraph  to  the  Fourth  division  commanders  and  or- 
der them  at  once.  Probably  that  had  hardly  taken  place,  and  in  looking 
out  of  the  window  I  found  a  man  carrying  a  boy  across  his  arms  with  his 
legs  dangling  down.  I  remarked  to  Major  Evans  that  I  feared  there  had 
been  a  conflict.  He  went  out  and  came  back  with  the  report  that  a  boy  had 
been  sun-struck.  Just  then  I  heard  a  cry  on  Liberty  avenue,  and  looking 
out  of  the  window  I  found  the  dead  and  wounded  being  carried  past,  and 
the  crowd  rushing  down  to  the  workshops  of  the  railroad.  At  that  instant 
Mr.  Cassatt  came  in.  He  had  been  up  in  the  cupola  of  one  of  the  work- 
shops, and  had  seen  the  firing  and  was  the  first  to  communicate  the  fact  to 
me  that  the  firing  had  taken  place.  I  had  not  even  heard  the  reports  of 
the  muskets.  I  presume  the  noise  of  the  ticking  of  the  telegraphic  instru- 
ments and  the  steam  which  was  up  in  half  a  dozen  locomotives  in  the  ad- 
joining round-hou*e  was  such  that  I  did  not  hear  the  explosion  of  the 
pieces.  Mr.  Cassatt  stated  that  as  the  mob  was  rushing  round  Twenty- 
eighth  street  and  down  Liberty,  towards  the  round-houses,  he  feared  de- 
struction of  property.  The  round-houses  were  .filled  with  locomotives,  the 
workshops  filled  full  of  valuable  machinery,  and  the  tracks  lined  with  cars 
laden  with  all  sorts  of  valuables  of  every  kind  and  character,  and  stated 
that  he  feared  that  property  would  be  destroyed.  I  had  sent  word  to  Gen- 
eral Brinton  asking  him,  if  necessary,  to  send  a  staff  officer  to  me  or  com- 
municate in  person.  He  came  in  in  a  moment  or  two,  stating  that  he  had 
cleared  the  tracks ;  that  the  mob  had  fired  upon  his  troops ;  that  many  of 
the  men  had  been  knocked  down  by  stones  and  pieces  of  iron,  and  without 
orders  his  troops  had  fired  into  the  crowd;  that  the  tracks  were  cleared, 
and  that  he  was  ready,  and  if  they  had  any  trains  to  send  them  out.  It 
was  then  stated  by  some  of  the  railroad  officials  that  they  had  no  crews  to 
send  out  trains,  and  Brinton  suggested  that  in  as  much  as  nothing  could 
be  done  that  night,  and  his  men  were  almost  in  a  famished  condition,  that 
they  be  brought  into  the  round-houses  or  workshops.  I  then  stated  that  it 
was  the  only  thing  to  be  done  to  save  the  property  of  the  road.  I  issued 
orders  to  General  Brinton  to  bring  his  troops  in  and  to  occupy  the  round- 
house, and  I  sent  direct  communications  to  Colonel  Howard  and  Colonel 
Gray  ordering  them  to  bring  their  regiments  in  and  take  possession  of  the 
transfer  offices,  which  were  long  wooden  sheds,  extending  from  Twenty- 
third,  I  think,  to  Twenty-fourth  street.  My  orders  were  obeyed.  Captain 
Breck  brought  two  pieces  of  his  battery  in  and  placed  them  in  position, 
facing  Twenty-sixth  street.  Brinton's  two  Gatling  guns  were  brought  in 
and  placed  in  a  like  position.  The  gates  fronting  Twenty-eighth  street 
were  closed,  and  everything  at  that  time  in  as  good  a  condition  as  could 
possibly  be.  Mr.  Pitcairn,  superintendent  of  the  western  division  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  who  had  been  an  observer  of  all  the 
Twenty-eighth  street  troubles,  came  in,  and  I  suggested  the  propriety  that 
they  should  go  down  and  send  out  rations  from  the  depot  hotel.  They 
said  they  would,  and  they  started  off'  for  that  purpose.  Towards  evening 
an  express  wagon  came  up.  General  Brinton  and  his  staff  was  occupying 
the  ■second  story,  then,  of  the  telegraph  office,  and  I  had  my  station  there. 
We  were  congratulating  ourselves  upon  the  fact  that  we  were  going  to  have 
at  least  one  decent  meal.  We  could  see  the  express  wagon  coming  up  with 
the  supper,  and  just  at  that  time  the  crowd  made  a  rush  upon  the  wagon 
and  took  entire  possession,  and  instead  of  supper  we  got  broken  dishes 
through  the  windows,  which  did  not  add  much  to  the  good  feeling  existing 
in  the  building  at  that  time.     And  after  that  an  Irishman — I  know  he  was  an 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  381 

Irishman  by  the  cut  of  his  jib  and  his  language — drove  up  on  a  bob-tailed, 
lantern-jawed  horse  and  made  a  very  inflammatory  speech  to  the  mob  right 
in  front  of  the  gate.  It  was  a  very  ludicrous  speech,  and  the  mob  seemed 
to  take  it  as  such,  because  one  of  them  pulled  off  a  piece  of  board  off  a  fence 
and  struck  the  horse  over  the  back,  and  the  last  we  could  see  of  this  Irish 
orator  he  was  going  down  Liberty  avenue.  Then  a  few  shots  were  fired 
through  the  windows,  and  stones  thrown,  and  General  Brinton  insisted 
upon  firing  into  the  crowd  with  his  Gatling  guns.  I  expostulated  with  him, 
telling  him  the  situation  was  not  serious  enough  to  use  his  guns  at  that 
time,  because  then  on  Liberty  avenue,  directly  in  connection  with  where 
we  were,  there  were  very  few  of  the  rioters.  Down  Twenty-sixth  and  up 
there  probably  there  were  a  thousand  men,  women,  and  children  congre- 
gated, and  particularly  women  and  children,  and  as  his  officers  would  go 
up  to  his  Gatling  guns  the  active  rioters  who  were  on  Liberty  avenue  would 
get  behind  the  stone  wall,  leaving  Twenty-sixth  street  exposed.  I  ran  out 
and  called  attention  to  the  fact.  Says  I,  "  If  you  fire  now  instead  of  killing 
these  people  that  should  be  killed,  you  will  kill  a  large  number  of  women 
and  children  who  are  merely  idle  spectators,"  and  gave  direct  orders  to 
one  of  the  officers  not  to  fire  that  gun.  The}'  apparently  cooled  down  and 
returned  into  the  building,  and  the  thing  was  repeated.  I  then  gave  orders 
again  that  until  the  affairs  became  more  desperate  that  there  was  no  occa- 
sion to  use  the  Gatling  gun,  because  the  actiAre  rioters  would  not  be  injured — 
that  merely  women  and  children  would  be  knocked  down  in  the  streets.  At 
eight  o'clock — in  the  neighborhood  of  eight  and  nine  o'clock — General 
Brinton  had  been  complaining  during  this  time  of  the  half-famished  condi- 
tion of  his  troops,  and  I  knew  the  fact  that  they  were  in  a  half-famished 
condition,  and  I  knew  my  own  troops  were  no  better  off.  My  commissary — 
the  officer  who  attended  to  the  commissary  of  my  division — was  at  Torrens 
station.  General  Brinton  was  at  the  Union  depot,  and  he  asked  me  the 
question,  "  Can  you  not  go  down  and  try  to  get  some  provisions  of  some 
kind  to  carry  to  my  troops?"  Says  I,  "I  think  I  can."  At  that  time 
everything  was  apparently  quiet,  and,  accompanied  by  the  members  of  my 
staff,  we  started  down  the  railroad  track,  leaving  General  Brinton  in  com- 
mand at  that  place,  leaving  him  with  orders  to  hold  the  position. 
Q.  Where  was  Cassatt  ? 

A.  Mr.  Cassatt  had,  long  before  this,  gone  to  the  Union  Depot  hotel.     I 
do  not  think  any  of  the  railroad  employes  were  there  at  all. 
Q.  What  time  was  it  you  started  ? 
A.  I  think  it  was  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  that  night.     We  started 

down  the  tracks,  and  when  we  reached  the  depot 

Q.  Were  you  dressed  in  uniform  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  ni}T  entire  staff  was  in  uniform.  All  had  our  swords  and  every- 
thing. When  we  reached  the  depot,  everything  was  silent  as  a  grave- 
yard in  and  about  the  depot,  and  we  passed  down  and  entered  the  Union 
Depot  hotel.  We  went  up  to  General  Latta's  room,  and  there  found  Gen- 
eral Latta,  Colonel  Quay,  and  Mr.  Farr,  the  Governor's  private  secretary, 
Colonel  Norris,  of  the  Governor's  staff,  and  several  other  gentlemen.  There 
seemed  to  be  a  very  great  deal  of  surprise  manifested  at  the  fact  that  we 
had  got  through  the  crowd  and  reached  the  Union  depot.  I  had  estab- 
lished my  head-quarters  there  at  the  beginning  of  the  entire  affair,  and  it  was 
then  suggested  that,  inasmuch  as  the  rioters  had  blamed  me  for  ordering  the 
firing  and  killing  the  citizens,  that  1113'  remaining  in  further  command  of 
the  troops  would  only  aggravate  affairs,  and  that  was  doing  a  very  material 
injury  to  the  troops,  and  it  was  stated  by  some  one  in  the  room  that  the 
rioters  had  gone  through  the  hotel  looking  for  me.     That  they  had  gone 


382  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

from  the  cellar  to  the  roof,  and  if  found,  I  and  any  with  roe,  would  be 
hanged.  I  thought  the  threat  was  an  idle  one,  and  wanted  to  know  what 
they  wanted  me  to  do.  At  that  time  we  could  hear  bodies  of  men  march- 
ing up  with  drums  and  fifes,  and  hear  them  shouting. 

Q.   What  room  was  that  ? 

A.  General  Latta's  room,  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel.  And  then  General 
Latta  suggested  me — he  asked  the  question — and  says  he,  "  Is  General 
Brinton  in  command  out  at  the  round-house."  Says  I,  "  He  is."  Saj^s 
he,  "  Then  I  think  the  best  thing  we  can  do  for  the  situation  of  affairs  and 
the  protection  of  your  troops,  and  to  try  and  quell  this  disturbance,  is  for 
you  to  go  away  from  here.  If  you  do  not  go,  you  will  be  hanged."  I  told 
him  there  was  a  sufficient  number  of  us  there  to  make  a  hanging  very 
agreeable  to  all,  and  I  did  not  think  there  was  much  danger ;  if  any  one 
was  hanged,  somebody  would  be  hurt.  He  said  it  was  no  time  to  use  any 
levity  ;  the  situation  was  very  serious,  and  my  life  was  not  worth  a  penny, 
and  that  my  remaining  in  command  of  the  troops  was  doing  an  injury; 
that  I  had  been  blamed  for  the  whole  thing.  I  asked  him  what  he  wanted 
me  to  do. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  in  the  evening  ? 

A.  It  was  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock. 

Q.  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  Saturday  night.  Says  I,  "What  do  you  want  me  to  do?  Do  you 
wish  me  to  change  my  head-quarters  ?  If  so,  will  I  go  to  the  Mononga- 
hela  house  ?  "  "  No  ;  you  will  just  be  as  bad  off  there  as  here,"  and  then 
Major  Evans,  of  my  staff,  spoke  up,  and  said,  "General  Latta,  if  you 
insist  that  this  ought  to  be  done,  let  General  Pearson  come  to  my  house." 
General  Latta  said,  "Yes;  that  is  the  very  thing  to  do."  I  had  never 
been  at  Major  Evans'  house,  but  knew  it  was  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
address  was  taken  by  General  Latta,  and  I  think  by  Mr.  Farr,  of  the  Gov- 
ernor's staff.  At  that  time,  Mr.  Dalzell,  one  of  the  attorneys  of  the  road, 
came  into  the  room,  and  I  spoke  to  him,  and  I  spoke  to  Quay.  Says  I, 
"  Mr.  Quay,  do  you  think  I  ought  to  leave  this  place  ?"  Says  he  :  "I  cer- 
tainly do.  The  situation  of  affairs  is  such  in  the  manner  in  which  you  are 
blamed  for  this,  that  you  are  doing  an  injury  to  the  troops  ;"  and  others  of 
the  Governor's  staff  spoke  up  in  the  same  way.  Says  I,  "  Very  well,  I 
take  this  as  an  order,  but  before  I  go  I  will  leave  you  three  members  of 
the  staff."  I  left  my  brother,  Mr.  Murray,  and  Major  Steen,  stating  that 
I  would  be  prepared  to  perform  any  duty.  That  these  officers  knew  where 
I  could  be  found,  and  anything  they  wished  done,  I  would  do.  Major 
Evans  and  myself  left.  There  was  no  possible  way  of  getting  out  front, 
and  we  crossed  a  small  bridge,  and  went  up  over  the  hill-side,  and  reached 
Major  Evans'  house.  At  that  time  there  had  not  been  a  car  fired,  and  there 
had  been  no  torch  communicated  to  anything — buildings  or  cars. 

Q.  Where  was  Major  Evans'  house? 

A.  Major  Evans'  house  is  situated  in  what  is  known  as  Oakland.  I  do 
not  know  what  street  he  does  live  on. 

Q.  What  distance  from  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  I  suppose  it  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  mile  and  a  half.  We  reached 
Ma}ror  Evans'  house,  and  I  then  sent  him  over  to  find  out,  if  he  could  as- 
certain anything  about  my  family.  I  had  heard  my  house  was  ransacked, 
and  I  know  that  my  daughter  had  been  driven  away.  She  drove  down  in 
an  open  buggy  after  the  firing.  Came  down  to  Twenty-sixth  street  and 
the  round-house,  where  the  troops  were,  drove  through  the  mob,  and  tried 
to  get  some  communication  from  me.  It  had  been  reported  that  I  was 
shot.     It  was  impossible  to  get  any  communication  with  her,  and  the  mob 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187?.  383 

drove  her  off.  I  sent  Major  Evans  over  to  see  if  he  could  find  out  any- 
thing about  my  family.  While  he  was  gone,  Colonel  Moore  and  my  brother 
came  out  for  me  to  give  him  an  order  for  ammunition  at  the  Allegheny 
arsenal.  The  ammunition  had  been  stored  there  and  could  not  be  taken 
out,  except  by  my  order.  I  gave  the  necessary  orders.  At  that  time  every- 
thing was  quiet.  They  started  away  with  the  orders  for  ammunition.  Sub- 
sequently Major  Evans  came  in  and  reported  that  so  far  as  he-could  learn 
everything  was  quiet.  At  about  ten  o'clock,  Sunday  morning,  I  was 
wakened  up  and  told  of  the  fact  that  the  rioters  and  mob  had  set  fire  to 
the  cars  and  burned  out  the  round-house,  and  I  immediately  sent  a  written 
communication  to  General  Latta,  by  Major  Evans,  stating  that  I  had 
heard  what  had  taken  place,  and  desired  to  receive  some  instructions  from 
him.  That  I  was  ready  to  perform  any  service,  and  to  do  any  duty,  and 
to  go  any  place,  and  suggested  the  propriety  of  immediately  telegraphing 
the  Governor  for  his  return.  Probably  about  one  or  two — it  might  have 
been  after  that — Sunday  afternoon  I  received  a  verbal  reply  by  Major 
Evans  stating  that  General  Latta  had  stated  for  me  to  remain  where  I  was 
until  I  got  further  orders.  My  appearance  then  would  only  aggravate 
matters  and  do  more  harm  than  good,  and  for  Major  Evans  to  report  on 
the  Monday  following.  I  sent  Major  Evans  in  on  the  Monday  morning, 
and  at  the  same  time  General  Latta  had  left.  I  believe  he  did  not  see 
him.     I  know  nothing  at  all  about  the  situation  of  affairs  from  that  time  up. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  at  Major  Evans'? 

A.  I  remained  several  days  there,  and  the  family  being  a  strange  family 
to  me — had  never  seen  his  family.  I  knew  the  major  very  well — and  having 
received  intelligence  that  there  was  a  likelihood  of  the  major's  house  being 
mobbed,  and  not  desiring  to  put  them  in  a  situation  of  that  kind,  1  left 
Major  Evans'  house.  Subsequent  to  that — of  course,  when  I  left  the  Union 
Depot  hotel,  I  looked  upon  that  as  being  virtually  a  relief  from  my  com- 
mand, and  found,  by  reading  the  daily  papers,  that  General  Brown  had  as- 
sumed command  of  the  division.  I  think  it  was  the  1st  of  August — a 
number  of  clays  subsequent,  anyhow — I  received  an  official  communication 
from  the  Governor,  instructing  me  to  hold  my  command  in  readiness  to 
move  at  an  hour  not  later  than  eight  o'clock,  and  to  go  up  to  Luzerne 
coal  regions,  where  difficulties  were  apprehended. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  go  ? 

A.  At  that  time  I  found  that  the  division  had  been  ordered  to  disband — 
verbal  orders  had  been  given  by  General  Brown  to  disband  the  troops,  and 
by  accident  I  was  at  Colonel  Guthrie's  head-quarters,  and  1  suggested  the 
propriety  of  him  not  disbanding  just  at  that  time,  and  he  concluded  that 
he  would  not.  That  he  would  have  a  street  parade  of  his  regiment  that 
evening.  I  returned  to  my  head-quarters,  and  when  I  returned,  I  got  orders 
from  the  Governor,  ordering  me  to  have  my  division  in  readiness  to  start 
off  at  an  hour  not  later  than  eight  o'clock.  I  immediately  communicated 
with  various  officers  of  the  division,  and  at  the  hour  indicated  I  was  ready 
to  move  with  the  entire  command.  Transportation  could  not  be  procured  at 
that  time,  and  we  did  not  leave  until  the  neighborhood  of  twelve  o'clock — 
started  off  with,  I  think,  one  thousand  and  thirty-five  men,  and  went  to 
Luzei'ne  county.  Do  you  desire  me  to  give  an  account  of  how  we  pro- 
ceeded there,  and  what  took  place  ? 

Q.  You  might  state  whether  the  mob  went  to  }^our  house  in  search  of 
you  ? 

A.  Of  my  own  personal  knowledge,  of  course,  I  do  not  know.  From 
what  I  have  heard,  theydid  go. 


334  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

Q.  You  ordered  Colonel  Gray  and  Colonel  Howard  to  move  their  com- 
mands to  the  transfer  station,  1  believe  you  said  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  I  did  that,  because  I  considered  it  my  duty  to  put  these 
men  in  positions  I  considered  the  most  dangerous — they  were  my  own 
troops.  The  transfer  sheds  were  long,  low  frame  buildings,  extending  prob- 
ably in  the  neighborhood  of  a  square,  open  and  unprotected,  and  I  thought 
it  was  my  duty  at  least  to  expose  my  own  troops  much  more  than  strangers 
who  were  coming  here  from  a  long  distance.  I  placed  General  Brinton's 
command  in  brick  buildings. 

(4.  Was  it  General  Brinton's  suggestion,  or  because  you  deemed  it  the 
best  position,  that  you  placed  him  in  the  round-house? 

A.  I  found  that  no  trains  were  to  be  run  at  all,  that  it  would  be  mere 
and  utter  foolishness  to  keep  General  Brinton's  troops  standing  upon  the 
railroad  tracks,  and  to  place  them  upon  the  hill  side  would  be  exposing 
that  command  to  danger,  as  all  the  hill  side  and  all  the  buildings  on  it 
were  filled  up  by  railroaders,  I  believe,  and  consequently,  to  place  General 
Brinton's  command  on  the  hill  side  would  subject  them  to  any  troubles 
that  might  occur  from  the  railroaders  living  above  them,  and  of  the  mob 
getting  round  on  top.  Then,  the  further  fact  that  the  mob  wovdd  have 
taken  possession  of  the  round-house  and  used  the  cars  as  barricades,  and 
he  could  do  nothing.  He  suggested  the  propriety  of  bringing  them  into 
the  round-house,  and  giving  them  some  chance  to  rest,  and  getting  them 
provisions;  and  I  say  now,  that  knowing  all  the  facts  of  the  case,  if  the 
thing  was  to  be  done  over  again  to-morrow,  I  would  do  exactly  what  was 
done.  To  have  placed  them  in  any  other  position  than  that  in  which  they 
were  placed,  would  have  been  a  piece  of  folly  that  1  would  not  be  guilty 
of.  A  man  that  would  have  taken  troops  and  place  I  them  upon  the  hill 
side,  under  the  situation  of  affairs,  1  would  characterize  as  an  ass,  and 
not  worthy  of  commanding  troops. 

Q.  Would  it  not  have  been  better  to  have  retired  the  troops  to  the  Union 
depot,  inasmuch  as  there  were  no  trains  to  be  moved  that  night '( 

A.  it  would  have  been  a  great  deal  pleasanter  to  the  troops,  but  it  would 
have  given  entire  possession  of  the  cars,  round-houses,  workshops,  locomo- 
tives, and  the  entire  moving  machinery  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad — 
placed  it  entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  mob. 

Q.  Could  you  not  have  sent  out  detachments  to  have  driven  away  any 
mob  that  might  have  gathered  for  the  purpose  of  burning  buildings  ? 

A.  Tnat  might  have  been  done  in  an  open  field,  but  the  fact  that  the 
railroad  tracks  ran  along  Liberty  avenue,  are  probably  ten  or  twelve  feet 
above  the  grade  on  Liberty  avenue,  and  then  on  the  right  of  the  tracks  is 
a  hill  side,  and  Brinton  did  not  bring  one  thousand  eight  hundred  men, 
Brinton  brought  about  six  hundred  men,  and  Colonel  Guthrie  was  at 
Torrens,  and  to  have  scattered  the  few  men  out  along  the  railroad  tracks — 
men  who  did  not  know  the  situation  of  aifairs,  and  did  not  know  tin'  gen- 
eral locality  of  the  ground,  they  would  be  subject  to  all  sorts  of  annoy- 
ance, and  could  be  shot  down  at  pleasure  by  those  people.  There  is  one 
thing  the  committee  must  understand,  that  this  mob  did  not  only  con- 
gregate at  Twenty-eighth  street.  They  formed  in  position  on  the  south 
side;  that  they  came  over  in  a  compact  body  by  regiments.  They  formed 
in  different  localities  in  Allegheny  City,  and  different  places,  and  they  were 
all  inarched  to  a  given  point,  and  to  have  sent,  ;i  few  troops  along  the  line 
of  the  track  they  could  have  picked  them  up,  one  by  one,  and  carried  them 
oil'  body  and  breeches.  There  was  but  one  thing  to  do,  and  it  was  to  take 
possession  of  the  buildings,  and  the  only  mistake  that  was  made  was  Gen- 
eral Brinton's  not  calling  out  his  pickets  and  shooting  down  the  people,  as 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  385 

they  should  have  been  shot  down,  and  the  property  would  have  been  saved 
and  if  it  had  been  saved,  Genei'al  Brinton  and  others  would  have  been 
hanged  for  murder,  because  the  feeling  in  this  community  at  that  time  was 
such  that  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  fact  that  the  railroad  property  had  been 
burned  down,  and  private  property  had  been  taken  and  robbed,  and  private 
buildings  burned  down,  there  was  no  officer  in  command  of  troops  safe, 
and  his  life  was  not  worth  a  penny.  The  feeling  in  the  community  was 
such  that  I  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  indictments  would  have  been  found 
and  the  officers  convicted  of  manslaughter. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Is  there  no  similarity  between  this  riot,  and  the  military  force  meet- 
ing the  enemy  in  the  field  of  battle  ? 

A.  Certainly  not.  Meeting  an  enemy  on  a  field  of  battle,  you  go  there  to 
kill.  The  more  you  kill,  and  the  quicker  you  do  it,  the  better;  but  in  this 
instance  you  had  a  division  of  six  hundred  men — my  division  was  six  hun- 
dred men.  Colonel  Guthrie  was  at  Torrens,  surrounded  by  a  mob.  The 
balance  of  my  troops  were  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  here  you  had  men 
who  had  fathers  and  brothers  and  relatives  mingled  in  the  crowd  of  riot- 
ers, and  it  was  very  natural  for  them  to  have  a  feeling  that  to  fire  then  and 
kill  these  men,  was  like  shooting  their  own  relatives.  The  sympathy  of 
the  people,  the  sympathy  of  the  troops,  my  own  sympathy,  was  with  the 
strikers  proper.  We  all  felt  that  those  men  were  not  receiving  enough  wages. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  say  you  meet  an  enemy  on  a  field  of  battle,  and  you  go  there  to 
kill.  What  was  the  purpose  of  the  troops  ingoing  out  to  Twenty-eighth 
street  ? 

A.  The  purpose  of  the  troops  was  to  try  to  preserve  order  and  preserve 
peace.  There  would  be  no  difficulty  of  us  going  out  there  and  commencing 
to  shoot  if  that  had  been  an  enemy.  The  first  thiug  we  would  have  done, 
would  be  to  throw  out  a  skirmish  line  and  commence  to  shoot. 

Q.  You  were  to  preserve  the  peace  at  all  hazards — if  necessary  to  pre- 
serve the  peace  to  call,  you  are  justifiable  in  doing  it  ? 

A.   Certainly. 

Q.  When  an  attack  is  made  upon  your  troops  with  clubs  and  stones,  and 
firing  into  your  troops,  are  you  not  justified  in  killing  ? 

A.  My  opinion  may  be  different  from  a  great  many  other  military  men. 
I  look  at  it  in  this  way :  when  troops  are  officered,  it  is  the  duty  of  the 
officers  to  do  the  thinking.  If  every  man  that  carries  a  musket  has  a  right 
to  think  and  shoot  just  as  he  thinks,  there  is  no  occasion  to  have  any  offi- 
cers at  all,  because,  when  we  started  out  from  the  Union  Depot  hotel  these 
Philadelphia  men  were  insulted  long  before  they  arrived.  Colonel  Guthrie 
was  insulted  at  Torrens,  and  if  each  man  had  carried  out  his  own  thoughts 
and  commenced  to  shoot,  it  would  have  showed  a  great  want  of  discipline. 

Q.  Would  not  the  commanding  officer  be  justifiable  in  giving  the  com- 
mand to  tire  ? 

A.  Most  undoubtedly  so.  He  would  not  only  be  justifiable,  but  it  would 
be  his  duty  so  to  do,  and  I  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying,  from  what  I  have 
learned  from  the  manner  in  which  General  Brinton's  troops  were  received 
and  treated,  and  the  shots  that  were  fired  at  them,  the  stones  that  were 
hurled  at  them,  and  the  fact  that  these  men  were  knocked  down,  it  was  his 
duty  to  have  given  the  order  to  fire,  and  if  I  had  been  there  I  would  have 
had  no  hesitancy  in  giving  the  order. 

Q.  What  I  understand  you  to  say  is,  that  there  was  not  a  public  senti- 
ment that  would  have  justified  the  commanding  officer  in  giving  that  com- 
mand to  kill  ? 

25  Riots. 


Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  The  sentiment  afterwards  showed  that  the  sentiment  was  directly 
against  the  firing. 

Q.  Do  yon  mean  to  sav  that  the  civil  authorities,  the  ciyil  arm  of  the 
government,  would  not  have  protected  the  military  officer  in  giving  a  com- 
mand to  fire  under  circumstances  of  the  attack  made  there  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street  on  the  militia  ? 

A.  I  have  got  to  answer  that  in  a  twofold  capacity.  As  a  lawyer.  I 
believe  that  the  courts  would  most  undoubtedly  have  sustained  the  offi- 
cer. I  believe  that  the  mayor  and  his  police  were  in  direct  opposition  to 
the  troops — after  having  heard  the  crowd  state  that  the  mayor  and  his 
police  were  in  sympathy  with  them,  and  finding  that  no  arrests  had  been 
made,  and  knowing  the  fact  that  upon  every  occasion  that  mayor's  police 
were  only  too  anxious  to  protect  men  up  for  disorderly  conduct,  that 
there  was  not  a  police  officer  to  be  found  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  that 
no  arrests  had  been  made,  although  there  was  any  number  of  chances  to 
arrest  for  disorderly  conduct  and  other  offenses — finding  that  none  of 
those  officers  were  there.  I  had  no  other  way  to  think  that  these  men  had 
said  truly,  that  Mayor  McCarthy  and  his  police  were  in  sympathy  with 
the  mob.  I  telegraphed  Mayor  McCarthy  after  the  troop-  had  been  taken 
into  the  round-house — I  telegraphed  him.  and  I  told  him  I  thought  his 
presence  there  might  be  the  means  of  saving  life.  I  believe  then,  and  I 
believe  now.  that  if  Mayor  McCarthy  had  come  at  that  time  and  talked  to 
the  crowd,  something  might  have  been  done.  There  was  then  a  terrible 
feeling  against  the  troops,  and  no  feeling  against  the  police.  I  believed 
then,  and  I  believe  now.  that  if  he  had  responded  to  my  telegraph,  many 
valuable  lives  might  have  been  saved.  There  was  no  sympathy  extended 
to  the  troops  by  anybody  outside  of  the  sheriff  and  his  posse.  The  sheriff 
and  his  posse  were  the  only  ones  that  gave  any  aid  or  assistance  to  the 
troops.     He  did  oil  that  he  knew  how  and  all  that  he  could. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  communication  with  the  sheriff,  after  the  firing  at 
Twenty-eighth  street ': 

A.  X".  sir;   I  did  not  see  the  sheriff  after  that. 

i>.  Do  you  know  where  he  went  ? 

A.   I  have  no  idea. 

Q.  You  were  in  communication  with  him  up  to  that  time  ? 

A.   Certainly:   he  was  at  the  head  of  the  troo]  s. 

Q.  And  you.  as  commanding  officer,  were  to  protect  him  in  making  his 
arrests  ': 

A.  Yes;  he  was  armed  with  warrants  from  Judg<    Y   nng  I     an    st  cer- 
tain parties  therein  named,  and  we  went  out  with  him. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  You  speak  of  an  order  you  receive!   from  General  Latta.     Did  that 
order  purport  to  be  signed  by  order  oi  the  Governor,  sent  by  him  as  A    - 
-   neral? 

A.  No,  sir:  it  was  not  by  order  of  the  Governor:  it  was  a  telegraphic 
communication,  ordering  me  to  order  out  one  regiment. 

Q.    Was  it  official  ? 

A.  1  think  so.  I  have  not  got  it. -because  they  were  destroyed  at  the 
Union  depot.  I  think  the  Adjutant  General's  report  -  -  all  those  tele- 
grams.     1  think  that  gives  all  the  telegrams  that  [    38 

Q.    Did  you.  at  any  time,  give  an  order  to  the  troop-  to  f 

A.   I  am  sorrj        -   \  that  I  did  not.     I  am  sorry  to  say  1  was  not  there 

n  the  occasion  required  such  an  order.     If  I   had  been  there.  I  would 

have  given  the  order,  and  in  such  a  manner  that  the  act  -        aid 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1STT.  3ST 

receive  their  reward  of  merit.     They  deserved   it,  and  they  ought  to  have 
had  it.     I  am  only  sorry  bo  say  I  was  not  there. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee: 

Q.  You  said  the  people  expostulated  with  you  about  calling  out  the 
troops.     What  people  were  they  that  came  to  you  and  expostulated  ? 

A.  Oh.  very  early  in  the  morning.  Of  course,  the  Friday  morning  pa- 
pers had  the  order,  and  people  came  to  me,  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel,  and 
say.  "  You  ought  not  to  do  this  thing;  these  men  are  workingmen  :  thev 
have  their  rights." 

Q.  Were  there  many  of  them — more  than  two  or  three  ? 

A.  I  was  stopped  on  the  street  by  women — respectable  women.  I  was 
stopped  in  the  streets  by  business  men  of  the  place. 

Q.  Business  men  of  the  place  expostulated  with  you  ? 

A.  Yes  :  and  after  the  firing,  men  came  to  me  and  insisted  upon  my  taking 
the  troops  out  of  the  round-house.  I  want  to  say  this  in  regard — there 
may  be  an  impression  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  the  Sixth  division 
responded  to  my  order — that  it  may  not  be  known  to  the  committee  that 
we  have  no  direct  way  of  calling  out  the  troops — that  is.  by  any  alarm — 
not  by  a  fire  alarm  or  anything  of  that  kind.  An  officer  has  to  hunt  up 
his  officers,  and  they,  in  turn,  have  got  to  hunt  up  their  men,  who  are  scat- 
tered all  over  through  two  cities,  an  1  when  L  notified  Colonel  Guthrie,  I 
found  him  early  in  the  morning  and  he  was  hard  at  work,  and  they  re- 
sponded as  promptly  as  any  regiment  could  possibly  respond.  There  was 
no  way  to  get  his  men  together  any  sooner  than  they  did.  They  went  to 
Torrens  station,  as  per  order,  and  I  believe  remained  intact  until  the  6th 
or  Tth  day  of  September.  I  do  not  know  of  them  having  disbanded  for  a 
single  instant,  from  the  time  that  the}-  svere  first  called  out,  until  the  end 
of  the  trouble  in  Luzerne  county,  and  the  Fourteenth  regiment,  as  I  have 
subsequently  learned,  performed  their  service  as  well  as  a  regiment  could. 
They  had  been  ordered  to  disband,  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  Colonel  Gray 
and  his  officers,  and  nearly  obeyed  an  order  made  by  a  superior  officer. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  You  knew  nothing  of  the  command  which  General  Brown  gave? 

A.  No.  sir;  there  are  officers  who  heard  the  command  and  know  all 
about  that. 

Q.  He  did  it  upon  his  own  responsibility  ? 

A.  Certainly.  Had  General  Brown  carried  out  the  instructions  he  re- 
ceived at  Twenty-eighty  street,  and  kept  the  hill  side  and  the  tracks  clear, 
with  the  plans  I  had  adopted  of  taking  General  Brinton  out,  and  letting 
him  occupy  the  position,  and  sending  a  portion  of  General  Brown's  com- 
mand to  Colonel  Gutherie.  and  used  a  portion  for  the  taking  out  of  train-. 
I  think  there  would  have  been  no  subsequent  troubles.  Instead  of  that 
we  found  the  ground  entirely  occupied  and  in  possession  of  the  rioters  and 
sympathizers,  and  the  result  was  just  as  you  know. 

Q.  Could  the  destruction  of  property  have  been  prevented  by  any  other 
distribution  of  the  troops  that  night,  do  you  think  ? 

A.  I  presume,  had  we  known  the  fact  that  the  rioters  had  converted 
themselves  from  men  to  devils,  and  had  concluded  to  roast  everybody 
alive,  and  gone  into  it  in  the  manner  in  which  they  did,  that  something 
might  have  been  done.  Of  course,  no  one  could  anticipate  the  fact  that 
those  men  would  send  burning  flames  of  oil  down  upou  the  troops  in  the 
round-house.     Xo  man  living  could  ever  think  of  such  a  thins:. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  until  ten  o'clock,  to-morrow 
morning. 


388  Report  op  Committee.  TNo.  29, 


MORNING  SESSION. 

Pittsburgh,  Friday,  February  22,  1S78. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  ten  o'clock.    Mr.  Lind- 
sey  in  the  chair.     All  members  present. 

Mayor  W.  C.  McCarthy,  affirmed  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Where  is  your  residence  ? 

A.  My  residence  is  95,  Robert  street,  Eleventh  ward. 

Q.  What  official  position  did  you  hold  in  this  city  last  July  ? 

A.  I  was  mayor  of  the  city. 

Q.  How  long  had  you  occupied  that  position  ? 

A.  Since  the   1st  day  of  February,  1875 — the  last  time — I  occupied  it 
before. 

Q.  When  did  you  first  learn  of  any  disturbance  at  the  Pennsylvania 
railroad? 

A.  On  Thursday,  the  19th  of  July,  in  the  forenoon. 

Q.  About  what  time  ? 

A.  That  I  am  not  able  to  say,  but  I  suppose  it  was  in  the  early  forenoon. 

Q.  How  did  you  learn  of  the  fact  ? 

A.  Mr.  Watt  came  to  me  in  the  mayor's  office,  asking  me  if  I  could  fur- 
nish him  with  ten  men.  I  told  him  no.  By  and  by — before  I  come  to  that, 
I  will  give  you  the  police  force  and  the  disposition  of  it.  Every  person 
connected  with  the  police  force  consisted  entirely  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty,  having  a  supervision  over  twenty-seven  square  miles.  Five  of 
them  were  simply  lamp  watchmen,  leaving  one  hundred  and  fifteen  police- 
men. They  were  divided  as  follows :  One  captain,  one  chief,  two  turn- 
keys at  the  central  station,  eight  station-house  keepers,  eight  front  office 
men.  These  eight  men  were  all  the  men  we  had  in  daylight,  all  told,  the 
rest  were  put  on  night  duty.  One  night  watchman  at  the  city  hall,  two 
roundsmen.  These  roundsmen  are  men  who  perambulate  the  whole  city, 
for  the  purpose  of  having  an  eye  to  the  different  police,  that  they  were  at- 
tending to  their  duty,  and  we  had  one  corner  man — a  man  stationed  at 
the  corner  of  Fifth  avenue  and  Smithfield  street — and  nine  lieutenants,  and 
eighty-two  patrolmen.  These  eighty-two  patrolmen  are  men  whose  inetes 
and  bounds  were  set  out  to  travel.  We  had  one  hundred  and  fifteen  police 
of  all  kinds,  classes,  and  individuals. 

Q.  How  much  ground  was  covered  by  each  one  of  these  patrolmen  ? 

A.  Some  less  and  some  more,  if  you  knew  the  city  I  think  you  would 
know  it.  Well,  take  for  instance,  starting  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  avenue 
and  Smithfield  street,  go  following  the  cars  down  to  the  river;  downwards, 
go  down  Fourth  avenue  in  that  direction  and  you  cross  Wood  street,  and 
you  cross  Market  street,  and  you  come  to  Ferry  street,  then  you  go  along 
Ferry  street,  which  may  be  called  the  lower  end  of  town,  to  Second,  then 
you  reverse  and  come  up  this  way,  you  come  to  Smithfield  street,  and  you 
walk  up  to  the  corner  of  Fourth  avenue  and  Smithfield  street,  the  place  of 
beginning,  a  route  that  really  would  be  to  much  for  two  men,  one  man  had 
to  do  it. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 
Q.  How  much  ground  would  a  man  have  to  cover  taking  in  all  the  side 
streets  ? 

A.  He  would  have  to  cover  six  squares,  and  extraordinary  large  squares 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187 7.  389 

at  that,  and  I  think  that  it  would  take  him  over  twenty  minutes  to  rapidly 
walk  it. 

By  Mi\  Lindsey  : 
Q.  These  police  were  night  watchmen  then  all  of  them  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Had  you  before  that  had  an}r  day  police  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes.  Previous  to  that,  altogether  the  whole  police  force  of  police- 
men, including  ten  lamp-watchman,  consisted  of  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
six  men,  and  in  consequence  of  the  heavy  taxation,  and  the  absolute  in- 
ability of  the  treasurer  to  pay  for  the  policemen,  they  were  compelled  to 
cut  it  down  one  hundred  and  eleven  men,  or  rather  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
men  altogether — I  am  talking  about  policemen,  I  leave  the  lamp  watchmen 
out — and  then  there  was  a  deficiency  of  sixteen  to  eighteen  thousand  dol- 
lars for  the  year. 

Q.  When  was  that  done  ? 

A.  That  was  done  on  the  1st  of  July,  or  thereabouts,  maybe  a  little 
before  that. 

Q.  You  may  state  what  occurred  when  Mr.  Watt  came  to  your  office,  on 
Thursday,  the  19th? 

A.  Mr.  Watt  came  and  stated  that  he  wanted  ten  men.     I  told  him  I 
couldn't  furnish  him  ten  men.     I  would  furnish  him  with  what  we  could, 
but  if  he  would  pay  for  them,  we  could  pick  up  some  of  those  discharged 
policemen  who  were  not  employed,  and  he  very  promptly  answered  that  he 
would  pa}T  for  them.    So  I  told  Detective  McGovern  and  some  others  to  take 
what  they  could,  and  all  our  own  men,  and  fill  up  with  the  idle  policemen, 
and  that  the  policemen  would  be  paid  by  Mr.  Watt.     Mr.  Watt  requested 
me  to  go  up  with  them,  which  I  declined  to  do.    I  couldn't  see  any  reason 
why  the  mayor  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  should  go  to  the  Pennsylvania 
depot  to  take  cognizance  of  a  disturbance  that  only  required  ten  men,  in 
his  own  opinion,  and  I  sent  a  very  faithful  and  one  of  the  best  officers  in 
charge  of  the  men,  Detective  McGovern,  a  very  clear-headed  man. 
Q.  What  did  he  say  as  to  the  extent  of  the  disturbance  up  there  ? 
A.  He  made  no  remarks  about  that. 
Q.  Did  you  ask  him  anything  about  it  ? 
A.  No,  sir.     Gave  him  what  he  asked  for. 
Q.  Was  any  report  made  to  you  by  Officer  McGovern. 
A.  Oh,  yes.     We  had  reports  all  the  time  from  that  until  this  morning. 
Officer  McGovern  reported  to  me — I  cannot  say  whether  it  was  McGovern, 
or  who  it  was — but  the  first  intimation  I  had  of  any  violence  was  a  report 
come  to  me  that  a  man  by  the  name  of  McCall  had  struck  Mr.  Watt ;  that 
he  was  arrested  and  taken  to  the  station-house  by  the  police.     Then  I 
heard  afterwards  from  this  time  out — what  I  have  got  to  say  about  Thurs- 
day will  be  hearsay.    You  can  produce  evidence  and  substantiate  whatever 
I  may  say — I  heard  there  was  a  train  somewhere  about  three  o'clock  to 
go  out,  and  the  police  aboard  the  train  told  the  engineer  they  would  pro- 
tect him.    The  track  was  clear,  and  the  engineer  refused  to  go  on,  and  got 
down  and  left  the  engine  in  the  possession  of  the  police. 
(4.  What  police  was  on  the  train  ? 
A.  That  was  in  the  afternoon. 
Q.  What  police  was  on  the  train  ? 

A.  I  cannot  exactly  tell  you,  but  I  think  that  Mr.  Motts,  Mr.  Coulson, 
and  some  others  were  there. 

Q.  How  did  you  obtain  this  information  ? 

A.  From  the  police. 

Q.  An  official  report  from  the  police  ? 


390  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Oh,  no.     We  didn't  have  that  much  red   tape  about  these  things. 
The  only  red  tape  we  had  was  the  morning  report  of  the  different  lieuten- 
ants.   I  can  produce  the  men ;  I  suppose  you  will  want  them  to  verify  it. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  They  would  report  to  the  lieutenant  would  the}-  ? 

A.  No;  they  were  in  charge  of  Mr.  Watt.  The  truth  is,  these  men  are 
under  the  control  of  the  officers  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  and  I  felt  it 
my  duty  to  send  as  many  men  as  I  could  there,  who  were  paid  by  the  city, 
and  the  others  had  to  be  paid  by  the  railroad  company,  as  I  told  you,  but 
all  the  men  we  had  in  July  was  nine  men. 

Q.  Did  you  send  any  of  those  nine  men  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes ;  McGovern  and  White  and  some  more  of  them — I  am  a  lit- 
tle mixed  ;  and  there  was  another  order  given  for  men  as  I  understand.  I 
started  Mr.  Pavis  to  get  them,  but  on  that  I  am  not  so  clear — I  am  a  lit- 
tle mixed  on  that ;  Mr.  Pavis,  however,  can  tell.  He  told  me  he  met  me 
on  Fifth  avenue  and  told  me  an  order  had  come  for  more  men,  and  I  started 
then  from  Fifth  avenue  to  get  them. 

Q.  Pid  you  receive  any  word  from  Mr.  Watt  after  he  left  you  with  the 
ten  police  ? 

A.  Pirectly  from  Mr.  Watt? 

Q.  Yes,  sir. 

A.  No  ;  not  a  word. 

Q.  Pid  you  receive  any  telegram  from  him  calling  for  fifteen  more  men 
or  twenty-five  more  men  ? 

A.  I  didn't  receive  anjTthing  of  the  kind  ;  but  I  guess  that  must  be  the 
word  Mr.  PaAds  speaks  about  when  he  says  he  met  met  me  on  Fifth  avenue, 
and  I  told  him  to  get  the  men. 

Q.  Pidn't  your  clerks  or  any  of  your  subordinates  notify  you  that  such 
a  telegram  had  been  received  from  Mr.  Watt  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  what  Mr.  Pavis  says  he  told  me  on  Fifth  avenue. 

Q.  For  fifty  men  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  took  supper  at  Castle  Shannon.  I  left  at  a  quarter  to  five, 
and  came  back  at  eight,  and  then  there  were  some  persons  from  the  Penn- 
sylvania had  been  there  for  policemen,  and  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  got 
all  the  policemen  they  wanted.  They  got  so  many  that  they  sent  back  word 
that  they  did  not  want  any  more. 

Q.  Pid  they  send  any  such  word  to  you  personall}'  ? 

A.  No;  I  can  prove  it. 

Q.  I  want  just  what  they  said  about — the  next  that  took  place  between 
3'ou  and  the  officers  ? 

A.  I  got  no  communication  directly  from  the  officers  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania, from  the  time  Mr.  Watt  had  been  there  in  the  forenoon. 

Q.  Pid  you  receive  any  telegram  from  Mr.  Watt  calling  for  fifty  police  ? 

A.  I  didn't. 

Q.  Were  you  notified  by  your  clerks  or  subordinates  that  such  a  tele- 
gram had  been  received  at  your  office  ? 

A.  Not  in  the  shape  you  put  it. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Mr.  Watt  after  he  left  with  the  ten  men  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  don't  think  that  I  did.  I  have  no  recollection  ofit  what- 
ever.    I  don't  believe  I  did. 

Q.  Where  were  you  from  eight  o'clock  Thursday  night,  during  the 
balance  of  the  night? 

A.  I  was  at  the  office,  and  in  the  neighborhood. 

Q.  Were  any  reports  made  to  you  during  the  night,  from  the  police- 
men ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18T7.  391 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  In  regard  to  the  situation  ? 

A.  Yes ;  that  everything  was  quiet. 

Q.  From  what  men  ? 

A.  I  cannot  name  them,  but  I  can  bring  the  men  here  who  were  there 
to  testify.  Let  me  tell  you  what  the  police  told  me — the  men  that  were 
out  there. 

Q.  It  is  hearsay  evidence.     I  think  it  is  hardly  proper  ? 

A.  Hear  my  statement,  then,  for  your  own  guidance. 

Q.  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  didn't  receive  any  dispatch  from 
Mr.  Watt,  calling  for  fifty  men,  nor  it  was  not  communicated  about  in  that 
form  ? 

.  A.  No,  sir;  it  was  not.  Nothing  of  that  kind  occurred.  He  may  have 
sent  a  dispatch,  but  I  think  I  can  very  conscientiously  affirm  that  I  never 
saw  it. 

Q.  Do  you  allow  your  clerks  to  act  upon  intelligence  received  at  the 
office,  without  instructions  from  you? 

A.  Most  undoubtedly.  When  I  am  away  a  riot  or  disturbance  ought 
not  to  be  going  along  until  I  come  back.  They  know  the  general  rules  I 
act  upon. 

Q.  Communications,  in  the  shape  of  letters  and  dispatches,  are  they 
placed  on  file  in  your  office,  when  received  in  your  absence  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  placed  on  file  at  any  time.  They  are  attended  to  and 
thrown  away. 

Q.  Attended  to  by  your  clerks  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  the  chief  of  police  and  the  clerks.  If  I  am  up  in  the  Eleventh 
ward,  they  would  have  to  wait  an  hour  and  a  half  until  I  got  down. 

Q.  If  a  dispatch  was  received  at  your  office,  notifying  you  of  a  dis- 
turbance in  one  part  of  the  city,  and  you  are  in  another  part  of  the  city  ? 

A.  It  would  be  attended  to. 

Q.  It  would  be  attended  to  without  notifying  you  of  the  fact  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  have  telegraphic  communications  to  all  parts  of  the  city,  I  sup- 
pose— stations  ? 

A.  With  the  station-house.  We  have  got  one  station-house  in  the  Thirty- 
sixth  ward,  Thirtieth  ward,  one  in  the  Twenty-first,  and  one  in  the  Second, 
or  rather  the  telegraph  is  in  the  Third,  one  in  the  Eleventh,  one  in  the 
Twelfth,  and  one  in  the  Fourteenth,  one  in  the  Seventeenth,  and  one  in  the 
Nineteenth. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  reports  during  the  night — Thursday  night  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  everything  was  quiet. 

Q.  What  officer  had  charge  of  that  part  of  the  city  near  Twenty-eighth 
street — what  police  officer  ? 

A.  Lieutenant  Coates  had. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  reports  from  him  during  the  night  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  I  did. 

Q.  Were  there  any  affidavits  made  before  you  against  parties — against 
any  disorderly  conduct? 

A.  There  was  on  Friday  forenoon. 

Q.  Did  you  issue  warrants  for  that  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  For  how  many  ? 

A.  Well,  I  guess  there  was  eight  or  nine,  maybe  more — I  have  forgotten. 

Q.  In  whose  hands  were  those  warrants  placed  to  execute  ? 


C92  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  connot  tell  distinctly,  but  I  think  it  was  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Mc- 
Govern. 

Q.  Did  he  execute  the  warrants  ?  What  instructions  did  you  give  him 
about  that  ? 

A.  I  told  him  that  in  consequence  of  the  calling  out  of  the  soldiers 
that  the  public  mind  excited,  and  it  would  be  very  dangerous  to  act  as  we 
usually  acted,  and  for  him  to  be  exceedingly  cautious,  and  cause  no  dis- 
turbance. 

Q.  When  you  placed  the  warrants  in  his  hands,  what  instructions  did 
you  give  him  ? 

A.  That  is  what  I  gave  him. 

Q.  Had  the  soldiers  been  called  out  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  was  perfectly  astonished  when  I  took  up  the  newspapers. 
Here  was  a  whole  lot  of  telegraphic  dispatches,  that  had  been  flying  from 
one  end  of  the  State  to  the  other. 

Q.  On  Thursday  morning  or  Friday  morning  ? 

A.  On  Friday  morning. 

Q.  You  did  not  tell  him  to  make  the  arrests  ? 

A.  Absolutely? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  knew  too  much  for  that.  The  policemen  at  any  time  create 
a  riot  in  the  street  by  going  at  it  brashly,  and  after  the  soldiers  were  in  it, 
I  thought  it  very  dangerous. 

Q.  Why? 

A.  Because  they  were  under  the  control  of  men  who  were  rather  of  the 
narrow  gauge  pattern,  about  2X3. 

Q.  They  were  men  who  knew  no  law  but  the  law  of  force,  and  had  no 
knowledge  that  truculent  defiance  always  begets  truculent  defiance.  Had 
the  force  been  in  the  hands  of  men  who  thought  with  Coleridge,  when  he 
said : 

"He  prayeth  Avell  who  loveth  well, 
Both  man,  and  bird,  and  beast." 

Had  it  been  in  the  hands  of  men,  who  had  any  idea  like  Coleridge,  there 
would  not  have  been  a  life  lost,  nor  a  dollar  of  property  destroyed,  in  my 
deliberate  opinion. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  You  speak  of  those  two  or  three,  do  you  allude  to  the  militaiy  now  ? 

A.  I  allude  to  the  men  assuming  charge — that  had  control  of  the  force 
after  I  was  displaced  by  the  military  and  counsel. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  not  have  charge  of  these  in  the  beginning  of  the  riot  or  dis- 
turbance ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Why  not  ? 

A.  Because  Mr.  Watt  came  over  and  asked  for  ten  men,  and  they  were 
given  to  him. 

Q.  He  asked  you  to  go  out,  didn't  he  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  refused  ? 

A.  I  did,  for  the  reason  that  I  could  see  no  reason  from  anj-thing  he  said 
that  the  mayor  should  start  out  to  take  charge  of  ten  men,  and  control  it — 
it  must  have  been  a  very  small  affair. 

<^.  You  received  notice  that  another  call  had  been  made  by  Mr.  Watt, 
didn't  you  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  393 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  have  reason  to  believe,  from  what  I  heard — that  Mr.  Davis 
informs  me — that  I  told  him  to  go  ahead  and  send  them. 

Q.  Didn't  Mr.  Watt  inform  yon  that  your  presence  could  do  a  good  deal 
towards  quelling  the  disturbance  there? 

A.  Not  that  1  can  remember. 

Q.  Would  not  it  have  had  that  effect,  in  your  opinion  ? 

A.  Indeed,  I  do  not  know.  I  think  a  disturbance  that  in  Mr.  Watt's 
opinion  only  required  ten  men,  didn't  require  the  city  to  go  there  in  the 
person  of  the  mayor,  because  it  was  a  very  slight  affair,  as  he  represented 
it — it  made  no  impression  upon  me. 

Q.  A  man,  such  as  Mr.  Coleridge  described  in  that  quotation  you  have 
made,  would  have  bad  that  effect? 

A.  No,  sir ;  he  would  have  been  called  upon,  and  if  he  had  been  asked  to 
call  for  troops,  it  would  have  come  in.  Let  me  say  about  calling  for  troops, 
that  if  Mr.  Mackey  and  Mr.  Hartranft — but  I  should  say  Governor  Har- 
tranft  and  Mr.  Maeke}^ — had  been  in  Harrisburg,  there  would  not  have  been 
a  troop  brought  here,  and  peace  would  have  been  preserved,  but,  unfortu- 
nately, neither  of  these  two  gentlemen  were  there.  Let  me  tell  .you,  sir,  we 
had  a  puddler's  strike  here,  and  that  I  had  some  hand  in,  and  the  peace  of 
the  city  was  preserved  ;  and  notwithstanding  the  peace  of  the  city  was  pre- 
served all  the  time,  some  person,  I  don't  know  who,  sent  a  request  to  the 
Governor  for  troops,  that  the  peace  of  the  city  was  disturbed  and  it  could 
not  be  preserved.  Mr.  Hartranft  did  not  know  what  to  do,  so  be  sent  for 
Mr.  Mackey.  Mr.  Mackey  came  to  him  and  told  him,  says  he,  "  Wait  a 
few  minutes,  and  I  will  let  j^ou  know  what  to  do."  Mr.  Mackey  told 
him 

Q.  Are  you  testifying  to  facts  within  your  knowledge  ? 

A.  Within  my  knoweldge.  Mr.  Mackey  telegraphed  to  a  gentlemen  that 
I  know  very  well,  as  to  what  the  condition  of  affairs  was.  The  gentleman 
telegraphed  back  that  it  was  idle  and  futile  to  send  soldiers  here,  and  it 
would  only  create  a  disturbance.  They  could  keep  them  away.  They 
were  kept  away,  and  there  was  not  a  man  killed,  and  not  a  dollar's  worth 
of  property  destroyed. 

Q.  When  was  that  ? 

A.  It  was  two  years  ago. 

Q.  You  say  that  }tou  acted  in  attempting  to  keep  and  preserve  the  peace 
here  and  keep  down  violence  until  superseded  by  the  military  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Is  not  the  militar}'  always  in  subjection  to  the  civil  authorities? 

A.  The  Constitution  says  so,  but  the  facts  of  the  case  are  otherwise. 

Q.  Had  you  not  entire  authority  and  control,  at  all  times,  within  the 
limits  and  jurisdiction  of  the  city  ? 

A.  Not  when  the  sheriff  comes  to  the  front.  He  is  the  chief  peace 
officer  of  the  county,  and  has  the  whole  county  at  his  beck  and  nod.  The 
mayor  is  simply  the  city. 

Q.  Is  not  it  the  duty  of  other  head  officers  to  cooperate  with  the  sheriff? 

A.  That  depends  upon  circumstances.  I  could  not  cooperate  with  the 
sheriff,  because  the  matter  was  under  control  of  men  who  were  acting  en- 
tirety different  from  any  way  that  I  would  have  acted  in  the  case,  and  I 
could  not  assume  l'esponsibility  in  a  state  of  facts  that  I  believe  would  lead 
to  what  was  the  ultimate  result. 

Q.  Is  not  your  power  as  magistrate,  within  the  city  limits,  identical  with 
those  of  the  sheriff? 

A.  They  are. 

Q.  What  hindered  you  from  acting  then  ? 


304 


Report  of  Committee. 


[No.  29, 


i  men,  and  I 
only 


A.  Because  the  sheriff  took  possession  of  the  •-  lied  upon  the 

troops.     Had  the  sheriff  come  to  consult  me,  the  Penn- 

m  lvania   Railroad   Company's  office,  and  in  calling  for 

troops,  the  result  would  have  been  different.     l'>i  wn  aside.     1 

didn't  suit. 

(^.  You  were  asked  to  go  up  to  the  .  were  you 

not? 

A.   No,  sir. 

Q.  Didn't  Mr.  Watt  ask  you  ? 

A.  Not.  thai  I  know  of. 

Q.  Did  he  at  ten  o'clock,  on  Thursday,  .    of  the 

disturbance  ? 

A.   He  did. 

Q.  And  you  refused  to  go? 

A.   Fes,  for  the  reason  that  I  told  you,  that  h 
knew  do  reason — when  he  got  all  tli<    m<  d  h< 
ten  men — I  didnt  see  any  reason  why  i  >  up  there. 

Q.  Did  you  go  up  to  the  scene  of  the  die  me  during 

Friday? 

A.   No,  sir. 

<v>.    Friday  night  ? 

A.    No,  sir. 

Q.  Saturday  ? 

A.    No,  sir. 

0-  Saturday  night  ? 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

Q.  At  what  time  './ 

A.  Well,  I  think  when  I  gol  out  th<  ick. 

<v>.   What  did  you  find  then 

A.  I  found  a  howling  mob,  many  of  them  an 

Q.   hid  you  know  that  this  tiring  i6  between 

ten  o'clock  Thursday  and  ten  on  went  to 

the  scene  of  tin-  disturbance  ? 

A.  I  knew  nothing  of  the  disturbance 

had  fired  upon  the  crowd. 

Q.  You  knew  that  there  wi  wds  tl, 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

0.  You  knew  they  prevented  freights  from  i 

A.  1  did  not. 

Q.  You  know  that  tiny  prevented  freight  tr  it? 

A.  No,sir;  I  believe  the  fact  is  otherwise.     I  is  that  after 

the  police  got  pog  i  of  a  train,  on  Thur9d  tt1  ->. 

neer  deserted,  and  that  the  Pennsylvania  Railro  lidnt  attempt 

to  put  another  freight  out — that  is  what  1  1, 

Q.  That  is  hearsay,  isn't  it  ? 

A.   That  is,  and  I  guess  it  is  wry  tru<  . 

Q.  You  had  come  out  then  to  see? 

A.  No,  sir;    I  didn't. 

(.,>.  On  Friday,  did  you  in  your  poli  ie  j  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  increase  them  any  on  Friday  ai 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  On  Saturday? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Saturday  night? 


. 


Leu.  Doc] 


im.vd  Riots,  July,  1877. 


395 


A.  Saturday  we  heard  of  the  shooting  I  directed  the  officers 
ound  a  proprietors  of  the  gun  shops  of  what  had  taken 
place,  and  to  is  in  a  state  of  defense,  and  to  get  their  arms 
out  of  the  m:,  gh1  be  assailed,  and  directed  the  chief  of  police 
to  insert  an  in  the  Sunday  papers,  calling  upon  the  dis- 
charged poli  ar  at  the  mayor's  office  for  duty.  My  idea  of 
that  was  that  »e  a  necessity  for  these  men  performing  police 
duty  in  the  -  no  idea,  until  at  that  time  that  where  the  city 
ami  county  11a  thousand  men  under  their  command,  in  the 
Twelfth  ward,  >licemen  would  be  required  or  needed  on  the 
property  of  th  ia  railroad,  but  I  did  think  there  would  lie  very 
••  •!  >uld  be  necessary  to  have  a  force  on  the  streets, 
□g  ippen,  and  I  directed  a  call  to  be  made  for  an 
immediate  mi  dice  committee,  on  Sunday  morning. 

Q.   W'  pel  I  hack  on  duty  on  Sunday  morning? 

A.  Let  me  as  I  can,  in  a  chronological  order  of  events. 

My  mind.    -  I  i_rot  in  the  Twelfth  ward  and  saw  the  state  of 

affairs  there,  i-  could   m>t  give  you  an  hour  from  that  time  up 

Monday  n  Was  on   deck   all   that  time.      1  went  up  to  the 

Twelfth  ward.  -  there,  and   mixed  in  among  them.     Had  a  talk 


with  (piite  a 
viol. nee  and 
were  n<  >n    • 

Twelfth    ward 

i  avenue,       I   I  \ 
some  cars  Be1 


in,  and    tried  to    dissuade    them    from   acts  of 
I  was  talking  to   a   lot  of  crazy  men.      Words 
-  nigh  as  I  can  guess,  I  was  in  front  of  the 
■  ',    immediately    above    Twenty-sixth    street   or 
o   late.      It  struck  me  then  that  then-   must  he 
I   ft  there  and  went  up  to  the  corner  <>f  Liberty 
and  Tw.ii".  •  3aw  a  car  on  fire  immediately  above  Twenty- 

fifth  Btreet.      1  situation,  and    tinned    hack  to  the  corner  of 

nty-eightl  -.and  I  there  met  a  policeman,  who  I  think 

Mr.  S   rib  "  Has  the  box  been  pulled?"     Says  he,  "No; 

the  crowd   w<  the  alarm   has  been  Bent  down  to  the  police 

graph."     1  •  there  a  very,  very  long  time,  expecting  the  fire 


department    t 

r  by  the  po 
along  Bid< 

hut  not  by  n: 
alarm  in  on  t  h 
think,  into  th. 
ami  nobody  int 
the  alderman  i 
waited 
department. 

portion  of  I  hi 
satisfactory  I 

en 


n    I    stayed   there  long  enough,    and    hearing 

ii'.  1  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  message 

I  i  had  failed.     By  this  time  Alderman  Barclay 

•«  fficer,  ami  a  large  man,  whom  I  knew  by  sight. 

j  1  to  the  alderman,  says  I,  "Can't  we  send  an 

•  alderman  said,  "  We  can  try  it."  lie  went,  I 
■  ml  got  a  key,  and  four  of  us  went  to  the  box, 
i    u there  were  very  tew  up  at  that  coiner,  and 

'X.  and  this  man,  I  believe,  he  pulled  it.     We 

i  very  long  time — and  heard  nothing  of  the  flre 
to  make  inquiries,  and  I   ascertained   that  a 

m  had  come  up  Penn  avenue,  and  for  reasons 

had    stopped  immediately  helow  the  [ndepend- 

1  m    avenue,  somewhere  about  Twenty-first   or 
Twentieth  -'         —I  «  give  you  the  number — and  that  they  had  been 

-topped  there.  id  !.,  go  on.      I  do  not   know  what  reason  they 

I  then  went  to  the  station-house  ;  bul ,  \>y  the 

.    left  t  he  lower  end  of  the  city  the  mob  was  still 

.    I  I  should  have  stated  before,  chronologically — 

orders  by  telegraph,  and  the  men  met  at  eight 
o'cloek  in  tin-  station-house,  after  having  lit  the  lamps. 

<<•.  Saturdaj 
A.  Saturda;  ordered  all  the  poli.  emen  from  the  first,  sec- 


had — they  had 
by,  I  m  iy  say 
going  through  ' 
what  I  forgot-   • 


396  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

ond,  fourth,  seventh,  eighth,  ninth  districts,  to  leave  their  station-houses, 
and  to  come  at  once  to  the  central  station,  as  soon  as  the  men  would 
come  to  the  station-house."  These  men  came  between  eight  and  nine 
o'clock,  most  of  them  nine  o'clock,  may  be  later.  Some  of  them  had  to 
walk  a  distance  of  two  miles,  and  they  were  put  on  duty  immediately 
through  the  streets,  and  when  I  thought  that  I  could  leave  things  safely 
to  the  direction  of  the  police,  I  went  to  the  Twelfth  ward  to  see  how 
things  were  standing.  That  was  the  position  of  matters.  When  I  found 
that  the  fire  department  had  not  or  could  not  come,  I  went  to  the  station- 
house — the  Twelfth  ward  station-house — and  telegraphed  down  to  the 
central  station  to  send  up  all  the  police  that  could  be  spared.  That  was 
done,  and  as  these  policemen  came  up,  two  or  three  or  four  or  five  or  six, 
&o there  was  a  great  quantity  of  stealing  going  on. 

Q.  How  many  policemen  came  up  ? 

A.  I  will  get  at  that  in  a  few  minutes.  As  they  came  there  was  a  great 
deal  of  stealing  going  on,  and  as  fast  as  they  came  to  the  station-house,  I 
started  them  out  on  to  Penn  street,  to  arrest  the  people  that  were  carrying 
off  goods.  They  continued  at  that  work  until  such  times  as  I  thought  I 
had  enough  policemen  to  assist  the  firemen,  at  which  time  possibly  I  may 
have  had  fifty  or  sixty,  may  be  forty.  I  do  not  suppose  I  had  over  forty 
or  fifty.  When  I  thought  I  had  enough  to  protect  the  firemen,  I  told  offi- 
cer Coulston  to  go  to  the  fire  department  and  tell  them  that  we  now  had 
police  sufficient,  I  thought,  to  protect  them,  and  to  come  on,  and  we  would 
do  the  best  we  could.  Coulston  started  off  with  that  message.  After  a 
lapse  of  sufficient  time  he  came  back  and  told  me  he  had  informed  the  par- 
ties in  charge,  of  my  message,  that  they  replied  to  them  that  they  would 
not  move  until  they  were  ordered  by  the  chief  of  the  fire  department 
and  the  fire  commissioners,  and  I  supposed,  that  at  that  time  I  may  have 
had,  all  told,  fifty  or  sixty — about  fifty  policemen — the  fifth  district  and  the 
sixth  district  had  not  been  called  in.  The  fifth  district  and  the  Lawrence- 
ville  district  immediately  adjoining  the  point  where  the  Allegheny  Yalley 
railroad  runs  through,  they  were  not  called  in  because  I  supposed  they 
would  have  as  much  to  do  in  their  own  districts.  The  sixth  district  was 
not  called  in  because  Torrens  station  and  the  stock-yards  were  in  that 
district,  and  I  thought  it  altogether  likely  that  the  police  of  these  two  dis- 
tricts would  be  wanted  to  take  care  of  things  there  for  the  reason  I  have 
given  you. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  keep  those  policemen  there  in  the  Twelfth  ward  ? 

A.  They  were  kept  there  until  their  regular  time  of  going  on  duty. 

Q.  What  time  was  that? 

A.  Well,  the  regular  time  was  six  o'clock,  but  they  were  there  long 
after  that. 

Q.  Sunday  morning  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  I  will  tell  you  about  that.  I  stayed  up  there  until  some- 
where in  the  neighborhood  of  daylight.  The  soldiers,  I  had  supposed,  that 
had  taken  refuge  in  the  houses  there,  that  their  strategy  was  to  stay  until 
daylight  would  come,  and  then  they  would  come  out  upon  the  railroad 
track  and  take  possession.  That  is  what  1  supposed — nobody  communi- 
cated to  me  what  they  would  do. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  effort  to  communicate  with  General  Brinton  or 
General  Pearson  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not.  I  thought  those  gentlemen  had  the  matter  in 
their  own  hands,  and  didn't  want  any  advice  from  me ;  and  about  daylight, 
or  thereabouts,  I  came  down  town,  and  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood 
of  seven  o'clock,  or  thereabouts,  it  might  have  been  a  little  after  seven — 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  397 

might  have  been  half  an  hour,  but  I  just  name  that  at  random,  approxi- 
mate it — I  received  a  telegraphic  dispatch  from  the  Twelfth  ward  station 
that  the  soldiers  were  on  Penn  avenue,  marching  past  the  Twelfth  ward 
station-house.  That  struck  me  that  it  was  an  admirable  strategic  move- 
ment. I  thought  they  had  come  off  the  railroad  property  with  their  full 
strength,  five  hundred  or  six  hundred  strong,  to  march  through  the  streets,  to 
intimidate  the  crowd,  and  I  was  highly  delighted  at  that  idea,  and  I  requested 
Mr.  Davis  to  go  and  get  a  buggy  that  we  might  go  up  and  witness  the 
effect  of  it.  He  came  with  the  buggy,  and  we  both  started  out,  and  after 
we  got  a  considerable  distance  up  town,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Twelfth 
ward,  I  received  information  that  these  men  were  retreating  from  the  city 
— six  hundred  armed  men.  It  sent  my  heart  down  about  my  thighs.  I 
could  not  understand  it.  I  could  not  believe  it.  Then  the  idea  struck 
me  that  these  men  were  not  retreating  from  the  city,  but  they  were  follow- 
ing a  line  of  march  by  which  they  had  two  roads  to  go  to  East  Liberty. 
I  thought  they  were  going  either  one  of  those  two  roads  to  join  the  forces 
out  there,  and  possibly  to  come  in  together.  When  I  got  as  far  as  the  car 
stables,  in  Lawrenceville,  just,  about  Forty-second  street,  I  think,  I  be- 
thought myself  it  was  hardly  worth  while  to  make  that  horse  pull  two 
hundred  and  ten  pounds  unnecessarily,  and  I  stopped  the  buggy  and  got 
out.  I  told  Mr.  Davis  to  go  on  after  the  troops,  and  not  to  return  until 
he  knew  where  they  had  gone  to.  They  might  have  gone  by  Stanton  ave- 
nue to  East  Liberty,  from  the  upper  side  of  the  cemetery,  or  they  might 
have  gone  by  the  Morning  side  road  up  to  the  Sharpsburg  bridge.  I  told 
him  to  go  on,  and  not  give  it  up  until  he  could  locate  them,  and  then  to 
come  back  to  the  Twelfth  ward  station-house,  and  report  to  me,  and  I  then 
got  in  a  street  car  at  the  car  stables  and  came  down  to  the  Twelfth  ward 
station-house.  Then  I  telegraphed  down  to  the  central  station  to  detain 
all  the  police  that  were  there,  and  send  them  to  the  Twelfth  ward,  and  I  got 
tired  waiting  on  Mr.  Davis,  and  knowing  that  the  police  committee  was  to 
meet,  I  went  over  to  where  the  firemen  were  at  work,  for  the  purpose  of 
seeing  the  chief  engineer,  and  concert  with  him  some  plan  of  action  by 
which  I  could  assist  them.  I  could  not  find  the  chief  engineer,  high  nor 
low.  I  asked  the  firemen  where  he  was,  and  they  didn't  know,  and  I  took 
that  the  work  upon  the  fire — this  was  not  on  the  railroad  property,  but  on 
the  opposite  side  of  Liberty  street  where  they  were  at  work.  I  thought 
the  work  was  ineffective,  and  I  spoke  to  the  firemen  about  it,  and  they  told 
me  the  reason  of  it  was  that  the  water  in  the  basin  was  low.  I  thought 
that  a  little  strange,  because  it  was  a  rule  with  the  water  department,  with 
which  I  had  been  connected  a  great  many  years,  to  always  have  it  full  on 
Sunday,  but  I  determined  to  see  about  that.  Failing  to  see  the  chief  en- 
gineer, I  could  not  waste  my  time  in  hunting  him,  and  I  came  down  town. 
On  my  way  down,  I  met  the  superintendent  of  the  water- works,  and  I  says 
to  him,  "  Jim,  the  firemen  complain  they  cannot  work  effectively  up  in  the 
Twelfth  ward,  because  there  is  no  water  in  the  basin,"  I  think  that  is  the 
way  I  put  it  to  him.  Says  he  "  I  think  they  are  mistaken  ;  the  basin  is  full 
of  water."  I  think  it  was  at  Eleventh  street  I  met  him.  I  came  down  to 
the  central  station,  and,  on  the  pavement,  I  met  the  secretary  of  the  fire 
commission,  Mr.  Case.  I  says  to  him,  "  Frank,  the  firemen  tell  me  that 
there  is  no  water  in  the  basin  " — I  meant  a  small  quantity  of  water  in  the 
basin — "  I  saw  Jim  Atkinson  on  my  way  down,  and  he  tells  me  the  basin 
is  full.  You  take  my  buggy  at  once,  and  go  up  and  tell  them  that  the 
basin  is  full,  that  they  need  not  be  afraid  of  the  supply  of  water,  and  you 
leave  the  buggy  at  Rosewell's  stables."  He  departed,  and  I  suppose  gave 
my  message. 


398  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  What  time  did  the  fire  commence  on  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  It  is  a  guess  with  me,  but  I  think  it  must  have  been  about  eleven 
o'clock.     I  don't  think  I  am  far  wrong. 

Q.  You  stayed  there  during  the  night  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  was  going  through  the  crowd  during  the  whole  night. 

Q.  When  you  got  fifty  policemen,  did  you  m  ike  any  effort  with  those 
policemen  to  drive  the  crowd  from  the  cars  that  were  burning? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Your  efforts  were  simply  confined  to  arresting  men  that  were  carry- 
ing off'  plunder  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Your  policemen  armed  ? 

A.  Some  are  and  some  are  not. 

Q.  They  are  all  armed  with  maces,  I  suppose  ? 

A.  Yes;  they  all  have  maces. 

Q.  Why  didn't  you  make  some  effort  to  stop  the  burning? 

A.  Because,  in  my  judgment,  it  could  not  be  done. 

Q.  How  many  men  would  it  have  taken  to  have  stopped  that  that  night  ? 

A.  Lord  knows  !  I  can't  tell.  I  think  it  would  have  taken  a  good  many. 
Near  a  thousand  men  cooped  themselves  up  in  some  houses,  and  cooped 
all  those  men  up  in  those  houses  after  having  done  the  firing.  It  was 
yielding  to  the  mob.  It  was  just  saying  plainly,  that  the  mob  was  stronger 
than  the  soldiers,  and  that  forty  or  fifty  policemen,  who  had  never  been  in 
a  disturbance  of  this  nature  or  kind,  would  simply  have  been  suicidal  ? 

Q.  After  coming  to  the  central  station,  Sunday  morning,  did  you  re- 
turn again  ? 

A.  Yes,  .sir ;  I  did. 

Q.  What  hour  ? 

A.  That  I  could  not  tell  you.  As  I  told  you  before,  I  took  no  note  of 
time.  It  was  after  I  had  seen  the  police  committee,  and  had  talked  with 
some  of  the  citizens,  with  regard  to  a  citizens'  meeting,  I  went  up  on. 

Q.  During  the  day,  on  Sunday,  how  many  policemen  had  you  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  That  I  can't  tell.  I  did  not  suppose,  that  all  told,  so  far  as  I  could 
guess  or  know,  there  were  not  more  than  thirty  or  forty. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  demand  to  recrnit  your  police — demand  upon  men 
to  serve  on  the  police  ? 

A.  That  had  been  done  by  advertisement  in  the  Sunday  morning  papers, 
by  the  chief  of  police  ? 

Q.  Did  you  issue  an  order  calling  on  men,  demanding  them  to  join  your 
police  force  ? 

A.  Which,  on  Sunday  ? 

Q.  At  any  time? 

A.  Nothing,  except  that  on  Saturday  morning  for  the  police. 

Q.  It  was  in  the  shape  of  a  request,  was  it  not? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  was  an  order. 

<^.  It  was  not  a  command  such  as  would  be  a  command  under  the  laws 
of  the  Commonwealth  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  it  was.     I  didn't  see  it.     I  didn't  look  for  it. 

Q.   It  was  placed  in  tin'  papers  by  your  clerk? 

A.  By  the  chief  of  police. 

<i-  When  you  went  to  the  scene  of  the  riot  on  Saturday  night,  did  }'OU 
use  efforts  yourself  to  suppress  the  riot  or  stop  it? 

A.  I  wont  into  the  crowd  and  talked  with  them,  but  I  might  as  well 
have  talked  to  the  moon. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  399 

Q.  Who  did  you  talk  with  ? 

A.  There  were  several  that  I  talked  to  that  I  did  not  know.  I  only 
met  one  man  that  I  did  know,  and  he  had  been  a  lieutenant  of  police. 

Q.  He  was  engaged  in  rioting  ? 

A.   He  was  there  with  the  crowd  and  very  muddled. 

Q.  How  long  before  that  had  he  been  lieutenant  of  police  ? 

A.  He  had  been  lieutenant  of  of  police,  I  suppose,  as  near  as  I  can  judge, 
some  three  weeks  before. 

Q.  And  discharged  under  the  order  discharging  the  day  force? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  meet  any  other  persons  that  had  been  members  of  the  police 
force  ? 

A.  No  ;  not  in  that  position  ? 

Q.  What  replies  did  you  get  from  the  men  when  admonishing  them  to 
desist  ? 

A.  Everybody  was  filled  with 'the  idea  that  the  troops  the  citizens  cause- 
lessly, and  that  had  excited  the  indignation  and  made  men  wild.  It  was 
a  fearful  sentiment  on  Saturday  night. 

Q.  I  understood  you  to  state  that  the  reason  why  you  did  not  go  to  the 
Twelfth  ward  during  the  Friday  and  Saturday  before,  was  that  you  had 
been  superceded  by  the  military  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  because  I  was  perfectly  satisfied  that  the  influence  that  con- 
trolled would  be  disastrous,  and  that  I  could  not  prevent  it,  and  I  was  not 
going  to  permit  myself  to  be  compromised  by  it. 

Q.  You  did  go  to  the  scene  on  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  Or  rather  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  Had  you  gone  there  on  Thursday,  or  Friday,  or  Saturday  morning, 
and  made  use  of  the  police  that  you  had  under  your  command,  could  you 
not  have  prevented  the  disturbance  ? 

A.  Permit  me  to  say  again  that  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  have  any 
connection  with  the  men  who  had  charge  of  that,  because  T  could  not  con- 
trol them.  They  are  men  that  would  not  listen  to  me,  and  that  I  could 
have  no  influence  with. 

Q.  Whom  do  you  refer  to  ? 

A.  I  refer  to  the  leading  officers  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Com- 
pany. 

Q.  You  had  control  of  your  police  force,  hadn't  you? 

A.  I  had. 

Q-  You  have  control  of  the  affairs  of  the  citj'. 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  the  organization  of  the  police? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  could  have  control  of  the  force — you  are  the  peace  officer  of  the 
city  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  and  there  is  the  sheriff. 

Q.  Why  did  not  you  then  assert  your  rights  as  peace  officer  ? 

A.  Because  I  recognized  the  fact  that  I  have  no  right  to  come  in  con- 
flict with  the  sheriff  and  the  military.  I  was  utterly  hostile  to  their 
movements  and  to  their  plan  of  operations,  and  I  felt  satisfied  that  it 
could  have  no  other  end  than  the  end  that  was  reached.  I,  surely,  under 
those  circumstances,  would  have  been  of  no  more  use  than  a  painted  ship 
upon  a  painted  sea.     They  would  not  listen  to  me. 


400  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Did  you  go  to  them  and  talk  with  them,  or  did  you  try  and  see 
whether  you  could  cooperate  with  them  in  any  manner  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  knew  the  men.     That  was  enough  for  me. 

Q.  Do  I  understand  you  to  sa}'  that  there  was  an  antagonism  between 
you  and  the  sheriff  of  the  county  ? 

A.  It  could  not  be  otherwise  in  this  matter,  because  they  had  adopted  a 
plan  of  action  that  I  could  have  nothing  at  all  to  do  with. 

Q.   Were  you  called  on  first  by  the  railroad  officials  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  gave  them  all  they  wanted,  and  gave  them  so  many  men — 
I  will  prove  to  you  that  they  said  they  didn't  want  them. 

Q.  You  wtre  asked  to  go  to  the  scene  of  the  disturbance  ? 

A.  Yes ;  we  have  talked  that  matter  over  several  times. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  communication  from  Mr.  Scott,  the  solicitor  of 
the  road,  on  Thursday  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  On  Friday  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  Did  he  make  a  request  to  you  that  you  would  order  the  saloons  of 
the  city  closed  ? 

A.  I  got  a  document  on  Saturday  afternoon — I  don't  know,  some  time 
on  Saturday  it  was,  according  to.  my  recollection — it  was  by  Mr.  Thaw,  I 
think  b}r  Mr.  McCullough,  and  I  think  by  Mr.  Quay,  and  I  think  by  Mr. 
Latta,  requesting  me  to  request  the  saloons  to  be  closed,  which  request,  on 
my  part,  was  complied  with. 

Q.  At  what  time  ? 

A.  That  I  could  not  say.  I  had  no  right  to  compel  the  closing  of 
them — none  whatever.     I  could  only  request. 

Q.  You  had  a  riot  and  disorder  in  the  city  then.  Do  I  understand  that 
you  had  no  right  to  order  the  saloons  closed  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  have  no  right  to  order  them  closed,  under  any  circum- 
stances, except  upon  Sunday  or  upon  election  days.  Then  the  laws  forbid 
them  to  be  open. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  knowledge  of  the  disturbance,  and  the  extent  of 
the  disturbance  during  Thursday,  Friday,  and  Saturday,  out  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Union  depot,  on  the  railroad  ? 

A.  I  did  not  know  of  any  disturbance  occurring. 

Q.  During  any  of  those  days? 

A.  None  of  those  days,  except  what  I  told  you  as  having  occurred  on 
Thursday.  I  had  reason  to  believe  that  there  was  no  disturbance  from 
Thursday  afternoon  until  Saturday  afternoon. 

<£.  Didn't  you  know  of  a  large  collection  of  people  in  that  vicinity? 

A.  Oh,  yes,  sir.  I  knew  they  were  coming  there — went  there  to  see  the 
soldiers — what  was  going  on.  People  went  there  as  they  would  to  a  county 
fair  or  a  boat  race,  to  see  what  was  to  be  seen.  Men  with  their  families, 
women  with  their  children,  even  children  in  their  arms,  went  there  from 
curiosity. 

Q.  Don't  you  know  that  there  was  a  large  crowd  there  before  the  mili- 
tary arrived  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  No  knowledge  of  that  ? 

a.  No  knowledge  of  what  we  would  call  a  large  crowd.  I  know  there 
was  quite  a  crowd  there  on  Thursday      I  knew  from  what  I  am  told,  there 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  401 

was  a  crowd  there  at  the  time  of  the  alleged  disturbance  with  Mr.  Watt 
and  Mr.  McCall. 

Q.  Hadn't  you  been  told  by  citizens  and  others,  that  there  was  a  large 
crowd  there — likely  to  be  trouble  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Hadn't  any  idea  ? 

A.  I  had  an  idea  that  there  was  to  be  trouble,  because  when  the  military 
came  out  they  were  subject  to  the  thousand  contingencies  that  would  pro- 
duce disturbance. 

Q.  Had  you  any  intimation  of  trouble  before  the  military  were  ordered 
out  ? 

A.  As  much  as  I  told  you  occurred  on  Friday,  after  the  arrest  by  the 
police  of  this  man  who  was  alleged  to  have  struck  Mr.  Watt.  Think  there 
was  no  disturbance  after  that  during  the  whole  of  Thursday  night,  and 
to  Friday  morning,  when  the  police  were  dismissed. 

Q.  Did  you  go  to  any  trouble  to  ascertain  the  extent  of  that  disturbance, 
on  the  first  disturbance  on  Thursday? 

A.  Of  course,  I  kuew  the  extent  of  it  from  what  the  police  told  me. 

Q.  You  were  shortly  informed  of  what  was  going  on — made  all  efforts 
necessary  to  ascertain  ? 

A.  It  came  to  me  without  an  effort. 

Q.  Didn't  require  any  effort  to  ascertain  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  1  inquired  what  going  on,  and  ascertained  what  was  going 
on. 

Q.  Didn't  your  police  inform  you  that  the  mob  had  overpowered  the 
police,  and  also  the  railroad  authorities,  on  Thursday  ? 

A.  Why,  no  !  they  didn't  overpower  them.  I  proved  that  here.  They 
were  not  overpowered. 

Q.  They  had  every  control  of  their  railroad  and  their  rolling  stock  with- 
out interference  ? 

A.  I  will  prove  it  to  you  by  the  police. 

Q.  I  want  to  know  what  you  were  informed  of  the  situation  of  affairs — 
what  you  know  of  your  own  knowledge  ? 

A.  I  was  not  there.  1  don't  know  anything  of  my  own  knowledge.  I 
I  can  tell  you  what  can  be  proved  by  the  police. 

Q.  I  ask  you  the  question,  what  reports  you  got  from  your  officers  ? 

A.  That  everything  was  quiet  and  peaceable  after  the  arrest  of  McCall. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  reports  from  your  officers  on  Friday,  that  every- 
thing was  quiet? 

A.  On  Friday  morning  I  received  word  that  the  police  had  been  dis- 
missed by  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  men. 

Q.  Who  informed  you  of  that  fact  ? 

A.  I  can't  tell  you. 

Q.  An  officer  of  your  force  ? 

A.  I  presume  so ;  in  fact  it  must  have  been ;  that  state  of  facts  I  can 
prove  here  and  demonstrate. 

Q.  Did  you  at  any  time  deem  it  necessary  to  increase  your  force  of  po- 
lice ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  But  did  you  do  so  ? 

A.  Done  what  I  could  to  increase. 

Q.  To  what  extent  did  you  increase  your  force  ? 

A.  It  was  increased  upwards  of  one  hundred  men,  by  the  order  of  the 
committee  of  public  safety,  and  after  I  got  about  one  hundred,  their  or- 
ders were  that  I  should  increase  the  force  to  three  hundred,  but  I  came 
26  Riots. 


402  Report  or  Committee.  [No.  29, 

to  the  conclusion  that  that  number  of  men  were  not  needed,  and  I  didn't 
emplo}'  any  more.  I  suppose  we  had  altogether  about  two  hundred  and 
forty  or  two  hundred  and  fifty  men. 

Q.  Did  you  increase  3rour  police  force  before  you  were  ordered  to  do  so 
by  the  public  committee? 

A.  Yes ;  to  the  extent  of  ordering  the  police  who  were  unemployed  to 
report  to  the  city  hall  for  duty  on  Sunday  forenoon.  A  portion  of  them 
came,  not  many.  They  considered  the}7  had  been  very  badly  treated,  and 
they  did  not  care  about  risking  their  lives  under  those  circumstarces. 

Q.  Could  you  have  demanded  citizens  to  serve  as  police  on  your  force  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  did  you  do  so  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.   Did  you  have  all  you  needed  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Why  did  not  you  make  this  demand  ? 

A.  Because  I  had  no  time  to  do  it.  My  time  was  fully  occupied.  I 
had  met  several  gentlemen  in  the  morning,  and  they  called  a  citizens'  meet- 
ing for  the  forenoon,  and  I  expected  them  to  make  arrangements  to  go  out, 
in  what  we  might  call,  in  a  non-legal  way,  in  a  posse,  but  instead  of  doing 
that  they  thought  it  more  advisable  to  send  a  number  of  gentlemen  up  to 
address  the  crowd. 

Q.  Who  thought  so  ? 

A.  The  meeting. 

Q.  Citizens'  meeting? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  they  were  there  and  addressed  the  crowd  from  the  upper 
end  of  the  platform  of  the  Union  depot,  but  it  was  of  no  avail,  talking  was 
of  no  use.  Then  they  were  to  have  a  meeting  in  the  afternoon.  I  came 
down  to  that  meeting  and  met  the  committee  at  the  city  hall,  talked  a  lit- 
tle there,  and  then  they  adjourned  to  meet  on  Market  street,  and  there 
there  was  considerable  talk.  Doctor  Donnelly  was  there,  he  was  one  of 
the  spokesmen,  and  he  talked  there  about  having  offered,  with  the  permis- 
sion of  the  mayor,  a  company.  He  is  slightly  mistaken  as  to  having 
formed  a  company ;  it  was  I  who  formed  it. 

Q.  A  military  company  with  arms? 

A.  No,  sir;  a  company  of  citizens. 

Q.  Armed  citizens  ? 

A.  They  were  not  armed.     They  had  nothing. 

Q.  You  subsequently  armed  them,  didn't  you  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  To  properly  understand  the  spirit  with  which  I  was  actu- 
ated, with  permission  of  the  committee,  I  will  read  two  extracts,  one  from 
the  Post  of  Monday,  and  one  from  the  Gazette  of  Monday  morning,  these 
extracts  are  not  literally  reported,  but  to  show  the  spirit  that  was  there, 
and  with  permission  of  the  committee,  I  will  read  them. 

Q.  Are  they  long  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  they  are  not  long.  This  is  from  the  Post  of  Monday,  July 
23,1877. 

Q.  An  editorial  ? 

A.  A  local  report.  This  is  the  extract :  "  An  enterprising  individual 
here  endeavored  to  throw  cold  water  on  the  spirit  of  the  meeting,  by  say- 
ing they  needed  a  thousand  men ;  but  he  was  suppressed.  Mayor  McCarthy 
rushed  to  the  stand,  and  said  there  was  no  use  of  any  more  fooling.  "  Let 
all  who  wanted  to  save  their  city  fall  into  line,  and  go  at  once  to  the 
mayor's  office,  and  be  sworn  in  as  extra  policemen.  The  fire  was  spread- 
ing, and  the  incendiaries  were  still  at  work,  and  we  must  act  now."    Then 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18tT.  403 

the  reporter  puts  in  this  :  "  This  suited  the  meeting,  and  a  portion  of  the 
meeting  formed  in  line,  and,  under  head  of  the  mayor,  marched  off."  That 
is  from  the  Post. 

Q.  Before  you  go  any  further,  did  you  command  that  force? 

A.  I  led  them  ;  went  at  their  head.     I  will  give  you  a  history  of  that 

Q.  As  commander  of  them  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  they  were  not  going  into  action.  There  is  a  history  about 
this,  which  I  will  give  you  after  reading  this.  This  is  from  the  Gazelle 
of  Monday,  July  23,  an  extract :  "  There  was  now  a  loud  call  for  the  mayor, 
who  was  in  the  crowd.  He  stepped  to  the  front,  and  said,  '  The  city  is  on 
fire.  There  is  no  time  to  be  lost.  I  want  every  man,  who  is  ready  to  help 
me,  to  go  up  here  to  join  this  band  to  go  and  put  down  incendiaries.'  Mr. 
Henry  Pilipps,  junior,  said,  'Let  us  go  to  the  city  hall  at  once,  and  be 
perfectly  organized  as  a  vigilance  committee,  and  let  the  mayor  swear  his 
policemen  in.'  The  mayor  then  said,  '  I  can  swear  them  in  now,'  and 
suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  the  mayor  made  his  way  to  one  end  of  the 
crowd,  and  countermarched  through  them.  The  ranks  were  quickl}r  filled 
up,  as  soon  as  the  movement  was  understood.  The  meeting  adjourned  to 
call  of  the  chair,  and  the  company  proceeded  up  Fifth  avenue.''  Now  this 
company  that  I  formed  there.  Doctor  Donnelly  was  present,  and  he  had 
been  spoken  of  as  a  fit  person  to  command.  I  intended  to  have  taken  them 
down  Diamond  alley  to  Gregg's  store,  and  arm  them  with  axe-handles  or 
pick-handles,  or  whatever  could  be  got ;  but  the  large  majority  of  them 
were  indisposed  to  do  that,  and  we  started  off  to  the  university  building, 
across  the  way  here,  andrtwo  or  three  portions  of  the  building  were  broken 
in  in  search  of  some  drilling  arms  that  the  cadets  in  the  universit}*-  use. 
After  a  considerable  waste  of  time  there,  they  couldn't  get  the  arms.  We 
succeeded  in  getting  them  into  line  again,  and  we  marched  off  to  Gregg's. 
Mr.  Gregg  opened  the  door,  and  the  line  formed  outside  in  the  street, 
and  some  men  went  into  the  store,  and  they  carried  enough  of  those  ax- 
handles  to  arm  the  crowd.  When  that  was  done,  I  turned  them  over  to 
Doctor  Donnelly.  In  anticipation  of  the  formation  of  this  company,  I 
had  given  orders  for  a  number  of  police  to  collect  at  the  city  hall,  to  the 
end  that  they  would  lead  this  company  and  precede  them,  and  in  that  po- 
sition go  and  attack  the  rioters.  When  I  had  put  Doctor  Donnelly  in 
charge,  I  told  him  to  bring  his  men  to  the  city  hall,  and  I  would  give  him 
a  police  force  to  precede  them  and  march  at  their  head  to  go  to  the  scene 
of  the  riot.  I  don't  know  whether  the  Doctor  understood  me  or  not;  but 
his  police  force  did  go.  His  company  didn't  go  to  the  city  hall,  and  right 
here,  permit  me  to  say  that  you  have  heard  a  great  deal  about  fifty  men 
squelching  this  mob,  and  a  hundred  determined  men.  I  suppose  Doctor 
Donnelly  thought  he  had  determined  men,  and  he  didn't  go  for  police  as- 
sistance. Possibly  he  expected  he  could  accomplish  it  all  without  the  aid 
of  police.  He  went ;  he  was  repulsed  hoi*se,  foot,  and  dragoon.  The  next 
thing  I  saw  of  them  they  came  to  the  city  hall  in  a  demoralized  condition. 
I  said  to  the  doctor  when  he  came  there,  sa}rs  I,  "  Doctor,  keep  your  men 
here.  I  understand  that  there  is  a  company  of  soldiers  on  a  steamboat  at 
the  lock.  You  and  I  will  go  up  and  and  see  if  we  can  get  them."  He 
got  into  the  buggy,  and  we  went  up  there.  We  saw  the  lady  of  the  house 
at  the  lock,  and  she  told  me  that  these  men  had  had  orders  to  go  into 
camp  at  the  poor  farm.  We  came  back  to  the  city  hall,  and  was  informed 
that  Doctor  Donnelly's  troops  had  gone  to  their  supper,  and  would  be 
back  after  supper.  After  supper  there  came  some  eight  or  ten  of  them — 
they  were  there  ready  for  action.  That  was  all  that  came  back,  and  so 
you  see  what  fifty  determined  men  could  do. 


404  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Did  this  compaiw  of  Doctor  Donnelly's  go  up  there  armed  with  any- 
thing else  but  pick  handles? 

A.  I  don't  know.  I  think  that  after  I  left  them  ready  to  come  to  the 
city  hail,  that  they  went  some  place  and  got  some  arms,  because  they  came 
back  to  the  mayor's  office  with  some  instruments 

Q.  Muskets? 

A.  I  guess  there  were  some  muskets  the  university  had  used.  I  know 
the  university  authorities  created  quite  a  disturbance  about  their  not 
being  returned  to  them. 

Q.  You  spoke  about  different  parties  coming  there  to  suppress  this 
riot.  Who  were  those  parties,  besides  your  officers — I  mean  outside  of 
the  city  authorities  ? 

A.  This  meeting  of  the  citizens. 

Q.  Who  else  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  any  others. 

Q.  The  sheriff  and  the  county  authorities  ? 

A.  I  saw  nothing  of  them  on  Sunday. 

Q.  You  were  speaking  of  those  parties  attempting  command  or  change 
of  affairs  in  trying  to  suppress  the  riots.  Did  you  have  reference  to  the 
citizens'  committee  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Was  it  the  sheriff's  posse  ? 

A.  I  have  reference  to  the  county  authorities,  the  Pennsylvania  rail- 
road, and  the  military. 

Q.  Then  what  was  it  you  had  reference  to — the  citizens  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Nor  Doctor  Donnelly's  command  ? 

A.  I  think  Doctor  Donnelly's  command  went  in  good  faith,  to  do  what 
they  could — they  were  not  able. 

Q.  You  said  you  were  utterly  hostile  to  all  those  parties  in  their  efforts  ? 

A.  I  said  I  was  hostile  to  their  plan  of  operations,  because  I  didn't  think 
it  was  called  for  at  the  time  it  was  done,  because  I  believed  it  would  end  in 
disaster,  which  it  did. 

Q.  Did  j^ou  make  any  effort  to  have  anj^  conference  with  these  parties 
to  agree  on  some  plan  that  would  be  effected  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  they  went  to  work  independent  of  me,  and  had  called  out 
the  troops  without  consulting  me  at  all.  I  was  at  my  office  all  night  wait- 
ing if  anything  would  occur,  and  I  knew  nothing  of  this  movement  to  call 
troops  out  until  I  saw  the  dispatches  on  Friday  morning. 

Q.  Do  I  understand  you  that  because  they  did  not  consult  you,  you  put 
yourself  in  hostility  to  all  these  parties  ? 

A.  If  you  understand  me  that  way,  you  understand  me  entirely  wrong. 

Q.  I  want  to  know  that  ? 

A.  I  have  time  and  again  here  to-day  stated  that  I  was  utterly  hostile 
to  their  plan  of  operations,  and  that  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  them,  because 
I  knew  I  would  be  powerless  with  these  men. 

Q.  You  made  no  effort  to  see  them  or  converse  with  them,  and  had  no 
conference  with  them  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 
•  Q.  Made  no  attempt  to  have  any  conference  with  them  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not.     I  am  satisfied  they  did  not  want  me. 
By  Senator  Key  burn  : 

Q.  Was  it  not  your  duty  as  mayor  of  the  city,  to  take  charge,  notwith- 
standing these  men,  and  if  they  put  themselves  in  your  way,  to  take  them 
jind  m  die  them  behave  themselves  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  405 

A.  No  ;  I  could  not  do  that.     The  sheriff  is  the  leading  officer. 

Q.  Here  among  the  powers,  I  find  set  forth  is,  '*To  prevent  riots,  noises, 
disturbances,  or  disorderly  assemblages — "  that  is  a  part  of  your  powers. 

A.  I  will  show  you  something  stronger  than  that  there.  That  is  very 
weak — wishy-washy.  Do  not  understand  me  as  being  offensive — you  have 
got  a  pretty  good-natured  face,  and  I  like  to  talk  to  you.  There  it  is,  "  The 
mayor  of  the  city,  shall  be  its  executive  officer,  and  the  conservator  of  its 
peace.  He  shall  have  and  exercise  within  the  city  limits,  the  powers  con- 
ferred on  sheriffs  of  counties,  to  suppress  disorder,  and  keep  the  peace. 

Q.  That  is  what  I  meant.  Was  it  not  part  of  your  duty  to  take  charge 
yourself,  as  mayor  ? 

A.  Not  under  the  circumstances.     I  had  been  superseded  by  the  power 
that  had  the  whole  county  at  its  beck,  who  had  without  my  knowledge, 
and,  as  I  thought,  entirely  unnecessary,  laid  out  a  plan  of  action  I  could 
have  nothing  at  all  to  do  with. 
By  Senator  Yutz}^ : 

Q.  I  would  like  at  this  point,  for  the  mayor  to  explain  why  he  considered 
himself  superseded,  having  acted  without  his  knowledge. 

A.  Why  I  considered  I  had  been  superseded  ? 

Q.  You  say  that  they  acted  without  your  knowledge.  I  want  to  know 
why  you  considered  yourself  superseded  ? 

A.  I  did  not  consider  myself  superseded  because  they  acted  without  my 
knowledge.  If  I  said  anything  of  that  kind  I  have  been  misunderstood.  I 
have  time  and  again  tried  to  express  myself  upon  that  point,  and  that  is 
this,  that  the  sheriff  of  the  county,  together  with  the  military,  had  taken 
possession  of  this  matter,  and  superseded  the  mayor. 

Q.  Had  you  been  so  informed  ? 

A.  I  was  superseded  by  the  dismissal  of  the  police  on  Friday  morning, 
and  the  taking  possession  by  soldiers  who  had  been  called  out  by  the  State 
authorities. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  fact  of  your  own  knowledge  that  the  police  had 
been  dismissed  ? 

A.  I  know  that  fact  from  the  statement  of  the  police — made  to  me  and 
to  the  office. 

Q.  That  is  the  only  way  you  know  that  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  received  no  intelligence  of  that  fact  from  the  railroad  officials  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Is  it  their  prerogative  to  dismiss  the  police,  or  have  you  got  control 
of  them  ? 

A.  They  were  under  control  of  the  railroad  authorities.  They  directed 
them  where  to  go,  and  according  to  their  orders  they  went. 

Q.  Have  they  got  control,  equal  to  yourself,  with  any  police  in  this  city  ? 

A.  Under  the  circumstances  they  had. 

Q.  You  delegated  that  power  to  them  ? 

A.  They  were  sent  there  for  that  purpose,  to  do  just  as  they  said  for 
them  to  do. 

Q.  You  delegated  the  power  to  the  railroad  officials  to  have  charge  of 
these  men  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that  I  delegated  them,  because  there  were  not  over  four 
or  five  that  were  under  my  control. 

Q.  Did  you  consider,  under  all  the  circumstances,  that  the  railroad 
officials  or  anybody  else  had  the  right  to  dismiss  police  without  consulting 
you,  or  had  any  control  over  them  ? 

A.  Under  those  circumstances,  I  did. 


406  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Was  that  dismissal  anything  more  than  a  mere  taking  of  those  war- 
rants from  the  hands  of  the  police,  and  putting  them  in  the  hands  of  the 
sheriff? 

A.  There  was  nothing  of  the  kind  took  place,  and  now  understand  me  : 
policemen,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  were 
sent  there  during  the  afternoon  and  the  night.  They  were  there  under  the 
control  of  the  railroad  authorities,  and  when  the  railroad  authorities  did 
not  want  them  any  more,  they  dismissed  them,  which  was  on  Friday 
morning. 

Q.  You  understand  the}^  gave  them  a  formal  dismissal,  and  told  them 
their  services  were  not  needed  to  keep  the  peace  any  longer  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  in  what  form  it  was  done. 

Q.  Was  it  not  merely  taking  warrants  from  their  hands,  and  telling  these 
policemen  they  would  put  the  warrants  that  were  in  their  hands  for  execu- 
tion into  the  hands  of  the  sheriff  to  execute — was  not  that  all  the  dis- 
missal there  was  ? 

A.  At  that  time  no  warrants  had  been  issued. 

Q.  On  Friday  ? 

A.  On  Friday  morning,  when  the  police  were  dismissed  by  the  railroad 
authorities,  no  warrants  had  been  issued — no  information  had  been  made. 

Q.  After  their  dismissal,  did  you  think  then  you  had  no  further  occasion 
to  keep  the  police  force  there  ? 

A.  Not  because  they  were  dismissed,  but  because  I  had  been  superseded 
by  the  military  and  the  county. 

Q.  I  want  to  know  why  you  thought  you  were  superseded — were  you  so 
informed  by  either  of  those  parties,  either  the  sheriff  or  the  mayor,  or  any- 
body acting  for  them  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  was  not  informed  by  them. 

Q.  Why  did  you  consider  yourself  superseded  ?  Simply  because  they 
took  action  to  suppress  the  riot  ? 

A.  They  took  possession  of  the  whole  business.  There  was  no  room  for 
me. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Would  not  your  police  force  which  you  could  have  gathered  together 
have  been  some  assistance  to  them  in  keeping  the  peace  ? 

A.  If  the  sheriff  had  asked  me  for  the  police  as  a  posse  to  help  him  I 
could  have  given  a  hundred  men. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  I  want  to  ask  you  this  question,  if  you  think  that  you  can  be  super- 
seded by  the  military  ? 

A.  If  I  am  not  ? 

Q.  Yes ;  can  you  be  superseded  by  the  military  in  your  powers  and 
duties  ? 

A.  If  I  had  charge  they  would  not  supersede  me. 

Q.  Is  it  not  your  duty  to  take  charge? 

A.   That  duty  had  been  performed  by  the  sheriff. 

Q.  Is  it  not  your  duty  to  take  charge  of  your  police  and  put  down  any 
riots  or  disturbance  within  the  cUy^  limits,  regardless  of  any  power  on 
earth  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  in  the  event  that  the  sheriff  does  not  interfere,  it  would  be. 
If  I  got  possession  first  I  would  hold. 

Q.   Were  you  not  called  upon  first  b}r  the  railroad  officials? 

A.  I  was  called  upon  first  by  the  railroad  officials  to  furnish  them  with 
ten  men. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  407 

Q.  And  you  acted  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Why  did  you  not  keep  control  ? 

A.  Because  they  had  taken  it  out  of  my  hands  by  dismissing  the  police, 
calling  upon  the  sheriff,  and  the  sheriff  called  upon  the  State  for  ti'oops. 

Q.  Then  I  understand  you  to  say  that  the  sheriff  superseded  you,  in  your 
judgment? 

A.  That  is  what  I  said  a  dozen  times. 

Q.  Did  the  military  supersede  you? 

A.  Certainly  they  did. 

Q.  I  want  to  know  if  you  think  the  military  can  supersede  you  ? 

A.  Mr.  Chairman,  you  are  getting  too  hair-splitting  here.  If  I  had 
charge  the  military  could  not  supersede  me — it  would  not  be  in  their 
power. 

Q.  Did  you  not  have  charge  at  the  commencement  ? 

A.  At  the  commencement  I  had,  but  on  Friday  morning  I  was  thrown 
to  the  dogs.  In  the  night  they  had  sent  for  the  sheriff.  They  did  not 
come  down  to  the  mayor's  office,  where  I  was  ready  and  waiting  to  hear 
what  was  going  on  there  the  whole  night,  but  they  went  for  the  sheriff  and 
they  took  him  out. 

Q.  Did  they  not  telegraph  you  for  fifty  more  additional  police  ? 

A.  Did  I  not  tell  you  half  a  dozen  times  that  I  knew  nothing  about  that — 
I  received  no  dispatch — how  often  must  I  repeat  that  ? 

Q.  Was  it  not  received  at  your  office  ? 

A.  I  was  told  that  they  sent  there  for  more  men,  and  that  they  got  them. 

Q.  Did  they  get  fifty  more  policemen  that  they  called  for  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  Wait  a  moment,  and  I  will  prove  to  you  that  at  supper 
time — after  supper — they  sent  word  from  the  outer  depot  to  the  inner  depot 
that  they  would  not  furnish  transportation  to  the  policemen  that  went 
there — they  had  enough,  and  they  did  not  want  any  more. 

Q.  You  did  not  send  them  the  fifty  policemen  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  anything  at  all  about  it.     They  got  all  they  wanted. 

Q.  Now,  in  not  getting  them,  they  called  upon  the  sheriff? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  will  prove  to  you  they  got  all  they  wanted.  They  said 
they  wanted  no  more,  and  they  would  not  furnish  transportation  to  the 
men  at  the  Union  depot ;  but  if  these  men  wanted  to  go  they  would  have 
to  walk. 

Q.  They  did  not  get  the  fifty  policemen.  You  have  stated  they  sent  for 
fifty  policemen,  and  they  did  not  get  them  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  they  sent  for  fifty  policemen,  but  I  have  a  moral 
conviction  they  sent  for  more  men.  How  many  I  do  not  know.  It  may 
have  been  fifty.  I  have  a  moral  conviction  that  more  men  were  sent  to 
them  than  they  wanted,  for  they  said  so.  Whether  it  was  fifty  men,  I  do 
not  know.     I  do  not  think  it  was  fifty. 

Q.  You  were  not  at  your  office,  and  did  not  receive  that  dispatch  calling 
for  fifty  men  ? 

A.  I  was  not  at  the  office  from  quarter  to  five  in  the  afternoon  until  eight 
in  the  evening.     From  eight  in  the  evening  I  was  there  all  night. 

Q.  I  understand  your  position,  Mr.  McCarthy,  to  be  this  :  that  you  may 
be  superseded  by  the  sheriff  of  the  county,  but  not  by  the  military  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  that  is  not  my  position,  by  a  long  slap.  My  position  is  that 
the  military  were  sent  here  at  the  request  of  the  sheriff — that  the  sheriff 
took  possession  of  the  business,  and  that  the  police  were  dismissed,  and 
then  I  had  nothing  more  to  do  with  them.     That  is  my  position. 


408  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  That  is,  when  the  sheriff*  takes  possession  that  then  there  is  no  further 
call  on  you  or  any  further  duty  for  you  to  perform — is  that  the  position  ? 

A.  Under  the  circumstances  as  they  existed  at  that  time. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Why,  then,  did  you  assume  command  on  Saturday  evening  ? 

A.  Because  I  had  reason  to  believe  from  what  I  saw  that  outside  of  the 
railroad  property  there  was  work  to  be  done. 

Q.  It  was  not  then  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  the  railroad  property 
that  you  acted  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  My  good  conscience,  didn't  the  railroad  company  and  the  sheriff  have 
one  thousand  men  right  on  that  ground,  or  thereabouts. 

Q.  It  was  not  for  that  purpose,  then,  but  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
tecting the  city  you  acted  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  outside  of  that. 

Q.  What  time  was  the  information  made  by  Mr.  Watt  before  you  on 
which  the  warrants  were  issued  for  these  nine  or  ten  men  ? 

A.  Sometime  during  Friday  forenoon. 

Q.  Made  by  Mr.  Watt  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know.     May  be  it  was. 

Q.  Warrants  were  immediately  issued,  were  they  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Placed  in  the  hands  of  your  policemen  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  were  they  kept  by  the  policemen  ? 

A.  Until  Saturday  morning. 

Q.  And  no  arrests  were  made  '{ 

A.  No  arrests  were  made. 

Q.  And  then  what  was  done  with  them  ? 

A.  They  came  there  and  wanted  to  take  the  information  away — the  law 
authorities — I  think  Mr.  Housey  was  one  of  them.  We  would  not  give  them 
the  information — would  not  let  go  of  that.  Then  they  wanted  the  names 
of  the  men  who  were  implicated  in  it  for  the  purpose  of  getting  out  bench 
warrants,  and  they  got  the  names.     We  gave  them  to  them. 

Q.  Why  were  these  men  not  arrested  on  Friday  ? 

A.  Because  a  troubled  state  of  feeling  had  been  existing  in  the  commu- 
nity by  calling  out  the  troops,  and  I  instructed  the  policemen  to  be  very 
cautious,  and  if  they  made  any  arrests,  an  arrest  any  time  before  the  meet- 
ing of  the  grand  jury  would  be  sufficient,  simply  for  the  purposes  of  this 
information. 

Q.  Did  you  not  understand  these  persons  were  the  leaders  in  the  dis- 
turbances on  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  I  would  understand  they  were  engaged  in  it. 

Q,.  That  was  the  charge  contained  in  the  affidavit,  was  it  not  ? 

A.  No,  no  ;  it  was  not  a  charge.  I  think  that  the  information  was  made 
under  an  act  of  Assembly,  passed  within  the  last  two  or  three  years,  about 
people  interfering  with  the  running  of  trains.  I  think  that  was  it,  though 
I  am  not  quite  sure. 

Q.  Would  it  not  have  been  better  to  have  made  these  arrests  as  soon  as 
possible,  before  the  arrival  of  the  military  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  think,  under  the  circumstances,  it  would  have  been  a  very 
bad  move  to  have  made  these  arrests.     I  was  conscious,  at  the  time  I  gave 
the  warrants  to  the  officer,  that  it  was  a  dangerous  thing,  on  account  of 
the  public  excitement  that  had  been  created  by  calling  out  the  troops,  and 
I  told  him  to  be  very  cautious  about  what  he  would  do,  and  I  was  satisfied 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  409 

he  would  be  cautious,  as  to  rush  pell-mell,  right  up  there,  and  snatch  these 
men  right  out,  would  have  created  a  disturbance  at  once.  At  least,  I 
thought  so. 

Q.  On  Saturday  night,  when  you  went  out  and  ordered  all  the  police 
you  could  get,  consistently,  to  the  Twelfth  ward,  I  understand  you  to  say 
that  it  was  not  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  the  railroad  property,  but  to 
protect  the  city  particularly  ? 

A.  I  conceived  that  the  railroad  property  had  eight  hundred  or  nine 
hundred — at  least  eight  hundred  men  there,  for  that  purpose. 

Q.  You  took  these  policemen,  you  say,  to  arrest  men  that  were  carrying 
off  railroad  property  ? 

A.  Presumed  to  be  railroad  property. 

Q.  Or  carrying  off  plunder? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  many  did  they  arrest  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  you.     I  suppose  there  may  have  been  about  a  hundred. 

Q.  What  was  done  with  these  men  ? 

A.  Thej'  were  taken  to  the  station-house,  and  Alderman  Butler,  I  believe, 
who  was  in  charge — I  was  not  in  charge  for  a  week  ;  I  had  something  else 
to  do — I  believe  they  came  to  the  conclusion  that  they  could  not  be  con- 
victed of  larceny,  from  not  being  able  to  identify  what  goods  they  had. 
All  things  were  thrown  together  in  the  hurry  of  the  moment,  and  they 
could  not  identify  them  nor  the  goods,  and  I  believe  they  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  an  action  of  larceny  would  not  lie,  and  it  would  be  troublesome 
to  prove  it,  and  he  fined  them. 

Q.  How  many  of  them  did  he  fine  ? 

A.  Indeed,  I  cannot  tell.     I  never  looked  to  see. 

Q.  Did  he  discharge  any  of  them  ? 

A.  That  I  do  not  know.    I  had  too  much  to  do,  to  look  after  them. 

Q.  Was  any  record  made  of  it  ? 

A.  Oh  !  yes ;  they  have  their  names  down  in  the  watch-house  docket. 

Q.  You  never  examined  the  record  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  never  examined  it  because  it  was  a  trifling  matter  com- 
pared with  other  things  that  had  to  be  done,  and  I  paid  no  attention  to  it. 

Q.  Had  you  any  intimation  from  any  source  prior  to  the  appearance  of 
Mr.  Watt  on  Thursday  at  your  office  of  an  outbreak  among  the  railroad 
employes  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  but  on  the  contrary,  I  happened  to  know  from  the  president 
of  the  Trainmen's  Union  that  when  he  was  told  that,  eleven  o'clock  that 
day,  he  disputed  the  accuracy  of  the  statement.  He  knew  nothing  of  it, 
but  when  he  was  assured  in  such  a  way  that  he  thought  there  must  be 
something  in  it,  he  left  the  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Liberty  streets  for 
Twenty-eighth  street,  to  know  what  the  facts  were.  He  himself  did  not 
believe  it. 

Q.  You  had  no  reason  at  all  to  anticipate  anything  of  the  kind  ? 

A.  No ;  I  never  dreamed  that  there  would  be  an  outbreak  such  as  there 
was. 

Q.  That  there  would  be  a  strike  at  all  on  the  railroad  ? 

A.  Oh,  no ;  had  no  idea  of  it  at  all.  I  very  seldom  come  in  contact 
with  railroad  men. 

Q.  In  the  conversations  that  you  had  with  the  men  who  went  out  in  the 
Twelfth  ward,  did  they  give  you  any  reasons  for  the  outbreak  and  the 
strike  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  never  entered  into  a  critical  examination  of  the  question 
there  at  that  time. 


410  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Your  conversation  with  them  was  simply  in  relation  to- 


A.  What  was  occurring  at  the  moment.  I  think  from  all  I  could  gather 
from  the  railroad  men,  that  they  were  averse  to  what  took  place. 

Q.  Had  you  noticed  any  influx  of  people  in  the  city,  prior  to  this  time — 
within  a  few  days  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  had  not,  but  there  was  one  thing  struck  me  with  surprise, 
that  I  did  not  know  I  he  faces  of  vast  numbers  of  people.  I  was  born  and 
raised  in  Pittsburgh,  and  I  know  an  immense  number  of  faces.  I  almost 
think  I  can  tell  a  Pittsburgher  when  I  see  him,  but  on  that  day  there  were 
vast  numbers  of  people  I  could  not  recognize.  I  got  into  close  quarters 
with  them  twice.  By  the  by,  I  have  not  told  you  that  I  came  in  contact 
with  them  at  the  head  of  the  platform  of  the  Union  depot,  but,  like  Doctor 
Donnelly's  men,  in  about  ten  seconds  I  was  placed  hors  da  combat.  They 
invited  me  to  take  a  little  walk — one  fellow  struck  me.  A  good  man  in 
the  crowd  interfered,  and  told  me  they  did  not  want  to  hurt  me,  but  if  I 
stayed  there  I  would  have  to  take  the  consequence.  I  looked  around  at 
Officer  Jones,  who  went  into  the  crowd  with  me,  and  I  saw  him  looking 
pretty  black,  and  he  made  up  his  mind  to  the  situation,  and  he  left.  He 
came  over  to  me,  and  says,  "  Mayor,  you  had  better  get  out  of  this."  I 
was  disposed  to  kick.  I  did  not  feel  very  afraid  of  them.  I  am  not  a 
man  of  courage.  He  gave  me  a  nudge,  says  he,  "  Get  out  quick."  And 
I  thought  I  had  better  go.  With  that  the  mob  picked  me  up  and  carried 
me  from  the  head  of  the  platform  and  landed  me  out  in  front  of  the  depot, 
and  Alderman  O'Donnell  and  Dan  Hall,  and  four  or  five  policemen  then 
came  up,  and  I  was  led  into  the  Union  depot. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  the  time — it  was  when  the  mob  was  coming  down  the 
Pennsylvania  railroad  yard,  smashing  up  cars  and  things. 

Q.  Some  time  Sunday  ? 

A.  I  got  a  little  angry,  and  lost  my  head.  I  did  not  care  what  I  did, 
and  Jones  and  I,  and  two  or  three  others,  I  do  not  know  who  they  were, 
went  in. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  I  would  like  to  ask  a  few  more  questions  in  regard  to  the  sheriff  and 
military  superseding  the  mayor  ? 

A.  Never  ending  and  always  beginning.  Do  you  expect  to  put  me  in 
the  hole,  Mr.  Yutzy  ? 

A.  Not  at  all.  I  would  like  to  know  why  you  considered  yourself  super- 
seded by  any  other  authorities  here  in  the  city,  the  disturbance  having 
commenced  ? 

A.  I  have  tried  to  impress  that  upon  you  half  a  dozen  times. 

Q.  Were  you  informed,  by  either  of  those  parties,  that  you  were  not 
needed  ? 

A.  I  have  told  you  two  or  three  times  no,  and  I  shall  have  to  continue 
answering  it  no  every  time  you  ask  me. 

Q.  Did  you  not  consider  it  your  duty  to  make  an  effort  to  suppress  the 
riot  and  disturbance  after  they  had  made  an  effort  to  do  so? 

A.   After  they  had  made  an  effort  and  abandoned  it,  I  did  make  an  effort. 

Q.  Dining  the  time  you  were  making  that  effort,  did  you  not  consider  it 
your  duty  also,  as  chief  officer  of  the  city,  to  suppress  any  riot  or  disturb- 
ance ? 

A.  I  think  I  told  you  several  times. 

Q.  Answer  that  question  ? 

A.  I  say  I  have  already  told  you  several  times,  that  they  pursued  a  course 
so  diametrically  opposed  to  anything  I  would  have  done  or  could  have  ap- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  411 

proved  of,  and  having  a  firm  conviction  that  no  persuasion  of  mine  could 
alter  the  determination  of  the  authorities  who  had  it  in  charge,  that  I  could 
not  interfere. 

Q.  You  made  no  effort,  then,  to  disperse  or  suppress  the  riot? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  After  they  had  made  an  effort  ? 

A.  After  they  had  made  an  effort,  I  did. 

Q.  During  the  time  they  were  making  an  effort  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Made  no  effort  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  And  not  until  after  they  had  failed,  in  your  judgment  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  What  more  evidence  would  you  want  than  that  everybody 
had  run  away — they  had  left.  '  I  do  not  charge  the  soldiers  with  running 
away — do  not  understand  that.  I  meant  among  the  men  who  said  the 
Philadelphia  troops  murdered  the  people  there.  I  am  not  among  those 
men.  I  believe  they  were  murdered,  but  the  Philadelphia  troops  are  not 
responsible  for  it. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  During  the  time  that  the  sheriff  or  the  State  authorities  were  making 
an  effort  to  suppress  this  riot  and  disperse  the  mob,  was  it  not  your  duty, 
just  as  much  as  if  they  had  not  been  here,  to  preserve  the  peace,  and  make 
every  effort  in  your  power  to  the  same  end  ? 

A.  I  have  already  answered  that  question  half  a  dozen  times.  I  answered 
it  a  moment  ago. 

Q.  Will  you  please  answer  that,  yes  or  no. 

A.  Under  the  circumstances,  I  do  not  think  that  I  had  any  tiling  to  do 
with  it. 

Q.  I  would  like  you  to  answer  that  question.  It  may  not  be  so  very 
material,  but  I  would  like  to  have  that  question  answered,  yes  or  no  ? 

A.  I  have  answered  it  ? 

Q.  Can  you  answer  it,  yes  or  no. 

A.  I  have  already  answered  it.  Under  the  circumstances,  I  do  not  think 
so. 

Q.  The  sheriff  and  the  military,  or  even  the  United  States  Government, 
attempting  to  suppress  a  riot  unless  there  was  military  law  declared,  did 
you  not  consider  it  your  duty  to  make  every  effort  in  your  power  to  pre- 
serve the  peace  and  prevent  any  disturbance  in  your  city  ? 

A.  I  would  consider  it  my  duty  to  do  so  if  there  was  nothing  to  inter- 
fere with  me. 

Q.  Was  there  anybody  interfering  with  your  duties  by  any  manner  of 
means  ? 

A.  I  have  already  said  that  I  considered  I  was  relieved  by  the  sheriff 
and  the  State  authorities. 

Q.  Did  they  interfere  with  you  ? 

A.  It  just  comes  down  to  this ;  that  is  my  platform,  and  that  is  what  I 
believe,  and  you  happen  to  think  different^. 

Q.  I  wish  to  ask  you  the  question  whether  they  interferred  with  you  by 
any  manner  of  means  in  the  performance  of  your  duties  ? 

A.  They  did  not. 

Q.  And  still  you  suspended  your  operations  or  your  efforts  to  suppress 
this  riot  and  keep  the  peace  ? 

A.  Because  these  gentlemen  superseded  me  and  took  possession. 

Q.  In  what  way  did  they  supersede  you  ? 


412  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  By  dismissing  the  police  that  they  had  in  charge,  the  railroad  men, 
and  by  the  sheriff  going  there  and  performing  his  duties  as  sheriff,  and  by 
calling  out  the  State  troops. 

Q.  Who  dismissed  these  police? 

A.  The  railroad  men. 

Q.  Are  you  subordinate  to  the  railroad  authorities  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  am  not  subordinate  to  them,  not  by  a  long  slap.  There 
cannot  be  two  kings  where  I  am  one. 

Q.  Still  you  regarded  the  railroad  company  as  superseding  you  when  they 
dismissed  your  police  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Did  they  supersede  you  at  any  time — the  railroad  authorities  ? 

A.  Why,  certainly  they  did. 

Q.  By  calling  upon  the  sheriff? 

A.  By  the  sheriff  undertaking  to  order  the  crowd  to  disperse  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  and  then  immediately  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  the  civil 
power  had  become  exhausted,  and  then  sending  a  dispatch  by  Senator 
Scott  calling  for  the  troops,  and  the  troops  being  ordered  out — that  super- 
seded me,  suspended  me.  I  went  over  that  a  dozen  times.  I  am  on  this 
stand  doing  the  swearing,  and  I  am  swearing  for  myself. 

Q.  I  would  not  ask  you  any  question  that  I  did  not  think  was  a  proper 
one? 

A.  I  don't  think  that,  but  we  differ. 

Q.  There  appears  to  be  a  conflict  of  authority  in  this  matter  between 
the  city  and  the  county  and  the  State  authorities  ? 

A.  Not  a  particle  of  conflict  of  authority.  1  took  pretty  good  care  that 
there  should  be  no  conflict.  When  the  county  and  the  military  and  the 
railroad  authority  undertook  to  follow  a  course  which  I  would  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with,  that  I  could  not  approve  of,  that  I  believed  would  end  in 
disaster,  as  it  did,  I  stepped  aside  and  let  them  have  their  way,  because  I 
could  not  control  these  men. 

Q.  We  want  to  know  where  the  responsibility  should  rest — which  of 
those  authorities  should  have  taken  command  ? 

A.  You  have  a  right  to  form  your  opinion  from  the  evidence  before  you. 
I  have  given  my  evidence,  what  I  thought  about  the  matter. 

Q.  For  that  reason  I  ask  you  the  question  whether  3Tou  considered  your- 
self superseded  by  other  authorities,  and  should  refrain  from  making  any 
effort  ? 

A.  I  have  told  you  I  thought  so,  and  gave  you  my  reasons  for  it. 

Q.  During  the  pillage  and  the  carrying  away  of  goods  at  the  Union  de- 
pot and  in  that  vicinity,  from  the  railroad,  did  you  see  any  of  the  citizens 
carrying  away  any  of  those  goods  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes ;  there  must  have  been  citizens — they  must  have  been  citi- 
zens— it  was  not  the  fellows  who  were  stealing  that  there  was  an}'  danger 
from.  It  was  the  fellows  standing  around  with  their  hands  in  their  pock- 
ets. 

Q.  Did  you  know  any  one  in  particular  who  was  carrying  away  goods 
there  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  the  policemen  carrying  away  any  goods  ? 

A.  I  did  not;  and  don't  believe  they  did. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  them  taking  cigars  or  anything  of  that  kind  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  know  what  you  are  coming  at  now  ;  I  had  forgotten  all  about 
it.     We  have  not  been  going  on  chronolog}7,  we  have  been  switching  otf. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  181T.  413 

I  saw  a  number  of  police  throwing  what  I   supposed  to  be  segars,  in  fact 
I  might  say  I  know,  to  the  mob.     The  circumstances  were  these. 

Q.  Thrown  by  the  police  to  the  mob  ? 

A.  0,  yes  ;  precisely  that  and  nothing  else.  You  will  remember  that  I 
said  that  I  telegraphed  to  detain  the  policemen,  and  send  them  up  there  on 
Sunday  morning.  I  got  up  there  pretty  late,  and  the  policemen  were  wait- 
ing on  me.  I  hadn't  much  confidence  in  any  person  we  had,  because  I 
knew  that  the  retreat  and  dispersal  of  the  soldiers  had  emboldened  the 
disorderly,  and  they  thought  when  the  soldiers  would  leave  the  mob,  that 
the  citizens  had  no  chance,  and  the  community  were  demoralized.  I  got 
about  twenty  policemen,  I  think,  and  I  thought  it  would  be  a  good  thing 
to  put  them  to  light  work  and  put  a  little  spirit  in  them.  I  took  them 
around  and  told  them  to  go  up  the  wall  and  drive  those  thieves  away.  I 
didn't  get  on  the  wall,  I  walked  down  alongside  the  wall  to  witness  their 
operations.  As  soon  as  the  police  mounted  the  wall  and  the  thieves  saw 
them — I  kept  down  with  the  police  the  great  body  of  them  ;  I  followed  on 
the  street  and  they  upon  the  wall,  and  the  wall  was  clear  for  a  very  few 
minutes,  and  I  happened  to  turn  my  eye  up,  and  I  saw  a  policeman  with  a 
bundle  of  those  soft  felt  hats  that  are  piled  on  top  of  one  another,  and  he 
was  throwing  them  down  to  the  crowd  in  the  street,  and  I  rushed  up  for 
him,  and  shook  my  fist  at  him,  and  used  some  choice  Italian,  and  then  he 
stopped,  and  after  talking  a  little  string  to  him  I  turned,  and  down  the  line 
I  saw  a  couple  of  policemen  jump  into  a  car  and  throw  things  out — they 
were  cigars — and  they  threw  things  down  to  the  crowd.  I  rushed  down 
there  and  bellowed  like  a  mad  bull  at  them,  and  they  stopped  finally,  but 
the  moral  effect  of  their  previous  conduct  was  gone,  and  the  crowd  mounted 
the  hill  like  so  many  rats,  and  that  was  the  end  of  that  business.  The 
men  engaged  in  that  were  two  lieutenants,  and  I  am  free  to  say  there  were 
not  two  better  men  in  the  force,  but  they  lost  their  heads ;  they  were  com- 
pletely surrounded  by  fire,  and  they  thought  those  things  would  burn  up, 
and  as  they  would  be  burned  up  they  just  thought  they  might  mollify  the 
crowd — a  very  mistaken  idea — by  throwing  these  things  to  the  crowd.  It 
was  from  no  desire  to  help  the  mob,  but  they  had  ignored  the  moral  prin- 
ciple involved  that  they  had  no  right  to  touch  anything,  except  for  the  sole 
and  only  purpose  of  preserving  it  for  its  owner,  and  no  other  purpose. 
They  had  forgotten  that  part  of  their  catechism. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  In  other  words,  the  police  were  demoralized  as  well  as  the  citizens  ? 

A.  At  that  moment  they  were.     I  don't  think  these  men  would  ever  do 
a  thing  of  that  kind  again. 
By  Mr.  Linisey : 

Q.  What  was  done  with  those  policemen  for  that  act? 

A.  I  dropped  them.     I  could  not  do  anything  else. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Discharged  them  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Are  they  on  the  force  now  ? 

A.  That  I  can't  say.     I  do  not  know  anything  about  the  present  force? 

Q.  Did  you  discharge  them  permanently  ? 

A.  They  left,  certainly,  and  were  never  on  again.  They  were  on  again 
for  some  days  afterwards,  for  I  had  too  many  things  to  attend  to,  to  attend 
to  them  just  at  once.  I  pitied  the  men,  because  I  knew  them  to  be  good 
men,  and  I  am  very  confident  they  will  never  do  so  again.  It  took  the 
starch  out  of  me.     I  was  demoralized  by  it.     There  are  some  things  you 


414  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

haven't  asked  me  questions  about.     There  was  some  talk  here  the  other 
day  about  protection  to  the  fire  department. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  There  has  been  some  testimony  that  citizens,  about  the  time  they 
were  breaking  into  these  gun  stores,  came  and  offered  to  be  sworn — state 
what  you  know  about  that  ? 

A.  That  was  by  Follensbee.     Mr.  Follensbee  came  there  and  offered. 
He  came  to  the  office  very  much  demoralized. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Just  state  the  fact  whether  he  offered  his  services,  and  then  whether 
you  accepted  or  not,  and  then  give  the  reason  why  you  didn't  accept 
him  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  he  offered  his  services  or  not.  There  were 
more  men,  during  these  two  or  three  hours  that  I  was  assigning  these  men 
to  duty — there  were  more  men  who  came  in  there,  in  the  capacity  of  mili- 
tary strategists,  than  would  be  enough  to  run  the  United  States  and  Con- 
federate army  during  the  rebellion,  and  I  was  annoyed  to  death  with  every 
man  coming  in  there  who  had  some  plan.  I  could  not  get  my  wits  together. 
This  Mr.  Follensbee  came  there.  I  have  no  recollection  personally  of  what 
he  said,  but  I  do  know  that  he  was  very  sadly  demoralized  with  something 
stronger  than  1  am  going  to  take  now.  He  is  a  good  gentleman,  as  honest 
a  man  as  ever  lived. 

Q.  You  did  not  swear  him  in  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Was  that  the  reason  why  you  did  not  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes. 

Q.  Did  any  other  gentlemen  with  him  offer  their  services  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of.  There  was  so  many  people  came  in  and  talked 
about  so  many  things,  and  how  this,  that,  and  the  other  thing  could  be 
done,  that  I  thought  of  getting  a  stuffed  club  to  beat  them  out  with. 

Q.  Did  you  send  any  policemen  to  Mr.  Bown's  store? 

A.  Undoubtedly.  I  suppose  there  was  a  dozen  there.  They  were  over- 
powered by  the  momentum  of  the  mob,  and  Lieutenant  Chalfant  was 
knocked  down,  as  I  was  told  b}>-  the  policemen  a  few  days  afterwards,  when 
we  began  to  gather  up  our  wits.  I  was  told  that  some  of  the  policemen 
that  were  there  tried  to  keep  the  pavement  clear,  and  took  out  their  pis- 
tols, and  citizens  who  were  there  requested  them  to  put  them  up,  and  not 
use  them — that  they  would  be  murdered. 

Q.  Just  state  what  you  know — what  came  under  your  own  observation  ? 

A.  Nothing  came  under  my  observation  there.     You  won't  know  how  to 
probe  this  thing,  unless  I  told  you  what  can  be  shown. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  anything  in  the  police  officers'  reports — 
the  police  officers  reporting  to  you,  in  an  official  capacity — would  be  testi- 
mony ? 

A.  Now,  about  Follensbee.  The  city  clerk  was  down  in  front  of  Mr. 
Bown's,  and  there  was  not  a  very  great  many  people*  They  had  been 
trying  to  keep  the  people  moving.  Mr.  Follensbee  was  standing  there, 
and  the  city  clerk  appeared  to  go  that  way 

Q.  We  have  had  the  city  clerk's  report  of  that,  from  himself,  which  is 
much  better  evidence  than  coming  from  a  second  party.  All  we  want  to 
know,  is  just  what  came  under  your  observation,  and  what  was  officially 
reported  to  you  by  your  policemen? 

A.  I  sent  men  there,  and  I  know  they  went  there. 

Q.  You  say  you  sent  about  a  dozen  policemen  there  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  415 

A.  I  suppose  there  must  have  been  a  dozen,  and  I  know,  from  the  re- 
port of  the  police  to  me,  that  they  endeavored  to  keep  the  crowd  back,  and 
did  keep  the  crowd  back,  and  that  one  man  in  the  crowd  counted  one,  two, 
three,  four,  and  up  to  ten — they  are  no  count,  and  the  whole  crowd  made 
a  rush  at  them,  and  Lieutenant  Chalfant  was  knocked  down,  and  the  mo- 
mentum of  the  crowd  carried  the  crowd  out  of  sight.  They  had  thrown 
stones  at  the  heads  of  them,  and  broken  the  windows. 

Q.  You  didn't  make  any  effort  to  get  any  greater  number  of  policemen 
to  send  there  ? 

A.  We  had  to half  a  dozen  places  at  the  same  time.     We 

just  done  the  best  we  could,  and  possibly  might  have  done  better,  if  there 
had  not  been  so  many  strategists  coming  there  to  bother  us. 

Q.  Did  you  send  any  policemen  to  protect  the  fire  companies  ? 

A.  Wh}r,  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Whom  did  you  send  ? 

A.  I  was  there  myself,  with  fifteen  policemen. 

Q.  Whom  did  you  offer  assistance  to  ? 

A.  Let  me  tell  you. 

Q.  Just  answer  the  question  ? 

A.  We  can  get  to  that  better. 

Q.  Whom  did  3rou  offer  assistance  to  ? 

A.  To  the  man  in  charge. 

Q.  Who  was  he  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  what  his  name  was. 

Q.  What  street  was  it  ? 

A.  It  was,  as  I  think,  at  the  corner  of  Twentieth  and  Liberty.  You 
can't  understand  this,  unless  you  let  me  tell  the  story. 

Q.  At  what  time  ? 

A.  I  can't  give  you  any  hour.     I  know  nothing  of  time. 

Q.  You  offered  assistance  to  the  man  in  charge.     What  was  he  doing? 

A.  He  was  throwing  water  on  French's  spring  works.  You  better  let 
me  tell  the  story.     You  are  cutting  it  up. 

Q.  What  did  he  say  ? 

A.  He  says  to  me,  says  he,  "  I  won't  do  it — I  am  not  going  to  risk  my 
life — if  you  want  to  take  charge  of  this  thing  j^ou  can  do  it." 

Q.  He  was  throwing  water  at  that  time  without  any  molestation  from 
the  mob? 

A.  Certainly ;  and  the  police  was  stationed  across  the  street  to  protect 
them.     Whether  they  would  have  stood  fire  or  not,  I  can't  tell. 

Q.  What  assistance  did  you  offer  him  ? 

A.  The  police  that  were  there  within  thirty  feet  of  me. 

Q.  If  he  was  not  molested  by  the  mob  at  that  time,  he  wanted  no  further 
assistance  ? 

A.  You  won't  let  me  tell  this  story  straight.  If  you  let  me  commence 
at  the  beginning  you  will  understand  it. 

Q.  Did  you  offer  assistance  at  any  other  time  than  the  one  you  speak  of 
now? 

A.  1  told  you  that  I  offered  assistance  on  Saturday  night,  and  it  was 
refused. 

Q.  To  whom  did  you  offer  the  assistance  on  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  I  sent  Officer  Coulson  to  the  fire  department  to  tell  them  to  come  and 
aid  the  police. 

Q.  We  have  had  Officer  Coulson  and  his  story  ? 

A.  On  Sunday  morning,  when  the  fire  had  crossed  Liberty  street,  I  went 
to  hunt  the  chief  of  the  fire  department,  and  could  not  find  him,  to  concert 


416  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

measures  with  him.  That  is  the  time  I  talked  about  the  water  arrange- 
ment. Then  a  man  connected  with  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  came  to  me, 
and  says  he,  "  If  I  get  an  engine  at  the  corner  of  Twentieth  street  to  throw 
water  on  the  railroad  cars  will  you  have  the  police  force  there  to  protect 
me  ?"  Says  I,  "I  will."  I  immediately  went  and  I  gathered  about  fifteen 
policemen,  as  nigh  as  I  can  guess,  and  had  them  at  the  corner  of  Twentieth 
street.  I  think  it  is  at  the  lower  end  of  French's  spring  works.  I  had 
them  there  a  very  long  time,  and  no  engine  appeared.  John  Coyle,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  bar  here,  came  along  and  spoke  to  me,  and  I  said  to  him,  says  I, 
"  John  " — I  told  him  the  facts — "come  along  with  me,  I  want  to  hunt  this 
thing  up,"  and  we  went  up  to  find  the  chief,  and  we  didn't  find  him.  We 
found  Commissioner  Coates.  the  man  that  had  a  pistol  at  his  head  and 
lived  to  tell  the  tale.  He  said  he  had  an  engine.  I  left  Mr.  Co3rle  and 
came  down.  Coyle  went  about  his  business  ;  and  I  saw  an  engine  coming 
down  one  of  the  cross-streets — Penn  street — and  I  went  over  to  see  where 
it  was  going,  and  it  went  away  down  town.  I  went  back  to  where  I  had 
the  police  stationed  waiting  for  the  engine  to  come.  After  a  very  great 
delay,  the  engine  came  and  attached  to  a  fire  plug ;  but  instead  of  throwing 
water  upon  the  burning  cars,  opposite  to  this  street  where  we  were,  he 
commenced  throwing  upon  French's  spring  works.  Then  Mr.  Houseman 
I  think  it  is — the  gentleman  who  had  made  the  request  of  me — I  went  to 
him  and  said  something  to  him,  and  he  came  back  to  me  and  said,  "  These 
men  won't  do  anything.  You  come  and  see  what  you  can  do."  I  went 
over  to  him,  and  the  answer  he  made  was  he  was  not  going  to  risk  his  life, 
but  if  I  wanted  to  take  charge  of  it  I  could  do  so.  But  I  didn't  do  so. 
Then  the  police — they  were  few  in  number,  and  not  able  to  do  anything — 
I  just  told  them  to  go  and  do  what  they  could.  Then  I  went  down  town, 
and  knew  the  result  of  the  citizens'  meeting. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  You  said  you  did  not  agree,  nor  could  not  agree  with  the  plan  adopted 
by  the  sheriff  and  the  troops,  or  the  officers  of  the  troops,  in  charge 
of  matters,  and  at  the  same  time  the  directions  you  gave  your  police  was 
to  be  careful,  and  not  excite  the  crowd,  and  not  make  these  arrests.  Are 
we  to  infer  from  that,  that  your  plan  was  that  you  must  not  oppose  force 
to  them,  you  must  handle  them  gingerly  and  tenderly.  Is  that  what  we 
must  infer  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  every  occasion  presents  its  own  line  of  action. 

Q.  The  troops  and  the  sheriff  were  trying  to  oppose  the  crowd  by  force 
and  stop  the  riot,  and  you  say  you  did  not  agree  with  their  plan  of  action  ? 

A.  I  don't.  1  think  that  the  military  force  is  only  to  be  used  in  case 
of  tlie  very  last  resort. 

Q.  In  ordering  your  policemen  not  to  make  these  arrests,  are  we  to  in- 
fer  

A.  Infer  and  understand  this,  that  in  ordering  these  policemen  to  be 
careful  how  they  made  arrests,  it  was  after  I  had  considered  I  had  been 
superseded,  and  I  wanted  them  to  make  the  arrests  when  they  made  them 
in  such  a  way  as  not  to  create  any  disturbance. 

Q.  Are  we  to  infer  from  your  evidence  upon  that  point  that  your  man- 
ner of  managing  such  a  mob  would  be  to  give  way  to  them,  and  not  op- 
pose force  to  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  have  said  nothing,  I  think,  to  indicate  that. 

Q.  What  would  be  your  plan  in  such  a  case  ? 

A.  I  would  have  policemen  to  do  it.  I  don't  think  the  policemen  would 
create  such  a  truculent  feeling  as  an  arrest  by  the  use  of  military. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  417 

Q.  You  think  then  that  the  police  are  the  proper  force  to  use  on  such 
occasions  ? 

A.  Until  you  ascertain  you  can  do  nothing  with  them,  until  all  other 
means  have  failed,  and  then,  and  not  till  then,  are  the  military  to  be  used. 

Q.  Did  you  attempt  at  any  time  on  Sunday  to  gather  your  police  force 
in  a  body  so  as  to  have  an  organized  force  large  enough  to  accomplish 
something? 

A.  I  could  not  get  any  force  on  Sunday  large  enough. 

Q.  You  got  fifteen — you  saj- there  was  fifty  or  sixty  policemen — did  j^ou 
undertake  to  gather  that  body  ? 

A.  I  did  not  say  there  was  fifty  or  sixty  policemen.  I  am  talking  now 
about  the  night  before. 

Q.  I  think  the  question  was  asked  you  how  many  there  was  about  there 
on  Sunday  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  how  many  were  there.  I  know  only  a  small  body  of 
them  could  be  got  together,  and  then  they  began  to  collect  the  men  who 
had  went  home  in  the  morning  before  we  knew  that  the  soldiers  had  been 
withdrawn — they  began  to  gather  in  before  dark — then  we  had  a  pretty 
good  force,  and  then  with  such  assistance  as  citizens  gave,  we  broke  the 
back  of  the  riot — we  knocked  them  right  and  left. 

Q.  Hadn't  whisky  helped  a  good  deal  at  that  time  to  place  them  hors 
du  combat  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  about  it  myself,  I  do  not  drink  it. 

Q.  I  did  not  ask  you  as  a  connoisseur. 

A.  I  think  it  had  the  effect  to  make  the  crowd  vicious.  I  thought  so 
when  I  was  in  their  hands. 

Q.  This  Sunday  night  and  Monday  morning  was  when  }rou  first  began 
to  regain  some  control  there  ? 

A.   We  got  control — from  dark  on  Sunday  evening  we  had  control. 

Q.  The  mob  had  kind  of  petered  out  then  ? 

A.  Yes,  and  they  had  been  licked  out  by  the  police  and  citizens. 

Q.  Where  had  there  been  any  set-to  where  the  mob  had  been  licked — at 
what  place  ? 

A.  At  the  Fort  Wayne  depot,  at  the  intersection  of  Tenth  and  Libert}* 
street. 

Q.  What  police  had  had  the  set-to  with  the  crowd  at  the  Fort  Wayne 
depot  ? 

A.  There  was  eight  or  ten  policemen  went  there  when  the  car  was  afire, 
and  they  put  that  out,  and  they  were  assisted  by  citizens  also. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  did  they  find  to  contend  with  ? 

A.  I  don't  know,  it  was  an  accomplished  fact.  The  mob  began  to  break 
in  stores,  and  commenced  at  the  corner  opposite  to  Tenth  on  Liberty  street, 
and  the  police  and  the  mob  had  the  battle  there. 

Q.  How  many  police  were  there  engaged  in  th:/t  battle  ? 

A.  There  was  a  considerable  number. 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  large  a  crowd  there  was  there  ? 

A.  I  am  told  the  streets  are  full. 

Q.  What  kind  of  a  crowd  was  it? 

A.  Breaking  into  stores. 

Q.  The  same  crowd  that  had  been  burning  cars  ? 

A.  I  don't  know. 

Q.  What  was  it  composed  of — this  crowd  running  about  the  streets  ? 

A.  They  were  composed  of  men  and  boys.  We  had  another  battle  with 
them  at  Seventeenth. 

Q.  This  crowd  that  was  plundering  was  easily  dispersed  at  any  time  ? 
27  Riots. 


418  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Easy.     They  were  not  people  to  be  afraid  of. 

Q.  Who  were  the  people  to  be  afraid  of  ? 

A.  Those  standing  around  doing  nothing. 

Q.  Was  there  an  apparent  orginazation  among  them  ? 

A.  I  don't  know. 

Q.  Could  you  judge  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  there  was  an  organization  ;  there  appeared  to 
be  a  common  feeling.  I  was  astonished  from  the  fact  that  I  didn't  know 
them. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  They  appeared  to  be  strangers  ? 

A.  They  were  strangers  to  me,  I  did  not  recognize  them. 

Q.  In  your  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  people,  you  would  take  them 
to  be  people  from  elsewhere  ? 

A.  I  thought  I  knew  the  people  about  Pittsburgh,  but  I  didn't  know 
these.  I  don't  want  to  swear  that  they  were  strangers.  I  don't  know  that 
I  know.  I  was  recognized,  and  I  thought  I  ought  to  recognize  a  great 
many  of  them. 

Q.  Those  that  were  engaged  in  the  act  of  rioting  and  police  ? 

A.  I  am  speaking  more  especially  of  those  who  captured  me  in  the  rail- 
road yard,  and  carried  me  out  in  front  of  the  depot. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  They  did  that  systematically,  did  they? 

A.  Oh,  yes  ;  carried  me  right  out. 
By  Senator  Yutz}' : 

Q.  Did  you,  at  any  time  during  the  riots,  employ  your  night  force  in 
the  day  time  ? 

A.  Such  of  them  as  we  could  get.  Understand  this,  my  idea  of  this 
matter  was  that  the  soldiers,  having  possession  of  the  railroad  property, 
were  cooped  up  for  the  night,  and  that  when  daylight  would  appear  they 
would  go  out  into  the  open  ground,  and  take  possession  of  things.  My 
idea  was,  they  went  into  this  place  to  prevent  being  pushed  back  during 
the  night.  The  great  body  of  the  police  force  went  off  at  six  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  1,  supposing  that  the  police  would  have  nothing  to  do,  ex- 
cept to  do  street  duty  under  this  excitement,  and  had  instructed  the  chief 
of  police  to  call  upon  the  discharged  policemen,  supposing  that  he  could 
get  plenty  of  them,  but  that  expectation  was  not  realized,  and  not  expect- 
ing that  the  soldiers  would  leave  the  city  at  the  time  they  did,  had  given 
no  orders  to  keep  the  night  policemen  on  duty  that  morning ;  but  when  I 
found  that  the  soldiers  had  all  dispersed,  I  telegraphed  down  to  the  central 
station  to  detain  such  policemen  as  were  there — and  there  were  some  there — 
and  they  were  detained,  and  they  were  on  duty  all  day. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  effort  to  re-assemble  the  night  police  after  you  as- 
certained they  had  left  ? 

A.  Could  not  do  it. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  effort? 

A.  Could  not  do  it. 

Q.  Could  not  you  find  them  ? 

A.  You  couldn't  get  a  man  to  go  after  them — the  great  bod}'  of  them — 
until  night  would  come.  You  would  get  them  just  as  soon  by  waiting 
until  they  came  on  duty. 

l£.  Didn't  you  have  the  address  in  your  mind  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  knew  where  they  lived.  We  had  plenty  to  do  without 
doing  that. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  419 

Q.  Any  more  important  duty  to  perform  than  to  get  these  men  to  as- 
semble ? 

A.  That  would  depend  altogether  upon  what  the  man  in  charge  thought. 
I  thought  the  most  important  duty  was  to  have  the  police  up  there — all 
we  could  get — and  let  them  do  what  they  could. 

Q.  Without  calling  on  the  night  police  ? 

A.  If  we  had  means  of  calling  on  the  night  force  to  gather  them  in,  it 
would  have  been  done,  but,  to  do  so,  we  would  have  had  to  abandon  every- 
thing else  for  the  time  being.  Possibly,  that  might  have  been  as  well,  though. 
When  I  went  to  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  Grant  streets,  I  found  the  fire- 
men playing  there,  and  the  police  having  charge  of  the  ropes — keeping  the 
crowd  away  from  them. 

Q.  Did  you  employ  all  your  powers  during  these  riots,  regardless  of  any 
other  efforts  adopted  to  subdue  the  riots,  in  preserving  the  peace? 

A.  What  do  you  call  during  the  riots  ? 

Q.  The  time  from  Thursday  until  Sunday  ? 

A.  Because  I  didn't  think  there  was  any  riot  before  five  o'clock  on 
Saturday. 

Mr.  Lindsey :  That  question  requires  a  direct  answer — yes  or  no. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  exhaust  all  your  powers  during  the  riots,  irrespective  of  these 
other  parties  ? 

A.  1  say  there  was  no  riot  until  four  or  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when 
the  soldiers  charged  bayonets  on  the  crowd. 

Q.  Including  all  within  the  time  from  Thursday  until  Monday,  did  you 
exhaust 

A.  I  knew  of  no  riots  until  the  soldiers  charged  baj^onets  on  the  people. 
I  have  answered  that  question  a  dozen  of  times. 

Q.  Answer  it  yes  or  no  ? 

A.  I  will  not  answer  it  yes  or  no.  All  my  powers  were  exhausted  in 
preserving  the  peace  so  far  as  I  thought  I  could  exercise  them.  That  is 
the  answer  to  that  question. 

Q.  Have  you  any  call — is  there  any  call  to  assemble  the  police,  by  tele- 
graph or  otherwise  ? 

A.  We  have  a  police  telegraph  from  each  station-house.  We  send  mes- 
sages on  it  every  day. 

Q.  There  is  no  particular  call  by  which  you  assemble  your  police  ? 

A.  There  is  no  alarm. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  I  want  to  ask  the  mayor  a  question  in  connection  with  his  answer  to 
this.  He  says  he  used  all  his  powers  in  preserving  the  peace,  so  far  as  he 
could  exercise  them.  Was  there  anything  to  prevent  you  from  exercising 
your  powers  as  mayor  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  ground  had  been  occupied  by  the  State  military  and  the 
sheriff,  and  occupied  in  a  way  that  it  was  utterly  impossible  for  me  to  act 
with  them. 

Y.  And  it  was  the  only  thing  that  prevented  you  from  exercising  your 
powers  ? 

A.  I  will  say  that  there  was  a  party  went  down  to  the  depot — the  Du- 
quesne  depot — Sunday  afternoon,  stating  he  was  going  to  set  it  afire.  That 
man  was  arrested  by  the  police,  assisted  by  some  citizens,  and  taken  to 
the  lock-up. 

Q.  You  know  that  there  was  an  assemblage  of  men  at  or  near  Twenty- 
eighth  street  during  the  day,  on  Frida}',  don't  you  ? 


420  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  presume  there  was,  or  Mr.  Watt  would  not  hare  come  down  there 
and  asked  for  police  ? 

Q.  For  the  purpose  of  protecting  trains  going  out? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  didn't  know  that.     I  don't  think  I  knew  that. 

Q.  For  what  purpose  were  they  assembled  there,  so  far  as  you  know  ? 

A.  I  only  knew  about  them  from  Mr.  Watt,  and  what  he  told  me,  I  have 
forgotten  now. 

Q.  You  have  forgotten  what  he  told  you  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  take  any  measures  to  ascertain  what  the  purpose  of  the  as- 
semblage was  ? 

A.  I  think  Mr.  Watt  must  have  told  me  what  it  was,  and  I  judge  so. 
The  first  thing  I  heard  after  the  police  went  there,  was  that  a  man  had 
struck  Mr.  Watt. 

Q.  I  want  to  know  if  you  don't  know  that  during  the  day  on  Friday, 
and  during  the  day  Saturday,  there  was  a  large  assemblage  of  men  at  or 
near  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  I  knew  that  by  common  report,  and  hearing  the  police  talk. 

Q.  Was  not  that  an  unlawful  assemblage  of  men  ? 

A.  It  may  have  been  an  unlawful  assemblage  of  men. 

Q.  Didn't  you  know  it  was  an  unlawful  assemblage  of  men  ? 

A.  I  dont  know,  I  presume  it  would  have  been  an  unlawful  assemblage. 
I  presume  that  they  were  there  for  an  unlawful  purpose. 

Q.  You  did  not  take  any  pains  to  disperse  that  assemblage  ? 

A.  Have  I  not  answered  that  question  a  dozen  times  ? 

Q.  What  is  }rour  answer?  Did  you  take  any  measures  to  disperse  that 
assemblage  ? 

A.  I  didn't  for  the  reason  that  I  have  given  you — for  the  reason  I  re- 
peated a  dozen  times  to  different  other  questions,  in  different  forms.  There 
is  a  good  deal  more  1  would  like  to  tell  you. 

Q.  You  say  on  Thursday  you  sent  police  officers  there,  and  they  got  on 
a  train,  and  they  attempted  to  run  that  train  out? 

A.  And  couldn't  run  it  out. 

Q.  Why  didn't  they  run  it  out  ? 

A.  Because  the  engineer  stepped  down  and  out. 

Q.  Why  did  he  step  down  and  out  ? 

A.  Because  he  wanted  to. 

Q.  Was  there  any  men  taken  by  force  ? 

A.  Oh,  no. 

Q.  Was  there  a  crowd  there  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  suppose  there  were  a  great  man3T  people  there.  I  have  no  doubt 
there  was. 

Q.  Don't  you  think  it  was  an  unlawful  assemblage,  and  that  it  was  your 
duty,  as  mayor,  to  have  gone  there,  and  have  dispersed  that  crowd  ? 

A.  The  police  were  there  preserving  the  peace.  They  were  there  and 
preserved  the  peace  to  such  an  extent,  that  the  police  say  that  they  wore 
on  that  train,  and  that  train  could  go  out.  There  was  nothing  to  hinder 
it,  if  the  engineer  had  stuck  to  his  post;  but,  instead  of  that,  he  stepped 
off  ins  engine,  and  left  the  police  in  charge.  That  is  the  report  of  the  po- 
lice to  me  ? 

A.  Wasn't  it  3rour  duty  to  disperse  that  crowd  there,  as  majror  of  the 
city  ? 

A.  No;  because  I  knew  nothing  of  the  details  of  that,  at  this  time;  be- 
cause Mr.  Watt  got  all  the  police  that  he  needed,  and  they  got  more  than 
they  wanted — said  they  had  more  than  they  wanted,  and  they  had  the  di- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  421 

rection  of  them  there,  and  the  presumption  is  that  the  police  did  just  what 
they  wanted  them  to,  and  the  only  breach  of  the  peace  that  occurred 
there  was  that  of  which  Mr.  McCall  was  arrested  for — striking  Mi-.  Watt — 
and  taken  to  the  station. 

Q.  Was  not  the  train  uncoupled  ?  When  they  attempted  to  start  that 
train,  didn't  they  rush  on  and  uncouple  the  cars? 

A.  I  guess  you  are  talking  about  the  trains  they  attempted  to  run  early 
in  the  morning,  before  the  police  came  there.     That  is  what  I  think.     It 
was  on  that  occasion  that  Mr.  Watt  came  down  after  the  ten  policemen. 
Q.  Didn't  Mr.  Watt  tell  you  of  the  circumstances? 
A.  I  suppose  he  did. 

Q.  Didn't  you  have  knowledge  then  that  there  had  been  a  riot,  or,  at 
least,  a  disorderly  crowd  there,  and  wasn't  it  your  duty  then  to  protect 
those  people  ? 

A.  And  for  the  purpose  of  doing  that,  Mr.  Watt  came  and  asked  for  a 
certain  number  of  policemen — for  what  he  thought  was  sufficient — and 
they  were  soon  there  ? 

Q.  And  still  you  allowed  that  crowd  to  remain  there? 
A.  That  is  not  a  fair  way  to  put  it. 
Q.  I  want  to  get  at  the  reasons  that  actuated  you  ? 

A.  I  didn't  know  anything  of  the  nature  of  that  crowd.  I  knew  noth- 
ing more  at  the  time  than  that  Mr.  Watt  wanted  ten  men,  and  ten  men  was 
sufficient  to  control  it.  That  was  sufficient.  They  were  there,  and  there 
was  only  one  breach  of  the  peace,  and  that  man  was  arrested,  and  when 
this  train,  between  three  and  four  o'clock,  undertook  to  be  run  out,  it 
could  have  been  run  out. 

Q.  Did  the  crowd  intimidate  the  engineer  in  any  way,  do  you  know? 
A.  I  understood  the  police  that  he  was  not  intimidated — that  he  could 
have  gone  out  with  the  train,  if  he  thought  proper.     They  were  there  to 
protect  him  in  so  doing.     They  told  me  he  could  have  gone  out,  if  he  had 
chosen.     I  don't  know  who  he  is,  anything  about  him.     I  guess  it  was  the 
last  effort  made  to  run  a  train  out. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  Did  you  consider  at  any  time  until  the  military  arrived  that  the  crowd 
that  assembled  there  was  an  illegal  crowd  ? 

A.  Oh,  no ;  I  didn't  think  it  amounted  to  shucks. 

Q.  You  consider  there  was  no  riot  or  mob  nor  illegal  assemblage  at  any 
time  before  the  military  arrived? 

A.  I  knew  that  there  were  men  in  a  crowd. 

Q.  Answer  that  question  now.  You  consider  there  was  no  illegal  as- 
semblage, mob,  or  riot  previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  military  ? 

A.  I  think  that  in  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the  word  mob  and  riot, 
there  was  no  mob  and  riot  previous  to  the  military  coming  there. 
Q.  Or  illegal  assemblage  of  people  ? 

A.  I  think  an}^  persons  that  go  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company's 
ground,  don't  obey  their  lawful  orders  and  proper  orders,  that  it  is  an  un- 
lawful assemblage. 

Q.  Was  there  any  illegal  assemblage  ? 
A.  I  have  no  doubt  there  was. 
Q.  Were  you  aware  of  that  ? 

A.  I  must  have  been  aware.     It  could  not  have  been  otherwise. 
Q.  Did  you  make  any  efforts  to  disperse  them  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  gave  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  all  the  police  they 
asked  for. 

Q.  Did  you  drive  them  off? 


422  Report  or  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  don't  think  they  were  driven  off,  but  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  got 
all  the  police  they  asked  for. 

Q.  You  didn't  give  them  the  officer  they  asked  for? 

A.  In  asking  for  me  ? 

Q.  Yes  ;  you  ? 

A.  No ;  I  was  not  going  up  to  head  ten  policemen. 

Q.  You  required  them  to  pay  the  police  also  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  you  put  your  statement  too  broad.  These -policemen — we 
took  what  policemen  we  could  belonging  to  the  city  end  filled  up  with  the 
others  who  were  not  in  the  pay  of  the  city. 

Q.  And  those  others  were  paid  ? 

A.  I  think  there  must  have  been  about  twenty-nine  policemen  outside 
of  such  of  the  city  folks  as  were  considered. 

Q.  The  extras  were  paid  off  by  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  they  were  paid  by  them. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  You  didn't  call  on  any  of  the  night  force  to  go  at  that  time  ? 

A .  No,  sir  ;  we  couldn't  do  that.  Nothing  but  the  most  imperative  ne- 
cessity would  require  that.  We  only  had  patrolmen  to  cover  twenty- 
seven  square  miles.  At  the  riot  on  Saturday  night  every  man  was  called 
in  from  the  first,  second,  fourth,  seventh,  eighth,  and  ninth  districts  ;  they 
were  left  entirely  unprotected. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  until  this  afternoon,  at  two 
o'clock. 


AFTERNOON  SESSION. 

Pittsburgh,  Friday,  February  22,  1878. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  in  the  orphans'  court  room 
at  three  o'clock,  p.  M.,  Mr.  Lindsey  in  the  chair. 
All  members  present. 

R.  L.  Hamilton,  sworn: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  810  Penn  avenue. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  I  am  a  clerk  for  the  water-works  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh — clerk  of 
the  water-works.  I  believe  it  is  called,  sometimes,  clerk  of  the  water  ex- 
tension committee. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  held  that  position  ? 

A.  I  have  held  the  position  of  clerk  of  the  water-works  since  February, 
1876 — February  4,  I  believe. 

Q.  Where  is  your  office  ? 

A.  City  hall.    Third  floor  of  the  city  hall.    Municipal  hall  as  it  is  called. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  at  or  in  the  vicinity  of  Twenty-eighth  street, 
on  Saturday  the  21st  day  of  July? 

A.   I  was. 

Q.  When  the  firing  occurred  ? 

A.  I  was  in  the  vicinity  at  the  time  of  the  firing. 

0.  Where  were  you — what  was  your  position  ? 

A.  I  can  hardly  understand  the  question. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  423 

Q.  Where  were  you  in  relation  to  where  the  troops  stood — explain  the 
situation  you  occupied  ? 

A.  At  the  time  of  the  firing;  I  was  running. 

Q.  Which  direction? 

A.  Well,  towards  Libert}'  street  and  Twenty-ninth  street,  to  get  a  brick 
house  between  me  and  the  troops. 

Q.  Go  on,  and  relate  what  you  saw,  commencing  at  the  time  you  arrived 
at,  or  in  the  vicinity  of  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  To  explain  the  question,  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  water  committee 
called  for  Monday  evening,  and  some  two  or  three  members  of  the  water 
committee  lived  out  in  that  direction.  I  started  at  that  notice,  and  at  two 
o'clock  I  arrived  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  I  went  up  Twenty-eighth  street 
to  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  tracks,  and  when  there,  I  was  informed  that 
the  Philadelphia  troops  were  about  to  come  out,  and  I  waited  to  see  them 
until  sometime  after  four  o'clock.  These  troops  came  out  headed  by  the 
sheriff  and  several  citizens  of  Pittsburgh,  and  after  they  had  formed  them- 
selves in  position,  the  sheriff  commenced  speaking  to  the  crowd,  and  I 
couldn't  hear  what  he  was  saying  from  where  I  was  standing,  and  I  got  on  a 
coal  truck  where  I  thought  I  could  hear  what  he  was  saying.  When  I  was 
on  this  truck,  one  company  of  the  Philadelphia  troops — the  troops,  at  that 
time,  were  formed  in  two  lines  facing  the  hill,  that  is,  the  line  next  me  was 
facing  the  hill.  I  wouldn't  say  positively  about  the  line  nearest  the  hill. 
I  was  near  the  round-house.  There  was  one  company  of  the  Philadelphia 
troops  brought  up  in  single  rank,  they  marched  up  very  quietly  until  they 
got  to  the  switch  below  Twenty-eighth  street.  They  were  met  by  the  crowd, 
that  is,  a  crowd  of  men  that  refused  to  go  any  further.  There  were  orders 
given  very  quietly,  and  another  company,  with  black  plumes  on  their  hats, 
came  up,  and  this  first  company  was  put  in  double  rank.  They  tried  to 
force  the  crowd  back,  and  the  order  was  given  to  charge  bayonets.  The 
officers  of  the  Philadelphia  troops  were  in  the  rear  of  those  two  companies, 
they  were  charged  up  on  the  track,  and  after  sometime,  there  was  an  order 
given  to  fire  by  the  different  officers  of  the  Philadelphia  troops. 

Q.  I  wish  you  would  now  repeat  what  you  said,  beginning  with  the  order 
which  was  given  to  charge  bayonets,  commencing  about  there,  and  repeat 
what  you  said  ? 

A.  After  the  second  company  had  been  brought  up — the  coinpan}^  with 
dark  plumes  on  their  hats,  I  cannot  tell  what  the  uniform  was — after  that, 
there  was  an  order  given  to  charge  bayonets,  and  it  was  a  very  short  time 
after  this  order  to  charge  bayonets — that  was  only  given  to  the  two  com- 
panies, the  other  files  were  standing,  the  rest  of  the  Philadelphia  troops 
were  standing  in  two  lines  on  each  side  of  the  railroad  track — after  that 
order  given  to  charge  bayonets,  almost  immediately,  I  heard  the  command 
given  by  several  officers  of  Philadelphia  companies,  that  is,  I  suppose  they 
were  from  Philadelphia.  1  don't  know  them  personally,  but  from  their 
uniform,  and  from  the  position  in  which  they  were.  The  order  to  fire  was 
given  by  several  men  in  the  uniform  of  officers  of  that  regiment. 

Q.  Where  did  you  stand  during  this  time  ? 

A.  I  stood  on  a  truck  loaded  with  coal.  The  left  of  the  railroad  tracks 
going  out  almost  immediately  in  front  of  the  sand-house  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania railroad,  this  side  of  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  How  far  from  the  tracks  ? 

A.  I  could  have  stooped  down  and  touched  three  of  the  militia  with  my 
hands,  by  stooping. 

Q.  How  far  were  you  from  them  at  the  time  the  order  to  charge  baj'onets 
was  given  ? 


424  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  was  in  the  same  position.  I  had  not  left  that  position  from  the 
time  I  got  up  there  to  see  what  was  said  by  the  sheriff  until  I  heard  the 
order  given. 

Q.  What  officers  gave  the  order  to  charge  bayonets  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  say.  I  heard,  but  I  couldn't  say  how  it  was  given.  The 
orders  at  that  time  were  given  very  low.  It  was  not  to  the  whole  regi- 
ment. 

Q.  From  what  direction  did  the  order  come  ? 

A.  Right  from  the  rear  of  the  two  companies  that  were  marched  up  the 
track,  and  they  were  not  charging  when  the  order  was  given. 

Q.  How  did  they  have  their  arms  when  the  order  to  charge  bayonets 
was  given  ? 

A.  The  two  companies,  I  think  the  whole  of  them,  were  at  carry  arms, 
from  what  I  know  of  the  present  tactics. 

Q.  Were  any  of  them  at  arms  port  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  in  the  charging  parties  had  their  guns  at  arms  port — 
some  of  the  charging  party. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  that  command  given  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  didn't  hear  that  command  given,  but  I  know  now  that 
some  of  them  had  their  guns  at  arms  port,  because  I  remember  the  guns 
being  in  the  position  of  arms  port — some  of  them.  A  party  directly  in 
front  of  me  were  at  carry  arms. 

Q.  They  were  standing  still  ? 

A.  Yes.  They  were  in  line.  I  think  they  were  at  a  carry,  so  far  as  I 
can  remember.     I  cannot  swear  positively  as  to  that. 

Q.  When  you  heard  the  command  given  to  charge  bayonets,  how  close 
were  those  two  companies  to  the  mob  ? 

A.  Just  as  close  as  they  could  get. 

Q.  And  the  mob  resisted  them  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  When  the  order  was  given  to  charge  bayonets,  did  the  two  companies 
obey  the  order. 

A.  Part  of  them  did.  I  could  see  them  lunge  with  their  bayonets — try 
to  force  them  back. 

Q.  Did  the  crowd  resist  that  charge  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  did  ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  attempted  to  pull ? 

A.  I  heard  parties  say  that  if  they  would  let  them  out  in  any  way,  tbey 
would  be  glad  to  do  so.  It  was  the  crowd  back  of  them  that  was  holding 
them  in.     Others  resisted. 

Q.  Did  they  try  to  pull  the  bayonets  off  the  guns  ? 

A.  I  saw  them  wrenching  with  the  guns.  Saw  them  wrenching  the  guns, 
and  heard  remarks  made  by  different  parties  in  front  of  the  party  charg- 
ing bayonets  that  if  they  would  give  them  room  to  get  back  they  didn't 
want  to  interfere.     I  heard  these  remarks  made  from  where. I  was. 

Q.  And  the  command  to  fire,  you  say,  was  given  by  captains  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  about  captains.  I  say  officers  of  the  Philadelphia  com- 
panies that  the  word  "  fire  "  was  given  by. 

Q.  By  officers  of  companies? 

A.  Company  officers  is  what  I  say  the  word  was  given  b}r. 

Q.  And  not  by  field  officers  ? 

A.  I  wouldn't  know  that  the  field  officers  were  with  that  regiment,  but 

I  knew  from  the  position 

By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  mean  from  the  position  they  occupied,  they  were  company 
officers? 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  425 

A.  I  suppose  they  were  compare  officers.  They  were  in  the  rear  of  the 
two  ranks  facing  me. 

Q.  Had  any  stones  and  missiles  been  thrown  at  the  soldiers  before  the 
command  to  charge  bayonets  was  given  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  positively  as  to  before  the  command  to  charge  bayonets 
was  given. 

Q.  Were  any  thrown  at  the  troops  before  the  command  to  fire  was  given  ? 
Were  there  any  shots  fired  by  the  crowd  before  the  command  to  fire  was 
given  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  either  saw  or  heard — not  before  the  command  to  fire. 

Q.  Missiles  had  been  thrown  ? 

A.  They  had  been  thrown — I  saw  them  thrown. 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  soldiers  hurt? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw.  I  saw  one  of  the  officers — I  supposed  to  be  a  field 
officer — saw  him  hit,  and  it  staggered  him,  but  he  didn't  seem  to  be  hurt — 
kind  of  shoved  him  to  one  side — it  seemed  to  be  a  piece  of  a  board  or 
piece  of  wood — something  like  a  block  of  wood — it  was  thrown  from  the 
hill  side,  and  hit  one  of  the  officers.  I  saw  that  myself — not  thrown  from 
the  hill  side,  but  from  what  they  call  the  watch-box— it  is  a  watch-box.  It 
was  thrown  from  the  back  of  that  by  a  boy. 

Q.  You  saw  the  boy  ? 

A.  It  was  a  young  fellow  about  sixteen  or  seventeen  j^ears  of  age,  from 
what  I  could  judge  from  his  appearance. 

Q.  When  the  firing  commenced,  you  ran  ? 

A.  I  ran  before  the  firing  commenced.  I  was  back  of  what  they  call 
the  Hill  house. 

Q.  Did  you  run  before  the  command  was  given  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  didn't.  Whenever  I  heard  the  command  given,  I  thought 
I  had  no  business  there,  and  I  got  out  of  the  road,  that  is  one  thing  that 
made  me  so  positive  the  command  was  given.  My  idea  of  getting  out  of 
the  road  was  on  account  of  that  command  to  fire. 

Q.  In  what  words — was  there  more  than  one  command  ? 

A.  There  was  no  more  than  one  command.  The  word  fire  was  given  by 
different  men  in  uniform.  They  were  standing  not  in  the  rear,  but  in  front 
of  the  line  of  militia  that  was  right  in  front  of  me.  I  heard  that  from 
more  than  one  voice. 

Q.  In  what  words  was  the  command  given  ? 

A.  The  command  I  speak  of  as  given  by  those  parties,  was  the  word 
"fire." 

Q.  Addressed  to  any  particular  person  ? 

A.  Not  by  those  parties — just  "  fire." 

Q.  How  do  you  know  who  gave  that  command  ? 

A.  I  could  hear  them  ;  I  don't  suppose  I  was  six  feet  from  some  of  them. 

Q.  Could  you  pick  out  the  men  who  gave  the  command  ? 

A.  That  gave  the  word  fire? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  couldn't. 

Q.  Then  you  don't  know  who  it  was  that  gave  the  command  ? 

A.  That  gave  these  commands  ?     No,  sir. 

Q.  You  say  it  came  from  officers  in  command  of  a  company  ? 

A.  It  came  from  what  I  supposed  by  the  position  they  held — they  were 
strangers  to  me. 

By  Mr  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Couldn't  you  distinguish  the  officers  from  the  private  ? 

A.  I  thought  I  could.     It  was  what  I  consider  officers.     I  didn't  pay 


426  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

that  much  attention.  I  had  no  idea  there  was  going  to  be  such  a  com- 
mand given,  and  paid  no  attention  to  officers  nor  privates.  These  parties 
had  no  guns.  Whether  they  were  captains  or  lieutenants,  or  what,  I 
couldn't  say. 

Q.  You  wouldn't  pretend  to  say  what  man  it  was  gave  the  command,  or 
pick  out  the  man  ? 

A.  That  gave  this  command  I  speak  of?     No,  sir. 

Q.  You  could  only  tell  the  direction  in  which  the  words  came  ? 

A.  If  they  had  been  Pittsburgh  troops  had  been  there,  I  suppose  I  could 
have  told  every  man  of  them.  I  could  not  point  out  the  men  if  they  were 
brought  before  me  now. 

Q.  Could  you  see  the  man  who  uttered  the  words  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  So  as  to  pick  him  out  ? 

A.  1  could,  provided  I  had  seen  enough  of  the  man.  I  couldn't  remem- 
ber him  now.  I  believe  if  I  could  see  the  man  that  I  first  heard  these  words 
"  fire  "  from  ;  if  I  would  have  seen  him  the  next  morning,  I  could  point  him 
out.  I  don't  remember  of  having  seen  him  since,  and  I  don't  know  that  I 
could  point  him  out  if  he  was  here. 

Q.  How  was  he  dressed  ? 

A.  Dressed  in  a  gray  uniform  ?  He  was  in  full  uniform,  with  gold  lace 
on  it. 

Q.  What  rank  did  his  uniform  indicate? 

A.  I  didn't  pay  that  much  attention  to  him  to  find  out  what  his   rank 
was.     The  militia  uniform  is  so  badly  mixed,  I  could  hardly  tell  what  the 
man's  rank  would  be.     The  uniform  seemed  to  be  about  the  same  in  all  the 
officer*.     I  didn't  pay  any  attention  to  these  troops  as  regards  that. 
By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Had  he  a  plume,  the  same  as  the  privates  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  say. 

Q.  Didn't  notice  ? 

A.  Xo,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  How  many  officers  did  you  hear  give  this  command  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  say  exactly.    I  suppose  seven  or  eight. 

Q.  All  gave  the  command  to  fire  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  that  is,  I  heard  it  in  that  many  different  voices ;  I  couldn't 
say  how  many  officers,  but  in  that  many  different  voices. 

Q.  Xot  at  one  and  the  same  time? 

A.  Xot  at  one  and  the  same  time. 

Q.  Did  any  other  words  precede  the  word  "  fire  ?  " 

A.  Xot  by  the  officers  I  speak  of. 

Q.  Xothing  but  simply  "  fire  ?  " 

A.  Simply  "fire.  " 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  are  sure  they  didn't  say  not  to  fire,  and  you  only  heard  the  word 
"  fire  ?  " 

A.  I  am  sure  of  the  parties  I  speak  of. 

Q.  That  they  were  not  cautioning  their  men  not  to  fire  on  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Xo,  sir ;  I  am  sure  of  that. 

Q.  Couldn't  you  have  made  a  mistake,  and  only  heard  the  last  word  ? 

A.  Xot  from  the  position  I  was.  The  parties  may  have  been  mistaken 
in  regard  to  where  they  got  their  order. 

Q.  When  they  were  ordered  to  charge  bayonets,  what  was  the  command 
given  to  charge  bayonets  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  4-27 

A.  As  I  spoke  before,  the  command  was  given,  that  I  could  hear  the 
command  but  couldn't  hear  what  was  said  to  the  troops.  It  was  given  to 
two  companies  in  a  low  tone  of  voice,  but  what  I  understood  to  be  "  charge 
bayonets,"  and  a  charge  bayonets  was  immediately  made  after  this  order. 
It  was  in  a  low  tone  of  voice. 

Q.  Not  as  a  military  officer  ought  to  give  a  command  ? 

A.  Not  as  I  would  suppose  a  military  officer  should  give  a  command. 
I  am  not  posted  in  regard  to  how  they  should  give  it. 

Q.  He  didn't  say  it  as  though  he  meant  business  ? 

A .  It  looked  very  mnch  like  it. 

Q.  He  gave  it  in  a  low  tone  of  voice  ? 

A.  Just  gave  it  in  a  low  tone  of  voice  to  those  two  companies — it  was  a 
command  to  those  two  companies. 

Q.  When  he  gave  the  command  fire,  did  he  speak  it  distinctly  as  though 
he  meant  exactly  what  he  said  ? 

A.  Who  are  you  speaking  of? 

Q.  The  officers  that  gave  the  command  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  spoke  it  distinctly. 

Q.  As  though  they  meant  exactly  what  they  said  ? 

A.  I  supposed  from  that  they  meant  it,  that  is  the  reason  I  got  out  of 
the  road.    I  thought  they  meant  what  they  said. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  What  position  did  those  officers  occupy  when  this  command  to  fire 
was  given.     The  officers  I  speak  of  giving  the  word  "  fire  ?  " 

A.  They  were  in  front  of  the  command. 

Q.  In  front  of  the  rank  ? 

A.  In  front  of  the  rank.     There  was  no  room  for  them  in  place  else. 

Q.  You  are  sure  they  were  in  front  of  the  rank  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Seven  or  eight  of  them,  you  say  ? 

A.  If  you  will  allow  me  to  explain  about  the  officers.  Six,  seven,  or 
eight.  There  was  two  ranks  of  troops,  stretching  from  the  switch  at 
Twenty-eighth  street  down  the  track  in  two  ranks,  and  those  two  compa- 
nies were  at  the  upper  end.  What  I  supposed  to  be  the  general  officers 
were  in  the  rear  of  those  two  officers,  and  the  other  officers  were  scattered 
down  along.  There  was  two  lines.  There  was  seven  or  eight  not  scat- 
tered along,  because  the}'  were  over  near  to  what  I  considered  to  be  the 
generals. 

Q.  They  were  in  front  of  the  rank? 

A.  The  line  was  facing  this  way.  [Illustrating.]  There  was  no  officers 
outside  of  this  rank  [indicating]  that  I  could  see,  and  there  was  no  room 
in  this  rank,  because  here  is  a  truck — a  coal  truck.  I  stood  from  where  I 
could  stoop  down  and  touch  the  soldiers. 

Q.  Wouldn't  you  suppose  this  was  a  pretty  bad  place  for  an  officer  to 
stand  ? 

A .  I  should  think  it  was. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  these  officers  stood  between  the  mob  and  their  men  ? 
A.  No,  sir 

Q.  They  were  behind  the  men  ? 

A.  What  I  consider  the  mob  was  at  the  switch  at  Twenty-eighth  street. 
That  was  the  switch  here.  [Illustrating.]  The  Philadelphia  troops  were 
formed  in  two  ranks.  There  was  the  two  companies  coming  up  here, 
[indicating,]  one  in  single  file,  and  when  they  got  to  the  switch  the  men 
stopped  them.     They  were  in  single  line.     This  company  was  brought  up 


4  28  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

between  the  two  lines,  forcing  every  person  out,  keeping  that  part  of  the 
track  clear.     They  succeeded  until  they  got  to  this  switch.     When  they 
got  to  the  switch  one  company  was  not  successful  in  driving  them  back. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  said  the  officers  were  in  front  of  the  men,  did  you  mean  those 
men  that  were  standing  in  line  ?  The  officers  were  in  front  of  them,  was 
the  ones  you  speak  of? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  It  was  these  officers  gave  the  command  to  fire  ? 

A.  These  officers  I  was  speaking  of. 

Q.  It  was  not  the  men  that  were  marching  up  to  clear  the  crowd — I 
mean  marching  towards  the  crowd  ? 

A.  It  was  not  those  officers  I  heard. 

Q.  It  was  the  bystanders  ?  Those  officers  had  nothing  to  do  with  those 
companies  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  with  those  two  companies  up  the  track — no,  sir. 

Q.  Did  the  companies  commanded  by  the  officers  who  gave  the  com- 
mand, fire? 

I.  I  didn't  wait  to  see. 

Q.  You  don't  know  that  they  did  fire  ? 

A.  Not  from  my  own  knowledge,  but  from  the  parties  wounded  and 
killed,  I  would  suppose  so. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  How  long  after  the  command  was  given  did  you  hear  the  firing  ? 

A.  I  got  back  of  this  house  before  I  heard  any  firing. 

Q.  What  distance  was  you  from  the  crowd,  where  you  stood,  when  the 
command  was  given,  when  the  firing  began? 

A.  I  suppose  I  would  be  a  distance  about  forty  yards,  before  I  heard 
any  firing. 

Q.  After  the  command  to  fire  was  given,  you  retreated  to  the  oil-house  ? 

A.  I  got  the  oil-house  between  me  and  the  Philadelphia  troops. 

Q.  How  far  was  that  from  where  you  stood  when  the  command  was 
given  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  forty  yards  from  where  I  stood  on  the  track. 

Q.  How  long  after  you  got  to  the  oil-house,  did  you  hear  the  firing  ? 

A.  I  could  hardly  tell — it  was  a  very  short  time.  I  don't  think  you 
could  count  a  minute. 

Q.  You  think  you  were  not  behind  the  oil-house  one  minute  before  the 
firing  began? 

A.  Until  I  heard  the  firing. 

Q.  You  started  as  soon  as  ever  you  heard  the  command  to  fire  ? 

A.  Just  as  soon  as  I  could  get  off  the  track.  As  soon  as  I  heard  the 
command  "  fire,"  I  commenced  my  way  back  in  this  crowd  on  the  track,  just 
as  quick  as  I  could  get  off  and  run. 

Q.  About  how  long  did  it  take  you  to  get  through  that  crowd  and  be- 
hind the  oil-house  ? 

A.  Didn't  take  me  vei-y  long.  I  was  not  very  long  getting  there,  I  know 
that. 

Q.  A  minute  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  I  was  a  minute  getting  off  the  track.  I  was  over  a 
minute  getting  behind  the  oil-house. 

Q.  You  were  there  not  over  a  minute  before  you  heard  the  firing  ? 

A.  I  am  sure  of  that. 

Q.  Do  you  think  it  was  two  minutes  after  the  order  to  fire  was  given, 
before  the  firing  began  ? 

A.  I  think  so  ;  yes.  sir. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  181*1.  429 

By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Where  did  these  stones  and  missiles  come  from  ? 

A.  The  things  I  saw  thrown  were  right  from  back  of  what  we  call  a 
switch-tender's  shanty.  There  is  a  little  shantjr  we  call  the  switch-tender's 
shanty.  It  was  parties  standing  back  of  that — I  could  see  it  from  where 
I  was  standing — most  of  them  that  were  thrown. 

Q.  How  much  of  a  shower  of  stones  was  it  ? 

A.  There  was  no  shower.  There  was  not  even  a  slight  storm.  It  was 
not  what  I  would  call  a  shower  of  stones. 

Q.  Only  two  or  three  stones  thrown  ? 

A.  There  might  have  been — I  guess  I  saw  six  or  seven.  There  were 
lumps  of  mud  and  pieces  of  wood.  I  do  not  think  I  saw  a  stone.  I  did 
see  mud — that  is,  hard  mud  seemed  to  be  taken  from  the  side  of  the  hill. 

Q.  Did  you  see  one  of  those  soldiers  fall,  in  the  ranks  that  marched 
down  there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  there  was  one  of  them  fell,  and  they  picked  him  up,  and 
took  him  into  the  hospital  grounds.  He  was  sun-struck,  or  something  of 
that  kind. 

Q.  How  do  you  know  he  was  sun-struck? 

A.  That  is  what  some  of  his  comrades  claimed.  Before  they  got  to 
Twent\r-eighth  street  this  man  dropped.  He  seemed  to  be  a  Jew,  from  his 
looks.  The  boys  used  the  expression  :  "  Let  the  damned  Jew  lay  there." 
The  railroaders  got  water  for  him,  and  bathed  him. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  told  anybod}T  that  you  heard  the  firing  there,  and 
heard  the  command  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  was  a  witness  in  the  criminal  court,  in  the  murder  case  against 
General  Pearson. 

Q.  Have  you  told  anybody  outside  that  you  heard  the  command  to  fire 
given  ? 

A.  I  believe  I  did. 

Q.  Have  you  told  persons  you  heard  General  Pearson  give  the  command 
to  fire  ? 

A.  Not  in  direct  words. 

Q.  Have  you  not  stated  several  times,  on  the  street  corners,  to  different 
parties,  that  you  heard  General  Pearson  give  the  command  to  fire  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;   I  do  not  think  I  ever  did — not  in  those  words. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  state  to  anybody  that  you  had  heard  the  commanders 
of  companies  give  the  command  to  fire,  before  stating  it  here? 

A.  I  do  not  know.  I  forget  exactly  just  what  words  my  testimony  was 
in  the  court. 

Q.  I  am  not  asking  you  what  testimony  you  gave  in  the  court.  Have 
you  ever  stated  to  any  person  before  to-day,  outside  of  the  court,  or  any- 
where, that  you  heard  officers  of  companies  give  the  command  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  believe  I  have.     Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  you  have  stated  that  you  heard  General  Pearson  give  the  com- 
mand to  fire  ? 

A.  Not  in  those  words. 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  "  Not  in  those  words  ?" 

A.  I  think  the  order  to  fire  emanated  from  General  Pearson,  but  I  never 
said,  in  direct  words,  that  General  Pearson  gave  the  order  to  fire. 

Q.  It  was  only  a  supposition  of  yours? 

A.  No;  it  was  from  the  remark  that  I  have  sworn — I  heard  General 
Pearson  give  this — my  remark  was  that  General  Pearson  had  turned 
around  to  other  officers,  with  whom  I  am  not  acquainted,  and  used  the 


430  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

expression,  "Your  men  to  fire;"  but  I  did  not  say  he  had  coupled  those 
words  with  "  Order  your  men  to  fire." 

Q.  Did  you  hear  him  say  those  words  ? 

A.  I  have  sworn.     Yes,  sir. 

Q.  To  whom  ? 

A.  As  I  told  you,  I  was  not  acquainted  with  the  officers  to  whom  he 
addressed  himself.  He  was  speaking  to  parties  in  gray  uniform.  He  was 
standing  almost  immediately  in  his  rear. 

Q.  He  said,  "  Your  men  to  fire?" 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  far  were  you  from  him  ? 

A.  I  suppose  I  would  be — I  could  hardly  judge  the  distance — I  would 
take  it  to  be  about  ten  feet  or  so. 

Q.  Did  he  speak  it  in  a  low  tone  ? 

A.  It  was  not  very  loud.     It  was  not  a  low  tone. 

Q.  Was  there  a  good  deal  of  noise  and  confusion  about  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Oh,  considerable,  just  in  certain  localities. 

Q.  The  crowd  was  boisterous,  were  they  not  ? 

A.  To  a  certain  extent. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  You  did  not  hear  any  command  given  to  fire,  positively,  by  General 
Pearson  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  never  said  so. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  How  do  you  account  for  the  long  interval  of  time  intervening  between 
the  command  to  fire  and  the  firing. 

A.  I  could  not  say. 

Q.  Did  they  load  after  the  command  to  fire  was  given  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say. 

Q.  Did  you  see  them  load  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not  see  them  fire. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  There  was  nothing  preparatory  at  all,  to  this  word  fire. 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  thought  it  very  strange  myself,  at  the  time  the  command 
to  fire  was  given.     They  were  not  even  ready. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  sa}r  you  heard  General  Pearson  speak  to  those  officers,  and  said 
something-  about  firing.  You  do  not  know  whether  he  said  not  allow  the 
men  to  fire,  or  to  fire  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  after  he  made  this  remark  to  those  officers  did  the  com- 
mand to  fire  come  from  those  officers,  and  did  it  come  from  those  same 
officers  he  was  talking  to  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say  whether  it  came  from  the  same  officers  he  was  talk- 
ing to.  There  were  about  fifteen  or  twenty  of  them  in  the  crowd.  I  can- 
not say  who  he  was  addressing.  It  was  started  from  that  crowd,  and  car- 
ried by  others  still  farther  down  the  line. 

Q.  How  long  after  that  was  that  order  given  to  fire? 

A.  I  do  not  think  it  was  a  minute.     I  cannot  recollect  the  time. 

Q.  How  far  was  General  Pearson  from  the  place  when  he  had  this  con- 
versation with  those  officers — how  far  was  he  from  the  position  where 
those  officers  did  give  the  command  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  can  hardly  know. 

Q.  The  word  passed  along  the  line? 

A.  It  was  passed  by  parties  in  front. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  431 

Q.  How  far  did  it  pass  until  it  got  to  those  officers  that  did  give  the 
command  1 

A.  It  did  not  pass  any  further  than,  I  suppose,  seven  or  eight  feet. 

Q.  The  officers  were  pretty  thick,  were  they  not  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  very  thick. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  General  Pearson  appeared  to  stand  at  the  head  of  the  column  ? 

A.  He  stood  in  the  rear  of  the  two  companies  that  were  charging  up  the 
track  between  the  two  lines  and  the  side  of  the  track. 

Q.  It  appears  from  your  testimony  that  the  firing  was  sometime  after 
the  command  to  fire  was  given. 

A.   Yes  ;  it  was  sometime.     I  had  time  enough  to  get  away. 

Q.  Do  you  think  that  this  firing  was  in  consequence  of  the  order  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  did  not  wait  to  see  anything  about  that.  As  soon  as  I  heard  the 
word  "  fire,"  I  thought  that  was  enough  for  me. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  had  any  military  experience  in  the  army  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  never  in  the  army.  I  served  two  or  three  years  in  the 
militia. 

Q.  Ever  practiced  firing  any  in  the  militia  ? 

A.  Some  little. 

Q-  How  long  after  the  command  to  fire  was  given  do  you  discharge  your 
piece  ? 

A.  If  in  position  to  fire,  we  generally  pulled  as  quick  as  we  could  get 
it  off. 

Q.  When  this  firing  began,  was  it  a  volley,  or  was  it  a  scattering  fire? 

A.  It  was  kind  of  mixed,  I  thought.  I  did  not  think  it  was  what  I  con- 
sidered a  volley  from  a  number  of  men  that  were  present. 

Q.  Was  it  a  scattering  fire  that  lasted  some  little  time  ? 

A.  The  firing  was  kept  up.  Scattering  fire  was  kept  up  for  three  or  four 
minutes. 

Q.  The  first  fire  ? 

A.  The  first  volley,  though  not  what  I  consider  a  volley  from  the  num- 
ber of  men  that  were  present.  It  sounded  more  like  a  volley  than  a  scat- 
tering fire — the  first  fire.     After  that  it  was  a  scattering  fire. 

Q.  There  appeared  to  be  a  number  of  simultaneous  discharges  of 
muskets  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  any  one  else  present  there  whei'e  you  stood  that  heard  and 
saw  what  you  said,  or  was  likely  to  see  and  hear? 

A.  There  were  plenty  there  that  could  have  seen. 

Q.  Any  one  that  you  know  ? 

A.  No,  sir:  no  person  that  I  know.  I  was  not  paying  much  attention 
to  who  was  standing  around  me.  No  person  that  I  knew  of  was  in  that 
locality  at  that  time. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  arms  loaded  at  any  time  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

J.  G.  McConnell,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  reside  in  the  Nineteenth  ward,  city  of  Pittsburgh. 
Q.  What  is  your  profession  ? 
A.  Practicing  law. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  at  or  in  the  vicinity  of  the  elevator  on  the 
22d  of  J  uly  last,  about  the  time  it  was  burned  ? 


432  Report  of  CoMx\iittee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  was,  sir. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  arrive  at  that  place  ? 

A.  I  arrived  there  just  about  the  time  that  the  fire  was  taking  hold  of 
the  elevator. 

Q.  Just  about  the  time  the  fire  was  taking  hold  of  the  elevator? 

A.  Just  about  the  time  the  inside  of  the  elevator 

Q.  Were  there  any  policemen  there  at  the  time  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  did  not  see  any. 

Q.  Did  any  come  there  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw. 

Q.  Did  you  send  for  any  ? 

A.  Not  at  that  time,  sir. 

Q.  Afterwards  did  you  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  see  who  set  the  elevator  on  fire  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  And  how  it  caught  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  but  after  the  elevator  was  on  fire.  The  person  who  gave  you 
that  information  has  not  given  you  the  correct  information.  After  the  ele- 
vator was  on  fire  some  little  time,  I  was  standing  on  Eleventh  street,  probably 
halfway  between  Penn  and  Liberty.  While  standing  there,  a  man  came  up 
alongside  of  me  and  stood  there.  I  did  not  say  anything,  and  directly  there 
was  another  man  joined  him.  The  first  one  was  a  short  thick-set  man,  with  a 
light  colored  moustache  and  imperial  and  light  hair ;  a  man  I  should  say 
weighing  about  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  pounds,  probably  about  five 
feet  eight  inches  in  height.  The  person  who  joined  him  was  somewhat  taller, 
nearly  six  feet  in  height,  and  they  got  into  a  conversation.  They  were  evi- 
dently well  acquainted  with  each  other  ;  and  then  the  short  thick  man 
made  a  remark.  .  Says  he,  "  The  elevator  makes  a  very  handsome  fire."  I 
spoke  up  and  said  I  thought  it  was  a  very  great  shame  and  outrage  that  prop- 
erty should  be  destroyed,  and  this  man  turned  around  and  said,  "  What  is 
it  your  business  ?  "  I  told  him  it  was  my  business  to  a  certain  extent,  as 
I  was  solicitor  for  the  elevator  company.  I  said  to  him  that  I  thought 
the  firemen  ought  to  turn  their  hose  on  it.  I  then  went  to  see  Mr.  Evans, 
and  asked  him  if  he  could  turn  the  hose  on,  and  he  informed  me  that  it 
was  impossible  to  do  so.  He  had  been  deterred  by  the  mob,  and  they  had 
cut  his  hose,  or  threatened  to  cut  his  hose,  and  some  man  had  put  a  revol- 
ver to  his  head  ;  that  he  had  two  streams  on,  but  had  to  take  them  off.  I 
walked  down  pretty  close  to  Penn  avenue  and  these  two  men  were  still 
standing  there.  I  stopped  opposite  them  and  the}'  were  still  in  conversa- 
tion. The  short  thick-set  man  turned  around  to  the  other  one  and  in  a  whis- 
per made  this  remark  to  him,  "  Has  the  Pan  Handle  bridge  been  set  fire 
to  yet?"  The  other  one  says,  "No,  I  think  not."  He  said,  "  Somebody 
ought  to  send  a  party  to  do  that;"  and  I  then,  left  and  went  down  to- 
wards Wayne  street,  went  down  to  the  river,  went  down  the  river,  came 
up  towards  Fifth  avenue,  and  on  Thursday  or  Friday  subsequent  to  the 
destruction  of  the  elevator,  on  my  wray  out  home,  in  the  evening,  about 
half  past  four  o'clock,  passing  the  ruins  of  the  Union  Depot  hotel,  I  saw 
this  man  standing  there — this  short  thick-set  man.  There  was  a  policeman 
standing  on  the  corner.  I  went  up  to  the  policeman  and  pointed  this  man 
out  and  said,  "  That  man,  I  think,  was  a  ring  leader  in  the  riot.  If  you  will 
arrest  him,  I  will  make  information  against  him."  The  policeman  did  not 
reply,  but  walked  up  towards  the  avenue. 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  policeman  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not  take  notice  of  his  number. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  433 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  grain  elevator  set  on  fire? 

A.  No,  sir  j  I  was  standing  out  in  front,  and  from  where  I  stood  the 
burning  apparently  began  at  the  back  side,  towards  the  Pan  Handle  side 
of  the  road,  towards  the  Washington  street  bridge. 

Q.  How  many  policemen  did  you  see  around  the  vicinity  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Did  not  see  any. 

Q.  The  only  one  you  saw  was  on  this  bridge  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  any  at  all  that  day — that  evening. 

Q.  When  was  it  you  saw  this  policeman  ? 

A.  Thursday  or  Friday,  subsequent  to  the  destruction. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  report  of  the  policeman  who  refused  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  only  to  the  officers  of  the  elevator  company. 

Q.  Did  they  make  any  effort  to  find  out  who  the  policeman  was,  after- 
wards ? 

A.  I  do  not  know,  sir — that  is,  I  made  no  official  report  to  the  company. 
I  just  reported  it  to  one  or  two  of  the  officers,  and  their  instructions  were, 
if  1  recognized  the  party,  to  report  it,  and  if  I  recognized  the  party  I  saw 
on  Monday  evening  to  report  it. 

Q.  You  made  no  report  of  that  policeman  to  the  mayor  of  his  refusal  to 
act  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  if  I  had  known  his  number  I  certainly  should  ;  but  I  did  not 
know  his  number. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  You  did  not  hear  enough  of  the  conversation  between  those  men,  to 
find  out  whether  there  was  an  organization  ? 

A.  None,  whatever.  I  did  not  hear  sufficient  of  that.  I  believe  that  is 
all  the  conversation  I  heard  in  regard  to  the  matter.  There  was  a  remark 
made  that  rather  implied  I  had  better  get  out  of  the  way,  and  I  stood  over 
by  the  engine. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  These  men  were  both  strangers  to  you,  the  short  man  and  the  large 
one? 

A.  They  were  men  who  were  working.  I  evidently  took  them  to  be 
mill  men  about  the  city  here.  I  do  not  think  they  were  strangers  in  the 
city  at  all,  sir. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Were  they  railroad  men  ? 

A.  1  do  not  think  so.  I  could  not  judge  from  their  appearance.  Just 
from  their  appearance,  I  took  them  to  be  men  working  about  some  of  the 
mills  or  about  some  heavy  employment  in  the  city.  I  judged  that  more 
from  their  general  appearance  and  from  their  hands.  I  noticed  one  man 
put  up  his  fist.  He  had  a  very  large  heavy  fist,  and  it  looked  like  a  work- 
man's fist. 

Q.  That  was  Thursday  or  Friday  subsequent  to  the  burning,  that  you 
met  this  other  man  ? 

A.  Yes;  Thursday  or  Friday ? 

Q.  What  time  of  day  was  it  you  met  him  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  about  half  past  four  in  the  afternoon.  I  left  my  office 
to  go  home,  and  it  took  me,  1  suppose,  eight  or  nine  minutes  to  walk  up 
to  where  the  Union  Depot  hotel  stood  at  that  time.  Probably  I  stood 
around  there  ten  minutes  looking  at  the  ruins,  and  it  was  just  as  I  was 
moving  off — probably  it  was  about  five  o'clock. 

28  Riots. 


434  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Doctor  James  B.  Murdock,  swoi'n  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Please  state  where  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  reside  on  Centre  avenue,  No.  99.  Up  over  the  hill  from  the  rail- 
road— over  that  side  of  the  hill — back  from  it. 

Q.  A  practicing  physician  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Practicing  physician  and  surgeon. 

Q.  State  what  knowledge  you  have  of  the  late  riots  ? 

A.  When  I  heard  I  was  to  be  subpoenaed  here,  I  wrote  down  what  I 
know  about  it,  and  perhaps  that  would  be  the  quickest  way  of  telling.  My 
first  knowledge  of  the  riot  was  on  the  evening  of  the  day  of  the  riot,  the 
21st  of  July,  about  half  past  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  I  was  re- 
turning to  my  office  from  my  calls,  and  one  of  my  neighbors  came  running 
to  me  in  a  hurried  manner,  and  stated  that  a  little  boy  had  been  shot  and 
needed  my  services.  I  accompanied  the  messenger  to  a  drug  store  in  the 
vicinity  of  my  house,  and  on  my  way  there  this  messenger  informed  me 
how  it  happened,  and  told  me  the  boy  had  been  sitting  on  the  hill  side 
above  the  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing,  and  that  he  also  was  there,  and 
that  there  was  a  volley  of  musketry  fired  from  the  soldiers,  who  were  down 
on  the  railroad  track,  and  that  the  little  boy  had  screamed  out 

Q.  I  hardly  think  this  comes  within  the  scope  of  our  investigation,  unless 
you  can  give  us  the  number  of  persons  killed  and  wounded.  That  might 
be  within  the  scope  of  our  investigation;  but  testimony  as  to  the  persons 
that  were  wounded  is  hardly  within  the  scope  of  our  investigation  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  what  I  was  subpoenaed  here  for.  I  was  one  of  the  sur- 
geons in  charge  of  the  wounded  at  the  West  Pennsylvania  hospital. 

Q.  State  the  number  that  were  brought  there  wounded? 

A.  There  were  seven  wounded  men  brought  there  that  evening. 

Q.  How  many  soldiers  ? 

A.  Two  soldiers.  One  of  them  wounded  with  a  stone  and  the  other  sun- 
struck. 

Q.  Who  were  the  other  parties  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  who  they  were.  They  were  citizens — I  do  not  know 
whether  the}^  were  citizens  or  not.     They  were  strangers  to  me. 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  number  that  were  killed  in  that  fire  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  do  not. 

Q.  You  know  nothing,  I  suppose,  as  to  the  wounded,  except  those  that 
were  brought  to  the  West  Penn  Hospital  ? 

A.  Only  just  this  little  boy.     I  saw  from  there  the  attack  on  the  round- 
house during  the  night. 
By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  firing  of  the  cars  when  it  commenced  ? 

A.  1  saw  the  whole  of  that  attack. 

Q.  You  might  give  us  a  description  of  that  ? 

A.  The  grade  is  down  from  Thirty-third  to  Twenty-eighth,  and  the  cars 
ran  from  their  own  gravity.  When  they  were  let  go  they  would  run. 
The  first  car  came  down  between  ten  and  eleven,  and  it  was  run  down 
the  grade,  and  when  it  got  opposite  the  round-house  it  seemed  to  run  off 
the  track.  You  could  observe  it  from  the  hospital  grounds.  Soon  alter 
that  a  whole  train  of  cars,  loaded  with  coke,  came  down  the  track,  and 
struck  tins  first  one.  We  could  hear  the  collision.  It  stopped  near  the 
round-house.  They  continued  the  passing  down  of  fired  cars  from  the 
vicinity  of  Lawrenceville,  until  I  left  the  hospital,  about  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  the  cars  were  burning  there,  and  die  sand-house  was  then  on 
fire,  when  I  left. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  435 

Q.  From  your  position  you  could  not  see  who  done  the  firing  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  but  I  could  see  in  front  of  the  hospital  grounds  when  a  car 
would  stop,  as  it  sometimes  would  in  its  descent,  there  would  be  people 
take  hold  of  it,  and  push  it  on  down  towards  the  round-house.  I  observe 
that  those  who  did  that  pushing  were  nearly  all  boys,  fourteen  to  sixteen 
or  seventeen  years  of  age. 

Q.  Twenty-five  engaged  in  it  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  I  saw  over  twenty-five  at  this  place.  I  could  not  see 
where  the  cars  were  started  from,  I  could  see  them  just  as  they  were  pass- 
ing the  hospital  grounds. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  gathered  there  ? 

A.  On  my  way  to  the  hospital  there  was  an  immense  crowd.  I  had  to 
go  through  Liberty  street,  but  just  at  the  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing 
and  down  on  the  track,  as  you  may  say,  Twenty-eighth  to  Twenty-ninth 
street,  there  was  not  a  hundred  people  visible.  There  were  a  great  many 
on  the  side  hill  looking  down. 

Q.  Were  you  present  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  I  saw  the  burning  of  the  Union  depot  and  the  elevator. 
There  is  one  circumstance  that  I,  perhaps,  might  state  to  the  committee  if 
it  is  of  interest.  I  do  not  know  that  it  is,  though.  On  my  way  around 
through  the  city,  I  saw  a  great  deal  of  the  plunder  being  carried  off,  and 
on  Gazzam's  hill  Sunday  morning,  at  eleven  o'clock,  I  saw  a  boy  some 
twelve  years  of  age  who  seemed  to  be  gazing  over  in  the  direction  of  the 
railroad.  I  asked  him  what  he  was  looking  at.  He  said  that  the  round- 
house had  been  burned  last  night  and  that  the  depot  and  the  elevator  was 
going  to  be  burned  to-night.  I  asked  him  how  he  knew  that.  He  said  his 
father  had  told  him  he  had  been  out  all  last  night  was  going  out  to-night. 

Q.  Did  you  ascertain  who  he  was  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not.  I  did  not  think  anything  of  it  at  the  time.  I 
did  not  think  anything  of  it.  When  it  occurred  I  remembered  then  of 
that  statement. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  notice  any  firing  by  the  mob,  musketry  or  pistols,  at  the 
troops  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not  see  any. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  You  do  not  know  whether  this  boy's  father  was  an  employe  of  the 
Pennsylvania  railroad  or  not,  that  told  you  that  the  elevator  and  the  other 
buildings  were  to  be  burned  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  the  boy  was  in  a  part  of  the  city  where  it  would  not  be 
likely  that  an  employe  of  the  company  would  live. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  who  the  boy  was  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  did  not  pay  enough  attention  to  it  at  that  time. 

J.  R.  McCune,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  In  the  Fourteenth  ward,  this  city. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  I  am  president  of  the  Union  National  Bank. 

Q.  Were  you  at  the  scene  of  the  riots  at  any  time  during  their  progress  f 

A.  I  saw  the  burning — parti}'  saw  it  on  Sunday  for  the  first.  I  was  not 
at  the  scene  of  the  riots  prior  to  Sunday,  and  know  very  little  or  most 
nothing  of  my  own  knowledge — prior  to  Sunday. 


436  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  You  may  state  what  efforts  you  made  in  connection  with  others  to 
suppress  the  riot  on  Sunday,  and  stop  the  pillaging  and  plundering  ? 

A.  I  came  down  town  on  Sunday  morning  in  conference  with  some  other 
citizens,  and  thought  it  desirable  to  call  a  meeting  of  citizens.  I  then 
learned  for  the  first  time  that  the  troops  had  left  the  city,  and  there  were 
placards  posted  on  the  bulletin  boards  calling  a  meeting  of  citizens,  I 
think,  at  twelve  o'clock.  I  participated  in  that  meeting,  and  was  appointed 
on  a  committee  to  take  such  action  as  was  deemed  advisable.  The  com- 
mittee was  a  large  one,  and  adjourned  to  the  council  chamber,  and  it  was 
there  determined  to  appoint  a  sub-committee  to  visit  the  scene  of  destruc- 
tion, and  take  whatever  action  seemed  judicious.  I  think  our  duties  were 
not  restricted.  I  went  with  that  committee,  but  cannot  say  that  we  effected 
much  of  anything.  I  believe  that  has  been  detailed  to  you  before  how  the 
committee  went  up  there,  and  got  on  a  platform  of  a  car,  and  Bishop  Tuigg 
undertook  to  address  the  audience. 

Q.  Doctor  Scovill's  testimony  in  regard  to  that  was  correct  ? 

A.  So  far  as  I  saw.  The  doctor  was  immediately  along  side  of  me  on 
the  platform  of  the  car.  After  leaving,  there  the  committee  was  divided, 
and  went  to  different  points,  one  of  which  being  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  if 
the  railroad  strikers  were  actively  engaged  in  this  burning,  and  we  endeav- 
ored to  hunt  up  the  railroad  men.  We  went  up  as  far  as  Twentieth  street, 
and  interviewed  railroad  men  wherever  we  could  find  them.  They,  I  be- 
lieve, universally  disclaimed  all  participation  in  the  riot.  That  is  in  the 
burning. 

Q.  In  the  destruction  of  property  ? 

A.  In  the  destruction  of  property.  That  was  a  point  we  inquired  into 
particularly. 

Q.  Did  they  state  who  was  engaged  in  the  destruction  of  property  ? 

A.  My  recollection  is  that  they  generally  professed  not  to  know.  They 
promised  to  cooperate  with  us  in  efforts  to  stop  the  burning. 

Q.  Did  they  do  that — did  they  cooperate  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  how  much  they  did  in  that  direction.  There  was  some 
of  them  came  down  to  attend  the  meeting,  and  this  committee  reported  to 
an  adjourned  meeting  that  was  to  be  held,  I  think,  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  The  committee  returned,  and  stated  briefly  what  had  been  done 
and  the  condition  of  affairs,  and  I  think  we  suggested  that  there  would  be 
a  large  increase  of  the  police  force.  The  mayor  was  present,  and  the  com- 
mittee authorized  him  to  employ  as  many  policemen  as  they  could  get — 
five  hundred  if  he  could  obtain  them — and  a  number  of  gentlemen  present 
pledged  themselves  for  the  payment  of  this  police  force. 

Q.  At  four  o'clock  Sunday  afternoon  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  four  o'clock  Sunday  afternoon,  and  there  was  also  a  sort  of 
militia  force  organized,  of  which  Mayor  McCarthy  told  you  this  morning. 

Q.  This  suggestion  of  employing  five  hundred  police  was  made  to  the 
mayor,  was  it  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  from  where  the  suggestion  emanated.  It  seemed 
to  be  the  unamimous  wish  of  those  present. 

Q.  Did  you  so  inform  the  mayor  of  that  week? 

A.  Yes ;  and  the  question  was  raised  as  to  how  they  were  to  be  paid, 
and  quite  a  number  of  citizens  there  pledged  themselves  for  the  payment, 
and  the  mayor  was  asked  if  that  would  be  satisfactory,  and  he  said  it  was 
entirely  so. 

Q.  Did  the  mayor  issue  any  call,  or  any  command,  or  summon  any  posse 
of  citizens  as  a  police  force  ? 

A.  Immediately  a  call  was  made  for  citizens  to  unite  with  the  mayor,  and 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  437 

I  think  there  was  quite  a  force  congregated  together,  and  started  to  pro- 
cure such  arms  as  were  available. 

Q.  That  was  the  request  made,  was  it  ? 

A.  I  am  not  able  to  recall  whether  the  request  was  made  by  the  mayor. 
It  was  suggested  from  some  source,  and  matters  were  done  under  a  good 
deal  of  excitement.     There  was  not  much  formality  about  that. 

Q.  Doctor  Donnelly's  command  was  organized  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Donnelly  had  charge  of  it.  An  hour  afterwards  or  so  there  were  some 
others  that  repaired  to  the  Duquesne  depot.  There  are  others  can  tell  you 
more  about  that  than  I.  The  next  morning  I  was  at  the  mayor's  office,  when 
a  sort  of  militia  force  was  organized. 

Q.  How  large  a  force  was  organized  ? 

A.  It  is  difficult  to  tell;  I  could  only  guess  at  it.  There  were,  perhaps, 
two  hundred. 

Q.  Composed  of  citizens  ? 

A.  Of  citizens  ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Under  whose  command. 

A.  I  think  General  Negley  was  made  commander  of  them,  temporarily. 
There  was  a  telegram  there  from  the  burgess  of  Elizabeth,  stating  that  a 
party  of  roughs  or  rioters  were  en  route  to  the  city  by  steamer,  and  this 
force  went  down  there  to  meet  them  when  they  would  arrive.  Also  during 
that  morning  there  was  a  meeting  of  citizens  convened,  for  the  purpose  of 
organizing  a  committee  of  safety.  This  meeting,  held  on  Sunday,  did  not 
organize  any  permanent  committee.  On  Monday  there  was  a  permanent 
committee  organized,  of  which  I  was  a  member. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  there  during  the  day  Monday,  or  was  there 
any  ? 

A.  On  Monday  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  The  streets  were  full  of  people.  I  think,  possibly,  I  never  have 
seen  so  many  people  in  the  streets,  unless  it  was  during  the  time  of  an  im- 
mense convention. 

Q.  What  class  of  people  ? 

A.  I  could  not  undertake  to  say,  sir.  Seemed  to  me  that  everybody  was 
there.     There  were  comparatively  few  of  them  that  I  was  acquainted  with. 

Q.  Tins  body  of  rioters,  were  they  in  force  on  Monday  ? 

A.  Thought  there  were  a  great  many  very  rough  looking  characters  on 
the  street — that  I  had  never  seen  so  many. 

Q.  Were  there  any  attacks  made  upon  any  property  or  persons,  on 
Monday? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  that  I  remember.     I  cannot  re-call  any. 

Q.  Were  the  business  places  open  on  Monday,  throughout  the  city? 

A.  I  think  a  good  many  were  opened — some  were  closed.  There  was  a 
great  deal  of  fear  expressed. 

Q.  Among  the  citizens  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  the  committee  of  public  safety  began  immediately  to  organize 
a  military  force.  They  organized  a  force  of  infantry,  and  they  organized 
a  company  of  horsemen,  and  got  them  under  way  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

Q.  To  patrol  the  streets  ? 

A.  Yes;  to  go  outside  of  the  city  limits,  and  endeavor  to  guard  against 
any  turbulence  anywhere,  or  any  organizations  that  might  show  themselves. 

Q.  Were  you  up  about  the  railroad  works  any,  during  Monday? 

A.  I  think  I  was  not.  No,  sir;  I  was  not  at  the  scene  of  the  burning 
on  Monday. 

Q.  This  crowd  in  the  streets  on  Monday,  did  it  seem  to  be  just  a  promis- 


438  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

cuous  crowd  everywhere  on  the  streets,  or  was  there   an  organization  of 
men — roughs  about  ? 

A.  There  was  nothing  to  enable  me  to  determine  that  there  was  an  or- 
ganization. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Was  the  crowd  attracted  by  curiosity  to  see  what  was  going  on  ? 

A.  It  was  largely  so,  I  think — attracted  by  curiosity,  although  it  seemed 
to  me  there  were  an  immense  number  of  strange  faces  amongst  them. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  You  had  no  trouble  in  preserving  the  peace  after  Monday  morning  ? 

A.  The  peace  was  preserved  on  Monday  without  trouble,  because  I  think 
these  organizations  had  a  very  wholesome  effect.  The  committee  of  pub- 
lic safety  then  formally  instructed  the  mayor  to  increase  his  police  force. 
He  had  instructions  to  employ  twenty  additional  men,  and  under  that 
authority  he  did  employ,  I  think,  one  hundred  and  thirty  men,  whom  the 
committee  on  public  safety  paid. 

Q.  For  how  long  a  time  did  he  keep  these  men  employed  ? 

A.  A  portion  of  them  were  discharged  about  ten  days  thereafter — per- 
haps in  all  the  half  of  them — and  the  remainder  were  continued  for  fortj^ 
or  fifty  days.  I  would  state  that  the  committee  of  public  safety  and  other 
citizens  united  in  a  paper,  whereby  they  pledged  themselves  to  pay  all  ex- 
penses that  might  be  incurred  by  this  committee,  without  any  limit  what- 
ever, and  that  we  subsequently  obtained  specific  subscriptions  to  the  amount 
of  about  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

Q.  How  much  of  that  was  expended  in  the  operation  ? 

A.  I  can't  say  positively,  but  a  small  portion  of  it,  probably  fifteen 
thousand  dollars. 

Q.  And  after  the  organization  of  that  committee  of  public  safety,  the 
peace  was  preserved  from  that  time  forward  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  how  much  the  committee  had  to  do  with  it  is  a  question  I 
could  not  determine. 

Q.  Did  the  people  unite  heartily  in  carrying  out  the  suggestions  made 
by  that  eommittee  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  think  the  committee  had  no  cause  of  complaint.     They  had 
the  sympathy  and  cooperation  of  the  community  generally. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  know  nothing  of  the  causes  leading  to  the  riot  ? 

A.  Nothing ;  no,  sir ;  nothing  but  what  is  patent  to  everybody.  I  had 
no  special  facilities  for  learning  anything.  Everybody  had  their  own 
opinion.     I  was  not  on  the  ground  prior  to  Sunday. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  this  mounted  citizens'  police  force  went  out 
of  the  city,  and  patrolled  the  streets  leading  to  the  city  ? 

A.  That  is  my  impression.     I  was  not  with  them,  but  I  think  they  did. 

Q.  Along  the  lines  of  the  Pan  Handle  railroad. 

A.  Yes ;  we  were  a  good  deal  concerned  about  the  Pan  Handle  road. 
There  were  rumors  come  to  the  committee  that  there  was  very  imminent 
danger  of  them  burning  the  cars  in  the  tunnel  and  other  points  out  the  Pan 
Handle  road.  I  think,  however,  you  can  glean  the  facts  pertaining  to  the 
committee  better  from  Mr.  Johnson,  who  is  chairman  of  that  committee. 
He  has  examined  the  minutes,  I  think,  and  has  charged  his  memory  with 
the  details. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  any  men  were  arrested  or  not  that  attempted 
to  come  in  on  that  road  by  this  citizens'  police  force  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  my  opinion  is  very  vague  on  that  point. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1s77.  439 

Q.  Was  not  there  some  disturbance  on  Monday  on  some  of  your  streets 
here  in  the  city  ? 

A.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  turbulence  all  over  the  city.  I  remember 
one  instance  now.  The  committee  was  sent  after  some  guns,  and  while  they 
were  being  brought  down  Market  street  there  was  a  halt  made.  They 
stopped  the  gun  carriages,  and  somebody  went  up  and  boldly  spiked  the 
guns,  which  created  a  good  deal  of  excitement  for  the  moment. 

Q.  The  crowd  spiked  the  guns? 

A.  Spiked  the  guns. 

Q.  How  many  guns  ? 

A.  There  were  three  of  them,  I  think. 

Q.  What  battery  did  they  belong  to  ? 

A.  I  can't  answer.     I  am  not  up  on  military  affairs. 

Q.  Was  not  there  some  disturbance  on  Fifth  avenue  there  that  clay  ? 

A.  There  were  disturbances,  more  or  less,  in  many  parts  of  the  city. 
The  city  was  disordered  that  day — decidedly  disorderly. 

Q.  There  was  an  effort  made  by  the  citizens  generally,  to  suppress  every- 
thing of  that  kind  on  Monday  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  there  was  a  decided  effort  made  by  the  citizens. 

Q.  An  organized  effort  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  committee  of  public  safety,  organized  for  this  special  pur- 
pose.    They  acted  promptly  and  vigorously. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  disturbance  at  Limerick,  south  side,  on  that 
day  ? 

A.  I  cannot  recollect  it. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  disturbance  on  Second  Avenue  park  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  cannot  of  my  own  personal  knowledge — I  cannot  recollect. 

Robert  Atchison,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  873  Penn  avenue. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Engineer. 

Q.  On  what  railroad  ? 

A.  P.  R.  R. 

Q.  Pennsylvania? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Are  you  in  the  emploj^  of  the  Pennsylvania  Company  now  ? 

A.  I  am. 

Q.  Were  you  in  July  last,  the  19th  of  July? 

A.  I  have  been  employed  on  the  road  for  seventeen  years,  in  the  capa- 
city of  engineer.  If  it  is  necessary,  I  will  just  state  what  I  know  about 
it,  if  it  is  in  evidence.  On  the  morning  of  Thursday,  19th  July,  I  think 
it  was,  the  trains  were  all  to  be  run  double.  I  took  out  the  first  train.  I 
was  called  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  to  take  out  the  first  train,  and 
there  was  no  trouble  then,  nor  knew  of  any  trouble.  We  went  out — went 
to  Derry. 

Q.  What  hour  did  you  leave? 

A.  I  left  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  got  to  Derry  about  seven, 
and  returned.  Coming  back,  before  I  got  to  the  city,  the  other  side  of 
Walls  station,  I  remarked  to  my  fireman,  that  I  thought  there  must  be  a 
wreck  on  the  road.  We  had  met  no  freights.  We  should  have  met  some 
east  of  that,  several  miles.  But  paid  no  attention  much  to  it,  until  I  came 
in  sight  of  Walls  station.     The  accommodation  is  due  there,  then,  twelve- 


440  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

forty,  and  I  just  remarked  that  if  there  was  a  wreck,  I  suppose  they  could 
run  the  accommodation  round,  as  they  often  did,  in  such  cases.  When  I 
came  down — the  conductor  lives  just  a  little  way  below — he  got  on  my  en- 
gine and  rode  down  with  me,  and  I  asked  him  what  was  the  matter,  there 
was  nothing  out.  He  just  made  the  remark,  that  the  boys  would  not  let 
anything  go  out  this  morning.  That  is  the  first  intimation  I  had  of  any- 
thing, or  I  believe  even  the  crews.  They  did  not  seem  to  know  anything 
about  it. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  f 

A.  It  was  about  tweh'e-fort}^.  We  came  on  to  the  city  unmolested  by 
an}7  person,  until  we  came  to  Torrens  station,  that  is  a  little  way  from  East 
Libert}'.  There  was  a  crowd  there,  but  didn't  seem  to  be  doing  anything — 
nobody  was  doing  anything.  We  had  some  work  to  do,  to  put  some  cars 
in  or  something,  and  I  just  remarked  to  the  crowd  that  was  on  the  other 
side,  says  I,  "What's  going  on  here?"  Says  one,  "  Lots  of  fun."  Mr. 
Garrett,  the  train  master,  gave  the  signal  to  me,  and  we  went  on,  and  came 
down  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  what  astonished  me  more  than  anything 
else  was  the  crowd  that  was  there,  and  the  few  people  that  I  knew.  They 
were  strangers  to  me.  At  Twenty-eighth  street  I  could  not  recognize  but 
a  few  of  our  own  men.  They  were  all  strangers  to  me.  I  passed  on  down 
with  the  train,  took  it  to  the  west  end  of  the  37ard,  and  put  it  away,  and 
backed  up  my  engine  to  the  round-house,  and  put  it  in  the  round-house,  and 
went  home.  Then  I  hadn't  had  any  dinner — it  was  nearly  three  o'clock.  I 
went  home  to  dinner,  and  I  didn't  come  up  that  afternoon,  I  don't  think, 
again.  I  was  up  the  next  day  around,  but  there  was  nothing  going  out,  and 
the  wa}T  we  were  running — some  one  remarked  to  me,  I  could  not  tell  who 
it  was — says  he,  "  Go  ahead,  3-011  can  go  in,  but  }'ou  can't  go  out."  Sa3's  I, 
"  >>'ever  mind,  it  is  not  m3r  turn  to  go  out." 

Q.  Were  you  put  on  Friday  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  was  about. 

Q.  Was  you  ready  to  take  out  your  train  ? 

A .  I  was  read3T,  and  came  up  there  on  Frida3*.  One  of  the  officers  re- 
marked to  me,  there  was  nothing  going  out.  It  seemed  to  be  this  vtay  : 
that  if  the3T  got  a  train  reacty  and  the  engine,  there  was  no  crew,  and  if  3rou 
got  a  crew,  there  was  no  engine  or  an3Tthing  else  there.  Some  of  the  officers 
remarked  to  me  that  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  were  coming  in,  and  eveiy- 
thing  would  goon  then  as  usual.  I  think  I  went  home,  and  I  didn't  come 
back  again  that  night.  In  the  morning — Saturday  morning,  six  o'clock — I 
was  sent  for  to  come  up  and  go  out.  I  believe  before  I  had  my  breakfast. 
As  soon  as  I  got  breakfast  I  went  out,  but  I  didn't  see  nothing  for  me  to 
go  out  on,  and  I  stood  around  there  until  eleven  o'clock  on  Saturda3r,  I 
think  eleven  or  twelve,  and  I  then  just  remarked  to  the  foreman — I  think 
it  was  the  foreman,  in  the  round-house — that  I  was  going  down  home,  and 
that  if  the3r  wanted  me,  to  send  a  watchman  down  to  me,  I  would  be  at  home 
— I  would  not  be  awa3r  from  home.  I  said  to  my  fainity,  I  believed  I  would 
go  to  bed  and  take  some  sleep,  for  I  might  have  to  come  out  to-night.  I 
suppose  it  was  fortunate  for  me  I  was  not  up  in  the  crowd  at  the  time  of 
the  shooting.    I  might  have  been  there. 

Q.  Were  you  ready  at  all  times  to  take  out  3Tour  train  ? 

A.  Provided  everything  had  been  all  right  I  would.  I  would  not  like 
the  idea  of  starting  out  there  on  Sunday  morning.  I  didn't  think  I  would 
like  to  take  out  a  train  then. 

Q.  Thought  there  was  too  big  a  crowd  to  get  through  ? 

A.  I  didn't  feel  like  it. 

Q.  You  were  read3r  to  go  if  the  track  was  clear  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  441 

A.  Yes;  oh,  yes. 

Q.  Had  you  beard,  prior  to  your  information  at  Walls,  anything  about 
the  strike  ? 

A.  Never  had  the  least  intimation,  because  I  do  not  think  it  was  a  pre- 
arranged matter  at  all.  It  did  not  seem  to  me  that  anybody  seemed  to  know. 
No  ;  I  knew  nothing  about  it,  and  nobody  else  seemed  to  know  anything 
about  it.  The  order  was  given  on  Wednesday,  I  think,  that  all  trains 
would  be  run  double  from  Thursday.  That  seemed  to  be  a  kind  of  sticker 
on  some  of  them.  They  didn't  care  much  whether  they  started  or  not,  and 
some  of  them  that  morning,  on  the  eight-forty  train,  refused  to  go  out.  They 
didn't  care  whether  they  went  out  or  not,  and  just  quit. 

Q.  There  had  been  no  pre-arranged  plan  for  a  strike  to  take  place  at 
that  time '( 

A.  Not  that  I  had  ever  heard  of. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  arrangement  made  for  a  strike  at  or  near  that 
time  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge.  Not  among  the  engineers,  or  so  far  as  I 
know. 

Q.  Did  you  know  of  the  existence  of  what  was  called  the  Trainmens' 
Union  ? 

A.  I  did  not  at  that  time. 

Q.  Had  no  knowledge  of  that  ? 

A.  Had  no  knowledge  nor  no  idea  of  anything  of  the  kind  going  on. 

Q.  Had  you  talked  with  the  conductors  or  brakesmen — had  intercourse 
with  them  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes  ;  there  was  never  one  of  them  mentioned  anything  of  the 
kind  to  me,  nothing  of  the  kind  at  all.  In  fact,  I  don't  have  as  much  inter- 
course with  the  trainmen  on  the  road  as  we  did  formerly  when  they  had 
no  caboose.  Of  late  years  they  have  been  running  cabooses,  and  they  gener- 
ally congregate  there  themselves. 

Q.  Engineers  congregate  more  on  their  engine  ? 

A.  Yes ;  all  the  time  train  men  go  back  in  the  caboose. 

Q.  You  have  an  organization  among  the  engineers  ? 

A.  There  is  an  organization  existing. 

Q.  Is  that  for  engineers  especially  ? 

A.  Especially,  yes. 

Q.  Was  there  any  talk  of  that  kind  in  that  organization  that  you  know 
of — of  striking  ? 

A.  Not  a  particle,  not  at  the  time. 

Q.  During  the  progress  of  the  depredations  or  burning  on  Sunday  were 
you  present  ? 

A.  I  was ;  I  live  close  by. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  were  engaged  in  active  arson  and  destruction  of 
property — burning  ? 

A.  It  appears  to  me  the  roughest  class  of  people  I  ever  saw.  They 
appeared  to  be  all  strangers  to  me.  I  was  present  when  the  alarm  of  fire 
was  struck.  I  was  at  the  corner  of  Twenty-sixth  street,  right  opposite  the 
round-house,  where  the  soldiers  were.  I  was  coming  down,  I  guess  it  was 
ten  o'clock  or  near  eleven,  and  the  firemen  responded  to  the  alarm,  and 
came  up  Penn  avenue  a  little  above  my  house,  and  they  was  stopped  by 
the  crowd.  They  told  them  they  could  not  go  any  further.  I  was  across 
the  street.  I  heard  one  man  say,  "  I  will  shoot  the  horse,  and  if  you  under- 
take to  go,  I  will  shoot  you."  They  ran  across  the  street,  and  came  right 
beside  me,  and  I  heard  them  say  they  would  have  them  out  of  there  if 
they  would  have  to  burn  them  out.     I  just  said,  said  I,  "my  God,  men, 


442  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

don't  set  anything  on  fire  here,  you  will  burn  it  all  up,"  and  the  answer  he 
made  was,  "  Go  to  hell,  you  son  of  a  bitch."  That  was  the  very  words  he 
made  use  of.  I  thought  the  least  I  could  say  was  the  best,  as  I  was  by 
myself. 

Q.  Were  there  any  railroad  men  engaged  during  the  day  Sunday  ? 

A.  I  didn't  see  one  railroad  man  to  my  knowledge,  not  an  employe  of 
the  Pennsylvania  railroad. 

Q.  Men  that  had  been  discharged,  did  you  see  any  of  that  kind? 

A.  I  did  not  see  any  of  the  kind. 

Q.  What  did  you,  in  connection  with  other  railroad  men,  do  to  try  and 
stop  this  ? 

A.  We  did  not  do  very  much,  for  we  could  not.  It  seemed  as  though 
eveiybody  was  intimidated,  and  felt  himself  afraid  to  undertake  to  do  any- 
thing. I  did,  I  know,  as  one  by  myself.  I  do  not  think,  in  a  crowd  of 
men,  it  would  have  been  useless  to  try  to  stop  the  burning  at  nine  o'clock 
in  the  morning. 

Q.  Sunday  morning  ? 

A.  Sunday  morning.     The  whole  yard  was  in  flames. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  communication  with  the  committee  that  was  sent 
up  from  Ilarrisburg  ? 

A.  I  did j  I  believe  I  did. 

Q.  State  what  that  was  ? 

A.  General  Brown  came  to  me  in  the  morning — about  five  o'clock. 

Q.  Sunday  morning? 

A.  Sunday  morning  ;  and  said  to  me — he  wanted  to  know  where  this 
committee  of  l'ailroad  men  was.  I  told  him  that  I  did  not  know  where  it 
was,  but,  says  I,  maybe  I  could  find  some  of  them.  If  we  could  get  past 
Twenty-sixth  street  we  might  get  some  of  them  ;  but  you  can't  pass  through, 
they  are  shooting  us  there.  Says  he,  tell  them  to  come  down  to  the  Union 
depot,  that  I  am  authorized  to  give  the  men  what  they  ask.  There  was  a 
party  went  down  there,  and  they  could  not  find  General  Brown  or  any  one 
else. 

Q.  Who  was  it  went  down  ? 

A.  I  went  down  for  one,  and  I  didn't  mind  who  else  went  down,  it  was 
impossible  to  get  one  of  that  committee,  because  they  were  scattered  all 
through  the  city. 

By  Senator  Yutay  : 

Q.  Were  you  on  this  committee  of  safety  or  any  sub-committee,  appointed 
by  them,  to  go  and  confer  with  the  strikers  at  any  time. 

A.  No,  I  do  not  think — I  think  we  went  down.  There  was  a  committee 
of  safety  come  up  there,  and  I  think  Captain  McMunn  and  myself  and 
some  of  our  ward  boys,  several  of  us,  went  down. 

Q.  As  railroad  men? 

A.  As  railroad  men,  we  went  down.  I  got  into  the  crowd  down  here, 
right  below  the  elevator  there,  tried  to  find  the  leading  man  of  the  citizens' 
committee,  and  they  got  to  shooting,  and  the  crowd  ran  down  there.  There 
was  a  tremendous  crowd  there,  and  carried  us  along  with  them.  I  do  not 
think  there  was  any  use  to  try  to  do  anything  at  all. 

Q.  You  said  you  would  not  like  to  have  attempted  to  get  out  with  that 
train  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  No;  I  would  not. 

Q.  Did  you  apprehend  any  danger  from  any  one  ? 

A.  None.  I  would  not  have  apprehended  any  danger,  I  think,  from  any- 
body but  from  outsiders. 

Q.  Not  from  the  railroad  men  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877-  443 

A.  Not  from  the  railroad  men.  I  did  not  think  that  they  would  interfere 
with  me. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  threats  of  violence  from  the  railroad  men  or  en- 
gineers or  any  railroad  strikers? 

A.  No  ;  not  to  me  at  all. 

Q.  From  any  one  else? 

A.  I  did  from  outsiders — remarks — but  I  didn't  know  who  they  were — 
that  the  first  man  that  would  attempt  to  go  out  had  better  hunt  his  coffin. 

Q.  You  saw  the  handling  of  cars  and  engines  by  the  rioters  during  the 
destruction  of  property  there  in  the  vicinity  of  Twenty-eighth  street  and 
at  the  depot — did  these  men  handle  the  cars  and  engines  as  if  they  had 
been  accustomed  to  handling  cars  and  engines  ? 

A.  I  didn't  see  anybody  handling  an  engine.  After  the  soldiers  went 
into  the  round-house,  I  never  went  up  near  the  place,  that  is,  further  than 
going  up  some  of  the  side  streets  to  look  over  the  burning.  All  the  en- 
gines were  further  up,  at  Twenty-eighth  street.     I  was  not  up  there. 

Q.  You  saw  none  of  the  mob  taking  engines  and  running  them  on  the 
track  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  see  them  handling  the  cars  and  switches? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  You  were  speaking  of  an  association  of  engineers.  Is  that  the  Brother- 
hood of  Locomotive  Engineers  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  any  cooperation  or  action  between  that  association  and 
the  Trainmen's  Union  at  any  time  that  you  know  of? 

A.  I  do  not  think  there  was  any  of  any  account? 

Q.  If  there  was,  you  would  know  it? 

A.  I  believe  I  should  know  it.  There  was  a  disposition  on  the  part  of 
all  the  men,  when  the  strike  had  occurred,  to  stand  out  for  their  ten  per 
cent.     That  was  their  object. 

Q.  That  is,  you  mean  all  the  trainmen,  and  engineers  as  well  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Are  you  a  member  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers  ? 

A.  I  was.     I  believe  the  order  in  this  vicinity  has  disappeared. 

Q.  That  association  was  got  up  for  protection — a  charitable  institution 
for  those  that  were  connected  with  it? 

A.  Nothing  to  interfere  with  the  railroad. 

Q.  If  there  had  been  any  cooperation  between  the  Trainmen's  Union, 
or  any  connection  between  them  and  your  association,  you  would  likely 
know  something  about  it. 

A.  Yes;  there  was  this,  sofar  as  the  ten  per  cent.  went.  That  I  believe 
was  all  after  the  burning.  I  do  not  think  there  was  any  connection  with 
it  before. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  there  any  cooperation  or  pre-arranged  plan  to  strike  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  this  ten  per  cent.  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  at  all.  The  trouble  had  oi'iginated  not  until  after  their 
had  been  a  committee  to  see  Mr.  Scott;  but  the  the  thing  had  dropped, 
and  I  had  heard  nothing  of  it  from  the  time  that  committee  reported,  and 
I  do  not  remember  the  report  they  made,  either. 

Q.  Was  there  a  general  dissatisfaction  and  complaint  on  the  part  of  the 
railroad  employes  on  account  of  this  reduction  of  pay? 

A.  There  was.  That  seemed  to  be  a  great  deal  of  the  trouble.  They 
were  dissatisfied  with  the  pay  they  were  getting. 


444  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  In  your  opinion,  did  that  lead  to  the  strike  and  trouble  here  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  it  did.     No,  sir  ;  I  do  not  think  so. 

Q.  What  was  it  that  led  to  the  disturbance  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  that  would  lead  to  it,  because  if  the  committee  of  en- 
gineers went  to  see  the  general  officers,  and  they  didn't  get  satisfaction, 
or  claimed  that  the  business  that  they  were  doing  could  not  pay  it,  the 
men  would  have  waited  until  such  time  as  they  would.  They  claimed  that 
they  were  in  pretty  close  quarters  financially,  but  as  soon  as  business 
would  warrant,  why  they  would  restore  it. 

Q.  What  led  to  immediate  troubles  here  ?  What  was  the  immediate 
cause  ? 

A.  Running  these  double  trains. 

Q.  Double-headers,  as  they  were  called  ? 

A.  Double-headers,  as  we  called  them. 

Q.  Why  was  there  less  objection  to  running  double-headers? 

A.  In  the  first  place  it  is  very  disagreeable  for  the  men,  and  they  con- 
sider it  dangerous  for  one  thing,  and  in  running  these  trains  it  cuts  a  good 
many  of  them  out  of  employment. 

Q.   Reduce  the  force  of  train  men,  not  engineers  ? 

A.  Not  of  engineers,  of  trainmen. 

Q.  Wherein  consisted  the  danger  of  running  double-headers? 

A.  In  the  first  place  you  hold  just  twice  as  many  cars,  and  you  don't 
have  any  more  men  on  the  train  to  hold  them.  Brakemen  would  hold 
thirty-four  cars  with  two  engines,  and  seventeen  cars  with  one.  If  these 
trains  get  started  they  are  pretty  hard  to  manage. 

Q.  Did  you  have  these  engines  at  the  head  of  the  trains  at  all  times,  or 
did  you  have  one  in  the  front  and  one  in  the  rear  ? 

A.  At  the  head  all  the  time,  they  consider  it  safer  that  way  to  run  them 
than  to  run  one  behind.  Going  through  these  up  and  down  grades  and 
turning  is  liable  to  break. 

Q.  The  only  danger  there  was  was  in  not  having  the  same  number  of 
brakesmen  to  the  same  number  of  cars  as  you  do  when  you  run  the  single 
train  ? 

A.  That  would  have  helped  the  matter  considerably,  I  believe. 

Q.  There  was  no  other  danger  ? 

A.  There  was  no  other  danger. 

Q.  Could  not  that  danger  have  been  counteracted  by  having  less  trains  ? 

A.  They  would  not  think  that  was  safer. 

Q.  Would  not  there  have  been  less  danger  by  taking  two  trains  and  mak- 
ing one,  and  running  them  on  the  track — less  danger  of  collisions  than  if 
you  had  to  have  two  trains  instead  of  one  ? 

A.  There  is  more  danger  running  this  double  train  than  the  single  trains, 
because  they  are  harder  to  manage. 

Q.  You  can  handle  a  train  more  readily  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  check  it  up  quicker.  You  can  check  a  train  much  quicker — a 
light  train  than  a  heavy  one — and  they  are  less  liable  to  break  in  the  dark 
and  in  the  fog.  In  the  fog  you  can't  tell  whether  they  are  broken  or  not. 
They  might  stop,  and  the  bind  part  run  into  the  front  part,  which  has  been 
frequently  done. 

J.  F.  Cluley,  sworn. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  Where  do  you  live  ? 
A.  Centre  avenue,  city. 
Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  445 

A.  Painter. 

Q.  Go  on  and  state  what  you  know  in  relation  to  the  riots  of  last  July  ? 

A.  On  the  Saturday,  probably  about  half-past  two,  I  went  up  to  the  de- 
pot and  went  in,  and  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  were  about  starting  out.  I 
got  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street  probably  half  an  hour  before  they  did. 
Everything  was  quiet  there — at  Twenty-eighth  street.  There  was  a  com- 
pany keeping  the  street  clear — a  company  of  troops. 

Q.  Who  was  that  company  commanded  by  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know.  It  looked  like  a  calvary  company  on  foot  from  the 
trimmings  on  their  clothes.  As  soon  as  the  Philadelphia  troops  came  up 
the  mob  closed  round,  and  commenced  hooting  and  hollering. 

Q.  Go  on  and  state  what  took  place  there  ? 

A.  I  suppose  I  had  been  up  there  probably  twenty  minutes,  when  they 
formed  a  double  line  and  cleared  the  track.  I  was  throwed  over  toward 
the  round-house.  I  went  round  the  cars  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  probably 
two  hundred  feet  up  the  hill.  There  was  a  ravine  coming  down  there,  and 
I  got  outside  of  it.  I  don't  mind  how  long  I  had  been  in  there  before  the 
troops  formed.  At  that  time  they  had  swept  the  tracks,  and  there  was  two 
or  three  lines  formed  outside  the  tracks.  The  troops  had  done  some  ma- 
noeuvering,  they  had  marched  up  right  against  the  track.  At  that  time 
Twentieth  street  was  blocked,  and  they  marched,  and  the  crowd  did  not 
get  away,  and  they  stepped  back  and  made  a  bayonet  charge.  It  seems  to 
me  after  they  had  marched  up  against  them  I  saw  some  men  stagger,  but  I 
was  too  far  off.  About  the  time  they  made  the  bayonet  charge  there  was 
a  stone  or  three  or  four  stones  came  from  the  direction  of  the  hospital,  and 
a  pistol  shot  fired. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  From  the  direction  of  the  hospital? 

A.  There  is  a  watch-box  there — it  was  not  more  than  three  stones,  I 
think,  the}-  throwed.  It  was  done  just  about  the  time  the  bayonet  charge 
was  made,  and  then  there  was  a  pistol  shot  about  the  same  time. 

Q.  From  the  crowd  ? 

A.  It  was  generally  in  that  direction  ;  I  suppose  it  was  in  the  crowd. 
Then  the  firing  was  done  just  after. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  command  to  fire? 

A.  No  ;  I  was  two  hundred  feet  back.  I  was  in  a  position  that  I  could 
see  the  whole  thing  take  place. 

Q.  Did  the  men  fire  as  if  they  had  received  a  command  ? 

A.  It  appeared  to  be  a  scattered  fire.  As  soon  as  they  commenced  firing, 
I  started  up  on  the  hill.  Some  one  called  out  they  were  firing  blank  cart- 
ridges, and  I  seen  the  dust  flying  around,  and  I  threw  myself  down  like 
everybody  else.  There  was  a  man  shot  within  the  length  of  this  room 
from  me,  and  killed — a  man  named  Ray,  I  think.  I  then  started  down  hill, 
and  when  I  was  coming  down  I  saw  a  man  on  the  far  side  of  Twenty-eighth 
street  swing  round  a  freight  car,  and  throw  into  the  company — he  threw 
three  or  four  stones  or  some  missiles  in  among  them,  the  last,  when  I  was 
down  almost  to  the  track,  and  I  thought  every  stone  I  seen  throwed,  I 
thought  they  would  fire. 

Q.  Was  it  before  they  had  fired  ? 

A.  After  the  firing,  he  swung  around,  and  seemed  to  be  inviting  them,  I 
thought,  to  do  something. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Inviting  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  It  looked  as  though  he  was.     He  was  holding  on  to  the  iron  rod  on 


446  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

the  car,  and  was  swinging  on  in  front  of  them.     He  was  a  large  man,  about 
six  feet,  very  genteelly  dressed — more  so  than  the  common  run  of  them. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  This  man  you  saw  swinging  on  round  there,  trying  to  make  an  effort 
to  exasperate  them  ? 

A.  It  looked  as  though  he  was  inviting  them. 

Q.  It  looked  as  though  he  was  trying  to  exasperate  them  ? 

A.  It  looked  as  though  he  was  inviting;  them  to  fire.  I  crossed  the 
track  ten  minutes  after  the  firing  was  over.  The  soldiers  seemed  to  be 
laying  huddled  together.     This  stone  throwing  was  right  in  among  them. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  the  soldiers  struck  down  by  missiles  before  the 
firing  took  place  ? 

A.  When  the  first  advance  was  made,  I  thought  I  saw  one  of  them  stag- 
ger. I  cannot  tell  whether  they  were  hit.  After  they  made  the  bayonet 
charge  the  parties  took  their  hands  and  threw  the  guns  up. 

Q.  What  was  the  appearance  of  the  class  of  men  that  threw  the  stones  ? 

A.  This  I  think  was  a  half  grown  boy  that  threw  the  missiles  from  the 
back  of  the  house. 

Q.  A  boy? 

A.  It  looked  to  me.     Three  or  four  have  grown  boys  there. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  men  there  throwing  stones  ? 

A.  I  don't  recollect  of  seeing  any  stones  throwed,  except  at  this  watch- 
box,  until  I  saw  this  man,  after  the  firing  was  all  over.  The  track  was 
perfectly  clear  when  I  crossed. 

Q.  What  was  the  character  of  the  crowd  immediately  in  front  of  the 
military,  or  near  the  military  ? 

A.  Rough  looking.     I  had  seen  the  same  crowd  around  for  two  or  three 
days.     I  had  been  out  and  in  on  the  railroad.     I  had  seen  them  at  .    .    . 
street  and  Twenty-eighth  street,  for  two  or  three  days. 

Q.  Would  you  take  them  to  be  citizens  of  Harrisburg  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  not  as  a  general  thing.  I  know  some  of  the  conductors  of 
the  trains  remarked  to  me  that  everybody  was  going  in  and  nobody  was 
coming  out — all  the  tramps  come  in  town  and  none  going  out. 

Q.  These  men — would  you  take  them  to  be  what  is  generally  denomi- 
nated tramps  ? 

A.  Not  all  of  them.  Generally  a  pretty  rough  looking  set.  On  the 
hill  side  there  was  plenty  of  women  and  children. 

Q.  I  mean  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  where  the  troubles  were? 

A.  These  were  a  rough  looking  set  of  men.  I  won't  say  they  were  all 
tramps.  They  were  a  rough  looking  set  of  men.  I  noticed  them  before 
the  military  came  up.  There  was  no  disturbance  at  all  until  after  the 
military  came  up.     They  were  all  quiet. 

Q.  They  resisted  the  military,  when  they  came  up? 

A.  After  they  formed  a  line  and  made  a  charge. 

(4.  They  resisted  the  military  before  the  firing? 

A.  Yes ;  they  stood  right  like  a  wall.  The  military  marched  up,  and 
they  didn't  give  the  least  bit.  Then  they  stepped  back  a  piece  or  two,  and 
made  a  bayonet  charge.     I  was  not  close  enough  to  hear  any  orders  given. 

C.  II.  Armstrong,  sworn: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.   Where  do  you  reside  ? 
A.  Thirty-second  street. 
A.  What  is  your  occupation? 
A.  Coal  business. 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  447 

Q.  Where  is  your  office  ? 

A.  Liberty  street,  between  Twenty- eighth  and  Twenty-ninth. 

Q.  Were  you  at  your  office  on  the  19th — Thursday,  19th  of  July  last? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  of  men  was  there  gathered  about  there  during 
Thursday  ? 

A.  There  was. quite  a  large  crowd  there  during  Thursday  morning.  To- 
wards the  afternoon  a  great  number  had  come  up  to  see  the  strikers.  There 
was  very  few  railroad  men  among  the  crowd. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  were  there  ? 

A.  Parties  that  lived  around  the  railroad  there,  just  come  up  to  see  the 
excitement. 

Q.  Where  they  demonstrative  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  they  were  not.  They  were  all  talking  about  double-headers, 
I  do  not  know  what  they  meant,  and  I  asked  them,  and  they  told  me  about 
putting  two  engines  on  a  long  train. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  there  at  any  one  time  during  the  day,  Thurs- 
day ? 

A.  I  guess  three  or  four  hundred — in  the  afternoon  about  four  o'clock. 

Q.  Did  they  remain  there  during  the  night,  Thursday  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  was  up  there  about  twelve  o'clock,  and  there  was  a  few  men 
there — about  thirty  remained  there  during  the  night  waiting  for  trains  to 
go  out. 

Q.  How  many  on  Friday  ? 

A.  There  was  seven  or  eight  hundred.  They  were  expecting  the  soldiers 
in  that  evening.  Were  also  expecting  the  Harrisburg  men  up  that  evening. 
They  did  not  come  up.  I  went  down  Saturday  morning  and  went  down 
the  railroad  from  our  house.  I  saw  the  Harrisburg  soldiers  there  on  the 
side  of  the  hill  and  also  down  by  the  railroad. 

Q.  How  large  was  it  Saturday  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  how  large  it  was  ;  the  streets  were  just  jammed  and  the 
side  of  the  hill  on  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Was  you  present  when  the  firing  took  place  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  was  up  on  the  side  of  the  hill  about  seventy  yards  from  where 
the  troops  were. 

Q.  Did  you  see  troops  as  they  marched  up  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  saw  them  before  they  left  the  Union  depot.  Saw  them  get 
their  cartridges  before  they  left  there. 

Q.  Did  you  go  up  ahead  of  them  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  talk  with  the  mob  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  I  talked  with  some  of  the  railroad  men. 

Q.  Tell  them  that  the  troops  were  coming  ? 

A.  Told  them  that  the  Philadelphia  troops  were  coming. 

Q.  What  did  they  say  ? 

A.  They  said  that  they  were  not  afraid  of  that;  as  long  as  they  didn't 
hurt  them,  they  would  not  hurt  them. 

Q.  Was  the  sheriff's  posse  ahead  of  the  line  1 

A.  Yes  ;  I  recognized  a  few  of  them,  I  believe  the  sheriff  was  ahead,  and, 
I  think,  Deputy  Sheriff  Steward,  and,  I  think,  Mr.  Pitcairn  was  also  ahead 
of  them.     He  was  walking  beside  Sheriff  Fife. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  stones  or  missiles  thrown  by  the  ci'owd  at  the  sol- 
diers ? 

A.  Yes ;  about  the  time  they  were  charging  bayonets. 

Q.  Was  there  any  pistols  fired  b}r  the  crowd  ? 


V 


\     > 


u 


I 
I 


450  Report  of  Committee.  TNo.  29 


5 


A.  Yes  ;  regular  musket,  called  breech-loaders,  something  similar  to 
what  the  militia  have. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned,  to  meet  at  the  arsenal,  at  half- 
past  eight  o'clock,  this  evening. 


Allegheny  Arsenal, 
Friday.  Evening,  February  22,  1878. 

The  committee  met  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  the  United  States  Ar- 
senal, at  half-past  eight  o'clock.     All  members  present. 

Major  A.  R.  BufBngton,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  First  state  your  rank  and  official  position  here  under  the  United 
States  Government  ? 

A.  Major  ordnance  United  States  Army,  commanding  Allegheny  ar- 
senal— commandant  Allegheny  arsenal — which  ever  way  you  choose  to 
put  it. 

Q.  If  you  will  go  on  and  get  at  the  facts,  probably  it  will  be  as  easy  as 
any  other  way  to  come  at  a  statement  of  the  facts  that  came  within  3<our 
knowledge  ? 

A.  I  presume  what  you  want  from  me  are  simple  facts.  You  want  no 
opinions,  nor  anything  else — my  knowledge  of  the  riot.  I  have  here  three 
or  four  little  notes  addressed  to  me : 

July  21,  5,  P.  M. 

Major  Buffington,  Commanding  U.  S.  Arsenal: 

The  troops  of  the  first  division,  after  having  been  fired  at  by  the  rioters, 
returned  the  fire,  killing  and  wounding  a  number.  It  is  said  the  rioters 
will  take  the  arsenal,  and  take  the  arms  and  ammunition.  It  may  be  a 
rumor ;  I  will  give  it  to  you  for  what  it  is  worth.  It  wovdd  be  well  lor  3011 
to  be  on  your  guard. 

(Signed)  A.  L.  Pearson, 

Major  General. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  receive  that  note  ? 

A.  I  received  that  note  somewhere  about  six  o'clock.  It  is  dated  five- 
thirty,  p.  m.,  July  21,  about  half  an  hour  afterwards — about  six  o'clock, 
I  should  judge.  Previous  to  this,  I  would  state  that  three  gentlemen  came 
here  from  the  city — came  to  my  quarters — and  informed  me  in  substance 
the  same  thing,  before  this  was  received — perhaps  an  hour.  Was  received 
somewhere  about  that  time.     That  was  the  first  notice  I  had  of  it. 

Q.  Who  were  those  gentlemen  ? 

A.  Their  names  I  don't  know.  They  were  strangers  to  me,  and  they  in- 
troduced themselves.     I  have  forgotten  .their  names. 

Q.  Were  they  citizens  of  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  and  when  they  came  they  were  very  much  afraid  that  the 
mob  would  see  their  vehicle  out  in  front  of  the  gate,  and  they  immediately 
left  and  went  away  on  that  account,  saying  they  were  afraid  their  vehicle 
would  be  recognized,  and  they  were  afraid  of  the  mob.  This  word  1  men- 
tion was  brought  to  me  by  Doctor  Speers,  of  Pittsburgh,  in  a  buggy,  and 
he  also  was  very  much  afraid  of  the  mob.  Cautioned  me  saying  anything 
about  it;  that  they  would  spot  me,  or  something  to  that  purpose.  I  also 
received  this  one.     Here  is  a  copy  of  that  one  written  in  the  handwriting 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  451 

of  General  Latta.  This  was  handed  through  the  picket  fence,  which  is  by 
my  quarters,  to  a  young  lady  visiting  my  house  at  that  time,  with  a  request 
to  give  it  to  me,  which  she  did.  She  refused  to  take  it,  and  told  him  to 
take  it  to  the  guard-house,  and  he  expressed  a  fear  about  taking  it  to  the 
guard-house,  and  insisted  on  her  taking  it.  In  addition,  I  received  this 
one.     It  is  headed, 

"O.  D.  7,21— 7th  month  21st  day. 

"Commandant  Arsenal  :  Mob  has  started  to  the  arsenal  for  the  purpose 
of  taking  arms.  Serious  trouble  at  Twenty-eighth  street  between  them  and 
military. 

(Signed.)  J.  M.  or  T.  M.  King, 

Superintendent." 

I  believe  he  is  superintendent  of  the  Allegheny  Yalley  railroad.     Having 
received  information  from  those  gentlemen  previons  to  those  notes,  I  im- 
mediately took  steps  to  receive  the  mob  if  they  should  come  out  there. 
Lieutenant  Lyon  was  staying  over  there.     He  came  to  the  office,  and   I 
told  him  to  tell  my  sergeant  to  go  out  quietly  and  couple  the  six  pounder 
guns,  have  one  of  them  brought  down  to  the  inside  of  the  gate,  as  you 
come  in.     I  had  but  one  box  of  ammunition.     All  my  men  had  Springfield 
rifles,  and  I  had  a  part  of  a  box  of  ammunition  for  them — I  had  plenty  of 
ammunition,  but  none  of  that  kind.     My  sergeant  got  some  for  my  men, 
and  I  gave  him  some  general  instructions  to  guard  and  close  the  gates,  and 
lock  them,  and  let  no  one  in  without  my  knowledge.     These  preparations 
were  carried  on,  and   we  got   in  readiness,  and  matters  remained  so  until 
night  came  on,  and  there  was  no  signs  of  anybody  coining,  and  at  night 
I  thought  I  would  go  out  in  the  street  and  see  what  was  going  on.     Lieu- 
tenant Lyon,  I  believe,  went  with  me.     We  struck  down  street  and  con- 
sulted with  various  people.     Very  few  people  know  me  here.     I  went  out 
in  the  street  and  talked  with  a  few  of  them.     In  a  field  below  here — about 
two  squares — is  anew  livery  stable,  and  over  that  building  there  was  some 
sort  of  a  meeting  going  on,  and  we  went  to  the  door.     They  had  sentries 
at  the  door.     There  was  quite  a  concourse  of  citizens  around.     We  could 
not  get  in,  and  we  waited  there  until  they  came  out.     They  were  cheering 
inside,  and  somebody  making  speeches.     Presently  they  came  out,  about 
twenty  armed  with  some  muskets  they  had  gotten  out  of  an  armory  below 
here  somewhere — half-grown  boys  they  were,  and  a  few  men — and  filed  off 
down  street  cheered  by  the  populace  surrounding  them,  and  one  man  along 
side  of  me  fired  a  musket  in  the  air,  and  that  is  all  that  I  saw.     I  didn't 
see  any  disposition  of  any  of  them  to  come  here  at  all,  and  I  returned,  tell- 
ing Lieutenant  Lyon  I  had  no  doubt  they  would  come  out  here,  but  I  did 
not  anticipate  any  trouble  with  them  at  all,  and  instructed  the  men  to  keep 
in  their  quarters  with  their  clothing  on — to  lie  down  with  their  clothing 
on,  ready  at  a  moment's  call.     Between  ten  and  eleven  o'clock  I  heard  drums 
beating  down  street,  and  I  concluded  the  rioters  were  coming.     I  went 
out,  and  the  men  were  turned  out  and  placed  up  here  behind  that  building, 
where  they  could  not  be  seen,  and  by  that  time  the  mob  had  got  at  the  gate. 
There  was  nobody  there  except  a  sentry  and  that  six  pounder  gun  there. 
I  went  out  in  citizen's  dress.     They  were  yelling  and  screaming  about  the 
gate.     As  I  approached,  one  of  them  said,  u  Here  comes  the  commanding 
officer,  we  will  talk  to  him."     I  walked   up  to  the  gate,  too — the  gate  is 
armed  with  open  pickets — they  stopped  their  noise,  and  I  said,  "  Boys, 
what  is  the  matter  ?"     They  said,  u  A  party  of  Philadelphia  troops  have 
fired  into  a  crowd  down  here  and  killed  a  lot  of  women  and  children,  and 
we  come  to  get  arms  ;  we  want  to  fight  them."     I  says,  "  I  cannot  give  you 
any  arms."     I  said,  "  I  cannot  help  you,  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  help 


452  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

you."  He  said  women  and  children  bad  been  shot  down,  and  I  said,  "  It 
was  a  sad  thing,  but  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  help  you."  "We  don't 
want  you,  we  want  that  gun."  I  ignored  that  request,  and  kept  talking 
quiet  to  them.  They  seemed  to  be  peaceable  enough,  except  one  man, 
and  I  imagined  he  was  slightly  intoxicated.  "I  know  there  are  only 
twenty  men  in  the  place,  and  if  twenty-five  will  join  me  we  scale  the  walls." 
He  abused  them  for  not  following.  Presently  one  of  them  said,  "  He 
talks  well,  come  on."  Finally  the  better  disposed  of  them  called  the 
others  off,  and  they  went  up  the  street  a  short  distance  and  returned  again. 
This  belligerent  fellow  staid  near  the  gate  and  called  for  volunteers.  There 
was  nobody  there  except  myself  and  the  sentry.  I  kept  the  men  out  of 
sight,  for  I  didn't  wish  to  flourish  a  red  handkerchief  in  the  face  of  the 
bull.  I  was  determined  to  exhaust  all  peaceable  means.  They  came  back 
again,  and  about  the  time  they  got  opposite  the  gate,  a  cry  of  fire  was 
raised,  and  an  alarm  struck  on  the  bell,  and  they  all  raised  the  cry  of  fire, 
and  they  went  off  down  the  street.  This  man  who  was  calling  for  volun- 
teers, says  he,  "  The  guns  are  spiked,  we  will  all  go  ;"  and  they  all  went 
off  again.  That  is  my  knowledge  of  the  mob. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  stores  of  ammunition  were  here  at  that  time  that  the  mob  could 
have  got  if  they  had  entered  ? 

A.  We  have  here  many  buildings  full  of  ordinance  stores.  We  had  for 
years,  and  have  yet,  something  like  thirty-six  or  forty  thousand  stand  of 
arms.  Don't  put  these  down  as  the  exact  figures.  We  had  a  great  many 
thousand  stand  of  arms,  and  two  magazines  full  of  powder  and  ammuni- 
tion, prepared  and  partially  prepared  for  service  ;  that  is,  the  powder  in 
the  shells,  the  powder  in  the  cartridges,  two  large  magazines  full.  We 
have  there,  in  fact,  two  of  them  full,  and  another  partially  so  in  the  upper 
park.  Besides  these  arms  I  speak  of,  we  have  many  thousand  stands  of 
arms,  revolvers,  carbines,  muskets,  and  all  sorts  of  things.  We  have  many 
large  warehouses  here.  There  is  one  there,  [indicating,]  and  here  is  one, 
[indicating,]  and  one  on  the  other  side  of  the  street;  above  that  are  the 
the  magazines.  We  have  got  a  great  deal  of  property  here,  valuable  prop- 
erty, too,  but  we  had  no  small  arm  ammunition  except  some  of  the  old 
style  ammunition — a  lot  of  the  old  style  paper  cartridges  which  I  had  broken 
up.  The  arms  we  had  are  mostly  loaders,  except  fifty  breech-loading  mus- 
kets, and  my  men  here  are  armed  with  caliber  fifty.  A  year  before  the 
riot  began  I  was  impressed  with  the  dangerous  position  of  this  place,  and 
1  drew  the  attention  of  the  authorities  in  Washington  to  it.  There  is  a 
map  showing  the  arsenal,  [indicating.]  That  is  Butler  street.  There,  you 
see,  are  four  buildings  called  temporary  magazines.  Those  are  wooden 
buildings.  There  are  a  great  mass  of  breech-loading  ammunition  in  there, 
partially  prepared  for  service.  There  is  one  magazine,  and  there  is  the 
other  one.  There  is  Penn  avenue — it  is  called  a  pike  there.  A  man  might 
have  thrown  a  lighed  cigar  over  and  set  fire  to  tins  place.  I  drew  the  at- 
tention of  my  chief  to  it,  and  called  particular  attention  to  this  dangerous 
place.  lie  saw  the  importance  of  it,  and  ordered  me  to  break  up  the  am- 
munition and  otherwise  get  rid  of  it.  Fortunately,  all  that  was  cleared  out 
before  the  riot  began.  These  magazines  were  all  full,  and  the  small  arm 
ammunition  1  had  broken  up.  Here  the  shops  are  below  the  work-shops, 
on  a  plateau  just  below  this,  and  here  is  the  road  over  which  you  came. 
Here  is  a  sort  of  open  space,  and  nothing  but  a  low  wall  here  with  a  picket. 
Right  opposite,  there  is  another  gate  leading  into  the  upper  park.  My 
men  were  here,  and  tins  part  is  utterly  defenseless,  and  in  that  place  were 
a  number  of  cannon.     The  mob  would  have  cleaned  me  out  here.     There  is 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187T.  453 

not  a  man  there,  but  a  man  in  charge  of  the  magazine,  ami  twenty  men,  you 
see,  would  be  a  small  force  to  defend  it.  It  is  not  a  fortified  place,  it  is  the 
same  as  houses  surrounded  by  a  wall  with  a  wooden  picket  fence.  The 
mob  could  push  it  over  and  come  in,  and  there  would  be  no  trouble  about  it. 

Q.  Not  a  very  strong  fortification  ? 

A.  It  is  utterly  defenseless;  but,  at  the  same  time,  I  was  not  afraid  the 
mob  would  would  do  me  any  injury. 

Q.  How  many  cannon  had  you  that  they  could  have  taken  and  moved 
off? 

A.  I  don't  know  how  many  are  in  that  shed.  I  have  five  or  six  pieces 
which  I  call  in  current  sertftce.  Those  pieces  are  mounted.  Those  are 
six-pounder  guns,  and  there  is  plenty  of  ammunition  which  could  be  used 
for  that  purpose  in  those  magazines.  I  had  one  of  them  on  this  side,  [in- 
dicating,] and  one  on  the  other  side.  As  mobs  generally  do,  they  always 
come  where  the  danger  is.  Here  was  those  six-pounder  guns,  with  canis- 
ter. The  only  hostile  demonstration  they  made  was  to  rush  for  the  gate, 
but  I  merely  raised  my  hands,  and  says,  that  won't  do,  and  they  stopped 
instantly.  To  show  what  the  state  of  affairs  was  here,  and  my  information 
of  what  was  going  on,  sometime  on  Saturday  night  I  received  this  com- 
munication from  General  Latta,  addressed  to  the  commanding  officer, 
United  States  arsenal,  Pittsburgh,  without  date,  or  anything  else.  He 
says : 

"  Have  you  communicated  with  General  Government  about  prospects 
of  attack  on  your  arsenal. 

(Signed,)  "Gen.  Latta." 

That  was  sometime  late  in  the  night.  I  don't  know  whether  it  was 
before  the  mob  came  or  not.     Here  is  the  reply  I  sent  to  him : 

"  United  States  Arsenal,  July  21. 

"  James  W.  Latta  :  In  reply  to  your  pencil  note,  without  date,  I  have 
to  say  I  have  not  communicated  with  General  Government  about  prospects 
of  attack  on  me,  and  shall  not  until  such  a  course  is  necessary.'' 

I  had  no  communication  with  Washington,  and  none  with  the  State  au- 
thorities, except  just  what  I  showed  you.  They  didn't  advise  me  about 
what  was  going  on.  I  knew  nothing  but  just  what  you  see  here,  except 
to  give  them  all  the  assistance  I  could,  and,  by  a  strange  mistake,  I  gave 
them  all  the  defense  I  had.     Here  is  a  communication: 

"  Head-Quarters  Sixth  Division, 
"Pittsburgh,  July  21,  1877,  11.80,  P.  M. 

"  Major  E.  R.  Buffington:  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  I  should 
have  two  hundred  rounds  metallic  ball  cartridges.  Please  deliver  them  to 
Colonel  Moore.  In  case  I  have  none  in  store,  I  will  deliver  you  the  order 
of  the  Secretary  of  War  to-morrow. 

(Signed,)  "A.  L.  Pearson, 

"Major  General.''' 

To  explain,  the  State  had  here  some  ammunition  which  I  had  b>jen  giv- 
ing to  them  as  they  wanted  all  along,  and  we  had  given  it  all  out.  Gen- 
eral Pearson  had  been  informed  that  there  was  no  more  here  belonging  to 
the  State,  but  he  said  if  he  had  none  to  give  him  some,  and  he  would  get 
authority  from  Washington.  Down  here  is  the  note  of  the  man  in  charge 
of  the  magazines.  This  is  dated  eleven-thirty,  p.  M.  It  did  not  come  to 
me  till  long  afterwards.  I  sent  them  with  a  guard  to  the  upper  park  with 
instructions  to  tell  the  magazine  man  to  give  them  if  thejr  had  any  of  the 


454  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

State  stores,  and  to  tell  this  gentleman  that  I  had  none  except  a  part  of  a 
box  for  my  own  men.  It  was  just  nine  hundred  rounds,  and  the  guard  car- 
ried the  written  order,  and  down  to  the  bottom,  pasted  to  it,  is  : 

"  July  22,  '77.— 4.20  A.  m." 

You  see  how  late  it  was  in  the  morning. 

"Deliver  to  General  Pearson's  messengers  eight  hundred  and  sixty  cen- 
ter prime  metallic  ball  cartridges  United  States  property,  there  being  no 
ball  cartridges  belonging  to  the  State  at  this  arsenal. 

(Signed.)  James  Fitzsimmons." 

By  mistake,  the  State  troops  got  all  the  cartridges  1  had.     My  men  got 
forty  out  of  the  nine  hundred.     Each  man  had  two  rounds  simply. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  had  no  ammunition  for  anjr  of 
your  arms  ? 

A.  I  had  not  a  round  of  ammunition  suitable  for  any  arm  I  had  in  here, 
for  the  simple  reason  that  we  are  in  profound  peace,  surrounded  by  friends. 
Since  the  Frankford  arsenal  got  making  metallic  cartridges,  we  had  a  few 
rounds  here  for  the  use  of  my  men,  in  case  we  wanted  to  shoot.  We  had  a  few 
blank  cartridges.  We  had  cannon  ammunition,  but  all  the  small  arm  ammu- 
nition was  broken  up  and  powrder  taken  out  of  it  and  balls  thrown  into  the 
lead  pile.  We  did  not  have  any  for  arms  we  had  here  except,  perhaps,  a  few 
cartridges  for  revolvers,  which  I  issued  afterwards  to  the  citizens  in  the 
town  to  defend  the  city — two  or  three  days  afterwards. 

Q.  You  have  some  muzzle  loaders? 

A.  All  the  muskets  are  muzzle  loaders  except — — 

Q.  And  no  ammunition  for  them  ? 

A.  No;  we  had  powder  and  ball.  I  had  paper  cartridges  made  for  the 
committee  since  that,  as  the  controller  will  tell  you.  They  came  to  get 
muskets,  and  I  had  cartridges  made. 

Q.  You  may  state  to  what  extent  you  supplied  the  citizens  with  ammu- 
nition ? 

A.  Well,  to  quite  a  large  extent.  This  is  a  statement  which  I  have  made 
up  for  General  Negley.  He  represents  the  committee  of  safety.  Here  are 
fifty  Cosmopolitan  carbines:  three  hundred  and  ninetj'-nine  Springfield 
rifled  muskets  ;  fifty  Remington  revolvers  ;  fifty  cavalry  sabers  ;  forty-nine 
belt  holsters  ;  forty-seven  pistol  pouches  ;  fort}'-seven  cavalry  saber  belts  ; 
fifty  carbine  slings  ;  forty-eight  carbine  slings  swivels  ;  two  hundred  bayonet 
scabbards ;  one  hundred  and  ninety  cap  pouches ;  two  hundred  cartridge 
boxes ;  two  hundred  carti'idge-box  belts ;  two  hundred  and  fifteen  waist 
belts;  two  hundred  waist-belt  plaits;  fifty  bridles — curb  bridles;  forty- 
nine  holsters  and  straps;  fifty  saddles;  fifty  saddle  bags;  fifty  saddle 
blankets;  thirty-eight  pounds  of  buckshot ;  four  hundred  and  eighty-three 
musket  percussion  caps.  These  were  to  make  buck  and  ball  cartridges. 
Those  were  returned  back  to  me  since  then. 

These  are  to  be  added  :  One  hundred  and  twenty-six  Springfield  rifled 
muskets,  caliber  fifty-eight ;  twenty-six  Remington  revolvers,  caliber  forty- 
four;  thirteen  Whitney  revolvers,  caliber  thirty-six;  six  cavalry  sabers, 
thirty-nine  pistol  holsters,  sixty  cap  pouches,  eighteen  waist  belts,  thirty- 
three  waist  belt  plaits.  That  was  to  the  committee  of  safety  ;  besides  that, 
to  the  mayor  of  Allegheny  City  I  issued — I  am  not  sure — I  think  it  was 
three  hundred  muskets,  and  powder,  and  balls,  and  buckshot,  and  cart- 
ridge paper  for  making  cartridges. 

Q.  These  cartridges  were  not  paper,  buck,  and  ball  ? 

A.  Oh,  no  ;  just  the  material  I  had,  which  was  the  balls  and  the  pow- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  455 

cler.     In  order  to  get  the  powder,  I  broke  up  cannon  ammunition — one 
pound  cartridges — broke  it  up. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  witness  any  of  the  scenes  of  Sunday,  the  22d. 

A.  Yes ;  for  a  very  short  time. 

Q.  Tell  us  what  you  saw  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  By  these  papers  I  was  nearly  all  night.     I  went  to  bed  to  get  some 
rest,  and  was  in  bed  when  I  heard  firing  down  this  street.     That  is  what 
first  wakened  me  was  the  sound  of  firing  down  the  street.     Otherwise,  be- 
fore that  it  was  perfectly  peaceable  and  quiet.     That  officer  had  his  twenty 
men  out  on  this  side  of  that  building,  for  Sunday  morning  inspection,  and 
he  had  just  dismissed  them,  and  hearing  this  firing  down  street,  I  jumped 
out  of  bed,  and  got  into  my  pantaloons,  and  put  my  night  shirt  in  my 
breeches,  and  got  my  coat  on,  and  rushed  out  of  the  room,  and  before  I 
got  out  I  saw  that,  from  the  exclamations  of  those  in  the  house,  there  were 
a  number  of  men  running  through  the  grounds.     Whoever  they  were,  they 
were  unauthorizedly  coming  in  without  any  permission,  and  when   I  ap- 
peared on  the  grounds,  there  were  a  number  of  soldiers  inside,  how  many,  I 
do  not  know,  and  as  I  opened  the  door,  the  firing  had  ceased.     I  started  to- 
wards the  gate,  and  upon  looking  around  in  this  direction,  I  saw  Lieutenant 
Lyons  coming  towards  my  quarters,  and  an  officer  coming  towaixls  my 
house,  and  I  turned  to  meet  him.     As  he  came  up,  I  said  to  him,  "  You  must 
take  your  men  right  out,  sir  ;  there  is  no  protection  here  for  you."     He  an- 
swered, "You  have  walls."     "Yes,"  I  said,  "we  have  walls,"  raising  my 
hand  that  way.     He  says,  "  Have  you  any  suggestion  to  make."     I  said, 
"  None,  sir;  except  to  organize  your  men  and  assault  them."     I  supposed 
there  was  some  fight  going  on,  from  what  I  saw  and  heard.     That  is  all 
the  words  passed  between  me  and  the  officer — who  he  was  I  do  not  know. 
He  had  a  blouse  coat,  and  looked  like  a  second  lieutenant.     It  does  not 
matter  who  he  was ;  under  the  circumstances  there  was  no  time,  at  that 
time,  for  wasting  words,  in  my  estimation.     My  orders  were  orders  that 
were  peremptory.     I  ordered  him  and  his  men  out.     As  I  told  him  these 
last  words  he  started  towards  the  gate,  and  I  immediately  turned  and  went 
towards  the  building,  where  a  wounded  man  was  brought  in.     Says  I,  "  I 
will  take  care  of  the  wounded.     I  called  my  men,  and  ordered  him  taken 
to  the  hospital.     There  was  a  man  lying  inside  of  the  gate,  one  of  my  men 
bathing  his  temples.     I  asked  what  was  the  matter.    He  did  not  know.    I 
called  my  man  and  instructed  him  to  take  him  to  the  hospital.     I  went  to 
the  gate,  and  I  saw  nothing  there,  except  a  few  citizens — workingmen  in 
their  Sunday  clothes — going  to  church.     I  did  not  see  an  armed  man  any- 
where.    Brinton  and  his  command  had  gone  up  the  street  in  the  meantime, 
and  left  the  arsenal.     In  a  few  moments  I  was  joined  by  Lieutenant  Lyon, 
and  I  authorized  him  to  go  immediately  for  a  surgeon  for  these  wounded 
men,  and  he  went  down  to  Doctor  Robinson's  office,  which  is  one  square 
below,  and   brought  Doctor  Robinson   in   immediately,  by  a  private  en- 
trance, to  save  time.     I  went  to  the  hospital — there  was  no  signs  of  any 
riot  in  the  street,  or  anything  of  the  kind — I  went  to  the  hospital,  and 
there  saw  Doctor  Robinson,  who  referred  to  Lieutenant  Ash,  and  said  his 
leg  must  come  off,  but  I  prefer  to  have  some  surgeon  to  consult  with.     I 
suggested  to  him  Doctor  Lemoyne,  and  he  agreed  to  that,  and  I  went  to 
my  quarters  and  wrote  Doctor  Lemoyne  a  note,  telling  him,  in  the  letter, 
Doctor  Robinson  had  been  called  in,  and  that  he  wished  to  consult  with 
him,  and  I  sent  one  of  my  own  horses  and  a  messenger  into  the  city,  for 
Doctor  Lemoyne,  and  he  came  out.     He  lives,  maybe,  three  miles  from 
here.     In  the  meantime,  the  wounded  had  the  attention  of  Doctor  Robin- 


456  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

son  and  his  partner,  Doctor  Evans.  Doctor  Lemoyne  soon  came,  accom- 
panied by  Doctor  Reed,  and  then  the  wounded  had  the  attention  of  all 
four  of  them.  That  is  all  I  saw.  As  to  the  condition  of  the  Philadelphia 
men,  Lieutenant  Lyon  can  tell  more  than  I  can,  because  he  saw  the  whole 
thing.  The  stragglers  were  inside  here  ;  were  kept  here,  and  fed,  and 
taken  care  of  until  Tuesday  evening,  and  they  were  clothed  like  my  men. 
They  were  so  demoralized  that  one  of  them,  it  was  reported,  could  not  eat, 
and  in  order  to  divert  their  minds,  Lieutenant  Lyon  put  them  to  work — 
they  were  so  afraid  they  would  be  shot  by  somebody.  Lieutenant  Ash 
died  here,  and  his  brother  and  his  wife  were  here  at  the  time  he  died. 

Q.  When  did  he  die  ? 

A.  Died  on  Tuesday  about  two  o'clock. 

Q.  What  become  of  the  other  wounded  man  that  was  brought  in  ? 

A.  The  other  wounded  man  was  playing  possum.  There  was  not  any- 
thing the  matter  with  him.  When  he  went  to  the  hospital  he  was  lying 
on  a  bed,  and  I  said,  "  what  is  the  matter  with  you  ?  "  He  did  not  answer. 
Says  I,  "get  up,  we  do  not  want  an}djody  in  the  hospital  except  sick  men." 
The  other  men  wounded  themselves  getting  over  the  pickets.  They  came 
over  the  pickets,  and  I  am  satisfied  they  wounded  themselves  in  getting 
over  the  pickets.  One  man  had  a  wound  in  the  center  of  the  hand,  which 
he  said  was  caused  by  a  piece  of  shell.  I  think  he  put  his  hand  on  a 
picket  of  the  fence,  and  one  man  had  his  pantaloons  torn.  They  had  some 
little  scratches  on  them.  In  a  few  minutes  they  got  out,  and  went  to  the 
works  with  the  other  men.  There  was  only  one  wounded  man,  that  was 
Lieutenant  Ash.  One  man  was  wounded  down  street  here,  and  ran  into 
the  Catholic  church — Corporal  A*sh — and  a  few  days  ago  he  came  in  here 
to  see  me.  He  was  shot  in  the  abdomen,  and  strange  to  say  he  got  well. 
Those  were  the  only  wounded  men  down  street  here. 

Q.  You  did  not  know,  at  the  time  that  this  soldier  approached  you,  that 
it  was  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  No;  I  do  not  know  who  it  was.  It  did  not  mak^  any  difference  who 
he  was.  As  I  wrote  afterwards  to  Washington,  they  virtually  forced  1113^ 
guard.  It  is  a  very  different  thing  for  a  man  outside  and  a  man  inside. 
I  know  what  the  place  is,  and  it  is  presumed  that  I  ought  to  know  how  to 
take  care  of  it ;  and,  in  addition  to  that,T  am  responsible  to  the  civil  au- 
thority for  every  act  of  mine  which  comes  in  conflict  with  it.  I  am  amen- 
able, in  other  words,  to  the  civil  authorities,  and  it  seems  to  me  I  ought 
to  know  beforehand  what  I  am  doing  before  I  enter  into  a  fight — to  know 
what  is  going  on.  I  shall  certainly  take  care  to  do  so.  Suppose  I  had 
opened  on  some  of  those  men  ;  they  would  have  had  me  up  here  for  murder, 
sure,  the  next  day.  If  it  had  once  begun,  it  would  have  been  a  serious 
business.  I  questioned  my  guard.  I  said  to  him,  when  did  you  hear  that 
firing — when  that  firing  began,  did  you  see  anything  in  the  streets  ?  "  No," 
he  said.  "  there  was  a  small  boy  in  front,  a  newspaper  boy.  and  I  asked  him 
to  look  down  the  street,  and  he  said  lie  saw  no  one.  That  is  the  fire  that 
got  me  out."  I  said,  "were  there  any  shots  fired  after  you  heard  that  ?" 
He  said,  "'there  was  not  a  shot  fired  while  the  men  were  here  at  all."  I 
did  not  hear  a  shot  fired  after  I  left  my  quarters,  until  along  sometimes 
afterwards,  way  down  below  here  somewhere.  Some  man — so  it  was  re- 
ported, and  I  believe  it  was  so — some  man  shot  two  of  them  with  the 
same  shot,  from  behind  the  cemetery  wall,  or  somewhere  near  there. 
By  Mr.  Liudsey : 

Q.  If  that  mob  on  Saturday  night  had  made  an  attempt  to  enter  your 
grounds  here,  would  you  have  considered  you  were  justifiable  in  resisting 
it  with  anv  amount  of  force  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  457 

A.  Unmistakably.  I  had  it  there  ready  to  use,  and  the  beck  of  my  hand 
would  have  brought  my  men  there. 

Q.  Did  }rou  know  this  officer  that  approached  you  and  asked  permission 
to  bring  his  men  inside  ? 

A.  He  did  not  ask  any  permission — just  as  I  have  reported  to  you.  The 
words  were  no  more  or  less  than  just  what  I  have  said.  The  mere  fact  of  his 
being  there  revealed  to  me  that  he  had  come  there  for  that  purpose.  I  did 
not  wait  for  any  request  at  all.  The  mere  presence  of  himself  and  his  men 
was  sufficient  for  me.     I  took  my  action  from  what  I  saw. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  inside  of  the  grounds? 

A.  That  I  do  not  know.  Lieutenant  Lyon  can  answer  that  better  than 
I  can. 

Q.  The  number  of  men  that  stayed  here  ? 

A.  The  number  of  men  that  stayed  here  were  eight  besides  Lieutenant 
Ash.  These  men  I  kept — afterwards,  when  I  saw  the  command  was  gone, 
these  men,  I  allowed  them  to  stay  in  because  I  would  not  send  them  out  in 
the  streets.  I  told  the  men  to  join  the  command,  but  the  command  moved 
off,  and  these  men  were  allowed  to  remain  in,  and  were  fed  and  kept. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Was  there  any  formal  demand  made  by  any  officer  of  the  militia  to 
be  admitted,  or  request  to  be  admitted  here  ? 

A.  None,  sir;  except  just  what  I  told  you. 

Lieutenant  M.  W.  Lyon,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Just  state  your  rank  ? 

A.  First  lieutenant  of  ordinance. 

Q.  Stationed  at 

A.  Allegheny  arsenal. 

Q.  State  what  came  under  your  observation  here  on  the  morning  of  the 
22d — Sunday  morning? 

A.  We  have  Sunday  morning  inspection  about  eight  o'clock.  I  finished 
the  inspection,  and  returned  to  my  quarters  and  had  hold  of  the  door,  when 
I  heard  the  firing  down  street.  I  turned  to  look  out  to  see  what  it  was, 
when  I  heard  a  yell  and  a  lot  of  men  running  over  the  wall — jumping  over 
the  wall.  I  ran  up  to  the  gate  in  that  direction.  I  thought  they  were  the 
mob.  Soldiers  were  running.  I  thought  it  was  our  own  guard.  When  I 
got  as  far  as  that  large  warehouse,  I  met  this  officer,  and  I  took  him  to 
Major  Buffington's  quarters. 

Q.  Did  you  know  who  the  officer  was  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  there  were  several  officers,  and  the  only  way  I  now  know  it 
was  General  Brinton,  is  the  fact,  that  some  of  them  say  that  he  wore  a 
blouse,  and  he  was  the  only  one  that  had  a  blouse.  The  others  were  in 
full  dress  uniform. 

Q.  Did  he  state  to  you  what  he  wanted  ? 

A.  No ;  he  seemed  to  be  commanding  officer,  and  I  took  him  to  the 
major's  quarters.  He  was  in  a  great  hurry.  There  were  several  officers 
with  him. 

Q.  What  was  the  result  of  his  interview  with  Major  Buffi ngton  ? 

A.  As  the  major  says,  he  made  the  remark  to  him,  as  he  stated  in  his 
statement,  and  after  that  this  officer,  with  the  other  officers,  walked  toward 
the  entrance  and  went  out,  and  I  followed  more  leisurely.  When  we  ar- 
rived there,  they  were  bringing  in  the  wounded,  and  the  major  told  them 
all  the  wounded  they  had  they  might  leave,  and  he  ordered  those  that 
were  bringing  them  in,  to  re-join  the  company — these  eight  men  came  in 


458  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

under  the  pretense  that  they  were  wounded,  excepting  one  man,  who  had 
brought — I  think  he  helped  carry  Lieutenant  Ash  in,  and  the  major  told  him 
he  would  have  to  join  his  command,  and  he  went  to  the  gate  and  found  the 
command  had  moved  on,  and  he  came  to  me  and  said  he  would  willingly 
hide  anywhere.  He  would  hide  in  the  coal-sbed.  He  had  never  fired  a 
gun  off  in  his  life,  and  only  belonged  to  the  militia  three  weeks. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  the  general  commanding  leave  his  command,  in  your  opinion — 
the  man  that  wore  the  blouse — had  he  left  his  command,  and  come  in  here 
for  protection  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  he  came  in  here  for  protection. 

Q.  What  brought  him  here  ? 

A.  He  came  into  see  if  he  could  get  admittance  for  his  troops. 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  then  move  on  with  his  command  ? 

A.  As  far  as  I  know.  I  went  down  with  some  of  these  men  that  were 
carrying  the  wounded,  to  show  them  the  direction  to  the  hospital ;  then  I 
returned  to  the  gate  to  go  for  Doctor  Robinson,  and  I  do  not  think  they 
stopped  there  more  than  a  minute. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  mob  following  in  the  rear  ? 

A.  There  was  none,  I  am  quite  positive.  When  I  went  to  the  gate, 
there  was  a  man  who  keeps  a  beer  saloon  standing  at  the  gate,  and  he  said 
there  was  only  one  man  following,  and  he  gave  the  name  of  this  one  man. 
I  went  up  to  him  and  asked  him,  and  he  immediately  stopped  talking, 
and  he  said  he  did  not  know  the  man's  name. 

Q.  When  you  went  for  Doctor  Robinson,  did  you  see  any  of  the  mob  ? 

A.  I  saw  no  mob.  I  saw  quite  a  number  of  people  in  the  street  that 
had  come  out  of  curiosity,  hearing  the  firing,  but  they  had  no  arms  with 
them  at  all. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  these  wounded  men  to  ascertain 
how  they  were  wounded  ? 

A.  Oh  !  yes  ;  I  asked  them  all  how  they  were  wounded.  One  man  said 
that  they  kept  firing  away  from  the  middle  of  the  street.  They  had  two 
cannons,  and  loaded  them  up  with  glass  and  nails — little  toy  cannons.  He 
said  he  got  struck  that  way  two  or  three  time?. 

Q.  How  long  after  Lieutenant  Ash  was  brought  into  the  hospital  was 
it  before  Doctor  Robinson  arrived  ? 

A.  I  should  think  it  was  not  more  than  five  minutes,  because  I  did  not 
go  down  all  the  way  to  the  hospital — the  hospital  is  halfway  between  here 
and  the  gura'd-house,  and  I  went  immediately  back  to  the  gate,  and  went 
down  to  Thirty-seventh  street,  where  Doctor  Robinson  lives,  and  he  was 
sitting  in  his  chair,  reading  the  morning  paper,  and  he  came  with  me  im- 
mediately, and  I  did  not  think  it  was  more  than  five  minutes,  certainly 
not  more  than  ten. 

Q.  How  long  was  it  before  Doctor  Lemoyne  arrived  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  he  came  until  about  two  hours  afterwards. 

Q.  Was  there  any  amputation  performed  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  they  tried  to  perform  an  amputation,  but  Lieutenant  Ash 
was  not  strong  enough. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  where  he  was  wounded — where  he  was  when  he  was 
shot  ? 

A.  I  never  could  learn.  I  did  not  ask  him,  because  the  doctors  did  not 
want  him  to  have  any  conversation. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  how  far  he  had  been  carried  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  it  was  my  impression  he  was  shot  near  Thirty-seventh  street. 
Some  of  the  men  said  he  was  shot  near  the  round-house.     Lieutenant 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  459 

Derrnott,  who  was  stationed  at  the  university  here  as  assistant  professor 
in  engineering,  he  was  up  here  while  these  wounded  men  were  in  the  arsenal, 
and  together  we  went  over  to  the  commissary  where  their  cartridge  boxes 
were,  and  I  found  the  cartridges  they  had  in  their  boxes,  and  they  all 
averaged  twenty  rounds  a  piece,  and  one  man  he  had  forty.  Some  had 
less  than  twenty. 

Q.  Of  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  Of  those  eight  that  were  here.     I  asked  him — he  was  an  old  man. 
In  fact,  he  had  been  wounded  in  the  hand  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  he 
said.     When  they  were  passing  them  around,  there  were  several  extra  car- 
tridge boxes,  and  he  took  one. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  vicinity  of  the  crossing  of  Twenty-eighth  street  and 
the  railroad,  the  scene  of  the  riot,  on  Saturday? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  At  the  time  the  military  arrived  there? 

A.  I  was  not  there  the  time  the  military  arrived  there.  I  was  there 
about  an  hour  before  they  arrived.  I  was  talking  with  Captain  Breck.  He 
had  two  six-pounder  guns,  and  I  told  him  they  were  not  of  much  use.  He 
ought  to  have  Gatling  guns.  He  said  the  Philadelphia  troops  did  have  a 
pair  of  them.    I  waited  until  my  patience  was  exhausted,  and  I  came  home. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  the  movements  of  the  military  in  that  vicinity, 
or  while  you  were  there  ? 

A.  They  made  no  movement  while  I  was  there.  They  simply  remained 
stationery  where  they  were.  There  were  some  on  the  hill  side  with  their 
arms  all  stacked. 

Q.  None  at  the  crossing  of  the  railroad,  were  there? 

A.  I  am  not  positive  about  that.  At  any  rate,  I  did  not  keep  account 
of  them.  They  could  get  across  the  track  very  readily,  for  I  went  across. 
I  do  not  think  there  were  any  there.  I  think  they  were  mostly  on  the  hill, 
and  those  had  their  guns  stacked,  but  they  were  down  at  the  crossing  and 
on  Twenty-eighth  street,  talking  with  the  people,  about  the  same  as  though 
they  were  going  to  have  a  party. 

Q.  That  is,  the  soldiers  were  away  from  their  command  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Mingling  with  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  In  conversation  with  them  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  any  considerable  number  of  them  with  their  arms  where 
they  were  stacked  f 

A.  They  were  stacked  there,  and  there  were  several  sentinels  along  the 
line  where  the  arms  were  stacked,  but  the  men,  as  a  rule,  had  their  guns 
stacked. 

Q.  They  had  broken  ranks  ? 

A.  They  had  broken  ranks. 

Q.  Did  you  see  them  make  any  effort  to  keep  any  portion  of  the  track 
clear  ? 

A.  Not  while  I  was  there;  no,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  were  you  there. 

A.  I  was  there  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  perhaps  an  hour. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  portion  of  the  military  in  ranks  ? 

A.  I  saw  no  portion  of  them  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle,  or  anything  like 
it ;  no,  sir ;  or  company  front  either.     I  think  the  only  men  I  saw,  were 


460  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

those  that  were  without  arms,  walking  up  and  down  with  the  crowd,  talk- 
ing to  them,  and  the  sentinels  on  post  over  the  stacked  arms. 

Q.  They  appeared  to  be  the  only  ones  on  duty  ? 

A.  They  appeared  to  be  the  only  ones  on  duty  at  that  time. 

Q.  As  the  militia  were  passing  here,  did  they  throw  away  their  arms  or 
ammunition  ? 

A.  Well,  not  that  I  saw,  except  that  Major  Buffington  found  a  case  filled 
with  cartridges  belonging  to  the  Catling  guns. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  until  to-morrow  morning,  at  ten 
o'clock. 


Pittsburgh,  Saturday,  February  23,  1878. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  half-past  ten,  in  the 
orphans'  court  room,  Mr.  Lindsey  in  the  chair. 
All  the  members  present. 

O.  Phillips,  sworn : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  your  residence  and  your  official  position  in  July  last,  and  then 
go  on  and  give  us  the  facts  ? 

A.  My  residence  is  344  Ridge  avenue,  Allegheny.  I  was  mayor  of  the 
city  for  the  last  three  years,  up  to  January,  1878. 

Q.  Of  the  city  of  Allegheny  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  of  the  city  of  Allegheny. 

Q.  Just  commence  and  give  us  a  statement  in  your  own  way,  chronolog- 
ically— give  us  the  facts  ? 

A.  On  Thursday  or  Friday,  the  19th  or  20th  of  July  last,  I  had  been 
over  in  Pittsburgh  during  the  day,  and  went  back  to  my  office  in  the  after- 
noon, and  there  I  found  that  the  railroad  officials  of  the  Pennsylvania  com- 
pany had  sent  up  the  office  for  police  assistance,  stating  that  a  crowd  of 
men  were  interfering  with  the  running  of  trains  near  the  outer  depot,  and 
that  Chief  of  Police  Ross  and  ten  or  twelve  policemen  had  gone  down  there. 

Q.  The  outer  depot  of  the  Fort  Wayne  road  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  jumped  in  a  horse  car  and  went  down  there  myself,  deeming 
it  my  duty  to  go  and  see  what  was  the  trouble,  and  when  I  got  to  the  outer 
depot  I  saw  a  number  of  men  walking  up  and  down  the  track,  and  quite  a 
large  number  of  men  at  Strawberry  lane.  I  noticed  a  locomotive  pass  me 
and  go  down.  It  was  interrupted  or  stopped  by  some  men  climbing  up 
on  the  engine,  and  gesticulating  in  a  threatening  way,  but  what  they  said 
I  do  not  know,  but  the  engine  stopped,  and  returned  to  the  round-house. 
I  went  down  then  to  where  this  crowd  of  men  was,  and  saw  it  was  a 
very  large  assemblage — several  hundreds — and  the  police  force  were  an 
atom,  a  mere  drop  in  the  bucket.  Some  of  the  men  wanted  to  talk  to  me 
about  their  troubles.  I  told  them,  as  mayor  of  the  city,  I  had  nothing  to 
do  with  that.  I  was  simply  there  as  a  representative  of  peace  and  good 
order,  and  spoke  to  the  men,  cautioning  prudence,  asking  them  if  they  re- 
alized the  seriousness  of  what  they  were  doing.  1  noticed  that  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Robert  Araraon  was  recognized  as  their  ring-leader.  He 
came  up  to  me  and  introduced  himself  as  having  known  me  at  my  factory, 
on  the  South  Side,  and  said  lie  would  like  to  talk  to  me.  I  stepped  aside 
to  converse  with  him,  and  while  we  were  talking,  men  would  come  up  and 
say  :  "  What  shall  we  do  now,  Bob? "     He  would  say  :  "  Stand  aside,  1  do 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187?.  461 

not  want  to  be  interrupted."  He  told  me  had  been  an  employe  of  the 
railroad  company  six  weeks  or  two  months  before  that,  but  had  been  dis- 
charged, and  since  that  he  had  been  around  the  country  organizing  Train- 
mens'  Unions.  He  told  me  he  had  influence  to  stop  these  troubles  ;  that  if  he 
had  sent  a  telegram  to  Martinsburg  the  troubles  would  have  been  stopped. 
He  said  it  was  not  worth  while  to  go  to  the  railroad  men ;  he  asked  me  to 
make  a  speech  to  the  men ;  I  told  him  that  was  not  my  style.  The  men 
gave  me  their  assurance  they  would  protect  the  railroad  property,  both 
day  and  night,  and  when  they  could  not  do  anything  further  they  would 
send  to  me  for  police.  I  then  left  my  officers  quietly  mingling  with  these 
men,  and  then  I  went  back  to  the  mayor's  office,  which  was  on  Thurday  or 
Friday,  I  am  not  sure  which,  or  Saturday.  Word  came  to  me  that  some 
of  the  supposed  strikers  had  gone  to  one  of  the  military  organizations  in 
Allegheny,  and  had  taken  thirty  of  forty  arms,  and  had  taken  them  down 
towards  where  the  men  were  on  a  strike,  and  they  expected  to  come  up  in 
a  short  time  and  remove  the  guns  from  Captain  Bigham's  armory,  a  com- 
pany of  the  Nineteenth  regiment.  I  went  over  there,  and,  assisted  by  the 
postmaster  of  Allegheny,  and  two  or  three  of  my  police,  we  carried  over 
thirty  or  forty  arms  and  ammunition  and  placed  them  in  our  watch-house. 
A  messenger  came  up  hurriedly  and  said  that  the  crowd  were  coming  up 
to  take  these  guns  from  me.  My  force  were  all  out  in  the  districts,  and  I 
then  had  the  locks  and  bayonents  taken  off  these  muskets,  so  that  if  they 
got  the  guns  they  would  be  of  no  service  to  them.  On  Sunday,  the  day 
of  the  serious  trouble,  I  had  Knapp's  battery  taken  out  of  the  armory,  by 
some  of  the  battery  men,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Walker,  and  these 
guns,  four  field  pieces,  were  loaded  with  small  square  iron  nuts.  We  had 
not  any  ammunition.  We  had  blank  cartridges  but  no  balls,  and  I  had 
these  things  loaded,  and  then,  asssisted  bycitzens,  armed  with  axe  handles 
and  wagon  spokes,  I  had  gotten  from  one  of  the  wagon-yards,  and  their 
old  fowling  pieces,  and  everything  of  the  sort.  They  posted  these  guns  at 
the  Allegheny  end  of  the  bridges.  I  had  been  notified  that  the  mob  were 
coming  over  Sunday  afternoon  and  Sunday  night  to  burn  the  Allegheny 
shops,  and  release  the  inmates  from  the  penitentiary.  I  notified  the  warden 
of  that  fact,  and  he  kept  his  force  on  day  and  night,  heavily  armed,  for  a 
number  of  clays.  I  selected  two  or  three  gentlemen  of  cool  judgment  and 
discretion,  and  those  on  horseback,  and  went  to  Pittsburgh  and  rode 
around  among  the  rioters  on  this  Sunday  night  to  try  and  find  out  which 
bridge  they  proposed  to  come  over,  and  then  hurry  back  and  notify  me,  and 
my  intention  was  to  concentrate  all  these  field  pieces  at  that  bridge  and 
stop  them.  I  had  taken  the  police  pretty  much  away  from  the  city  of  Alle- 
gheiry  and  put  them  at  the  bridges,  and  sent  squads  of  private  citizens  to 
patrol  the  streets.  My  force  consisted  of  about  fifty -five  men.  I  kept  the 
police  on  both  day  and  night,  until  their  strength  was  exhausted,  and  the}' 
could  not  stand  it  any  more.  On  Monday  I  telegraphed  the  Secretary  of 
War,  and  asked  permission  to  draw  five  hundred  muskets  from  the  arsenal. 
That  permission  was  granted,  and  I  sent  out  two  wagons,  guarded  by 
twenty-five  or  thirty  veteran  soldiers,  and  they  went  and  brought  me  the 
guns.  I  called  a  special  meeting  of  councils  on  that  same  da}^,  and  asked 
permission  to  increase  the  police  force,  which  permission  was  granted  me. 
I  swore  in  a  hundred  special  policemen,  and  armed  them  with  maces.  A 
hundred  of  those  veteran  soldiers  were  armed  with  Springfield  muskets, 
and  we  made  our  own  ammunition  and  cartridges,  with  either  five  or  six 
buckshot.  A  hundred  veterans  were  in  reserve  in  the  armory,  to  come 
out  along  with  the  citizens  at  ten  taps  of  the  big  bell.  The  employe's  sent 
me  word  there  were  so   many  tramps  coming  over  that  they  could  not 


3    . 


:_-  ri_- 


-_, 


466  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

soldiers  during  their  retreat  on  Sunday  morning,  on  Butler  street,,  on  the 
morning  of  the  22. 

Q.   What  did  you  learn  in  relation  \to  it  ? 

A.  I  saw  one  gentleman  in  Philadelphia  that  said  he  would  swear  he  saw 
a  uniformed  police  officer  fire  at  the  Philadelphia  from  the  curbstone  or  from 
the  pavement. 

Q.  Who  was  this  gentleman  ? 

A.  I  disrernember  his  name  now.     I  have  his  name  and  all  the  facts. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  he  lives  ? 

A.  I  do  know  where  he  can  be  found.     He  lives  in  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  Lindsey :  I  think  we  hardly  ought  to  take  his  testimony — what  this 
gentleman  said.  We  ought  to  have  the  gentleman  himself.  You  can  go  on 
and  state  what  you  found  out  yourself  about  the  truth,  either  in  admissions 
that  the  police  may  have  made  in  your  presence,  or  from  facts  that  3rou  have 
dug  up,  that  is,  in  relation  to  the  matter  you  may  state,  and  not  what  the 
gent  said. 

A.  All  the  evidence  that  I  obtained  in  that  line  in  reference  to  the  mat- 
ter came  in  that  way.  It  is  hearsay  evidence.  There  has  never  been  in- 
formation made  against  this  party. 

Q.  Against  the  policeman  ? 

A.  Against  the  policeman  charged  with  having  done  this  shooting.  For 
that  reason  I  didn't  bring  these  records  along.  I  should  have  brought 
those  records  if  there  had  been  information  made  against  him,  and  I  saw 
no  police  officers  fire  at  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  myself. 

Q.  Have  you  any  other  evidence  to  show  that  a  policeman  fired  upon  the 
Philadelphia  soldiers  except  what  was  told  to  you  by  the  gentleman  that 
you  spoke  of  in  Philadelphia? 

A.  I  have  interviewed  the  other  gentleman  upon  the  same  subject,  and 
the  statement  of  this  first  gentleman — Philadelphia  gentleman — has  been 
corroborated  by  other  parties.  There  is  a  police  officer  in  the  city  at  the 
present  time,  a  member  of  the  force  now,  that  saw  a  police  officer,  who  was 
a  police  officer  at  that  time,  on  the  22d  of  July,  saw  him  engaged  in  sup- 
plying ammunition  to  be  fired  at  the  Philadelphia  soldiers. 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  the  name  of  that  police  officer  ? 

A.  I  could  give  you  the  name  of  that  police  officer  and  the  name  of  the 
man  that  supplied  the  ammunition.  I  would  rather  not  do  it,  though.  1 
have  been  working  in  connection  with  our  council. 

F.  S.  Bissell,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  reside  in  the  Eighteenth  ward. 

Q.  What  is  you  business? 

A.   Foundry  business. 

Q.  Please  state  what  you  saw  and  heard  of  the  riot,  in  a  brief  way  ? 

A.  I  will  state  briefly,  that  about,  I  think,  after  twelve  o'clock,  on  Sun- 
day, 1  had  learned  what  had  transpired  in  the  city — I  live  quite  a  distance 
out — and  I  came  to  the  city  ami  walked  down  Liberty  street,  and  saw  the 
wrecking,  and  went  down  past  the  Union  depot,  and  waited,  I  suppose,  ten  or 
fifteen  minutes  there,  went  around  towards  Adam's  Kxpress  depot,  saw  what 
transpired  there,  although  I  was  on  the  outskirts  of  the  crowd,  and  although 
1  didn't  mingle  in  the  crowd,  and  learned  from  some  patties  that  a  meet- 
ing was  to  be  held  at  the  city  hall,  for  the  purpose  of  rallying  a  number  of 
citizens  to  quell  the  riot  or  insurrection.  After  a  number  of  ineffectual 
efforts  to  get  a  body  of  citizens  together,  I  went  with  a  few  parties  down 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  467 

to  the  Duquesne  depot.     I  made  up  my  mind  that  that  would  be  the  next 
place  burned. 

Q.  Please  state  where  the  Duquesne  depot  is? 

A.  Duquesne  depot  is  at  the  foot  of  Liberty  street,  on  the  river,  at  lower 
end,  fronting  on  the  Monongahela. 

Q.  What  road  is  the  depot  on  ? 

A.  The  Pennsylvania  depot — it  is  the  old  Pennsylvania  depot. 

Q.  Goon  Mr.  Bissell? 

A.  During  the  afternoon  we  arrested  two  parties  there  in  the  act  of  fir- 
ing— one  in  the  act  of  firing  a  car,  and  the  other  inquiring  how  to  get  into 
the  depot — how  to  set  it  on  fire.  I  state  this  briefly — these  parties  have 
been  tried.  I  remained  around  there  all  the  afternoon,  until  ten  o'clock 
that  night,  and  about  six  or  half-past  six,  along  about  there,  after  the  ele- 
vator had  burned  or  was  about  falling,  a  wagon  came  very  rapidly  down 
street — it  was  one  of  the  express  wagons — and  informed  some  one  there 
that  the  next  attempt  would  be  that  depot,  that  the  mob  were  surging  that 
way.  I  then  started  with  a  few  citizens,  Mr.  Little  and  McCandless  and 
others,  to  get  a  cable  to  stretch  around  that  building,  our  object  being  to 
keep  back  the  crowd,  and  allow  nobody  inside  that  line  if  possible,  so  as 
to  distinguish  who  the  parties  might  be  who  would  come  to  burn  it.  We 
got  a  few  of  the  }roung  men  who  belonged  to  the  military — belonged  to 
some  of  the  militia  companies — to  stand  guard  inside  of  the  rope  during  the 
night,  and  some  other  persons  living  at  that  place.  There  was  nothing  par- 
ticularly transpired  after  that  that  I  know  of.  We  stayed  there  until  half- 
past  ten,  or  about  that,  and  then  went  home. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  How  man}7  men  went  with  you  to  the  Duquesne  depot  ? 

A.  We  started  from  the  city  hall.  That  was  the  organization  that  we  called 
Doctor  Donnelly's  brigade.  They  had  marched  up  street,  and  I  think  there 
was  about  a  dozen  of  us  remained  at  the  depot,  and  we  made  up  our  minds 
to  stay  there.  This  was  on  Sunday  afternoon.  We  expended  our  breath  in 
trying  to  impress  upon  the  citizens  around  about  there,  that  if  they  burned 
that  depot,  it  would  burn  their  property. 

Q.  Was  there  a  large  crowd  of  people  then  in  that  vicinity  ? 

A.  Quite  a  large  crowd.  I  suppose  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of 
a  thousand  or  more  scattered  ai'ound.  There  is  a  pretty  large  extent  of 
ground. 

Q.  Did  many  participate  in  riotous  conduct  there  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  it  seemed  to  be  a  few  parties.  They  were  pretty  much  all 
under  the  influence  of  liquor. 

Q.  Many  of  this  crowd  were  there  from  curiosity  ? 

A.  A  good  many,  I  have  no  doubt.  The  report  was,  that  they  were  com- 
ing down  towards  the  Duquesne  depot,  and  the  next  place  would  likely  be 
the  Duquesne  depot  and  the  bridges.  That  was  only,  doubtless,  the  opinions 
of  the  people. 

Q.  These  men  you  arrested  there  in  the  act  of  applying  the  torch  to  the 
depot  and  the  cars  you  speak  of,  were  they  accompanied  by  any  consider- 
able number  of  men  appearing  to  be  participating  in  it  ? 

A.  A  few  sympathizers,  and  men  who  were  standing  out  there  appeared 
to  be  sympathizers.  That  was  the  party  who  was  arrested  by  Doctor  Dixon. 
He  was  tried. 

Q.  Was  he  a  citizen  of  the  place  ? 

A.  I  think  he  lived  down  on  the  south  side,  somewhere. 

Q.  The  other  man,  was  he  a  citizen  of  the  city  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  say.     I  don't  know  anything  about  him. 


4G8  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Have  both  of  those  men  been  tried  ? 

A.  They  have,  sir.     I  think  they  have  been  tried. 

Q.  Were  there  any  police  in  the  vicinity  at  the  time  you  were  stationed 
there  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  didn't  see  any.  We  clubbed  together,  a  number  of  us 
then,  and  made  up  a  little  purse  and  hired  a  few  police. 

Q.  Private  police  ? 

A.  No  ;  only  to  look  after  the  building  at  night,  and  help  us  arrest  any- 
body that  should  attempt  to  burn. 

Q.  Were  those  men  sworn  in  by  you  men  as  special  police  ? 

A.  I  think  they  had  belonged  to  the  police  force — the  men  who  had  been 
discharged,  owing  to  the  inadequacy  of  the  funds  to  meet  bills. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  the  mayor  in  regard  to  these 
policemen  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  had  no  conversation  myself.     We  put  down  what  we  could 
pay,  and  paid  it  when  we  were  called  upon. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  you  go  down  to  the  scene  of  the  riot  and  burning  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  Sunday  afternoon  a  good  deal  of  the  firing  had  been  done  before  I  got 
to  the  city,  and  walked  on  down  Liberty  street  past  the  wrecking — just 
made  a  pretty  quick  trip. 

Q.  What  kind  of  people  were  engaged  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  appeared  to  be  about  as  rough  a  crowd  as  I  ever  saw. 

Q.  Was  there  much  of  a  crowd  actively  engaged  ? 

A.  I  thought  so.  Down  about  the  Union  depot  there  was  an  immense 
crowd  of  people  carrying  off  all  sorts  of  baggage — seemed  to  be  more  en- 
gaged at  that  than  anything  else,  outside  of  the  firemen. 

<4-  Would  it  have  been  impossible  for  a  force  of  men  to  have  stopped 
that  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  it  would  have  been  possible.  I  didn't  see  how.  I  think 
women  would  have  been  shot — a  great  many  innocent  people.  People 
were  panic  stricken,  and  every  thing  seemed  to  be  upside  down. 

Q.  Wild? 

A.  Yes. 

Thomas  Furlong,  re-called  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Mr.  Furlong,  were  you  at  the  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing  at  the 
time  the  firing  occurred? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  I  wish  you  would  go  on  and  state  what  you  saw  there  ? 

A.  I  was  at  Twenty-eighth  street  nearly  all  day  on  Saturday,  the  21st. 
I  was  there  at  the  time  the  train  came  in  from  the  east,  bearing  the  Phila- 
delphia soldiers.  I  followed  the  train  from  Twenty-eighth  street  down  to 
the  Union  depot,  and  when  I  got  down  there,  I  found  the  Philadelphia 
soldiers  had  gotten  out  of  the  cars  and  were  at  lunch  on  the  platform, 
drinking  coffee  and  eating  sandwiches.  I  had  some  conversation  with 
them,  and  finally  they  fell  into  line  and  were  marched  up  the  railroad  track 
back  towards  Twenty-eighth  street.  I  started  to  go  up  with  them,  walking 
near  the  head  of  the  column.  The  sheriff"  was  first  in  front  of  the  troops 
with  a  squad  of  men,  and  I  was  ordered  to  keep  away  from  the  head  of  the 
column  by  some  of  the  sheriffs  men.  I  walked  faster  than  they  did — they 
made  rather  slow  progress.  I  got  up  to  Twenty -eighth  street  perhaps  ten 
minutes  or  thereabouts,  before  the  head  of  the  column  reached  there. 
There  was  a  great  crowd  of  people  congregated  at  Twenty-eighth  street, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  469 

and  below,  and  on  the  hill  all  around  there — a  terrible  crowd  of  people. 
As  soon  as  the  soldiers  got  in  sight  of  this  crowd,  they  commenced  shout- 
ing, jeering,  swearing,  using  abusive  and  profane  language,  and  the  closer 
the  soldiers  got  to  them  the  more  boisterous  the  crowd  grew.  The  soldiers 
came  advancing  slowly  until  the  head  of  the  column  got  almost  to  where 
Twenty-eighth  street  crosses  the  railroad  track.  The  crowd  didn't  give 
way,  they  just  stood  there  blockading  the  crossing.  It  was  a  solid  mass  of 
people.  The  soldiers  walked  right  up  against  them,  and  I  was  standing, 
at  that  time,  in  the  neighborhood  of  forty  feet  below  the  lower  side  of 
Twenty-eighth  street,  on  the  east  side  of  the  track,  on  the  right  hand  side 
of  the  track  going  out  of  the  depot,  standing  close  by  the  track,  but  about 
forty  feet  below  the  watch  box  that  is  situated  there.  There  was  a  young 
man — I  don't  know  his  name,  I  never  saw  him — nor  have  seen  him  since,  al- 
though I  looked  for  him  a  good  deal,  too — standing  within  about  three 
feet  of  where  I  was,  at  the  time  the  soldiers  marched  up  against  this  crowd. 
He  picked  up  some  stones — he  had  some  stones  gathered  up — a  little  pile 
of  stones.  He  picked  up  these  stones,  and  commenced  to  throw  down  into 
the  soldiers.  I  remonstrated  with  him,  told  him  he  ought  not  to  do  it, 
the  soldiers  would  be  likely  to  fire  up  there.  He  replied,  they  daresn't 
shoot.  He  then  pulled  a  revolver  out  of  his  hip  pocket  and  fired  down 
towards  the  soldiers.  When  I  saw  him  point  his  revolver,  and  I  followed 
the  direction  at  that  time,  there  was  just  a  shower  of  missiles  and  stones 
of  one  kind  or  another.  Every  person  appeared  to  be  throwing  something  ; 
and  from  the  other  side  of  the  track  they  were  throwing  coal.  The  coal 
just  appeared  to  be  raising  off  the  cars  and  dropping  on  the  soldiers.  This 
man  fired  two  shots  out  of  his  pistol. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 
Q.  Did  he  shoot  as  if  he  was  taking  aim  ? 

A.  Yes  he  aimed  toward  the  soldiers.     I  couldn't  see  that  he  took  de- 
liberate aim  at  any  particular  person,  but  he  fired  down  into  the  troops. 
Q.  He  didn't  fire  up  into  the  air  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  We  were  standing  on  an  elevated  position.  We  were 
above  the  soldiers,  standing,  perhaps,  three  feet  higher  than  the  soldiers 
were  standing.  I  don't  see  how  he  could  have  fired  down  there,  without 
hurting  some  of  the  soldiers  or  citizens,  or  some  of  the  mob.  The  people 
were  so  thick  down  there.  There  was  another  man  standing  behind  this 
watch-box,  and  he  also  fired  into  the  crowd,  with  a  revolver. 

Q. 'How  many  shots  were  fired  by  the  mob,  before  there  was  any  firing 
from  the  soldiers? 

A.  I  saw  smoke  come  from  behind  this  watch-box.  I  thought  at  the  time 
it  was  some  person.  I  saw  a  man  there,  this  man  wore  a  cap,  and  from 
where  I  was  standing,  I  could  see  him  very  plainly  in  looking  that  way, 
and  I  thought  he  was  shooting.  I  could  see  the  smoke,  but  there  was  so 
much  noise,  that  I  could  not  hear  the  report  of  the  pistol.  I  saw  two  shots 
fired  by  this  man,  immediately  in  front  of  me,  and  before  the  report  of  his 
last  shot  quit  ringing  in  my  ears,  the  soldiers  commenced  firing. 
Q.  Did  you  hear  any  command  given  to  the  soldiers  to  fire  ? 
A.  I  didn't ;  I  stood  there  for,  I  suppose,  a  minute  and  a  half  after  the 
mob  threw  coal,  and  stones,  clubs,  and  missiles  of  that  kind,  at  the  sol- 
diers, and  I  was  very  much  afraid  that  the  soldiers  wouldn't  fire.  I  was 
afraid  that  they  wei'e  going  to  lay  down  their  guns,  and  not  fire.  I  wanted 
to  see  them  fire.  I  was  afraid  they  would  lay  their  guns  down,  and  not 
fire.     In  fact,  I  was  very  glad  to  hear  them  commence  firing. 

Q.  What  effect  did  the  firing  by  the  soldiers  have  upon  the  mob  ? 

A.  It  scattered  that  mob  quicker  than  any  mob  I  ever  saw  scattered  be- 


470  Report  of  Committef.  [No.  29, 

fore  in  my  life.  The  first  shot  that  was  fired,  I  thought  the  ball  came 
pretty  close  to  where  I  was.  I  could  hear  it  whistle,  and  I  laid  down. 
The  crowd  was  so  that  I  did  not  consider  it  safe  to  run,  and  I  dropped 
down  on  my  face  right  where  I  was  standing,  and  I  laid  there  until  the 
firing  ceased,  and  when  I  got  up,  there  was  no  rioter  to  be  seen  anyplace; 
that  is,  in  that  immediate  vicinity. 

Q.  Where  did  they  go  to  ? 

A.  There  was  a  ditch  or  a  washout ;  there  was  a  ridge  running  diago- 
nally down  the  hill  oil*  Twenty-eighth  street  then,  and  there  was  an  old  wa- 
ter course  alongside  of  this  ridge,  in  some  places  that  was  several  feet 
deep,  and  they  piled  in  there  and  laid  down  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  and 
behind  coal  cars  and  behind  houses,  and  they  got  just  wherever  they  could. 

Q.  How  long  was  the  crowd  in  re-assembling. 

A.  Well,  I  remained  there.  This  firing  occurred  shortly  after  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon — it  couldn't  have  been  quarter  after  five — I  think 
it  was  hardly  that  late — five  or  ten  minutes  after  five  o'clock,  perhaps — 
along  there — and  I  remained  there  on  the  ground  until  after  six  o'clock, 
and  the  crowd  hadn't  re-assembled  on  the  crossing,  while  I  was  there.  A 
very  large  crowd  gathered  down  on  Liberty  and  Twenty-eighth  street, 
down  on  Penn  and  Twenty -eighth,  and  in  that  neighborhood,  there  was 
large  crowds  of  people,  but  they  didn't  come  to  where  the  soldiers  were — 
kept  away  from  the  soldiers.  The  soldiers,  after  the  firing  was  over, 
they  threw  out  a  guard  line,  and  took  possession  of  the  track,  and  didn't 
allow  parties  to  walk  up  or  down  the  track. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  The  soldiers  had  entire  control  of  the  track  ? 

A.  They  had  entire  control  of  the  track  at  that  time;  yes,  sir.  I  came 
down  town  and  got  my  supper,  and  after  that  I  went  to  Twenty-eighth 
street.  At  that  time  the  soldiers  were  in  the  round-house,  so  I  was  in- 
formed. 

Q.  Was  this  picket  line  still  out  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  didn't  find  any  picket.  I  did  not  go  up  the  railroad  track.  I 
went  up  Penn  street  at  that  time.  I  was  not  up  on  the  railroad  track,  and 
I  could  not  say  whether  there  was  a  picket  line  on  the  railroad  track  or  not, 
at  that  time. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  If  you  were  present  at  any  of  the  efforts  made  by  the  railroad  com- 
pany to  start  their  trains,  you  might  state  what  occurred  on  Friday  and 
Saturday? 

A.  On  Friday  I  was  up  there  all  day,  in  the  vicinity  of  Twenty-eighth 
street — in  the  neighborhood,  back  and  forward — and  I  saw  a  number  of 
engines  making  steam,  and  heard,  from  time  to  time,  that  they  were  going 
to  start  trains  out,  and  also  heard  the  railroad  strikers  say  that  they 
couldn't  take  any  trains  out.  They  were  not  going  to  permit  any  trains 
to  go  out — any  double-headers.  I  saw  no  trains  go  out,  that  is,  no  freight 
trains.  Saturday  morning  I  saw  a  few  cars  of  stock.  They  came  over,  I 
believe,  from  Allegheny,  and  were  taken  out  to  the  stock-yards.  There 
must  have  been,  at  least,  a  couple  of  hundred  men  on  top  of  the  cars. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  ? 

A.  They  appeared  to  be  strikers.  I  didn't  know  the  men.  They  ap- 
peared to  me  like  railroad  men,  and  a  good  many  of  them  were  strangers 
to  me.  The  cars  were  just  covered  with  them — as  many  as  could  possibly 
get  on.  I  recollect  that  Monkey  John  Richardson,  as  they  called  him, 
was  on  the  train.  1  think  it  was  his  crowd.  He  seemed  to  have  control 
of  the  party. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  471 

Q.  It  was  run  by  the  strikers  themselves  ? 

A.  I  believe  that  the  train  was  run  by  the  strikers ;  yes,  sir. 

J.  P.  Moore,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  In  the  city. 

Q.  Are  you  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  adjutant  general,  Sixth  division,  for  the  last  three  years. 

Q.  Adjutant,  Sixth  division? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  It  is  not  necessaiy  to  go  over  the  whole  history ;  General  Pearson 
has  given  us  a  full  history.  I  would  like  you  to  state  what  occurred  on 
Saturday,  beginning  with  the  arrival  of  the  Philadelphia  troops,  and  state 
what  came  to  your  knowledge.  Give  us  a  full  history  of  what  occurred 
after  that  time  ? 

A.  I  accompanied  General  Pearson  with  the  Philadelphia  troops  as  far 
as  the  outer  round-house.  Upon  our  arrival  there,  General  Pearson  had 
notice  of  the  displacement  of  the  troops  he  had  posted  at  three  o'clock  in 
the  morning. 

Q.  What  troops  were  those  ? 

A.  The  Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth  regiments,  and  B reek's  battery.  He 
immediately  went  to  the  crossing,  and  taking  Major  Evans  with  us,  we 
went  up  to  Colonel  Howard — not  seeing  General  Brown — and  inquired  the 
reason  of  the  displacement  of  the  Nineteenth  regiment  from  the  position 
he  placed  it  in  in  the  morning.  The  general  was  not  satisfied  with  the 
answer  of  Colonel  Howard,  and  returned,  and  found  as  we  were  coming 
down,  that  the  sheriff  was  addressing  the  people,  or  notifying  them  to  leave 
the  scene.  The  Nineteenth  was  in  the  hospital  grounds.  On  our  arrival 
at  Twenty-eighth  street,  the  general  directed  me  to  remain  with  General 
Brinton,  and  he  went  to  the  telegraph  office — Mr.  Pitcairn's  office — and 
telegraph  communication  with  the  Adjutant  General  was  established. 
General  Brinton  then  formed  the  First  regiment,  one  line  facing  towards 
the  hill  and  one  towards  Liberty  street,  and  directed  the  company  in  grey 
uniform,  one  of  which  I  think  was  the  Weccaco  Legion,  and  a  portion  of 
the  Washington  Greys,  to  clear  the  people  from  between  the  ranks.  They 
started  on  that  movement,  followed  by  the  two  Gatling  guns,  and  went  up 
with  the  two  guns  as  far  as  Twenty-eighth  street,  when  they  came  as  far 
as  crossing  of  Twenty-eighth  street.  In  order  to  move  the  crowd  back, 
the  Legion  endeavored  to  make  a  wheel  to  the  left.  In  making  that  wheel, 
the  order  was  given  to  charge  ba3ronets,  and  the  front  rank  came  to  an 
arms  port ;  the  rear  rank  stepped  back  about  a  pace,  the  crowd  being  so 
dense  in  front  of  them,  that  the  men  in  the  front  rank  could  not  get  to  the 
position  of  charge  bayonets.  The  rear  rank  kept  back  about  a  pace,  and 
they  came  to  the  charge. 

Q.  Who  gave  the  order  to  charge  bayonets  ? 

A.  I  am  not  certain  whether  it  was  General  Matthews  or  not.  I  heard 
General  Matthews  give  the  order  to  load,  but  I  could  not  say  whether  it 
was  General  Matthews  or  a  company  officer  that  gave  the  command  to 
charge.  At  the  same  instant,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Horn,  who  was  about 
three  files  from  the  left  of  the  company,  stooped  down  and  passed  through 
the  front  rank,  raised  up  and  struck  at  General  Brinton,  and  at  the  same 
instant  a  pistol  shot  was  fired  either  by  the  man  Horn  or  a  man  immedi- 
ately in  his  rear.  Stones  were  hurled,  and  one  of  the  men  of  the — I  cannot 
say  whether  he  belonged  to  the  Greys  or  the  Weccaco  Legion,  but  it  was 


472  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

one  of  the  party  that  was  charging — was  struck  on  the  shoulder  and  knocked 
against  one  of  the  Gatling  guns.  There  had  been  no  firing  done  by  the 
troops  at  that  time,  but  the  crowd  outside  were  hurling  epithets  at  the 
soldiers,  and  asking,  "Why  don't  you  shoot,  you  sons  of  bitches.  Why 
don't  you  shoot?" 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  they  shoot  or  fire  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  said  :  "  Wl^  don't  you  fire  ?  Why  don't  3'ou  shoot;" 
and  some  of  them  said  :  "  Shoot,  you  sons  of  bitches  !  Why  don't  you 
shoot."  General  Brinton  gave  the  order  to  cease  firing  a  veiy  few  moments 
afterwards.  There  was  one  point  I  wished  to  call  your  attention  to — this 
man  of  the  Weccaca  Legion — and  I  believe  he  is  the  same  man  Doctor  Mur- 
dock  spoke  of  yesterday — that  man  firing  his  piece  three  times  after  in- 
structions ;  wiping  the  blood  out  of  his  eyes,  loaded  and  fired  his  piece. 

Q.  Where  was  he  struck  ? 

A.  He  was  struck  about  the  head,  and  blood  was  running  down  over  his 
face. 

Q.  Then  he  wiped  the  blood  out  of  his  eyes  and  fired  his  piece  after- 
wards ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Was  the  command  to  fire  given  b}r  any  of  the  officers  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was. 

Q.  What  ones  ? 

A.  I  could  not  designate  the  officer.  I  heard  the  word  fire  so  frequently 
between  the  parties  outside  casting  their  anathemas  at  the  soldiers.  As  I 
understood,  the  order  came  from  an  officer  ;  but  I  could  not  distinguish 
which  one  it  was.     I  heard  the  order  to  load  very  distinctly. 

Q.  Did  3Tou  hear  the  order  from  an  officer  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  did  so. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q,.  Which  men  fired  ?  These  men  endeavoring  to  press  back  the  crowd, 
did  the}'  fire  ?  You  say  they  wheeled  to  clear  the  crowd  off  Twenty-eighth 
street ;  did  they  fire  into  this  crowd  ? 

A.  I  think  not,  sir. 

Q.  Where  did  the  firing  come  from  ? 

A.  From  the  First  regiment. 

Q.  They  were  standing  back  by  the  cars,  were  they? 

A.  One  line  here — it  was  standing  towards  Liberty  street,  and  the  other 
facing  towards  the  hill. 

Q.  The  two  ranks — the  one  in  front  facing  to  the  right,  and  the  rear 
facing  to  the  left  ? 

A.  I  think  the  front  rank  was  facing  towards  Liberty  street.  I  think 
they  were  moved  out  by  the  left  flank  from  Union  depot. 

Q.  The  front  rank  would  be  facing  towards  the  hillside  and  the  rear  rank 
facing  towards  Liberty  street  ? 

A.  I  think  not,  sir.  They  marched  left  and  front.  Their  proper  front 
would  be  by  left  face.  They  were  marched  out  that  way  ;  consequently 
the  front  rank  would  face  towards  Liberty  street. 

Q.  The  other  rank  would  face  towards  the  hill  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  did  this  firing  come  from — the  front  rank,  facing  the  hill  ? 

A.  The  rank  facing  the  hill  fired.     The  first  shots  that  were  fired  from 

he  front  rank  were  fired  towards   Liberty  street,  and  they  turned  round 

then  and  commenced   firing  in  another  direction,  over  their  heads  and 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  473 

through  the  files  of  officers,  and  General  Brinton  gave  the  order  to  cease 
firing,  with  Colonel  Benson  and  Major  Lazarus.  Colonel  Stewart,  of  the 
Governor's  staff,  who  was  then  in  citizen's  clothes  at  that  time,  came  down 
and  volunteered  to  assist  in  anything  which  was  to  be  done.  Major  Fife 
and  myself  went  down  the  line  and  assisted  in  stopping  the  firing. 

Q.  l>id  they  fire  as  if  they  had  been  commanded  or  ordered  to  fire? 

A.  The  first  round  or  so  evidenced  that  fact  to  me.  Immediately  after 
the  firing,  I  received  an  order  from  General  Pearson  to  take  one  half  a  regi- 
ment of  General  Loud's  brigade.  I  reported  to  General  Brinton  the  order 
on  General  Loud,  and  he  informed  me  he  had  seen  General  Pearson,  and  the 
matter  was  arranged.  I  asked  him  where  General  Pearson  was,  and  he  said 
he  was  in  Pitcairn's  office. 

Q.  You  say  General  Pearson  ordered  you  to  take  a  portion  of  the  regi- 
ment ? 

A.  To  the  Union  depot.  I  reported  to  Brinton  for  an  order  on  General 
Loud. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q    Where  was  General  Pearson  at  the  time  the  firing  took  place  ? 

A.  He  was  in  Pitcairn's  office. 

Q.  He  was  not  present  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  there  was  no  officer  of  the  division  at  Twenty-eighth  street, 
except  myself  at  the  crossing.  The  cars  were  taken  out  for  the  removal 
of  the  Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth  regiments — an  order  had  been  issued  to 
that  effect.  The  train  was  taken  out  and  left  about,  maybe,  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  below  Twenty-eighth  street.  Immediately  at  the  end  of  the 
train,  I  left  Major  Dickson,  Captain  Denney,  of  Colonel  Guthrie's  staff, 
Major  Fife,  and  Major  Stroff.  Major  Evans  went  over  to  the  Nineteenth 
regiment. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  say  General  Pearson  was  in  Pitcairn's  office  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  He  was  not  there  at  all — how  far  is  that  from  where  the  firing  was  ? 

A.  About  eleven  hundred  feet,  according  to  my  estimate  of  it.  There 
was  not  an  officer  of  the  sixth  division  there  except  myself. 

Q.  Then  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  have  given  the  order? 

A.  He  did  not  give  any  order  to  fire.  General  Brinton  left  immediately 
after  the  firing  to  see  General  Pearson  in  answer  to  an  inquiry  which  was 
brought  by  Major  Evans  to  him  in  regard  to  the  firing.  When  I  received 
this  order  I  started  to  report  to  General  Brinton  to  get  the  order  spoken 
of  a  few  moments  ago,  and  1  met  General  Brinton  at  the — going  into  the 
office  of  Mi-.  Pitcairn,  and  received  from  him  the  information  that  General 
Pearson  was  in  Pitcairn's  office.  The  first  authentic  information  that  Gen- 
eral Pearson  had  of  the  firing  was  what  I  communicated  to  him  in  Pitcairn's 
office. 

Q.  What  was  the  reason  given  for  you  sending  this  portion  of  the  regi- 
ment— it  was  not  sent  anywhere,  was  it — to  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  There  was  no  reason  assigned.  It  had  been  arranged  not  to  send 
that  half  regiment  to  the  Union  depot.  I  asked  for  General  Pearson,  and 
went  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  it,  and  the  general  said  it  was  not  necessary 
and  directed  me  to  remain  there.  At  the  request  of  General  Brinton,  he 
was  going  to  bring  the  Philadelphia  troops  into  the  building,  and  a  little 
after  six  o'clock  they  commenced  to  come  in. 


474  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

James  Park,  junior,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows: 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Will  you  please  give  us  your  residence  and  business  ? 

A.  My  residence  is  Allegheny  city.  My  business  is  manufacturer  of  steel 
and  copper. 

Q.  I  wish  you  to  state  now,  in  your  own  way,  what  knowledge  you  have 
of  the  riots  that  occurred  in  July  last,  and  the  efforts  made  to  suppress 
them  ? 

A.  Some  days  previous  to  the  Saturday  when  the  riot  was  started,  I  was 
aware  of  the  strike  on  the  part  of  the  employes  of  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road Company.  On  Saturday,  the  2lst  of  July,  I  believe  it  was,  I  was  at 
the  Pennsylvania  railroad  depot  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania regiments 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Philadelphia  regiments  r 

A.  Philadelphia,  I  mean,  sir.  I  was  there  when  they  disembarked,  and 
during  the  time  they  were  engaged  in  taking  their  lunch.  I  felt  very 
greatly  exercised  in  reference  to  the  whole  matter,  fearing  that,  with  the 
small  force  of  military,  in  the  event  of  anything  that  would  precipitate 
firing  upon  the  people,  very  disastrous  consequences  might  follow.  Seeing 
Mr.  Cassatt  on  the  back  porch  of  the  hotel  building,  I  went  up  to  him, 
and  cautioned  him  with  some  earnestness.  I  told  him  that  Saturday  was 
an  idle  day  with  our  workingmen,  and  I  thought  I  knew  the  temper  of  our 
men  pretty  well.  Sunday  would  be  an  idle  day,  and  it  would  be  great 
wisdom  on  his  part  not  to  attempt  to  do  anything  until  the  following  Mon- 
day. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  hour  was  that? 

A.  It  was  about  four  o'clock,  as  near  as  I  can  recollect. 

Q.  Before  the  troops  went  out  ? 

A.  Before  they  marched  out.  I  told  him  it  was  very  natural  for  our 
home  military  to  feel  some  sympathy,  if  it  were  ever  so  little,  in  behalf  of 
those  who  were  termed  strikers,  and  that  they  ought  not  to  expect  to  place 
full  dependence  upon  their  efficiency  in  case  of  anything  like  a  riot.  He 
leferred  to  the  Philadelphia  regiment  as  being  composed  of  men  who  would 
not  fire  over  the  heads  of  the  mob  in  case  of  any  mob  being  started,  but  I 
told  him  that  in  case  of  necessity  for  firing  that  he  ought  not  to  have  less 
than  ten  thousand  men,  and  that  I  doubted  with  that  force  whether  he  would 
be  able,  in  case  of  firing  upon  the  people,  to  quell  the  mob  that  might  be 
precipitated  upon  us  from  the  firing  of  the  militia,  but  at  all  events  not  to 
do  anything  with  less  than  five  thousand  men.  He  said  in  reply  that  they 
must  have  their  property.  That  if  the  State  authorities  will  not  give  them 
possession  of  it  they  will  call  upon  the  general  Government.  He  took  out 
his  watch  and  said  they  had  now  lost  au  hour  and  a  half's  time,  meaning  that 
the  militar}'  should  have  been  marched  from  the  hotel  to  the  place  where 
the  great  crowd  was  congregated  an  hour  and  a  half  before  the  time  which 
I  am  speaking  of.  I  left  for  Allegheny  just  after  talking  to  Mr.  Cassatt, 
and  went  to  my  home  on  a  matter  of  business — to  see  my  son — and  came 
back,  taking  the  car  up  Penn  avenue,  and  leaving  the  car  at  Thirtieth 
street.  Just  as  I  left  the  car  the  volley  of  firing  took  place.  There  was 
an  immense  crowd  of  people  on  the  side  of  the  hill.  From  the  number  that 
fell,  I  supposed  there  were  a  very  great  many  killed,  but  it  turned  out  after- 
wards that  two  thirds  who  fell  had  fallen  to  roll  into  a  ditch  that  was  cut 
on  the  other  side  of  the  road  running  up  the  hill,  to  save  themselves.  I 
thought  it  strange  that  the  firing  took  place  upon  the  people  on  the  hill 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  415 

side.  I  could  not  see,  from  where  I  stood,  what  was  going  on  close  to  the 
military,  but  it  struck  me,  I  recollect,  at  that  time,  as  being  very  strange 
that  the  firing  should  be  made  about  the  line  of  the  angle  of  the  slope  of 
the  hill.  I  don't  know  that  I  can  say  anything  more  on  that  point.  I 
went  to  my  works,  and  I  found  great  excitement  all  over  that  region  of  the 
city.  I  went  to  crowds  of  men,  women,  and  children,  warning  them  to  go 
into  their  houses,  for  the  reason  that  a  little  while  before  there  was  a  good 
deal  of  commotion  on  Penn  avenue,  near  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  I 
thought  giving  evidence  that  some  fighting:  was  going  on  that  might  reach 
up  into  the  neighborhood  of  these  crowds  of  people,  but  I  found  that,  with 
all  my  efforts,  I  did  not  accomplish  anything,  people  still  remained,  and  a 
great  many  run  in  that  direction,  just  as  people  will.  I  cannot  account  for 
it,  but  no  doubt  gentlemen  are  well  aware  of  the  fact,  just  as  I  am,  that 
people  will  do  that  thoughtlessly.  My  own  son,  who  was  just  by  my  side 
the  moment  the  firing  took  place,  ran  and  got  probably  a  hundred  feet  from 
me  before  I  checked  him.  I  told  him  he  must  not  go  in  that  direction  at 
all.  He  came  to  his  mind  in  a  minute,  and  said  he  did  not  think  what  he 
was  doing.  I  state  this  just  to  show  how  easy  it  is  for  a  crowd  of  people 
to  congregate  where  there  is  any  excitement,  particularly  when  the  mili- 
tary are  about.  I  went  to  my  residence  in  Allegheny  and  heard  nothing  at 
all  what  was  going  on,  supposing  everything  was  quiet,  and  that  there 
was  no  disturbance.  Nor  did  I  know  that  there  was  anything  in  the  way 
of  burning  of  property  until  Sunday  morning.  My  partner,  Mr.  diaries 
L.  Caldwell,  came  to  my  house  and  said  he  thought  I  better  come  to 
the  city ;  that  something  ought  to  be  done ;  that  the  Pennsjdvania  rail- 
road property  was  being  destroyed,  and  there  ought  to  be  some  effort 
in  the  way  of  getting  up  organizations  to  arrest  the  work  of  the 
mob.  He  told  me  to  go  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce;  that  James 
I.  Bennett  and  others  would  meet  me  there.  We  repaired  to  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and  found  the  door  closed,  and  we  went  to  the 
printing  office,  and  finally  stopped  at  the  office  of  the  Pittsburgh  Post, 
meeting  Mr.  Barr  and  Mr.  Wakes,  I  think  it  was,  and  prepared  for  a  meeting 
that  we  had  bulletined  to  take  place  at  twelve  o'clock  at  the  city  hall,  on 
Market  street.  That  meeting  was  very  well  attended.  A  great  many 
people  on  the  way  from  church  noticed  the  announcement  on  the  bulletin 
boards,  and  repaired  to  the  place  of  meeting.  I  felt  very  proud,  on  that 
occasion,  of  the  people  of  Pittsburgh,  and  ever  since  that  day,  when  away 
from  home,  I  have  registered  from  Pittsburgh,  a  thing  I  never  did  before. 
I  alwaj's  registered  in  Europe,  and  in  this  country,  from  Allegheny.  Ever 
since  that  I  have  registered  from  Pittsburgh,  and  always  will  do  so.  I 
found  wealthy  men  at  that  meeting,  who  pledged  all  that  they  were  worth — 
not  five  thousand  or  ten  thousand  dollars — but  all  that  they  were  worth, 
to  put  down  the  mob.  John  Moorhead,  John  Harper,  John  Slagle,  and 
John  R.  McCuen  signed  a  pledge  that  they  would  pay  their  proportion  of 
all  the  necessary  expenses  to  check  that  mob.  A  committee  of  twenty-five, 
I  think,  was  appointed  to  meet  at  two  or  three  o'clock  at  the  mayor's 
office,  city  hall.  This  meeting  T  speak 'of  was  at  the  old  city  hall. 
That  committee  of  twenty-five  convened  and  appointed  a  committee  to  go 
to  the  mob  and  try  to  bring  it  to  reason.  There  were  no  preparations  to 
do  it  then,  on  the  part  of  the  citizens,  but  it  was  thought  that  the  com- 
mittee might  appeal  to  them  and  stay  the  conflagration  and  destruction  of 
property.  That  committee  did  go  there,  and  went  into  the  midst  of  the 
mob,  and  did  appeal  to  them.  I  thought  that  they  had  about  checked  the 
matter,  and  that  the  Union  depot  would  be  saved,  but  the  committee  went 
from  there  to  meet  with  some  of  the  men  who  were  on  a  strike.     The  com- 


476  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

uiittee  met  a  number  of  them — I  was  present  during  all  this  time,  and  I 
know  what  the  committee  did,  and  do  not  state  from  hearsay — the  com- 
mittee met  quite  a  number  of  the  railroad  men,  who  were  there  at  that 
time — the  strikers — and  found  them  to  express  very  great  regret  at  the 
destruction  of  property.  We  proposed  to  them  that  they  would  attend  an 
adjourned  meeting,  at  the  old  city  hall,  to  take  place  at  three  o'clock,  or 
half  past  three  o'clock,  and  proposed  that  they  would  organize  and  assist 
the  citizens  in  saving  the  property.  They  talked  very  nioely  about  it,  and 
one  of  their  number — I  think  two  of  their  number — attended  that  meeting. 
He  was  authorized  to  get  up  an  organization  of  those  men  who  were  then 
termed  strikers.  I  was  a  little  too  busy  for  some  days  to  notice,  but  I 
believe  they  did  make  an  effort  in  that  direction.  Then  this  committee  of 
public  safety  went  to  work  on  Monday.  I  am  speaking  now  of  what  took 
place  on  Sabbath  afternoon.  On  Monday,  Pittsburgh  was  certainly  in  a 
very  deplorable  condition.  I  noticed  that  the  streets — some  of  them — 
particularly  Fourth  avenue  and  Third  sti'eet,  were  crowded  almost  from 
curb  to  curb  with  strangers — not  railroad  men,  because  I  think  I  should 
have  recognized,  from  their  appearance,  the  class  of  men  that  work  in  our 
work-shops  from  this  crowd.  They  seemed  to  be  composed  of  strangers, 
miners,  and  others  from  the  neighboring  parts  here,  up  and  down  the  river. 
Of  course,  the  most  of  that  crowd  were  idlers,  men  who  would  be  ready 
to  join  in  almost  any  destruction  of  property.  They  were  not,  I  think, 
citizens — probably  very  few  of  them.  Efforts  were  made  by  the  commit- 
tee of  public  safety  to  get  organized.  The  mayor  sent  to  Washington  and 
got  permission  to  take  some  of  the  Government  arms.  They  were  brought 
into  the  city,  and  General  Negley  and  others  were  called  in  to  assist,  and, 
I  think,  the  preparations  that  were  made  were  done  in  a  very  short  time, 
because  on  Tuesday  the  city  seemed  to  be  entirely  quiet,  and  these  crowds 
started  for  home.  One  very  large  crowd,  that  came  down  from  the  upper 
Monongahela  river,  were  met  by  the  mayor  and  General  Negley,  and  many 
citizens  that  we  organized,  some  with  weapons  and  arms,  and  they  agreed 
to  go  home,  and  said  they  had  understood  that  men,  women,  and  children 
were  being  shot  down  by  the  soldiers  from  a  distance,  and  they  came 
down  to  protect  them,  but  they  agreed  to  go  home  quietly.  I  believe  I 
have  told  the  story  about  as  near  as  I  can  recollect — about  all  I  know 
\  of  it. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Anything  in  relation  to  the   Duquesne  depot  that  you  know  of? 

A.  At  the  meeting  on  Sunday,  we  started  organizations,  and  were  very 
much  pleased  to  find  our  young  men,  particularly,  falling  into  line.  I  think 
it  could  not  have  been  five  minutes  after  the  announcement  was  made,  that 
we  wanted  all  to  organize  a  company  to  go  to  the  Duquesne  depot — fear- 
ing that  it  might  be  set  on  fire— I  think  it  was  not  five  minutes  after  that, 
that  I  noticed,  I  think  a  hundred,  probably,  marching  right  past  where  I 
stood.  I  was  presiding  at  the  meeting,  and  I  believe  they  were  led  in  the 
wrong  direction — they  were  taken  up  Third  street,  I  believe — some  person 
took  them  up  to  the  elevator.  Another  company  that  formed — I  do  not 
know  how  many — went  down  to  the  Duquesne  depot  to  protect  that. 

Q.  Was  any  attempt  made  to  destroy  the  Duquesne  depot  ? 

A.  I  understand  there  was  some  arrests  there.     I  was  present  at  the 
mayor's  office  when  a  man  was  brought  in  there,  and  Doctor  Dickson  and 
some  others  testified  that  he  was  caught  in  the  act. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  the  events  before  the  strike,  the  dis- 
pute between  the  railroad  employes  and  the  railroad  company — the  causes 
leading  to  these  disturbances? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  477 

A.  Nothing  more  than  from  genei'al  information,  that  it  was  because  of 
reduction  of  wages,  and  that  the  men  thought  the  reduction  was  more  than 
they  were  willing  to  accept,  and  that  it  had  eventuated  in  a  strike.  I 
understand  from  quite  a  number  that  they  were  not  committing  any  vio- 
lence. Mr.  Shinn,  vice  president  of  the  Allegheny  Valley  railroad,  and  Mr. 
McCargo,  superintendent  of  the  Allegheny  Valley  railroad,  said  to  me 
just  before  the  arrival  of  the  Philadelphia  regiment,  that  there  was  no  ef- 
fort made  at  all  by  the  railroad  strikers  to  prevent  the  running  out  of  trains. 
I  think  I  can  recollect  very  nearly  Mr.  McCargo's  words.  Says  he,  "  Mr. 
Park,  you  or  I  can  get  on  a  locomotive  and  run  out  any  train,  and  no- 
bocty  will  disturb  a  hair  of  our  heads."  He  then  followed  that  up  by  say- 
ing the  difficulty  was  to  get  anybody  to  go  on  to  a  locomotive. 

Q.  To  man  the  train  ? 

A.  That  understood  the  moving  of  a  locomotive,  and  running  a  train 
out.  After  seeing  Mr.  Cassatt,  after  this  interview  with  Mr.  McCargo,  I 
mentioned  that  to  Mr.  Cassatt,  and  he  said  their  presence  intimidated 
them,  and  he  said  they  made  no  act  of  resistance ;  but  their  presence  in- 
timidated persons — that  the  strikers  were  on  the  ground  or  on  the  road,  in- 
timidating persons  that  would  take  out  trains. 

Q.  Was  any  threats  made  b}'  yourself  and  other  citizens  to  prevent  a 
collision  between  the  military  and  the  people  ?  You  related  an  interview 
with  Mr.  Cassatt.  Was  there  any  other  threats  made  by  citizens  like  your- 
self to  prevent  a  collision  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  of  anything  done  in  that  way.  I  suppose  persons 
would  have  felt  that  they  were  interfering.  I  felt  a  little  in  that  way. 
When  I  was  advising  Mr.  Cassatt,  I  felt  that  the  State,  or  the  railroad 
company,  or  one  power,  was  directing  that  sheriff — somebody  was  directing 
the  whole  movement,  and  believed  for  me  to  give  advice  on  that,  probably 
it  was  a  little  premature,  or  at  least  Mr.  Cassatt  might  have  thought  it 
was  uncalled  for,  and  1  was  greatly  in  fear  that  some  stone  might  be 
thrown  or  pistol  shot,  and  that  the  military  might  fire,  and  I  felt  sure  the 
strength  was  not  there  if  the  mob  was  started — if  a  mob  was  precipitated 
upon  the  citizens  of  Pittsburgh,  there  was  not  military  enough  to  put  it 
down. 

Q,.  Did  you  know  that  the  trains  had  been  stopped  during  Thursday  and 
Friday  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  knew  by  general  rumor,  and  was  told  by  a  great  many  that 
the  Penns}dvania  railroad  were  not  able  to  operate. 

Q.  Why  didn't  you  make  a  suggestion  to  the  railroad  officials  sooner  ? 

A.  I  never  thought  of  doing  it ;  but  if  I  had  thought  of  doing  it,  I  would 
have  thought  that  they  might  have  told  me  to  attend  to  my  business,  just 
as  I  would  have  done,  if  I  had  any  difficulty  at  my  works,  and  railroad 
men  came  to  advise  me — "you  mind  your  own  business,  and  I  will  attend 
to  my  strikers." 

Q.  In  the  suggestions  that  you  made  to  Mr.  Cassatt,  did  you  suggest 
any  plan  to  preserve  the  property  and  prevent  its  destruction  from  Satur- 
day until  Monday  ? 

A.  I  said  the  better  way  would  be  to  wait.  1  am  not  very  clear  in  my 
recollection.  I  tried  to  fix  it  upon  my  memory,  but  it  is  a  little  mist}'  just 
how  I  put  that  to  Mr.  Cassatt ;  but  as  near  as  I  can  recollect,  it  was  like 
this — of  course,  in  substance  it  would  be  the  same — that  Saturday  was  an 
idle  day,  and  Sunday  would  be  an  idle  day,  and  to-night  these  people  would 
be  in  their  beds  and  with  the  force  he  had — he  said,  1  think,  eight  hundred 
men  would  be  expected  in  momentarily — I  said,  as  near  as  I  can  recollect, 
that  to-night  these  people  will  be  in  their  beds,  and  with  the  force  you  will 


418  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

have,  take  possession  of  your  grounds,  but  don't  attempt  to  move  any 
train  until  Monday.  I  recollect  very  clearly  impressing  that  upon  him, 
not  to  move  a  train  until  Monday.  I  knew  on  Monday  all  the  mills  would 
be  running  and  the  men  would  be  at  their  places,  and  if  there  was  any  lit- 
tle disturbance  in  the  moving  of  trains,  the  civil  authorities  could  manage 
it,  even  if  the  military  didn't  take  any  part  in  it. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  From  your  knowledge  of  the  kind  of  people,  did  you  regard  it  as 
necessary  to  call  the  military  to  suppress  them  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  didn't.  I  think  it  was  a  mistake,  a  very  serious  mistake. 
I  knew  that  the  day  police  of  Pittsburgh  had  been  discharged — that  is, 
most  of  them,  and  that  the  mayor  was  left  with  a  very  small  force,  but  I 
knew  at  the  same  time,  that  the  class  of  men  that  was  engaged  by  the  rail- 
road companies — they  are  a  pretty  intelligent  set  of  men — they  can  be 
reasoned  with,  and  if  arrangements  had  been  made  to  have  had  their  ground 
protected  by  police,  not  allowing  any  one  to  come  up  Twenty-sixth  or 
Twenty-eighth  streets — done  that  at  night,  I  don't  think  there  would  have 
been  any  trouble.  I  don't  think  any  of  those  men  that  were  termed  strikers 
— I  think  they  would  have  hardly  violated  the  law  in  knocking  down  police, 
if  the  police  had  said  the  orders  were  that  nobody  was  to  come.  I  forgot 
to  say  that  very  soon  after  the  firing,  after  I  had  warned  these  little  crowds 
on  Penn  street  to  go  into  their  houses,  I  went  over  to  my  mill — the  mills 
generalh/  stopped  about  half  past  three  o'clock,  sometimes  as  late  as  four 
o'clock,  and  I  found  that  some  of  our  men  had  been  a  good  deal  excited — one 
man  had  rushed  into  the  office,  and  wanted  to  know  from  our  time-keeper 
if  his  gun  was  at  home.  He  told  him  he  must  not  have  his  gun,  must  not  at- 
tempt to  go  for  it,  because  if  he  did  he  would  alarm  his  wife,  who  was  then 
sick,  but  he  went  for,  and  brought  his  gun  back,  and  handed  it  to  our  time- 
keeper, and  went  out  in  the  mill  for  something,  and  the  time-keeper  gave 
it  to  our  manager,  and  he  took  it  back  in  our  office,  and  broke  the  stock 
of  it,  then  our  time-keeper  bet  five  dollars  with  this  man  that  he  had  not 
a  gun,  and  the  gun  was  brought  in,  and  it  was  broke  up,  and  this  man  re- 
joiced over  it,  and  said  he  had  been  making  a  fool  of  himself,  he  was  very 
glad  he  had  come  to  his  senses,  and  he  didn't  take  time  to  reason,  nor  did,  I 
think,  any  of  these  men.  Their  general  life  and  their  education  and  training 
has  been  more  or  less  different  from  yours  or.  mine.  If  your  son  had  been 
in  that  crowd  or  your  brother,  and  you  had  heard  he  was  shot,  you  would 
have  just  done  as  I  would  have  done,  sat  down  and  reasoned  whether  he 
had  any  business  to  be  there,  and  you  would  not  have  run  in  and  shot  down 
Philadelphia  soldiers,  or  any  other  soldiers.  They  just  heard  somebody 
was  killed,  and  they  rushed  for  arms,  all  being  done  on  the  impulse  of  the 
moment,  and  done  in  a  way  that  you  or  I  would  not  have  done,  because  if 
n^  son  had  been  there  and  shot,  I  would  have  lamented  it  terribly,  but  I 
would  not  have  gone  there  with  a  pistol  or  gun.  I  would  have  reasoned, 
undoubtedly,  as  you  would  have  done,  that  he  had  no  business  to  be  there, 
or  ought  to  have  been  home.  These  men  didn't  reason  in  that  way. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.   Have  you  not  had  quite  a  number  of  strikes  among  the  employes  in 
the  mills  or  factories  in  this  vicinity,  during  the  last  five  or  six  years  ? 

A.   J  c  in  call  to  mind  quite  a  number  of  them. 

Q.   You  are  a  manufacturer? 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

(J.   Employ  a  large  number  of  men,  do  you  not,  sir? 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  had  any  strikes  in  your  works  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  479 

A.  Yes,  a  number. 

Q.  Did  the  strikers  attempt  to  prevent  other  men  from  working,  that 
you  employed  ? 

A.  Not  by  force.  I  never  knew  of  any  attempt  by  force.  They  did  it  by 
persuasion.  I  have  twenty  odd  men  out  now.  My  rule  is  never  to  take 
any  man  into  my  employ  that  has  ever  struck  on  me.  I  will  keep  them 
from  starving,  with  money,  but  not  with  work.  I  don't  think  there  is  any 
occasion  for  a  strike.  We  require  notice,  and  we  give  notice,  and  let  every 
man  know  that  if  he  ever  strikes,  he  never  can  work  for  us  as  long  as  God 
spares  me  on  this  earth.  I  will  lend  him  money,  or  do  anything  for  him, 
but  he  will  never  work  for  me. 

Q.  In  the  different  strikes,  in  your  works,  was  there  ever  any  violence 
used  by  the  strikers,  to  prevent  men  from  working,  you  put  in  there  ? 

A.  I  don't  recollect  of  any  cases. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  have  any  difficulty  in  getting  strikers  quiet — dispersed 
from  3'our  works  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  they  were  always  very  quiet,  and  when  told  to  leave — some- 
times they  were  not  inclined  to  go  out,  and  they  called  to  me  and  I  re- 
quested them  to  go,  spoke  to  them  mildly  about  it,  and  told  them  that  my 
rules  were  to  be  carried  out.  I  did  once  have  to  bring  in  a  policeman,  but 
the  man  was  very  drunk  and  did  not  know  what  he  was  doing.  I  am  satisfied 
that  if  he  had  been  sober,  he  would  have  left  the  building  without  calling 
in  a  policeman. 

Q.  You  have  had  strikes  in  the  city  where  there  have  been  a  larger  num- 
ber engaged  than  in  this  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes  ;  we  have  had  strikes  where  the  aggregate  number  would 
have  amounted  to  many  more  than  those  engaged  at  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road Company's  works.     We  have  had  ten  strikes  here. 

Q.  Was  there  any  violence  resulting  from  them  at  all  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  don't  recollect  only  in  the  case  of  a  strike  on  the  part  of  the 
puddlers,  probably  about  twenty-five  years  or  so  ago.  There  was  some 
little  trouble  at  Bailey's  mill.  They  brought  on  some  eastern  puddlers, 
and  when  they  attempted  to  start  the  furnaces — it  was  principally  women, 
the  wives  of  some  of  the  men — they  struck  them  with  stones  a  little,  and 
had  some  few  knock-downs,  but  they  soon  quieted. 

Q.  Have  you  had  any  difficulties  lately — any  violence,  that  is  the  last 
few  years  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  none  at  all. 

Q.  Have  you  not  had  a  strike  among  your  puddlers,  within  the  last  few 
years  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  about  two  years  and  a  half  or  three  years  ago,  and  I  couldn't 
employ  them  again  just  for  the  reason  that  my  rules  were,  that  any  man 
that  strikes  can  never  work  for  me  again,  and  I  thought,  of  course,  as  there 
were  so  many  idle  puddlers  at  that  time,  that  I  would  have  no  trouble  in 
starting  up  my  puddling  forge.  A  puddler  came  around  and  says,"  I  can 
get  men  and  can  start  you  puddling."  Says  I,  "  I  would  like  very  much 
to  start."  Says  he,  "  I  can  get  up  a  gang  by  Monday."  Says  he,  "  Did 
you  have  any  trouble  ?  "  Says  I,  "  Yes  ;  they  struck."  Well,  the}'  wouldn't 
work.  That  lasted  for  three  or  four  months,  and  I  concluded  that  some 
determination  had  been  agreed  upon,  that  these  men  that  struck,  must 
work  for  me,  and  I  determined  they  never  would — I  determined  before 
we  started  up.  I  would  lend  them  money  at  any  time,  but  they  might 
starve,  or  their  families  starve,  for  want  of  work.  I  dedicated  that  forge 
to  negro  labor.  My  men  was  a  little  disposed  to  interfere  by  violence 
with  the  men  who  engaged  themselves  to  carry  on  that  work,  but  I  have 


480  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

never  known  any  serious  interference  with  my  negi'O  workmen  at  all.  We 
have  had  peace  and  quiet,  so  far  as  I  can  learn,  and  white  puddlers  have 
never  molested  them  at  all,  and  we  have  had  them  two  or  three  years. 

Q.  Still  working? 

A.  Yes ;  we  pay  them  the  same  price  as  white  men,  because  I  told  them 
when  they  came  that  we  would  pay  them  just  the  same  price  as  white  pud- 
dlers got  in  other  mills,  and  we  have  had  to  do  so. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  Have  you  an  idea  how  many  employes  are  employed  in  the  different 
mills  in  the  cities  of  Allegheny  and  Pittsburgh? 

A.  I  guess  twenty  or  twenty -five  thousand,  probably ;  that  is  merely  a 
guess.     I  would  have  to  think  over  the  number  of  mills.     I  suppose  some- 
thing like  twenty  thousand,  and  probably  more. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  are  speaking  about  a  strike  about  twenty  or  twenty-five  jrears 
ago.  Have  you  any  recollection  of  the  military  being  called  out  at  that 
time  ? 

A.  I  don't  recollect  of  them  being  called  out — they  might  have  been. 

Q.  At  any  other  time  within  the  last  twenty-five  years,  were  the  military 
called  out  to  preserve  the  peace  ? 

A.  I  think  one  time  I  recollect  of  them  being  called  out — I  think  it  was 
at  the  time  of  starting  the  negro  puddlers  at  the  bolt  company's  works. 
I  think  then  the  military  was  called  on  ;  that  is  about  two  or  three  years 
ago. 

Q.  Was  there  any  serious  opposition  to  those  new  men  working  there  ? 

A.  There  was  some  quarreling  and  knocking  down.  I  think  there  was 
nothing  very  serious. 

Q.  As  a  general  thing,  in  strikes  among  your  men  here  in  the  mills  or 
manufactories,  you  think  it  is  bad  policy  to  call  out  the  military  to  sup- 
press any  trouble  that  might  arise  from  them  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  do  so.  I  think  so  for  the  reason  that  the  military  would  do 
very  well,  if  they  could  overawe,  but  the  fear  is  that  somebody  would  throw 
a  stone,  or  somebody  would  fire  a  pistol,  and  then  they  would  fire  into  the 
citizens.  You  understand  as  well  as  I  do,  that  you  put  up  pi-oclamations 
and  warn  people  to  disperse,  and  you  can  go  in  and  talk  and  plead  with 
them,  and  still  the  crowd  will  be  there,  and  it  is  almost  certain  that  inno- 
cent people  will  be  shot  down,  if  there  is  any  firing. 

Q.  In  your  testimony,  you  state  you  saw  Mr.  Cassatt  in  the  rear  porch 
of  the  Union  depot,  and  advised  him  not  to  attempt  to  move  trains  on 
Saturday,  as  the  men  in  your  mills  and  manufactories  were  idle  on  that 
day — not  to  attempt  to  move  trains  until  Monda}' — what  reply  did  you 
get  from  him  to  that  advice  ? 

A.  He  said  they  must  have  possession  of  their  property.  If  the  State 
authorities  did  not  give  it  to  them,  they  would  call  on  the  general  Govern- 
ment, taking  his  watch  out,  and  said  that  they  had  now  lost  an  hour  and 
a  half.  That  is  about  as  near  as  I  can  recollect.  The  idea  was  they  had 
lost  an  hour  and  a  half  in  moving  the  Philadelphia  regiment  up  to  Twen- 
ty-eighth street — up  to  where  the  crowd  was  congregated  over  their  prop- 
erty ;  that  is,  the  railroad  men  as  a  general  thing,  on  their  property.  I  think 
the  citizens  were,  as  a  general  thing,  on  the  hillside,  as  near  as  I  can  un- 
derstand it — the  most  of  the  citizens,  spectators,  &c,  were  up  on  the  hill- 
side— some  of  them  were  up  as  high  as  the  pest-house,  on  the  hill.  One 
young  lad  was  shot  there  through  the  wrist — he  was  in  a  line  with  the  pest- 
house. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  481 

Q.  Were  you  a  member  of  the  citizens1  committee  waiting  on  Mr.  Cas 
satt  at  that  time? 

A.  No,  sir.     We  had  no  citizens'  committee  at  that  time. 

Q.  Were  you  a  member  of  the  committee  that  waited  on  the  Governor 
and  the  officials  of  the  railroad  company,  at  any  time  after  that,  to  give 
him  some  advice  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  that  ? 

A.  I  have  forgotten  the  day.  I  don't  recollect  the  day  he  arrived,  but 
I  think  it  was — I  don't  recollect  the  day  he  did  arrive — it  was  some  time 
in  the  week  after  the  riot. 

Q.  The  latter  part  of  the  week  ? 

A.  Probably  it  was;  by  the  way,  it  was  Saturday.  I  recollect  very  dis- 
tinctly, because  I  spoke  of  Sunday  jnst  about  as  I  did  to  Mr.  Cassatt. 
Joseph  F.  Dilworth,  Mr.  Johnson,  and  myself  were  appointed  a  committee 
to  visit  the  Governor.  We  got  word  to  meet  him  Saturday  morning  at 
Thirty-third  street,  in  a  car,  and  we  went  up  there  and  met  him.  I  believe 
I  did  the  first  talking,  and  advised  that  nothing  should  be  done  until  Mon- 
day to  take  possession  of  the  ground.  He  said  he  was  going  to  do  nothing 
in  a  hurry — was  going  to  take  his  time,  and  move  with  caution. 

Q.  Was  this  the  conference  with  the  Governor  ? 

A.  With  the  Governor  himself.  He  said  he  was  not  out  here  in  the  in- 
terest of  any  railroad,  but  in  the  interest  of  peace,  or  something  to  that 
effect.  He  left  me  to  understand  that  he  didn't  come  to  look  after  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  but  to  look  after  the  safety  of  this  com- 
munity. He  had  an  impression  that  our  water-works  were  stopped,  and  he 
did  just  as  he  said  he  would  do.  He  waited  quietly  and  did  not  do  any- 
thing at  all  until  Saturday  night,  until  everybody  was  in  bed.  He  put  out 
pickets  along  Penn  avenue,  and  up  and  down  the  streets,  to  keep  everbody 
from  going  on  the  railroad  property,  and  then  commenced  to  work,  and 
tore  up  the  track  and  relay.  That  could  have  been  done  before  the  Gov- 
ernor came. 

Q.  Could  the  trains  have  been  run. 

A.  I  think  so.  I  don't  think  there  would  have  been  any  disturbance  at 
all.  If  they  had  the  trains  there,  they  could  have  taken  them  out  without 
an}T  disturbance. 

Q.  In  your  opinion,  from  what  you  know,  would  there  have  been  any 
disturbance,  if  they  had  attempted  to  move  trains  on  Saturday  or  Sunday, 
when  the  Governor  was  here,  at  the  time  you  had  this  conference  with  the 
Governor  ? 

A.  I  think  there  would  have  been  no  disturbance — I  am  satisfied  that 
the  men  who  were,  designated  as  railroad  strikers,  regretted,  probably  as 
much  as  any  other  set  of  men,  the  destruction  of  the  railroad  property, 
and  probably  they  would  have  been  about  as  ready  as  any  other  men  to 
have  interferred  with  any  outside  people  annoying  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road Company  in  its  moving  trains.  They  might  not  have  gone  on  to  the 
locomotives  and  moved  them  themselves,  but  if  any  persons  could  have  been 
procured  to  take  out  the  trains,  I  don't  think  that  the  railroad  strikers 
would  have  interfered. 

Q.  Would  the  crowd  of  people  have  interfered  on  that  Saturda}r  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  they  would  have  interfered  on  that  Saturday — that  was 
about  a  week  after  the  riot. 

Q.  Did  I  understand  you  to  sa}r  you  appealed  to  the  Governor  not  to 
attempt  to  move  trains  on  that  Saturday  ? 

A.  Yes,  I  did. 
31  Riots. 


482  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Did  you  think  at  that  time  there  might  be  trouble? 
A.  I  think  so.     I  thought  it  was  wise  to  take  time,  and  do  nothing  until 
Monday. 

J.  Guy  McCandles,  sworn : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  present  at  the  firing  of  the  militia,  on  Sat- 
urday afternoon  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  Go  on  and  state  what  you  saw,  and  what  occurred. 

A.  I  was  there  the  whole  of  Saturday.  Went  up  Saturday  morning, 
and  was  there  during  the  day,  and  was  there  at  the  time  of  the  firing,  and 
when  the  Philadelphia  troops  came  up,  and  whenever  the  troops  came  up, 
the  crowd  increased  in  front  of  them  on  Twenty-eighth  street,  until  it  was 
very  dense,  and  there  was  a  company  deployed  across  the  street  to  push 
them  back.  They  marched  up  in  front,  with  arms  port,  and  marched  up 
against  the  crowd,  in  order  to  push  them  back,  but  it  was  too  dense,  they 
could  not  do  it.  They  retreated  back  a  step  or  two,  and  charged  bayonet. 
I  was  up  on  the  hill,  about  two  or  three  rods  up  on  the  hill,  so  that  I  could 
not  hear  any  orders  given  of  anything  of  that  kind — I  could  only  see  their 
movements.  I  could  see  all  their  movements  well.  They  attempted  to 
charge  bayonets,  walked  up  slowly,  got  nearer  and  closer  every  moment, 
until  the  bayonets  began  to  infringe  on  the  crowd.  Then  one  of  the  crowd 
got  hold  of  a  bayonet,  and  tried  to  pull  the  musket  from  the  soldier.  He 
jerked  it  from  him,  and  he  then  gave  him  a  sort  of  a  push,  and  knocked 
him,  I  do  not  know  which.  Right  immediately  back  of  them,  I  saw  a  man 
draw  out  a  pistol,  and  shoot  right  into  the  crowd.  At  the  same  time, 
there  was  two  or  three  other  pistol  shots  heard  at  different  points.  Al- 
most simultaneously,  we  had  a  scattering  fire  from  the  soldiery,  directed 
mostly  right  up  on  the  hill  towards  where  our  troops  were  lying. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  order  to  fire  given  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  How  close  were  you  ? 

A.  About  three  rods  off,  at  least.  I  could  not  have  heard  an  order  to 
fire.     There  was  a  good  deal  of  noise  and  confusion. 

Q.  How  many  were  wounded  in  the  conflict  ? 

A.  I  really  don't  know.  I  saw  about  fifteen  or  sixteen  that  were  wounded, 
around  on  the  hill  where  we  were  standing.  I  saw  about  that  man}*  there, 
There  was  one  of  the  soldiers  that  was  killed,  shot  through  the  head,  twenty 
or  thirty  feet  off,  and  when  I  went  to  him  he  was  dead — a  soldier  of  the 
]ST  ineteenth  regiment.  I  thought  it  was  one  of  our  own  men.  He  was  dead 
when  we  reached  him.  It  was  not  one  of  our  men,  but  the  Nineteenth 
regiment,  that  was  lying  on  our  right  and  front.  There  was  a  very  heavy 
volley  of  stones  thrown  into  the  soldiers  previous  to  the  fire. 

Q.  You  were  surgeon  of  the  Fourteenth  ? 

A.  1  was  surgeon  of  the  Fourteenth  regiment. 

Q.  It  was  commanded  by 

A.  Colonel  Gray. 
By  S  e  u  a  to  r  Y  u  tzy : 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  tins  soldier  was  killed  by  a  shot  fired  from 
the  mob  or  not  ? 

A.   It  was  not  a  pistol  shot,  I  know  that  from  the  character  of  the  wound. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  He  was  not  one  of  the  soldiers  who  put  the  mob  back? 

A.  No,  sir;  he  was  one  of  the  soldiers  on  the  hill.     They  were  facing 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  483 

towards  the  hill,  and  there  was  a  great  many  of  the  mob  that  were  there 
on  the  side  of  the  hill,  between  the  other  soldiers,  before  us  and  Twenty- 
eighth  street — a  dense  mass  of  them  there. 

Q.  Was  he  standing  in  his  command  ? 

A.  He  was  away  from  his  command.  He  was  not  exactly  in  the  crowd — 
the  crowd  was  below  him. 

Q.  He  was  not  with  his  command  ? 

A.  Was  not  standing  in  rank  at  the  time. 

Q.  How  far  away  from  his  command  ? 

A.  About  a  rod  from  where  the  command  was  at  the  time.  There  was 
one  or  two  companies  on  the  hill  in  the  same  line  with  the  others,  and  then 
two  or  more — three  rods  down,  in  front,  near  the  hospital  grounds.  Had 
he  been  down  with  his  command  he  would  not  have  been  shot — the  shoot- 
ing was  higher. 

Q.  Was  he  back  of  his  command  ? 

A.  As  I  say,  his  command  was,  at  the  time — some  of  the  companies  were — 
down  near  the  railroad  tracks,  and  there  was  a  couple  of  companies  up 
to  the  right  of  our  regiment,  three  rods  back  of  them  on  the  hill,  and  it  was 
between  two — he  was  just  between  the  two. 

Q.  Was  he  immediately  behind  any  particular  company,  close 

A.  He  was  some  little  distance  to  the  right. 

Q.  Was  he  a  non-commissioned  officer,  do  you  know  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  he  was  a  private. 

Doctor  John  S.  Dixon,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  273  Penn  avenue. 

Q.   Practicing  physician  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  for  ten  3'ears,  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  State  what  knowledge  you  have  of  the  riot,  and  what  was  done  to 
suppress  it  ? 

A.  The  first  part  I  took  in  any  suppressing  the  riot — on  Sunday  I  stayed 
at  home,  thought  I  might  be  needed,  and  that  that  was  the  best  place  for 
me.  When  it  got  so  bad,  and  the  Union  depot  had  been  fired,  I  thought 
it  was  my  duty  to  go  to  the  side  of  the  hill  to  see  what  I  could  do  there, 
and  somebody  proposed,  or  said,  that  as  the  grain  elevator  had  already 
been  set  afire,  that  the  next  would  be  the  Duquesne  depot,  and  Mr.  Bissell 
and  myself  and  some  others — quite  a  number  started.  I  think  he  and  I 
were  the  only  ones  of  our  party  that  got  there.  We  went  down  to  the 
Duquesne  depot,  and  met  a  few  persons  there  we  knew  and  a  great  many 
we  did  not  know.  I  do  not  know  who  was  in  sympathy  with  us  or  not. 
After  being  there  some  time,  and  trying  to  devise  means  of  preventing  the 
depot  from  being  fired,  if  an  attempt  was  made,  we  talked  of  getting  a 
cable,  and  shutting  off  the  leading  avenues  to  the  depot.  There  was  a  man 
rode  up  in  a  buggy  and  stated  there  was  an  attempt  to  fire  the  lower  end 
of  the  depot.  We  were  then  at  the  upper  end.  We  walked  down,  and 
there  was  a  party  examining  a  car.  I  went  up  and  looked  into  the  car, 
and  there  was  some  smoke  and  embers  there,  which  somebody  had  scat- 
tered before  I  got  there,  to  prevent  it  from  catching  fire.  There  was  a 
barrel  of  oil  rolled  under  the  car — I  do  not  know  for  what  purpose  it  was, 
I  suppose  to  set  fire  to  it,  and  there  was  one  man  in  particular  by  the  name 
of  David  Carney  or  Carter.  He  was  arrested  afterwards ;  he  was  ringleader. 
I  talked  to  him,  and  tried  to  persuade  him  not  to  do  anything  of  the  kind. 
He  said  he  had  been  up  all  day  at  the  fire  above,  and  that  he  was  one  of 


484  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

the  advance  to  set  fire  to  the  Duquesne  depot.  I  asked  him  were  he  was 
from.  He  told  me  he  was  first  an  engineer  on  the  Oil  City  railroad,  and 
then  he  said  he  was  from  Ohio,  then  he  told  me  he  was  from  Greene  count}'. 
He  was  so  drunk  and  so  excited  and  wild,  with  the  burning,  that  he  didn't 
know  what  he  was  talking  about.  He  was  bound  to  do  mischief,  and  we 
talked  to  him  one  after  the  other,  trying  to  persuade  him,  while  one  was 
holding  him  in  control,  and  the  party,  the  rest  of  the 'gentlemen,  were  in- 
terested in  protecting  the  depot.  They  talked  to  a  crowd,  trying  to  per- 
suade the  people  that  lived  there,  if  the  Duquesne  depot  was  fired,  the 
whole  lower  part  of  the  town  would  be  burned,  that  the  fire  department 
were  trying  to  save  property  on  Wilder  street  on  the  hill,  and  that  there 
would  be  several  squares  of  valuable  property  destroyed  if  this  depot  was 
set  on  fire,  as  it  is  a  mere  shell,  an  old  frame  building,  and  very  large.  This 
man  who  was  a  ringleader  of  them,  he  said  he  didn't  care  a  damn  ;  he  said 
that  the  property  holders  would  have  to  pay  for  it,  and  the  rich  would  have 
to  pay  for  it,  and  he  was  a  friend  of  the  workingman.  I  told  him  if  he 
would  burn  this  property  the  working  people,  so  many  of  them,  would  be 
burned  out  of  house  and  home.  He  said  there  would  good  come  of  it,  at 
any  rate,  and  that- he  was  bound  to  burn  that,  and  that  they  would  burn  the 
Connellsville  depot,  and  that  they  would  burn  the  bridges,  and  then  they 
didn't  care  a  damn  what  became  of  the  rest  of  the  town.  I  told  him  he 
had  better  not  do  that,  that  it  was  a  very  bad  thing  to  do.  Mr.  Bissell  told 
him,  to  try  and  keep  him  under  control,  that  he  Uad  sent  for  policemen. 
The  policemen,  came  and  I  made  information  against  him,  and  as  soon  as 
a  couple  of  policemen  nabbed  him  he  wilted  right  away.  He  was  very 
willing  to  be  marched  off  to  the  lock-up.  In  his  testimony  at  court,  he  said 
that  he  had  arrived  in  the  city  Saturday  afternoon,  at  two  o'clock,  from 
the  oil  regions,  that  he  had  been  working  that  summer  on  his  father's 
farm,  some  place  up  there,  I  have  forgotten  where  he  said — at  some  place, 
Parker,  Oil  Cit}' — had  been  working  there  during  the  summer,  and  heard 
there  was  going  to  be  some  fun  down  in  Harrisburg,  and  he  was  coming 
down  to  have  some  of  it,  and  that  he  had  gotten  drunk  and  didn't  know 
what  he  was  doing — that  was  according  to  his  own  testimony  in  the  crimi- 
nal court.  He  was  convicted,  I  believe,  for  something  like  four  j-ears,  that 
was  about  the  total  of  my  experience.     1  made  an  information  against  him. 

Q.  How  did  you  learn  his  name  ? 

A.  I  asked  his  name  at  the  time,  and  he  told  me.  He  gave  me  two  or 
three  names,  but  his  right  name  is  either  Carney  or  Carter.  He  gave  one 
four  or  five  days  afterwards,  at  municipal  hall,  and  at  first  he  denied  that 
he  was  the  man  at  all — he  never  had  seen  me.  Said  he  had  been  arrested 
on  the  south  side  for  drunkenness,  but  he  was  recognized  by  Bissell  and 
others,  and  he  owned  up  he  had  been  there.  His  name  is  Carney  alias 
Carter. 

Alexander  King,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 
Q.  Where  do  live? 
A.  Pittsburgh,  iSMneteenth  ward. 
Q.   What  is  your  business  here  ? 
A.  Merchant. 

0-  In  what  kind  of  mercantile  business  are  you  engaged  ? 
A.  In  glass  material.     I  am  not  doing  much  now — winding  up. 
Q.  Employ  a  large  number  of  men  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  we  have  only  two.  I  have  been  manufacturing  heretofore, 
and  have  had  quite  a  lot  of  them  in  a  glass  manufactory. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  485 

Q.  You  may  go  on  and  state  what  you  desire  to  on  the  subject  ? 

A.  I  noticed  a  few  days  ago,  in  an  evening  paper,  a  statement  made  by 
Sheriff  Fife,  or  said  to  have  been  by  him — of  course,  I  do  not  know,  I  only 
read  it  in  the  papers — that  I  had  offered  the  rioters  a  thousand  barrels  of 
flour. 

Q.  That  was  in  Sheriff  Fife's  statement  ? 

A.  You  gentlemen  know,  of  course,  what  he  did  say.  It  was  in  the 
evening  papers.  It  is  altogether  unfounded  ;  it  was  neither  flour  nor 
money,  nor  have  I  ever  offered  nor  paid  one  cent,  or  spoken  to  anybody 
on  the  subject.     It  is  utterly  without  foundation. 

Q.  What  you  desire  is  to  correct 

A.  Any  impression  of  that  kind. 

Q.  And  if  such  statements  were  made  by  the  crowd,  they  were  made 
without  authority  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Was  it  not  an  assertion  made  here  that  that  was  the  strikers  this 
side,  not  the  rioters  ? 

A.  The  strikers.  The  crowd  there  claimed  that  the  citizens  were  in 
sympathy  with  them,  and  the}r,  too,  had  offered  them  a  thousand  barrels 
of  flour.  I  think  that  was  mentioned  in  the  Chronicle.  I  should  just  say, 
1  had  never  seen  one  of  the  strikers  or  rioters  until  I  saw  one  of  them  in 
July — that  is  the  first  I  ever  saw  any  of  them. 

C.  L.  Jackson,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  ? 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  202  Juniata  street,  Allegheny. 

Q.  What  is  your  business? 

A.  Engineer  of  the  Fort  Wayne  railroad. 

Q.  Were  }rou  an  engineer  of  that  road  in  July  last? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  State,  Mr.  Jackson,  whether  you  had  any  knowledge  of  any  pre-ar- 
ranged plan  among  the  railroad  employes  to  strike  ? 

A.  I  had  not. 

Q.  Before  the  day  of  the  19th  of  July? 

A.  I  had  not.  The  first  time  I  heard  of  it  I  came  in  in  the  evening  at 
nine-twenty,  Friday  evening.  I  heard  that  they  were  stopping  the  trains 
from  coming  out. 

Q.  You  came  in  from  the  west  on  Friday  evening  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q,  That  was  the  first  you  knew  anything  about  it  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  know  an3rthing  about  the  organization  of  the  Trainmen's 
Union  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  For  what  class  of  employes  was  that  organized  ? 

A.  Brakesmen  and  firemen. 

Q.  Conductors  ? 

A.  Conductors. 

Q.  Engineers,  too  ? 

A.  Engineers,  I  think. 

Q.  What  was  the  purpose  and  object  of  that  union? 

A.  Indeed,  I  could  not  say. 

Q.  Were  you  connected  with  it  ? 


486  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Don't  belong  to  it  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Had  you  any  talk  with  men  that  did  belong  to  it  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  solicited  by  other  employes  to  join  it  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  was  asked  to  join  it. 

Q.  What  reasons  did  they  give — what  inducements  did  they  hold  out  for 
your  joining  it  ? 

A.  Indeed,  I  hardly  know  what  they  were. 

Q.  Who  asked  you  to  join  it  ? 

A.  Conductors. 

Q.  What  persons  ? 

A.  Indeed,  I  could  not  say. 

Q.  Conductors  asked  you  to  join  it? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  did  they  say  was  the  object  of  the  union  ? 

A.  They  did  not  say. 

Q.  Didn't  they  give  you  any  object? 

A.  Didn't  give  me  any  information. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Did  they  say  to  you  how  much  advantage  it  would  be  to  you  to  join 
it? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  it  secret  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  believe  it  was. 

Q.  You  know  how  extensive  it  was  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  do  not. 

Q.  Don't  you  know  how  many  lodges  there  were  organized  ? 

A.  Lodges  organized  all  over  the  county,  I  think. 

Q.  You  say  you  knew  nothing  of  any  pre-arranged  plan  for  a  strike  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  go  out  again  after  coming  in  on  Friday  night  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  until  after  it  was  settled. 

Q.  And  remained  in  the  city  of  Allegheny  all  the  time  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  I  was  over  Sunday  afternoon. 

Q.  Were  you  over  Saturday  to  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  came  over  Saturday  about  two-thirty,  or  near  two-thirty  to  three 
o'clock. 

Q.  Where  did  you  go  Friday  night  ? 

A.  During  the  night  I  stayed  in  about  two  squares  of  home — Washing- 
ton avenue,  there. 

Q.  With  the  crowd  ? 

A.  There  was  a  crowd  around  there.     There  was  not  very  many. 

Q.  What  class  of  men — railroad  employes  ? 

A.  There  was  very  few  railroad  men  there. 

Q.  What  were  you  staying  there  for  ? 

A.  I  thought  it  was  best  to  stay  there.  I  heard  of  the  trouble  over  in 
the  city  here,  and  I  thought  I  would  not  come  over,  and  that  the  best 
place  to  stay  was  at  home. 

Q.  You  were  not  at  home  ? 

A.  Within  two  squares  of  home. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  there  with  you  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187*7.  487 

A.  I  suppose  the  forepart  of  the  evening  there  was  a  good  many  men 
around  there. 

Q.  How  many  would  you  judge? 

A.  I  suppose  may  be  fifty  or  hundred  ;  but  they  scattered  away. 

Q.  All  railroad  men  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  What  other  men  were  there,  besides  railroad  employes  ? 

A.  There  was  men  that  lived  around  there. 

Q.  And  you  remained  there  all  night? 

A.  I  remained  there.  I  stayed  there  until  about  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning. 

Q.  What  was  the  object  of  that  meeting? 

A.  There  was  no  meeting. 

Q.  About  fifty  of  you  together.     Would  not  you  call  that  a  meeting  ? 

A.  There  was  only  two  or  three  of  us  at  seven  or  eight  o'clock. 

Q.  What  was  the  purposes  or  the  objects  of  the  coming  there  ? 

A.  The  men  were  just  waiting.     They  saw  the  fire  over  at  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Was  there  any  fire  Friday  night  ? 

A.  This  was  Saturday  night. 

Q.  Friday  night,  you  said  ? 

A.  I  went  right  home  Friday  night. 

Q.  And  stayed  at  home  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Then  it  was  Saturday  night  you  spoke  of  the  coming  there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Sunday  morning,  where  were  you  ? 

A.  I  did  not  get  up  at  all  until  about  ten  o'clock. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  come  over  to  the  depot  ? 

A.  I  came  over  about  half-past  two. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  at  Union  depot. 

A.  About  ten  or  fifteen  minutes. 

Q.  Did  you  come  up  to  Twenty-fifth  street  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Where  did  you  go  from  Union  depot  ? 

A.  I  came  down  Smithfield  street,  and  went  over  the  bridge  to  Alle- 
gheny again. 

Q.  You  remained  with  this  crowd  until  two  o'clock,  that  you  have  spo- 
ken of? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  were  you  during  the  day  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  Sunday  night  came  over  to  the  city,  between  one  and  two  o'clock  on 
Sunday. 

Q.  Go  up  to  the  ground  ? 

A.  I  was  over  at  the  Union  depot.     I  was  up  on  the  hill  side. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  engaged  in  burning  and  plundering  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know.     I  could  see  eighteen  or  twenty  in  the  crowd. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  railroad  men  among  them  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  a  railroad  man. 

Q.  Did  you  know  any  of  the  men  ? 

A.  I  know  some  of  them. 

Q.  Who  were  they  ? 

A.  I  thought  you  asked  me  if  I  knew  any  of  the  railroad  men — no,  I  did 
not  know  the  men  there. 

Q.  Did  you  know  any  of  the  men  you  saw  there  ? 

A.  No. 


488  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  How  long  have  you  been  working  on  the  railroad  ? 

A.  About  seventeen  years. 

Q.  Then  you  knew  most  of  the  men  who  were  working  on  railroads 
leading  out  of  Pittsburgh,  did  you  not  ? 

A.  I  did  not  know  a  very  few  of  them,  except  on  our  own  road. 

Q.  Except  on  the  Fort  Wayne  road  ? 

A.  I  have  stopped  right  there. 

Q.  You  know  nothing  of  any  pre-arranged  plan  among  the  men  for  a 
strike  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not. 

Q.  You  belong  to  the  Engineers'  Brotherhood  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  anything  talked  of  in  that  organization  of  strikes  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  there  was  not. 

Q.  Was  there  anything  communicated  from  the  Trainmen's  Union  to  the 
Engineers'  Brotherhood  of  a  strike? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  If  you  know  anything  of  the  origin  or  the  cause  of  the  strike,  I  wish 
you  to  state  it  to  us  full}7  ? 

A.  All  I  know  about  it,  is  the  reduction  of  the  wages  ten  per  cent. 

Q.  That  you  think  was  the  cause  of  it  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  any  order  on  the  Fort  Wayne  road  for  running  double- 
headers  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Then  the  only  thing  that  they  had  to  complain  of  on  the  Fort  Wayne 
and  Chicago  road,  was  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction,  was  it  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  When  did  that  take  effect? 

A.  I  think  it  was  on  the  1st  of  July.     I  could  not  say  certain. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Was  there  a  necessity  to  run  double-headers  on  the  Fort  Wayne  and 
Chicago  road,  if  they  want  to  do  it  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know.     I  guess  there  is  about  as  much  necessity  as  there  is 
on  the  Central  road,  if  they  wanted  to  do  it. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Are  double-headers  used  as  a  general  thing  where  there  are  heavy 
grades  ? 

A.  Not  on  our  road,  there  ain't. 

Q.  You  have  no  very  heavy  grades  on  the  Fort  Wayne  road  ? 

A.  We  pull  seventeen  cars  as  our  load. 

Q.  Don't  you  know,  as  a  railroad  man,  that  double-headers  are  used  gen- 
erally on  heavy  grades,  if  at  all  ? 

A.  I  know  they  are  used  on  the  Pennsylvania  road. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Were  there  any  other  complaints  or  grievances  by  the  men  of  that 
road? 

A.  Indeed,  I  can't  say  that  there  was. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  heard  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Is  there  any  other  secret  organization  of  railroad  men,  besides  the 
Engineers'  Brotherhood,  that  you  know  of? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Are  you  at  liberty  to  state  the  object  of  the  Engineers'  Brotherhood  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  489 

A.  It  is  a  more  beneficial  thing  than  anything  else. 

Q.  The  object  of  that  association  is  not  to  control  railroad  companies, 
is  it? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Simply  for  their  own  benefit  ? 

A.  Benefit ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  During  the  trouble  at  the  outer  depot,  or  on  the  Fort  Wayne,  did  3*011 
know  of  an}*  armed  force  of  railroad  men  that  were  prepared  to  protect 
any  trains  from  coming  into  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  that  had  troops  on  ? 

A.  I  know  there  was  a  lot  of  them  went  to  get  some  guns.  Went  down 
to  the  lower  end  of  the  yard. 

Q.  Railroad  men  ? 

A.  I  could  say  I  did  not  see  that.  I  saw  a  crowd  about  two  squares 
off  from  our  house.  I  could  see  them  move  down  the  track.  I  under- 
stood afterwards  that  was  who  they  were. 

Q.  In  your  conversation  with  railroad  men  of  the  Pennsylvania  Cen- 
tral, did  you  learn  what  their  grievances  were? 

A.  No ;  not  particularly. 

Q.  Did  they  not  complain  of  double-headers  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  believe  there  was  a  complaint  of  double-headers. 

Q.  Anything  else  ? 

A.  Indeed,  I  could  not  saj  that  there  was. 

Q.  On  your  road  it  was  on  account  of  reduction  of  wages,  was  it,  that 
they  struck  ? 

A.  I  think  that  is  what  it  was. 

Q.  Are  you  acquainted  with  Bob  Ammon  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  D:.d  you  receive  any  orders  from  him? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  During  the  strike  ? 

A.  Never  saw  him  during  the  strike. 

Q.  Did  you  assist  the  railroad  men  in  protecting  the  property  of  the 
company  ? 

A.  I  did,  sir. 

Q.  Help  to  guard  it  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Against  the  mob  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  thei-e  any  violence  used  to  prevent  the  running  of  trains  that 
you  know  of? 

A.  Not  as  I  know  of. 

Q.  No  threats  made  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  didn't  hear  any. 

Q.  Were  you  on  duty  during  the  riots — were  you  at  work,  or  did  you 
run  your  engines  during  the  troubles  ? 

A.  J  would  if  they  had  wanted  me  to. 

Q.  If  the  company  wanted  you  to? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  assist  the  strikers  in  running  the  cars  down  out  of  danger  ? 

A.  I  was  over  at  the  city  the  afternoon  they  were  taken  out. 

Q.  Take  any  of  the  cars  out  yourself? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  run  any  engine  during  that  time — from  Thursday  until 
Monday  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 


490  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Were  you  called  on  by  the  railroad  officials  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Or  by  Bob  Aramon  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  are  still  in  the  employment  of  the  road  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  until  three  o'clock,  this  afternoon. 


Pittsburgh,  Saturday,  February  23,  1878. 

The  committee  met  at  three  o'clock,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  Mr.  Lind- 
sey  in  the  chair.     All  members  present. 

William  W.  Thompson,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  3rou  reside  ? 

A.  Fourth  ward,  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  business? 

A.  Attorney. 

Q.  State,  Mr.  Thompson,  what  knowledge  you  have  of  the  riots  and 
means  taken  to  suppress — 1  do  not  know  the  fact  that  you  are  called  to 
prove  particularly,  but  go  on  and  state  it? 

A.  I  just  say  this:  That  during  the  time  of  the  riots,  I  was  chairman 
of  the  police  committee  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  and  that  on  the  evening 
of  Saturday,  the  21st  of  July,  I  was  up  at  city  hall.  The  mayor  had  called 
a  special  meeting  in  order  to  enable  him  to  employ  additional  police,  and 
he  employed  the  policemen  round  about  the  city  hall  at  that  time  to  de- 
liver the  notices,  and  we  had  a  meeting  on  Sunday  morning,  at  ten  o'clock, 
and  authorized  the  mayor  to  employ  as  many  additional  policemen  as  he 
deemed  necessary  for  the  emergency.  That  was  all  that  the  police  com- 
mittee had  authority  to  stop. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  meeting  ? 

A.  On  Sundajr,  the  22d  of  July,  at  ten  o'clock. 

Q.  You  then  authorized  him  to  employ  as  many  police  as  he  deemed 
necessary  ? 

A.  Yes;  for  the  emergency  that  was  all  we  could  do.  Afterwards  that 
evening  I  was  at  city  hall,  and  Colonel  Howard — I  do  not  remember  the 
number  of  his  regiment 

Q.  The  Nineteenth,  I  believe? 

A.  I  think  it  was  the  Nineteenth — asked  me  to  call  a  meeting  of  the 
councils.  At  that  time,  on  account  of  the  absence  of  Negley,  I  was  presi- 
dent of  common  council,  and  at  his  instance  I  called  a  meeting  of  the  com- 
mon council,  and  also  issued  a  call,  in  the  name  of  Mr.  Aiken,  president  of 
the  select  council,  for  a  meeting  of  the  select  council  the  next  morning  at 
ten  o'clock,  for  the  meeting  to  authorize  the  payment  of  any  expenses  that 
might  be  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  suppressing  the  riot.  We  had  a 
meeting  next  morning,  at  ten  o'clock,  and  authorized  the  payment  of  what- 
ever expenses  were  necessary  for  that  purpose. 

Q.  Did  the  mayor  increase  his  police  force  after  that,  to  your  knowledge  ? 

A.  I  know  before  that  time  the  policemen  had  been  reduced,  on  account  of 
want  of  appropriation — had  been  reduced  one  half — and  he  sent  out  notices 
for  all  the  discharged  policemen  to  come  in  and  be  sworn  in  as  additional 
policemen.     That  was  Saturday,  and  on  Sunday  morning  there  were  some 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  491 

of  them  there,  but  not  many  of  them.  There  were  a  good  manjr  of  the  po- 
lice refused  to  serve  on  account  of  being  employed  for  an  emergency. 
The}-  said  if  they  were  to  be  employed  for  the  balance  of  the  year  they 
would  serve,  but  if  they  were  to  be  employed  for  a  few  days,  to  go  into  this 
fight,  they  would  not  act.  That  evening — that  Sunday  evening — there 
were  several  residents  down  in  the  Fourth  ward,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Duquesne  depot,  employed  a  force  to  guard  the  Duquesne  depot  there 
that  night.  It  was  said  there  was  going  to  be  an  attack  on  it,  and  they 
had  a  guard  around  it  to  protect  it  that  night — to  prevent  the  rioters  from 
setting  it  on  fire.  There  were  two  men  arrested  for  making  an  attempt  to 
burn  it.  I  believe  they  were  tried  and  convicted  afterwards  for  attempted 
arson. 

Q.  Was  there  any  disposition  on  the  part  of  either  branch  to  employ  all 
the  force  required  in  the  city  to  suppress  the  riot  ? 

A.  That  whole  matter  rested  with  the  police  committee,  and  the  vote  of 
the  police  committee  was  unanimous  authorizing  the  mayor  to  employ  as 
many  men  as  he  deemed  necessary.  There  was  no  opposition.  We  held  a 
joint  session  Monday  morning  for  the  purpose  of  authorizing  the  payment 
of  all  expenses  necessary  for  that  purpose.  My  recollection  for  that  pur- 
pose has  been  paid  without  any  objection  that  I  know  of. 

E.  P.  Jones,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside? 

A.  In  the  Thirteenth  ward,  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Attorney. 

Q.  I  do  not  know  the  fact  you  are  called  upon  to  prove,  but  if  you  will 
just  go  on  and  state  it 

A.  I  hardly  know  myself.  I  saw  a  good  deal  of  the  riot,  but  I  think 
some  one  mentioned  to  me  that  it  was  with  reference  to  the  circumstances 
that  I  saw  Saturday  night.  I  rode  past  the  round-house  between  nine  and 
ten  o'clock,  on  Saturday  night. 

Q.  What  time  ? 

A.  Between  nine  and  ten  o'clock.  When  I  got  to  the  round-house,  and 
was  just  passing  it,  there  was  a  two  horse  carriage  drove  up.  It  stopped, 
or  was  stopped,  just  when  I  was  there,  and  they  had  something  in  the  car- 
riage that  they  delivered  to  the  crowd,  taking  the  articles  from  under  the 
seats,  and  as  soon  as  they  delivered  them  to  the  crowd,  the  whole  crowd 
burst  in  one  applause  and  hurrah.  I  presume,  too,  without  knowing  the  fact — 
I  did  not  see  the  articles — but  I  thought  they  were  ammunition  and  arms. 
I  went  on,  after  that.  There  was  a  great  crowd  of  people  there,  and  I 
rode  by  way  of  Liberty  street  from  that  point  down  to  the  depot.  Every 
avenue  leading  on  Liberty  street,  and  to  the  round-house,  were  crowded 
with  people  going  that  way.  They  were  all  in  a  great  hurry. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  You  did  not  see  what  was  in  the  carriage  ? 

A.  No ;  I  could  not  say  that  I  saw  the  articles,  positively.  I  happened 
to  mention  that  circumstance,  and  some  one 

Q.  Did  you  hear  in  the  crowd  anything  expressive  of  what  it  was? 

A.  Nothing  but  applause.  They  received  whatever  there  was  there, 
with  great  applause  and  excitement.     I  saw  the  burning  on  Sunday. 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  drove  the  carriage  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  the  driver  was  sitting  up  in  one  of  those  high  sitting  car- 


492  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

riages — a  two  horse  carriage.     It  stopped  right  at  the  round-house,  in  the 
midst  of  the  crowd,  and  the  articles,  whatever  they  were,  were  delivered. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  know  the  carriage  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  it  appeared  to  be  a  hired  carriage.     I  am  satisfied  of  that. 

Q.  Belonging  to 

A.  I  would  take  it  that  it  was  one  of  those  livery  stable  rigs. 

Q.  A  hack? 

A.  Yes,  one  of  those  carriages.     It  was  not  a  private  carriage.     I  do 
not  know  any  other  facts. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Where  were  you  during  Sunday,  during  the  burning  of  the  property 
there  and  rioting  ? 

A.  I  was  on  the  hill — I  was  on  Grant  street,  and  different  places  during 
the  day.  Went  to  church  in  the  morning,  and  then  in  the  afternoon  I  was 
among  the  rioters. 

Q.  Were  you  near  the  scene  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  kind  of  people  appeared  to  be  engaged  in  this  riot  ? 

A.  They  appeared  to  be  foreigners,  and  I  must  say  that  looking  at  them, 
and  being  among  them,  I  could  not  recognize  one  face. 

Q.  You  speak  of  foreigners.     You  mean  not  living  in  this  vicinity  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  and  I  saw  some  Germans,  but  the  burners  were  Irish — a 
few  negroes,  but  very  few. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  many  of  those  people  ? 

A.  Yes;  talked  with  them  some. 

Q.  Did  you  remonstrate  with  any  of  them  for  the  rioting  ? 

A.  Yes ;  talked  of  the  impropriety  of  what  they  were  doing.  I  was 
stationed  at  the  last  part  of  the  riot  at  Grant  street,  when  the  elevator  was 
burning.  There  were  a  great  many  there.  I  had  some  talk  with  people 
there.     I  was  struck  by  one — it  was  an  Irishman  that  struck  me. 

Q.  How  did  it  happen — how  did  he  come  to  strike  you  ? 

A.  I  was  just  in  the  street  there,  and  he  struck  me. 

Q,.  Without  any  provocation? 

A.  Without  any  provocation  at  all. 

Q.  What  did  he  say  ? 

A.  He  damned  me. 

Q.  Give  any  reasons  for  striking  you  ? 

A.  No  reasons  at  all. 

Q.  Was  it  for  remonstrating  with  him  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  was  not  talking  with  him.  I  was  standing  in  the  street,  talk- 
ing to  another  man,  and  he  came  along,  and  I  believe  he  jostled  against 
somebody,  and  his  hat  went  off,  and  I  heai'd  him  command  some  one  to 
take  up  his  hat,  and  I  paid  no  attention  to  it.  The  gent  I  was  talking  to, 
said  we  had  better  get  away  from  here.  He  stepped  in  the  street  and  went 
away,  and  this  fellow  made  a  pitch  at  me,  and  struck  me. 

Q.  Without  assigning  any  reason? 

A.  He  says,  "  Damn  you,  pick  up  that  hat,  or  I  will  make  you  do  it." 

Q.  Did  you  pick  it  up  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  did  not.  After  he  struck  me,  I  knocked  him  down,  and  kicked 
him  twice.  I  struck  him.  Knocked  him  down,  and  kicked  him  twice,  and 
wheeled  right  in  the  crowd  and  remained  there,  and  did  not  go  away. 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  493 

Henry  Warner,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  your  residence  ? 

A.  Allegheny  City. 

Q.  And  official  position  ? 

A.  Comptroller  of  Allegheny  City. 

Q.  You  may  just  go  on  and  state  the  facts. 

A.  My  testimony  will  bear  entirely  on  the  restoration  of  order  and  clos- 
ing scenes  of  the  riot.  I  will  state  that  on  Saturday,  the  day  the  riot  broke 
out,  I  left  my  office  here,  at  fifteen  minutes  after  five  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, and  took  the  train  to  a  place  I  was  boarding  at,  in  the  country,  with 
my  family.  I  did  not  hear  before  I  left  the  office,  nor  hear  on  the  train, 
one  word  of  any  disturbance  that  had  taken  place  on  the  Pennsylvania 
railroad.  I  knew  that  there  had  been  a  strike.  I  knew  that  the  trains 
were  prevented  from  running  by  the  strikers,  but  I  did  not  know  of  any 
overt  act  of  violence  having  been  committed,  either  by  the  public  authori- 
ties or  the  strikers.  There  is  no  telegraphic  communication  with  the  place 
I  was  boarding  at,  and  on  Sabbath  day,  late  in  the  day,  rumors  commenced 
to  circulate  throughout  the  country  of  the  scenes  that  were  occurring  in 
the  city,  and  when  the  night  was  pretty  far  advanced,  the  light  from  the 
burning  could  be  seen  at  that  distance,  over  twelve  miles — the  glare  in  the 
sky.  1  made  arrangements  with  some  persons,  thinking  that,  probably, 
the  train  might  be  detained  at  Little  Washington,  and  not  come  in.  I 
made  arrangements  to  come  with  some  other  gentlemen  by  private  convey- 
ance, but  the  train  came  along  that  day,  and  I  arrived  at  my  office  on  Mon- 
day at  half  past  eight  o'clock.  The  first  message  I  received  was  from 
Mayor  McCarthy  to  come  to  his  office  without  delay,  and  I  took  one  of 
the  county  commissioners  and  started  for  his  office.  I  had  no  opportunity 
of  learning  the  extent  of  the  disaster  that  had  occurred.  I  met  him  on 
the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Smithfield.  He  appeared  to  me  to  have  been  com- 
ing up  in  this  direction.  As  soon  as  he  saw  me,  he  hallooed  me,  and  said 
that  the  Philadelphia  military  had  been  driven  from  the  city,  and  had 
taken  refuge  at  the  Allegheny  county  work-house,  and  the  authorities  had 
refused  to  provide  them  with  victuals,  and  requested  me  to  order  the  au- 
thorities at  the  work-house  to  provide  the  soldiers  with  something  to  eat. 
Mr.  Begard  and  1 — Mr.  Begard  is  the  county  commissioner — started  for 
the  Western  Union  telegraph  office,  and  at  my  request,  the  telegraph  com- 
pany put  one  of  their  lines — gave  me  the  use  of  one  of  their  lines  to  com- 
municate as  long  and  much  as  I  wished.  The  nearest  telegraph  station  to 
the  work-house  was  a  mile  and  a  half  away  from  the  work-house.  The 
operator  tried  his  line,  and  found  that  they  were  down,  and  reported  the 
fact,  and  stated,  that  probably  if  I  would  go  to  Allegheny  City,  and  the 
West  Penn  station,  that  probably  I  would  get  communication  there.  I 
went  over  to  the  West  Penn  station,  and  the  proprietor  there  tried  the 
lines  also,  and  his  lines  were  down — could  not  get  any  communication. 
He  then  advised  me  to  go  to  the  transfer  station  of  the  West  Penn.  rail- 
road, about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  out,  and  probably  I  could  get  com- 
munication there.  When  I  went  out  there,  we  got  telegraphic  communica- 
tion, and  discovered  that  the  soldiers  were  all  loaded  on  cars,  and  were 
then  on  their  way  to  Blairsville.  On  my  return  to  the  Allegheny  depot, 
I  met  one  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Philadelphia  command,  who  had  strag- 
gled away  from  his  regiment,  and  who  was  in  citizen's  dress.  Some  citi- 
zens called  my  attention  to  the  man,  and  said  that  he  was  eager  for  pro- 
tection, that  he  was  in  fear  of  personal  danger,  and  they  requested  that  I 
would  take  charge  of  him  and  do  something  for  him.     I  told  him  the  cir- 


494  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

en  instances,  where  his  command  had  been  shipped  to,  and  went  to  one  of 
the  officials  of  the  West  Perm,  railroad,  and  got  him  transportation  on  the 
first  line  that  left  the  depot.  I  took  a  card  out  of  my  pocket,  and  directed 
it  to  the  commanding  officer,  requesting  him  to  come  back  with  his  com- 
mand to  the  work-house,  and  that  he  would  be  provisioned  there  and  be 
taken  care  of.  I  don't  know  whether  that  note  ever  reached  the  command- 
ing officer  or  not.  It  certainly  had  no  effect.  That  and  the  meeting  of 
the  committee  of  safety,  in  Pittsburgh,  on  Monday  afternoon,  in  which 
they  requested  the  prompt  cooperation  of  the  county  authorities,  and  es- 
pecially the  use  of  the  means  under  our  control,  and  restore  order,  was  my 
first  day's  work.  On  Tuesday,  at  the  request  of  the  committee  of  public 
safety,  I  went  to  Colonel  Rowe,  superintendent  Western  Union  Telegraph 
Company,  and  requested  him  to  send  a  man  to  Claremont  to  put  the  work- 
house in  telegraphic  communication  with  the  city,  as  there  were  very  seri- 
ous rumors  prevailing  that  the  coopers,  who  were  much  opposed,  in  this 
vicinity,  to  prison  labor,  were  about  to  assault  the  work-house,  and  proba- 
bly destroy  it.  Colonel  Rowe  did  so.  He  sent  his  men  there,  and  in  less 
than  two  hours  I  had  a  dispatch  from  the  superintendent  of  the  work- 
house. The  dispatch  was  to  the  effect  that  I  should  send  him  out  arms 
and  ammunition.  Senator  McNeil  was  then  in  the  city,  and  he  and  I  got 
a  buggy,  and  went  out  to  the  arsenal,  stated  our  case  to  the  commandant 
of  the  Allegheny  arsenal,  and  he  told  us  he  had  authority  to  issue  five  hun- 
dred stand  of  arms  from  the  Secretary  of  War — authority  from  the  Secre- 
tary of  War  to  issue  five  hundred  stand  of  arms  to  the  mayor  of  Alle- 
gheny City.  As  the  mayor  of  Allegheny  had  only  drawn  four  hundred, 
he  had  one  hundred  left,  and  suggested  that  we  should  get  an  order  for  the 
balance.  We  took  a  flour  wagon  over  to  the  arsenal.  The  mayor  of  Al- 
legheny told  McNeil,  and  some  citizens  also  told  us,  that  we  could  not  pos- 
sibly get  away  from  the  arsenal  with  arms  and  ammunition,  as  we  should 
be  watched,  and  that  all  avenues  leading  to  and  from  the  city  were  care- 
fulty  guarded  by  the  rioters.  We  got  one  hundred  stand  of  arms  from  the 
arsenal,  five  thousand  rounds  of  ammunition,  and  loaded  it  in  our  flour 
wagon,  and,  with  a  single  driver,  and  McNeil  and  myself  in  the  buggy,  took 
them  to  the  Allegheny  work-house,  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  by  country 
roads.  We  were  not  misled  nor  questioned  by  any  person.  At  the  time 
we  left  the  arsenal,  the  commandant  showed  us  out  a  private  entrance.  I 
might  state  here  that  the  superintendent  of  the  work-house  proposed  to 
defend  that  institution  with  the  employes  of  the  institution,  and  with  some 
trusty  criminals  that  he  had  in  charge.  He  thought  that  if  he  had  the 
arms  and  ammunition  he  would  be  perfectly  safe.  We  remained  all  night 
at  the  work-house,  and  on  Wednesday  morning  instructed  the  sheriff  of 
the  county — the  county  commissioner  and  myself,  instructed  the  sheriff  of 
the  count3r,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  railroad  officials  had  appeared  to 
have  abandoned  their  property  entirely,  to  immediately  throw  a  guard  of 
men  of  not  less  than  one  hundred  around  all  the  burned  district  to  pro- 
tect what  remaining  property  was  on  the  ground,  scrap  iron,  &c,  and 
it  was  rumored  that  a  car  load  of  bullion  had  been  melted  and  run  into 
the  de'bris,  and  the  sheriff  immediately  did  so.  We  also  called  into 
our  aid — although  we  were  advised  that  it  was  out  of  our  jurisdiction — 
that  is,  there  appeared  to  be  no  person  to  undertake  these  things — we 
called  into  our  aid  the  county  detective,  and  instructed  him  to  employ 
as  many  detectives,  and  as  many  wagons  as  he  could  possibty  use,  and 
to  hunt  for  and  restore  the  stolen  property  that  had  been  taken  away, 
and  l<>  bring  it  to  a  warehouse  that  we  rented  on  Liberty  street —  a  large 
warehouse  for  the  purpose,  and  also  put  notices — had  notices  inserted  in 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  495 

all  the  papers,  morning  and  evening,  directing  any  persons  who  had  any 
property  in  their  possession  that  had  been  taken  during  the  riot  to  deliver 
it  to  those  detectives,  or  at  that  warehouse.  A  very  large  amount  of  prop- 
erty was  recovered — property  of  all  descriptions,  and  under  an  arrange- 
ment with  the  officials  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company, as  this  prop- 
erty was  nearly  all  theirs  and  taken  from  their  cars,  they  were  delivered 
over  to  the  officials  of  the  railroad  company,  and  their  receipts  were  taken 
for  the  same.  That  covers  a  period  of  probably  two  weeks,  and  various 
instances  happened  in  regard  to  that  property  that  would  scarcely  be  nec- 
essary for  me  to  repeat.  Some  of  them  were  very  curious.  A  great  deal 
of  the  property  was  voluntarily  brought  back,  and  the  excuse  was  given 
that,  as  it  seemed  to  be  a  general  thing,  and  as  every  person  was  taking 
property,  thought  that  that  property,  a  barrel  of  flour,  or  a  ham,  or  box  of 
cigars,  or  whatever  it  may  be,  might  as  well  be  taken  by  them  as  be  lost.  I 
had  a  conversation  with  the  president  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company 
a  few  days  after  that — Colonel  Thomas  A.  Scott — and  an  arrangement  was 
entered  into  in  regard  to  those  losses — in  regard  to  an  account  being  taken 
of  them,  and  to  have  them  as  definitely  settled  as  possible.  The  county 
commissioners  and  myself  appointed  a  commission,  composed  of  the  fire 
marshal  of  Allegheny  county,  and  Robert  Thorn,  an  experienced  insurance 
adjuster,  and  Mr.  Trimble,  an  experienced  carpenter,  to  go  upon  the  ground 
and  thoroughly  investigate  any  claims  for  loss  or  damage,  which  they  did, 
and  I  have  in  my  office  now  over  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  adjusted 
claims ;  that  is,  claims  that  were  settled — the  amount  settled  by  this  com- 
mission. Colonel  Scott  was  to  investigate  the  losses  of  freights,  which 
would  take  a  very  considerable  time,  and  obtain  such  proofs  as  were  in  the 
possession  of  the  railroad  company  in  regard  to  the  losses ;  and  the  esti- 
mated value  of  the  goods  that  were  returned  to  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company  could  not  have  been  much  short  of  sixty  thousand  dollars,  at  first 
cost — the  cost  to  the  owners.  They  were  disposed  of  by  auction,  many  of 
them  being  broken  packages,  and  much  of  the  goods  being  such  as  would 
spoil  by  being  kept  on  hand.  We  also  appointed  a  commission,  composed  of 
three  experienced  locomotive  and  car  builders,  to  go  upon  the  ground  and 
carefully  estimate  the  damage  that  was  done  to  locomotives  and  cars.  I 
have  also  that  l'eport  on  file  in  my  office ;  and  after  a  period  of  about  four 
weeks  we  suspended,  as  the  civil  officers — as  the  financial  officers  really 
had  no  jurisdiction  in  those  matters — suspended  all  operations  in  that  line, 
and  handed  it  over  to  the  civil  authorities  of  the  county.  I  may  say  here, 
in  addition  to  that,  that  we  considered,  as  financial  officers  of  the  county, 
that  no  expense  should  be  spared  nor  efforts  spared  to  make  restitution, 
and  return  all  the  property  it  was  possible  to  get  hold  of.  A  great  deal  of 
property  was  returned  to  private  individuals,  besides  that  that  was  returned 
to  the  railroad  company. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  was  the  amount  of  losses  adjusted  by  the  two  commissions? 

A.  The  amount  that  was  adjusted  of  strictly  private  property,  that  has 
been  finished  by  the  fire  marshall's  commission,  as  we  call  it,  has  been 
fixed  at  about  $160,000,  in  round  figures.  The  locomotive  engineers'  re- 
port  

By  Senator  Rej'burn  : 

Q.  Let  me  understand.  What  do  }Tou  mean  by  strickly  private  property, 
does  that  include  furniture  ? 

A.  No  ;  that  includes  houses  that  were  burned,  and  furniture  destroyed. 

Q.  Any  railroad  property  ? 

A.  Xo  railroad  property.     I  will  also  state  that  there  was  some  claims 


496  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

of  that  nature,  that  the  parties  who  had  the  claims  refused  to  present  them 
to  the  commission,  and  have  them  adjusted  by  the  commission.  A  notable 
instance  of  that  kind  is  the  Pittsburgh  elevator.  Their  claim  for  loss  is 
above,  I  believe,  $200,000,  alone.  Some  person  will  come  along  with  a 
claim  for  a  suit  of  clothes,  or  something  of  that  kind,  that  was  lost  in  a 
hotel,  or  in  some  house.  The  commissions  reported  in  regard  to  locomo- 
tive property — railroad  property.  I  considered  it  private,  and  have  not 
given  the  figures  to  the  public. 

Q.  Have  you  any  estimate  of  the  loss  of  freight  ? 

A.  We  have  no  authentic  estimate.  I  wrote  to  Colonel  Scott  in  regard 
to  that  before  I  published  my  annual  report,  and  got  no  reply,  but  I  un- 
derstood that  the  matter  was  in  the  hands  of  a  gentleman  in  Altoona,  who 
had  not  got  through  with  it.  I  want  to  impress  the  committee  with  the 
fact  that  every  effort  was  made  to  make  restitution. 

James  Little,  sworn: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside? 

A.  Twenty-first  ward,  city  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q,  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Wholesale  liquor. 

Q.  1  believe  you  are  called  to  give  us  some  information  as  to  what  was 
done  to  suppress  the  riot  on  Sunday  night  ? 

A.  The  trouble  is  to  know  where  to  begin  and  not  detain  you  with  un- 
necessary ideas.  I  came  in  on  Sabbath  morning,  when  I  heard  of  it.  As 
I  came  down  street,  William  Smith,  the  pipeman,  proposed  we  would  hold 
a  meeting,  and  I  went  down  street,  and  as  I  went  down  every  prominent 
man  I  met  I  announced  it  to  them,  and  went  on  down  at  the  meeting — 
down  at  the  old  market-house. 

Q.  Citizens' meeting? 

A.  Citizens'  meeting,  Sunday.  When  the  meeting  was  called  to  order, 
James  Parke  was  called  to  the  chair,  and  he  assumed  to  run  the  whole 
meeting.  He  didn't  want  any  one  else  to  speak  but  himself,  and  he  had 
been  managing  the  strikers  for  twenty-five  years,  and  cut  me  out  entirely, 
and  I  felt,  perhaps,  a  little  personal  disgust  with  how  it  was  managed.  I 
went  up  to  the  depot.  Citizens  came  to  me  and  pleaded  with  me  to  take 
part.  I  went  among  the  railroad  men  I  knew,  and  asked,  Where  are  the 
leaders — where  is  the  man  that  has  this  thing  in  charge,  where  can  we  go 
to  get  parties  to  prevail  on  them  to  stop  ?  They  would  say,  That  man  over 
there,  pointing  to  some  man  ;  and  the  first  answer  he  would  give  would  be 
a  rebuff",  very  harsh  generally.  I  would  tell  them,  That  is  no  use — I  don't 
want  to  be  treated  in  that  way.  This  thing  is  disgracing  and  injuring  you 
and  all  of  us.  I  treated  them  as  railroad  men.  Railroad  men  would  send 
me  to  those  parties.  They  were  invariably  strangers.  Those  that  took 
command  were  men  that  were  not  known  here — that  is,  gave  the  hints  to 
stand  along  and  managed  the  guards  that  were  keeping  the  citizens  back 
that  were  interfering  with  them  firing  the  cars. 

Q.  Railroad  men  seemed  to  know  who  they  were? 

A.  Railroad  men  knew  who  they  were.  At  first  they  denied  me  any 
conversation,  then  I  would  get  and  talk  with  them,  and  after  awhile  they 
would  say.  So  far  as  I  am  concerned  we  will  consent  to  have  the  thing 
stopped.  Then  here  was  a  crowd  that  I  did  see  some  among — I  knew  the 
faces  of  a  large  number — that  would  not  permit  the  fire  to  stop.  Told 
them  to  burn,  apparently,  through  spite  they  had  of  the  employers.  About 
the  time  the  fire  got  round  to  Seventh  street,  the}-  had  exhausted  the  line 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18T7.  497 

of  railroad  there — it  goes  into  the  tunnel — and  we  heard  the  remark,  "Xow 
for  the  point  depot."  They  were  quite  drunk.  There  was  a  car  of  whis- 
ky behind  the  elevator — they  had  broken  open  the  car — high  wines — and 
it  was  perhaps  the  saving  of  any  further  destruction — had  made  them  dead 
drunk.  We  gathered  up  five  or  six  and  started  with  them,  explaining  to 
them  what  districts  would  be  burned,  if  they  didn't  furnish  assistance. 
One  or  two  men  set  fire  to  cars  and  in  a  short  time  we  prevailed  on  the 
citizens.  I  made  a  speech  on  a  barrel,  and  we  found  we  had  backing  enough 
to  call  in  the  police  officers  and  have  one  of  the  men  arrested,  and  to  stop 
the  riot  there.  They  made  declarations  that  have  come  before  the  courts 
here — that  the  attorney  who  has  been  attending  to  these  courts  will  recol- 
lect— how  they  were  going  to  proceed  to  burn  the  railroad  property  on  the 
south  side. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  these  men  tell  you  how  they  were  going  to  proceed  ? 

A.  The}-  said  they  would  not  stop  until  they  would  burn  the  cars  that 
were  standing  on  the  south  side,  and  the  different  depots — they  were  going 
to  burn  these  depots,  and  so  forth.  Some  of  them  made  remarks,  and  some 
of  them  did  not,  on  that  question.  I  was  treated  with  perfect  respect — 
announced  myself,  and  wre  discussed  it  there.  I  was  one  of  those  unfortu- 
nate men  that  thought  I  could  stop  that  riot  with  fifty  men. 

Q.  You  mean  by  remonstrances  ? 

A.  By  talking,  not  by  force. 

Q.  Pick  handle  persuasion  ? 

A.  No  ;  white  hankerchief.  Go  right  at  it,  and  when  a  man  won't  submit 
to  be  arrested,  try  to  put  him  out  of  the  way;  if  we  had  to  hurt  him,  hurt 
him.  I  served  a  short  time  in  the  military,  and  we  done  things  very  quick 
in  that  way  there.  We  would  try  to  handle  men  gently,  and  if  he  would 
not  submit,  he  was  handled  roughly. 
By  Mr.  Englebert : 

Q.  What  you  would  call  knock  down  arguments  ? 

A.  There  was  no  chance  for  white  handkerchief  nor  pick  handle  argu- 
ments there.     The  crowd  was  too  close. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Could  you  have  quelled  the  disturbance  without  the  use  of  fire  arms? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  at  all.  Perhaps,  without  the  use  of  them.  I  would 
think  that,  if  they  had  seen  men  determined  to  do  their  work,  there  would 
be  no  necessit}^  for  any  trouble. 

Q.  The  idea  was  to  be  prepared,  in  case  there  was  a  necessity  for  using 
fire  arms. 

A.  I,  unfortunately,  employed  in  the  army,  on  police  duty,  through  the 
country,  and  would  arrest  many  a  man  who  shot  a  dozen,  and  you  come 
at  them  quietly  and  determined,  and  they  would  surrender. 

Q.  You  thought  it  was  necessary  to  use  a  show  of  force  and  resolution? 

A.  Yes ;  and  I  consider  State  officers  and  all  were  interested  b}T  "don't 
hurt  anybody,"  that  that  idea  got  through  the  crowd,  and  they  were  con- 
fident that  there  was  nobody  going  to  be  hurt. 

Q.  Dp  3^011  know  of  anybody  waiting  upon  the  city  authorities  ? 

A.  I  was  not  connected  with  that  part.     I  had  connection  with  the 
mayor's  proceeding,  to  some  extent,  as  a  councilor. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  efforts  did  he  make  ? 

A.  He  sent  for  some  of  the  leading  councilmen,  and  called  a  meeting  of 
the  council,  and  we  met  in  general  session,  and  resolved  that  we  would 
sustain  the  mayor  in  paying  any  expense  that  he  would  incur. 
32  Riots. 


498  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  When  was  that  ? 

A.  I  think  on  Monday. 

Q.  After  the  riot  ? 

A.  They  supposed  the  riot  was  still  unquelled. 

Q-  What  I  mean  is,  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  riot — before  Satur- 
day night — during  Thursday  and  Friday — was  there  any  steps  taken  before 
any  consultations  with  the  councilmen  ? 

A.  There  was,  to  some  extent,  but  in  the  shape  of  a  meeting  of  council. 

Q.  Was  there  an}r  talk  about  calling  a  meeting,  and  it  would  be  neces- 
sary to  take  means  to  suppress  any  disturbance  that  might  grow  out  of  it  ? 

A.  There  was,  up  to  the  time  the  county  and  the  military  took  hold. 
Then  it  looked  as  if  the  force  was  immense  to  a  great  many — the  military 
force  being  called  out — they  had  called  on  them,  and  the  exertions,  per- 
haps, relaxed  on  the  part  of  the  city  authorities. 

Q.  What  seemed  to  animate  these  men  among  this  crowd  ? 

A.  These  men  that  stood  back  and  threatened  to  shoot  any  man  that 
would  interfere — was  a  man  that  appeared  to  be  animated  by  a  spirit  of 
opposition  to  the  railroad — to  burn  out  the  railroad — -and  those  that  were 
doing  the  burning  were  parties  that  apparently  acted  under  this  direction 
and  were  generally  strangers  that  none  of  us  could  recognize.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  was  citizens  of  Harrisburg  that  was  generally  doing  the 
wrecking  and  carrying  away  goods.  That  is  as  near  as  I  can  judge  from 
my  connection  with  them,  and  I  mingled  right  among  them. 

Q.  Were  you  among  them  there  Thursday  or  Friday — have  you  any 
knowledge  ? 

A.  The  first  that  surprised  me  in  the  transactions — I  went  up  to  the 
Union  depot  on — I  think  it  was  Saturday,  and  the  military  there — some  of 
the  confpanies — were  marched  out  to  go  to  East  Liberty,  and  instead  of 
ridding  the  crowd  away,  they  bundled  through  the  crowd,  so  that  they 
could  hardly  hold  ranks — got  out  as  best  they  could.  I  was  surprised  at 
it.  I  thought  there  was  no  disposition  shown  by  the  military  to  disperse 
these  crowds. 

Q.  Have  you  any  knowledge  of  the  causes  leading  to  the  riot,  at  all  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes. 

Q.  From  personal  knowledge  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  suppose  I  have  as  good  a  knowledge  of  that  as  most  people, 
because  you  mingled  with  railroad  men  and  heard  them  talk.  They  were 
clamoring  on  account  of  the  reduction  of  wages  and  the  double-headers. 
These  two  were  the  arguments  they  plead  their  cases  on.  As  a  general 
thing  they  had  a  good  deal  of  sympathy,  I  think. 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  sympathy  ? 

A.  They  represented  their  case  so  that  a  great  many  people  thought  that 
they  were  imposed  on. 

Q.  What  cause  did  they  assign — a  reduction  in  wages  ? 

A.  The  reduction  in  wages  was  such  that,  for  instance,  one  brakesman 
I  know  to  be  of  good  character,  he  had  his  last  check  or  warrant,  showing 
that  eighteen  dollars  and  some  cents  was  all  he  could  make  during  the 
month.  His  argument  was  in  this  shape:  Brakesmen  would  not  go  out 
lor  a  day  or  so,  and  they  could  not  make  a  living  at  the  wages  they  paid  ; 
that  too  many  of  them  were  employed,  lie  did  not  use  that  argument, 
hut,  his  argument  went  to  show  that  there  was  too  many  of  them  employed, 
and  that  they  could  not  get  steady  work,  and  it  was  still  being  cut-  down 
lower.     That  was  the  argument  of  one  man,  as  a  sample. 

Q.  He  seemed  to  express  the  ideas  of  all  of  them — he  was  a  man  of  in- 
telligence? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  499 

A.  He  was  a  very  nice  man,  a  man  I  have  known  for  some  time.  I  think 
he  has  a  wife  and  some  children.  He  pulled  out  his  warrant  and  showed 
me,  as  a  part  of  his  argument. 

Q.  He  only  received  eighteen  dollars  a  month  ? 

A.  Only  got  in  time  enough  to  make  that.  While  the  railroad  men  stood 
in  the  position  of  defending  themselves,  they  had  a  great  many  friends, 
until  it  got  into  the  shape  of  a  riot,  and  then  people  began  to  complain. 
They  were  uneasy,  and  saw  that  things  were  changed. 

Q.  Have  you  any  other  information  on  that  subject — the  cause,  which  is, 
as  you  have  expressed,  this  man's  opinion  ? 

A.  No  other  argument  that  was  used  in  regard  to  the  double-headers. 
They  wei*e  on  these  heavy  trains,  with  only  the  same  number  of  brakemen 
as  on  a  single  train,  and  it  was  so  hard  to  work,  and  at  the  same  time  it 
was  throwing  a  part  of  them  out  of  work,  and  making  their  time  so  much 
less  to  the  men — the  same  as  that  man  described — he  only  made  eighteen 
dollars.  Numbers  of  them  talked.  There  was  a  neighborhood  handy  to 
me,  where  railroad  men  live,  and  I  often  dropped  in  with  them,  and  talked 
with  them  to  see  what  their  views  are  during  the  week,  and  that  was  a 
leading  argument  among  the  common  men.  I  can  explain  that  almost  as 
fully  as  a  road  man.  1  am  so  familiar  with  that — any  question  you  wish 
to  ask  about  it.  Double-header  is  where  there  is  a  locomotive  put  to  thirty- 
six  cars,  and  where  they  will  take  about  half  of  that  with  a  single  one,  and 
then  they  would  put  on  a  crew  to  break  the  cars  and  attend  to  them — one 
conductor  and  one  or  two  brakemen — the  same  number  that  was  put  on  a 
single  train,  and  they  would  have  to  do  the  work  of  a  number  of  hands, 
and  they  objected  to  that  work — was  too  heavy,  with  the  mountains  and 
the  heavjr  grades,  and  with  the  heavy  trains,  made  their  breaking  so  heavy 
that  it  was  very  hard  and  dangerous.  They  complained  of  the  Way  they 
were  abused  by  handling  these  heavy  trains. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Did  the  men  appear  to  think  that  they  should  be  allowed  to  make 
.    .        .    .      and  higher  up,  and  none  of  them  discharged  ? 

A.  The}'  argued,  that  the  pay  should  not  be  reduced  and  the  labor  in- 
creased. They  talked  against  these  double-headers,  the  reduction  being 
made  on  their  wages,  and  their  labor  increased  by  doubling  up  the  train, 
making  their  labor  heavier  and  those  who  were  doing  the  work.  This  is 
the  shape  they  objected. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  whether  it  was  their  idea  that  they  should  be  getting 
full  time,  or  were  they  willing  that  part  should  be  discharged,  and  then  let 
them  make  full  time  ? 

A.  I  never  heard  them  express  their  views  on  that  point,  but  they  com- 
plained they  were  not  getting  full  time.  Were  standing,  waiting  for  days, 
looking  for  a  job,  and  that  if  they  were  not  there  for  a  moment,  they  would 
lose  their  chance. 

J.  L.  Kennedy,  sworn  : 

By  Mi\  Lindsey : 
Q.  Where  is  your  residence,  Mr.  Kennedy  ? 
A.  Claremont. 

Q.  What  is  your  official  business  ? 
A.  Warden  of  the  county  work-house,  at  present. 
Q.  Were  you  in  July  last  ? 
A.  I  was  assistant  warden  at  that  time. 

Q.  State  whether  the  militia  under  the  command  of  General  Brinton 
came  to  the  work-house,  and  what  you  saw  and  heard  ? 


500  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  On  the  Sunday  afternoon  General  Brinton  came  to  the  building,  about 
two  o'clock,  I  guess,  him  and  another  gentleman  from  Philadelphia  came 
there  in  a  buggy,  and  wanted  to  know  if  he  could  put  his  troops  inside.  1 
told  him  the  superintendent  was  not  at  home,  and  I  did  not  feel  like  them 
going  inside,  as  they  would  not  be  more  secure  than  outside.  I  advised 
him  to  take  his  men  up  on  the  hill  in  camp.  They  said  they  had  been  driven 
from  the  city,  and  the  mob  was  following  them.  I  told  him  I  did  not  think 
there  would  be  much  danger  in  taking  the  men  up  on  the  hill.  They  would 
be  just  as  secure.  He  inquired  the  way  back  to  Sharpsburg.  He  had  not 
his  troops  with  him.  He  was  in  advance  of  them.  I  told  him  the  way  to 
Sharpsburg,  and  he  wanted  to  know  if  he  could  get  back  without  going 
back  on  the  public  road.  I  told  him  he  could  not,  unless  he  would  leave 
his  horse  there,  and  walk  through  the  field.  He  appeared  to  be  very  much 
frightened,  and  very  much  demoralized.  He  started  back  to  meet  his  troops, 
and  took  them  upon  the  hill,  and  kept  them  in  camp  there.  The  next  morn- 
ing he  left,  I  believe,  and  put  them  aboard  cars,  and  took  them  to  Blairs- 
ville.  In  the  evening  some  men  came  down,  and  asked  if  we  could  give 
them  some  provisions.  We  gave  them  as  much  bread  as  they  wanted,  and 
all  the  meat  about  the  institution.  At  that  time  the  superintendent  came 
back,  and  him  and  I  went  up,  and  we  saw  more  bread  than  the  troops  had 
any  use  for.     I  believe  the  poor-house  gave  them  all  the  coffee  they  wanted. 

Q.  Did  you  converse  with  the  troops  any  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  see  them  when  they  marched  up  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  they  march  in  regular  order  ? 

A.  Some  of  them,  and  some  did  not — kept  straggling  up  there  all  the 
evening,  after  the  main  body  came  through,  they  kept  straggling  up  all  the 
evening.  In  fact,  the  next  two  days  they  came  there  one  or  two  at  a  time. 
Some  of  them  had  their  uniforms  on,  and  several  came  around  with  citi- 
zen's clothes  on.  The  next  day  after  they  left,  there  were  two  came  there, 
one  of  them  had  been  wounded.  We  took  him  inside,  and  had  our  hospital 
steward  dress  his  wound,  and  kept  him  there  until  we  got  transportation 
for  them,  and  they  were  sent  to  Blairsville. 

Q.  Did  any  of  the  mob  follow  them  up  Sunday? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  no  person  came  after  them  at  all. 

Q.  Was  there  any  attack  made  upon  this  institution,  or  threatened  ? 

A.  It  was  threatened  very  strongly,  but  they  never  made  an}r  attack.  . 

Q.  What  preparations  did  you  make  to  meet  them  ? 

A.  There  had  been  a  lot  of  arms  sent  out  to  us  through  the  count}-  com- 
missioners, and  we  were  prepared  to  meet  any  emergency. 

W.  G.  Johnson,  sivorn  : 

Witness  :  I  do  not  know  that  I  can  give  you  anything  in  addition  to 
what  you  have  already  had. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  There  was  information  that  it  was  suggested  that  }rou  might  give 
about  something  that  was  done  on  the  south  side  in  the  way  of  protection 
of  the  depot  or  the  trains  there — of  patrolling  the  approaches  to  the  city 
on  that  side. 

A.  The  committee  of  safety  on  Monday  immediately  took  steps.  They 
organized  military  force  of  the  citizens.  General  Negley  had  already  made  a 
start  in  that  direction,  and  our  committee  cooperated  with  him.  In  fact, 
he  was  a  member  of  that  committee.  He  was  in  continual  correspondence 
with  the  committee.     Quite  anumber  of  military  organizations  were  formed 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  501 

under  General  Negley's  command  ;  among  others  was  that  of  Major  Paul. 
That  was  a  mounted  patrol.  The  safety  committee  purchased  horses  and 
hired  horses  for  some  two  or  three  weeks  ;  had  them  patrol  all  the  high- 
ways and  streets  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night,  and  wherever  there  was 
any  disturbance  they  were,  of  course,  sent  in  that  direction  to  see  what  was 
necessary  to  put  it  down.  I  suppose  what  you  refer  to  is  over  at  the  Cork 
Run  tunnel.  There  were  no  disturbance  there,  but  there  were  some 
threatenings  of  burning  of  cars  in  the  tunnel.  Major  Paul  visited  that 
point  and  scoured  the  whole  country. 
Q.  Is  that  on  the  Allegheny  road  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  that  is  on  the  Pan  Handle.  He  scoured  the  country  around 
and  found — the  only  thing  he  found  in  that  direction  in  the  way  of  an 
assemblage  was  a  lot  of  miners  out  by  Mansfield  holding  a  meeting  there. 
They  saw  nothing  that  looked  riotous  among  those  miners.  They  were 
holding  a  meeting  in  regard  to  the  strike  at  the  time.  Whether  any  dam- 
age would  have  arisen  to  the  cars  there  in  Cork  Run  tunnel,  we  would  see 
if  there  were  any  parties  having  an  eye  to  it,  and  Major  Paul's  command 
would  have  kept  the  post  pretty  clear. 

Q.  You  do  not  think  of  anything  new,  Mr.  Johnson,  in  relation  to  the 
organizations.  We  had  a  pretty  full  explanation  of  the  organization  by 
the  citizens. 

A.  You  have  had  a  pretty  full  explanation  through  Mr.  Park  and  Mr.  Mc- 
Kune  and  others.  They  have  testified  to  the  main  facts  in  relation  to  what 
the  committee  did.  At  the  very  outset  the  pledging  of  these  individuals 
to  unlimited  amounts  to  restore  peace  and  order.  They  have  already  told 
you  of  what  the  nature  of  the  disquiet  was  on  Monday  morning.  The 
streets  were  crowded  to  excess,  apparently  by  strangers  never  seen  here 
before,  and  it  looked  very  threatening,  indeed — very  alarming.  Every  pre- 
caution was  taken  by  this  committee  at  the  time.  They  were  in  session 
continuously  from  Monday  morning  until  Saturday  night,  from  nine  o'clock 
in  the  morning  until  nine  o'clock  at  night,  and  sometimes  until  midnight. 
We  were  in  correspondence  with  the  Secretary  of  War,  as  to  ammunition, 
and  got  all  we  wanted — arms  aitd  ammunition ;  in  correspondence  with 
Governor  Hartranft  on  his  route  from  the  west  here.  We  met  him  on  his 
arrival.  Urged  him  to  remain  here,  thinking  his  presence  would  be  of 
great  benefit,  but  he  only  consented  to  remain  until  three  o'clock  on  the  follow- 
ing morning.  He  remained  from  eight  or  nine  o'clock  until  three  o'clock  the 
following  morning,  saying  he  could  do  us  more  good  by  going  to  Philadel- 
phia to  consult  with  General  Hancock,  and  he  would  have  sufficient  force 
of  military  here  to  restore  perfect  quiet. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  I  understood  }rou  to  say  that  you  organized  this  citizens'  commit- 
tee— this  committee  organized  of  companies — and  armed  them  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  did  3rou  arm  them  ? 
A.  We  procured  arms  from  the  arsenal  ? 
Q.  Muskets? 

A.  Muskets — rifles — Springfield  rifles. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  were  those  3"ou  organized  into  companies  ? 
A.  Some  of  them — some  members  of  them — were  men  who  had  been  out 
in  the  last  war. 

Q.  Were  any  of  them  in  those  companies  among  the  rioters  or  part  of 
the  rioters  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  will  explain  a  little  matter  of  that  character.  Genei'al  Negley 
had  his  head-quarters  in  Lafa}7ette  hall,  and  1  think  it  was  on  Tuesda}*  noon  I 


502  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

had  left  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  rooms  to  go  to  my  dinner,  and  I  noticed 
a  squad  of  probably  sixty  men,  about  as  rough  looking  chaps  as  I  had  ever 
laid  eyes  on,  going  through  some  military  motions  on  Wood  street.  I  saw 
General  Negley  on  the  opposite  corner,  and  I  asked  him  the  question 
whether  he  was  feeding  a  lot  of  tramps.  We  were  paying  the  expense  of 
feeding  them.  Says  he,  "You  are  about  right.  We  are  mustering  those 
fellows  out."  He  had  taken  under  his  command  all  that  would  offer,  and 
he  had  to  sift  them  out  afterwards.  He  said  these  he  had  sifted  out,  and 
he  was  going  to  muster  them  out — going  to  pay  them  a  dollar  a  piece  and 
tell  them  "  go."  The  night  previous  he  discovered  that  some  of  these  men 
had  been  among  the  rioters.  They  were  regular  tramps,  undoubtedly,  and 
he  had  these  men  arrested  and  sent  to  the  lockup,  and  found  that  they  had 
been  among  the  rioters,  and  these  others  were  undoubtedly  tramps  of  the 
same  character.     The  city  was  infested  with  them  at  that  time. 

Q.  These  men  had  been  armed  by  your  committee,  without  knowing 
what  class  of  men  they  were  ? 

A.  General  Negley  had  placed  arms  in  the  hands  of  the  men  under  his 
control. 

Q.  Some  of  them  had  turned  out  to  be  some  of  the  rioters  ? 

A  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  As  soon  as  it  was  discovered ? 

A.  As  soon  as  it  was  discovered,  those  he  knew  to  be  rioters  he  had 
arrested,  and  sent  to  the  lockup.  The  others  were  picked  out  by  their  ap- 
pearance, and  he  had  them  mustered  out. 

Q.  Did  you  keep  any  men  in  these  commands  you  knew  were  among 
the  rioters? 

A.  None  we  knew  of.  General  Negley  was  very  particular  in  regard  to 
them.  My  own  knowledge  in  reference  to  tramps  was  brought  out  on 
Sunday,  the  day  of  the  riot.  I  wanted  to  come  to  town  to  see  what  was 
going  on,  and  my  family  persuaded  me  to  remain  at  home  for  a  double 
reason.  They  were  not  very  far  from  the  stock-yards,  which  were  threat- 
ened by  fire,  and  the  hotel  out  there,  and  another  reason  for  my  remain- 
ing at  home  was  the  great  number  of  tramps,  that  for  some  days  before 
had  been  coming  along  the  road  and  getting  food.  East  Liberty  was  a 
great  camping  ground  for  these  tramps. 

Q.  Were  there  more  than  the  usual  number  of  those  tramps  ? 

A.  A  great  many  more  than  usual.  At  that  time  I  did  not  connect  the 
fact  of  the  unusual  number  of  tramps  with  the  riots. 

Q.  What  direction  did  they  go  ? 

A.  Heading  towards  the  city  invariably. 

J.  L.  Bigham,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  now  reside  in  Allegheny. 

Q.   Are  you  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  I  am  captain  of  the  Nineteenth  regiment,  commanding  com- 
pany G,  of  that  regiment. 

Q.  Were  you  with  your  command  on  the  21st  of  July? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  State  what  orders  you  heard  given  by  General  Brown,  at  the  transfer 
station,  in  reference  to  the  regiments  disbanding? 

A.  General  Brown  came  in,  I  suppose,  about  eleven  o'clock.  There  was 
some  consultation  between  him  and  the  colonels — Colonel  Howard  and 
Colonel  Gra}r.     There   was  some  move  talked  about.     I  came  down  and 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  503 

asked  Colonel  Howard  what  was  to  be  done,  and  lie  said  he  didn't  know, 
and  in  a  few  moments  General  Brown  came  up,  and  directed  kim  to  have 
his  arms  and  equipments  concealed  in  the  building,  where  the  mob  would 
not  get  them  when  they  came  in,  and  dismiss  his  men  there  in  the  sheds, 
and  directed  them  to  find  their  way  home  the  best  way  they  could,  each 
man  for  himself. 

Q.  That  was  done,  was  it  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  was  done  by  you  and  by  the  balance  of  the  regiment  as  to  re- 
assembling ? 

A.  I  went  home  that  night.  The  next  morning  when  I  got  up — I  had 
breakfast  about  eight  o'clock — everything  was  on  fire  then.  I  got  my  lieu- 
tenant to  come  out  and  hunt  up  some  of  the  men,  and  sent  for  my  sergeant 
to  have  the  armory  open,  and  went  over  to  the  Union  depot  to  see  what 
was  to  be  done.  I  saw  General  Brown  there,  and  asked  him  if  he  would 
allow  the  regiment  to  be  re-assembled  and  let  us  go  out  to  protect  the  fire 
department.  I  got  information  that  the  mob  had  stopped  the  fire  depart- 
ment from  work.  He  says  :  No,  it  will  exasperate  the  mob.  I  saw  General 
Latta,  and  made  the  same  request  of  him  ;  he  first  said  our  regiment  had 
not  behaved  well  the  day  before,  and  there  was  no  use  in  re-assembling  us, 
and  finally  he  said  he  would  not  take  the  responsibility — refused  to  allow 
us  to  re-assemble  and  go  out.  I  went  from  there  down  to  see  the  adjutant, 
and  told  him  what  occurred,  and  I  understand  that  he  went  up  by  some 
direction  of  the  colonel,  and  asked  for  orders  to  the  same  effect.  That 
evening  Mayor  Philips  organized  the  citizens,  and  made  arrangements  to 
go  down  and  protect  one  of  the  lower  bridges  there.  Part  of  my  men 
were  in  that,  and  partly  citizens.  There  were  twenty  of  my  muskets  used 
there.  I  was  down  at  the  bridge  when  Colonel  Howard  came  there,  about 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  ordered  me  to  re-assemble  and  report  for 
duty  at  nine  o'clock.  I  left  there,  and  started  men  out  to  order  the  other 
men  to  report,  'ind  reported  shortly  after  nine  o'clock  with  a  portion  of 
my  men,  and  got  the  other  men  gathered  by  eleven,  and  we  were  on  duty 
from  that  time,  continuously,  until  we  were  dismissed. 

Q.  Had  the  regiment  re-assembled  as  a  regiment? 

A.  They  re-assembled  as  a  regiment  on  Monday  morning,  and  were  used 
in  suppressing  several  disturbances  that  occurred  on  Monday. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  together  on  Monday  ? 

A.  I  suppose  about  a  hundred  men.  When  the  regiment  came  together, 
Captain  McFarland  was  not  with  us.  He  had  been  assembled  earlier  than 
the  rest  of  the  regiment,  and  was  sent  up  to  Second  avenue  park  here,  where 
there  was  some  disturbance,  and  was  kept  moving  about.  I,  myself,  had 
only  about  sixteen  men.  I  and  a  part  of  Captain  Batchelor's  company 
and  a  part  of  Captain  Archibald's  were  taken  down  to  Limerick,  where 
there  had  been  an  attack  made  on  some  cars.  We  went  down  there  and 
came  back,  and  when  we  came  back,  the  regiment  was  re-assembled  as  a 
regiment.  The  balance  of  Captain  Bachelor's  company  and  Captain  Gor- 
don's company. '  He  had  been  operating  by  scattered  detachments  until 
near  two  o'clock. 

Q.  You  remained  here  until  the  arrival  of  the  Governor  with  troops  from 
the  east  ? 

A.  We  remained  until  I  think  the  night  of  the  21st  of  July,  when  we 
left  for  Scranton. 

Q.  How  many  men  did  you  have  when  you  left  for  Scranton  ? 

A.  I  do  not  how  many,  exactly,  sir.  I  think  thirty-six  men  with  me, 
and  I  think  our  companies  averaged  about  that — seven  companies  on  duty. 


504  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Something  over  two  hundred,  then  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  does  the  regiment  number  when  all  the  men  are  present? 

A.  We  had  only  six  companies,  of  about  thirty -five  or  thirty-six  men. 
There  should  be  forty  men  to  each  company.  There  were  one  or  two  com- 
panies that  ran  about  fifty  men,  but  usually  the  companies  did  not  run 
over  forty.  We  considered  turning  out  thirty-six  men  as  a  pretty  full 
turnout. 

Q.  Were  the  men  obedient — did  they  perform  their  duty? 

A.  I  had  no  trouble.  Xone  of  my  men  refusing  to  obey  orders.  Two 
or  three  of  them  deserted.  I  had  two  of  them  in  jail  for  it  afterwards. 
There  was  no  disobedience  of  orders. 

Colonel  Robert  Monroe,  sicorn  : 

By  Mi\  Lindsey : 

Q.   State  where  you  live,  if  you  please  ? 

A.  In  Allegheny  City. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Boiler  manufacturer. 

Q.  I  do  not  know  what  point  you  are  called  to  testify  to,  but  you  may 
go  on  and  state  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say,  because  I  saw  very  little  of  the  riot.  I  was  kept 
down  at  the  Point.     My  location  is  at  the  Point. 

Q.  I  presume  that  it  is  perhaps  best  to  state  to  us  what  was  done  towards 
protecting  the  Duquesne  depot? 

A.  I  was  at  the  Duquesne  depot  on  Saturday  evening.  When  I  first 
went  there,  probably,  it  was  four  o'clock.  Persons  that  I  was  acquainted 
with  there,  stated  there  was  going  to  be  trouble.  People  were  moving 
their  goods  from  the  houses  around  the  depot.  I  asked  them  what  the 
trouble  would  be,  and  they  said  they  had  been  notified  to  move  all  their 
personal  effects,  as  the  mob  would  be  down  in  a  short  time — to  turn  out, 
stating  the  hour. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  they  say  who  notified  them  ? 

A.  Persons  that  came  down  from  the  upper  depot  stated  they  were  to 
burn  it  at  a  certain  hour,  I  think  five  o'clock  was  the  hour.  My  place  of 
business  was  located  just  below  it,  and  I  kept  at  the  lower  part  of  the  depot. 
Between  five  and  six  o'clock,  thei'e  were  seven  or  eight  persons  congregated 
at  the  lower  part  of  the  depot,  trying  to  break  open  the  depot.  They 
talked  as  though  they  were  going  to  set  fire  to  the  depot,  and  also  burn  up 
some  cars  that  were  across  on  Water  street  siding  that  was  there.  They 
broke  open  a  car  door  and  set  fire  to  one  of  the  cars.  There  were  proba- 
bly five  or  six  of  us  standing  there  at  the  time.  Several  remonstrated  with 
them  for  trying  to  set  fire  to  the  cars — objections  were  made.  They  had 
that  on  fire  and  it  was  kicked  out.  They  got  a  keg  of  beer  from  some  store  or 
other,  and  about  six  or  eight  of  them  drank  that  keg  of  beer.  They  tried 
to  start  a  fire  in  a  second  ear,  and  Mr.  Reeves,  one  of  the  party,  told  him 
he  would  put  a  ball  through  the  man  that  put  a  match  to  that  car.  He  asked 
me  for  a  pistol  at  the  time.  lie  said  he  had  none,  but  lie  made  that  remark 
to  freighter!  them — the  men  were  intoxicated.  A  number  of  us  agreed  to 
stick  together  in  case  any  attack  was  made,  that  we  could  assist  each  other 
in  resisting  these  drunken  men  that  were  trying  to  burn  the  depot  and  the 
cars.  One  young  man  hammered  a  good  deal  at  the  depot  door,  trying  to 
get  the  door  started  to  get  in,  but  did  not  succeed.  The  crowd  continued 
there  probably  an  hour — from  three  quarters  of  an  hour  to  an  hour.     Some 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  181 1.  505 

gentlemen.  Doctor  Dixon  among  the  rest,  came  down  from  the  upper  end 
of  the  depot,  hearing  that  we  were  there,  and,  as  I  understand,  they  arrested 
the  parties  that  were  drinking  and  threatening  the  depot  with  destruction. 

Q.  These  men  intoxicated  ? 

A.  Every  one  of  them. 

Q.  Any  other  facts  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  of  anything.     I  kept  down  at  the  Point  all  the  time. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  there  ;  about  how  many  ? 

A.  They  gathered  towards  six  o'clock — a  pretty  large  crowd — and  at 
the  time  I  allude  to  when  they  were  trjdng  to  burn  the  cars  in  the  depot, 
or  wanted  to  burn  the  depot — the  drunken  men — about  six  or  eight.  They 
talked  very  loud.  There  were  but  three  of  ns  at  first,  when  we  were  at 
the  lower  part  of  the  depot,  and  stayed  there  until  we  got  more  force. 

John  Single,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  to  the  committee  where  you  reside  ? 

A.  Allegheny  City. 

Q.  And  your  business  ? 

A.  Business  is  iron  commission  merchant,  in  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  You  may  state  to  the  committee  any  facts — any  information — you 
are  in  possession  of,  in  regard  to  the  riot,  and  the  means  used  to  suppress 
it,  that  have  not^been  already  fully  gone  over  ? 

A.  You  have  got  most  of  the  facts  that  I  am  conversant  with,  I  expect, 
Mr.  Chairman.  During  the  week  preceding  the  Sunda,y  of  the  riots,  I  had 
learned,  through  the  papers  and  by  hearsay,  that  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road Company  were  going  to  enforce  what  was  known  as  the  double-header 
order.  I  heard  of  the  attack  upon  Mr.  Watt,  and  the  question  came  up 
as  to  what  was  to  be  done  in  reference  to  it,  and  on  inquiry  of  some  parties, 
we  learned  that  the  railroad  compaivy  did  not  suppose  it  was  going  to  be 
a  very  serious  strike,  or  would  be  very  difficult  for  them  to  run  their  trains, 
as  they  had  a  large  number  of  loyal  men  that  would  run  trains  as  soon  as 
they  issued  the  order,  and  the  rest  would  be  taken  care  of.  I  paid  no 
special  attention  to  the  matter,  until  I  heard  the  military  were  coming  that 
day.  Failing  to  get  their  double-header  order  put  into  effect  by  the  police, 
that  they  had  arranged  for  military,  and  the  excitement  began  to  get  up 
a  little ;  and  I  remember  very  well  how  I  felt,  for  the  reason  that  I  had  a 
boy  just  about  the  age  that  boj^s  want  to  go  to  such  places.  He  was 
anxious  to  go  to  the  scene  of  the  trouble.  I  charged  him  that  he  must 
not  go,  and  that  everybody  that  went  to  a  place  of  that  sort  was  a  rioter, 
unless  he  went  there  to  help  put  down  the  strikes,  and  he  had  better  stay 
away.  As  the  consequence,  I  stayed  at  home,  even  after  the  shooting  took 
place  that  evening.  I  might  say,  however,  about  that,  that  on  Saturday 
evening  I  visited  the  house  of  my  brother,  on  the  hill  above,  on  Centre 
avenue,  and  after  leaving  his  house,  along  about  five  or  six  o'clock,  to  go 
to  my  own  home,  I  met  some  of  these  soldiers  coming,  without  their  guns,  on 
the  street.  Saw  one  of  them  talking  to  a  girl  immediately  in  front  of  my 
brother's  house,  and  overheard  him  say  that  he  had  abandoned  the  field  ; 
that  the  Philadelphia  troops  had  fired  on  the  crowd,  and  there  were  a  good 
many  people  killed  and  a  terrible  riot  there,  and  he  had  abandoned  the 
field,  and  was  going  home.  I  followed  to  my  own  home,  and  stayed  there 
until  the  citizens  were  called  out,  on  Sunday  at  noon,  with  this  excep- 
tion, that  I  had  watched  a  little  of  the  operations  of  what  was  going  on 
in  Allegheny,  at  the  outer  depot,  and  I  went  that  Saturday  evening 
down  to  the  transfer  station  to  see  what  they  were  doing  there,  and  found 


506  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

a  large  number  of  people — railroad  men  and  others — and  in  talking  with 
them,  I  asked  what  they  were  doing.  They  said  that  they  were  stopping 
all  trains  that  came  into  Allegheny,  housing  the  freights,  and  seeing 
that  nobody  went  to  Pittsburgh  on  the  passenger  trains  that  had  any 
arms,  or  was  likely  to  interfere  with  the  strike  at  the  Pennsylvania  rail- 
road. One  of  the  men  I  talked  to  was  a  railroad  employe,  working  in 
the  machine  shop — the  son  was  a  fireman,  and  the  son  and  father  were 
standing  together.  Said  I,  "  You  do  not  seem  to  be  among  the  strikers." 
"  No,"  he  said,  "  we  think  it  is  best  to  keep  off  the  railroad  property 
in  times  like  this,  and  we  are  leaving  that  to  some  other  fellows."  As 
to  my  own  part,  it  began  on  Sunday  noon.  I  was  appointed  on  a  com- 
mittee of  twenty-five  to  see  what  could  be  done  to  stop  the  burning  and 
riot,  and  went  with  the  committee  to  the  scene  of  the  fire  about  one 
o'clock,  and  you  have  heard  from  Mr.  Scoville  and  others  all  that  Mr. 
Bennett  and  Mr.  Tuigg,  the  bishop,  and  Doctor  Donnelly,  and  Mr.  Barr 
did  and  said  while  they  were  in  the  railroad  yards.  I  remained  in  my 
buggy  outside  of  the  railroad  yards,  and  saw  a  good  many  people  that  I 
knew,  and  a  great  many  that  I  did  not  know,  and  in  answer  to  a  question 
that  was  put  to  me  as  to  what  we  were  doing  there,  I  said  these  gentlemen 
that  had  gone  in  the  yard  came  there  to  see  if  they  could  not  devise  some 
means  to  stop  this  burning  before  there  was  any  further  destruction  of 
railroad  cars,  and  especially  to  save  the  Union  depot.  They  asked  me, 
"How  do  you  propose  to  do  it?"  I  stood  up  in  the  buggy,  and  addressed 
the  crowd — told  them  we  wanted  to  find  some  of  the  railroad  strikers  that 
could  handle  the  cars,  and  then  we  would  take  them  up  with  citizens  to 
stop  the  burning.  If  we  could  find  ten  railroaders  to  handle  the  cars,  we 
would  go  into  the  depot  grounds,  and  stop  that  fire  and  save  the  depot.  A 
fellow  on  top  of  the  cars  saj^s :  "  You  can't  do  that.  We  are  going  to 
burn  clear  to  the  river,  and  the  lower  depot  as  well,  before  we  are  done." 
I  looked  at  the  fellow,  who  was  on  top  of  one  of  the  burning  cars.  They 
had  run  it  down,  and  checked  the  brakes  at  the  side  of  a  freight  train,  so 
that  the  fire  would  communicate.  I  had  a  curiosity  to  hitch  nry  horse, 
and  climb  up  and  see  that  fellow.  There  was  three  of  them.  He  appeared 
to  be  guiding  the  others,  and  had  charge  of  the  car,  and  checked  it  along- 
side of  two  other  box  cars,  so  that  the  fire  might  communicate.  He  said 
they  were  going  to  burn  the  whole  train — they  were  going  to  continue  until 
the3'  burned  everything  the  railroad  owned.  I  got  into  my  buggy  and  drove 
a  square  further  toward  the  round-house,  and  stopped  again  and  asked  the 
crowd  if  there  was  any  railroad  men  who  were  strikers  in  that  crowd,  and  at 
that  point  a  young  man  came  to  me  in  his  shirt  sleeves,  with  a  handkerchief, 
says  he,  "  Slagle,  you  don't  remember  me.  I  am  a  railroader,  but  not  a  P.  R. 
R.  man."  I  said,  "  Can  you  find  any  P.  R.  R.  men.  They  all  abandoned 
the  property  last  night."  Says  I,  "  Will  you  take  me  to  where  they  can 
be  found  ?"  He  said  he  would,  and  he  jumped  in  my  buggy,  and  drove  me 
down  to  Twenty-fourth  street.  He  wouldn't  take  me  any  further.  Says 
he,  "  You  stop  here,  and  I  will  bring  them  to  you."  I  stopped  and  sat  in 
my  buggy  a  little  while,  and,  after  a  while,  he  came  back,  and  he  said  he 
could  only  find  two,  but  we  will  go  to  Twenty-sixth  street,  and  I  can  find 
you  two  or  three.  I  got  into  the  buggy,  and  drove  to  Twenty-sixth  street, 
I  stopped  again  at  the  corner  of  Twenty-sixth,  and  he  went  up  toward  the 
railroad, and  came  back  with  one  man.  This  man  said,  What  do  you  want  ? 
Says  I,  "  We  want  from  ten  to  twenty  railroaders  to  go  to  stop  this  firing 
before  it  reaches  the  depot."  Said  [, "  I  don't  know  you."  Says  he, "  You 
have  got  no  advantage  of  me,  for  I  don't  know  you,  and  we  will  go  on  one 
condition,  that  is,  I  think  we  can  get  the  men  to  go  on  one  condition,  and 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  501 

that  is,  that  we  are  protected  against  arrest  for  what  we  have  done  in  the 
way  of  striking,  for,"  says  he,  "  we  have  destroyed  no  propert}',  and  we 
abandoned  it  as  soon  as  the  mob  begun  to  burn,  and  we  fear  we  will  be  ar- 
rested, and  if  you  will  guarantee  us  against  the  arrest,  we  will  arrest  the 
men."  I  asked  him  to  arrest  the  men,  and  I  would  see  about  the  other. 
So  1  took  my  buggy  and  drove  back,  and  met  some  of  the  other  committee 
coming  up — Tuigg,  Scoville,  Park,  and  McCune,  and  others — and  we  ar- 
ranged a  meeting  at  Twenty-sixth  street,  and  on  the  curb-stone  we  talked 
it  over,  and  told  them  we  could  not  guarantee  them  against  arrest,  but,  if 
thejr  would  come  down  and  help  us  to  put  out  the  fire,  and  they  were  ar- 
rested, we  would  go  their  bail.  Three  men  stepped  out,  and  said  they  were 
strikers,  and  they  would  go.  They  started  then  to  find  more,  and  we  met 
again  at  Twenty-fourth  street,  I  think  it  was,  and  had  another  meeting. 
At  that  meeting  they  arranged  to  go  down  to  the  city  hall,  and  they  began 
to  back  out  a  little.  At  that  point  I  left  them,  and  they  arranged  with 
Park  and  McCune  to  meet  at  the  city  hall,  at  half  past  three  o'clock,  and 
said  they  would  go  with  the  citizens,  and  stop  the  burning.  From  that 
point,  I  had  left  my  young  friend,  and  took  the  buggy  and  started,  when 
a  fireman  says  to  me,  "  You  are  going  down  town?"  Says  I,  "  I  guess 
you  are  the  man  I  am  hunting.  We  want  some  one  to  put  out  this  fire." 
Saj-s  I,  "  Who  are  you  ?"  Says  he,  "  I  am  the  chief.  I  would  like  to  bor 
row  your  buggy  a  little  bit.  I  have  got  a  message  to  bring  men  to  the 
elevator."  I  whipped  my  horse  up  a  little  until  we  found  his  own  horse, 
and  then  he  jumped  from  the  buggy.  I  told  him  we  wanted  to  get  a  hose 
company  to  go  in  there,  and  I  thought  we  could  water  the  fellows  off  the 
cars.  Says  he,  "  We  will  get  you  one,  and  we  will  try  it."  When  I  got 
down,  he  had  got  a  hose  company,  and  started  in.  They  had  not  thrown 
long,  I  think,  till  somebody  cut  the  hose,  and  they  were  backed  out,  or 
pushed  out  of  the  crowd,  and  were  not  allowed  to  throw  water  for  some 
cause.  This  took  two  hours  or  more  of  time, and  we  came  back  to  a  point 
a  short  distance  above  the  Union  depot,  and,  while  we  were  conferring  with 
these  firemen  and  some  others,  a  fire  was  started  down  below  in  the  back 
shed.  Then  I  left,  and  attended  this  meeting  at  the  city  hall.  At  the  cit}r 
hall  you  have  heard  was  done  there.  From  there  I  went  to  the  Duquesne 
depot,  and  met  this  man  that  Colonel  Monroe  and  Doctor  Dixon  told  you 
about,  and  I  saw  what  they  were  doing.  In  the  meantime,  the  elevator 
was  burned.  I  went  over  to  Allegheny,  and  took  some  little  steps  to  pro- 
tect the  railroad  property  at  the  outer  depot  and  the  dispatcher's  office. 
The  only  point  I  would  like  to  say  anything  about  after  that  was  this : 
From  that  time  until  the  end  of  the  strike,  and  the  trains  were  running, 
I  was  busy  every  day  and  every  night  going  back  and  forth  between 
the  railroad  employes  and  officials,  and  the  mayor,  and  committee 
of  safety.  There  is  one  point  I  have  heard  much  said  about,  and  it  is 
this  :  I  had  been  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  dispatcher's  office  in 
Allegheny,  back  and  forth  to  see  what  was  going  on.  I  happened  to  be 
there  about  the  time  that  Ross  vacated  his  place,  and  Amnion  took  it, 
and  watched  a  little  of  the  operations  by  which  the  trains  were  run 
under  Amnion's  administration,  and  I  saw,  with  my  own  eyes,  what  the 
trainmen  appear  very  unwilling  to  testify  to,  and  that  was  whenever  an 
engine  came  into  that  yard  it  was  immediately  assailed  by  from  three 
to  twenty  men,  and  the  men  that  were  on  it  were  told,  called  generally  by 
their  first  name,  "You  get  off,  and  let  that  engine  be  just  where  she  is; 
this  thing  has  got  to  be  fought  out  now."  Whilst  they  did  not  use  personal 
violence  in  taking  a  man  off  a  train,  I  saw  a  passenger  train  stand  there 
one  hour  after  it  had  come  away  from  the  Union  depot  before  they  could 


508  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

get  a  crew,  for  the  reason  that  as  fast  as  they  got  one  fireman  on  they 
would  intimidate  him  by  threats  of  violence.     It  would  not  be  safe  for  him 
if  he  got  out  of  town  with  the  mob  and  crowd  somewhere  else,  and  he  had 
better  stay  where  he  was.     I  have  seen  three  sets  of  men  taken  out  in  an 
hour  before  they  got  enough  men  to  take  a  passenger  train  out.     I  was 
sent  for  after  the  strikers  begun  to  disagree.     A  man  had  been  displaced 
from  his  position  there  by  his  fellow  strikers,  and  Ross  had  been  re-in- 
stated.    It  was  rumored  that  man  was  going  to  be  arrested,  that  they  had 
a  warrant  out  for  him.     I  was  sent  for  to  go  to  the  Chronicle  office  one 
day,  to  know  if  I  would  go  with  Bob  Amnion,  and  see  La}rng,  McCullough, 
and  Thaw,  of  the  railroad.     I  said  I  did  not  want  to  do  so.     I  didn't  want 
to  have  anything  to  do  with  Amnion  ;  thought  he  was  a  bad  man  ;  didn't 
care  about  it.     Amnion  had  a  proposition  to  make  by  which  he  could  break 
the  blockade.     As  a  merchant  interested  in  shipping,  I  agreed  to  go  with 
Ammon,  and  I  met  him  at  the  Chronicle  office,  went  to  the  railroad  office, 
and  stayed  there  in  the  building  while  he  was  making  his  pi'oposition  to 
Layng  and  McCullough  and  others  to  break  the  blockade.     I  did  not  hear 
what  his  proposition  was,  for  while  he  was  talking  to  them  I  was  with 
Solicitor  Scott,  talking  with  him.     After  he  came  down  to  Layng's  office 
again  they  had  a  warrant  for  him,  but  they  concluded  they  would  not  arrest 
him  then.     Then  afterwards,  it  was  proposed  that  Ammon  said  he  could 
break  that  blockade — would  I  go  to  Alleghen}'  with  him,  and  see  if  we 
could.     I  didn't  want  to  go  to  Allegheny  with  Amnion.     I  thought  they 
were  going  to  kill  him  over  there  ;  finally  I  consented  to  go  to  Allegheny, 
and  did  so.     This  was  early  in  the  week  after  the  Sunday.     I  went  over 
there  with  him,  down  Penn  street,  and  went  in  the  street  cars,  and  on  the 
wajr  he  introduced  me  to  a  railroad  passenger  conductor,  and  appeared  to 
be  on  good  terms  with  him.     We  went  down  to  the  dispatcher's  office, 
and  walked  along  the  track,  and  now  says  he,  "  You  will  see  if  they  are 
going  to  kill  me  or  not."     We  walked  together  and  joined  the  crowd — one 
hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  railroaders.    I  was  introduced  to  one  whose 
name  was  Cole,  from  Chicago.    I  asked  Cole  what  he  was  doing  there,  and  he 
had  been  advised  that  there  was  going  to  be  a  strike,  and  he  had  come  there, 
because  he  was  one  of  the  officers  of  the  union,  at  Chicago,  and  he  was  there 
in  the  discharge  of  his  business.     I  asked  where  those  other  men  were  from. 
I  would  not  know  him  again  if  I  would  see  him.     I  said,  I  don't  see  many  of 
our  Allegheny  boys,  where  are  they  ?     He  said,  You  can  see  them  over  at 
the  hall  directly,  we  are  going  to  have  a  meeting.     Nobody  molested  Am- 
mon at  all.     We  went  to  the  dispatcher's  office,  and   he  looked  in  and 
spoke  to  people  that  were  there,  and  stayed  with  me  there,  for  I  was  going 
to  see  what  he  was  going  to  propose.     We  then  went  to  a  meeting  of  rail- 
roaders in  the  hall,  and  at  that  meeting  this  citizens'  committee  and  the 
mayor  was  present,  and  as  I  had  not  been  appointed  for  that  office,  I  took 
my  place  in  the  back  part  of  the  hall.     There  was  about  three  hundred  or 
four  hundred  railroaders  there,  so  they  said.     The  hall  was  jammed  full — 
there  was  not  room  for  more.     They  organized  by  having  a  chairman  and 
secretary.     McCune  and  Captain  Gray,  and  Mr.  Morehead,  Mayor  Phil- 
lips, and  somebody  else  was  the  committee.     They  began  to  call  for  Single, 
knowing  me,  being  an  Allegheny  man,  and  living  near  there,  and  knew  a 
good  many  of  their  faces.     I  told  them  I  hadn't  anything  to  say  at  that 
meeting;  I  had  come  with  one  of  the  railroaders,  and   Mr.  McCune  was 
foreman  of  that  committee,  and  then  after  awhile  they  talked  the  matter 
over,  back  and  forth,  those  citizens  and  railroaders  went  over  their  griev- 
ances.    Here  was  Amnion's  proposition  :  "  Now,  I  am  going  to  make  my 
proposition;  I  want  you  to  wait."     He  got  up  and  addressed  the  chair- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  509 

man,  and  they  began  to  hoot  at  him — howl,  yon  have  no  right  here,  you 
are  a  scamp,  and  abused  him  as  though  he  was  a  man  they  did  not  want 
to  associate  with,  and  the  meeting  got  very  boisterous,  and  the  chairman 
took  his  position  and  tapped  on  the  table,  and,  says  he,  "Ammon  has  a 
right  to  speak  here."  Ammon  said,  "  I  propose  we  break  this  blockade 
by  organizing  two  or  three  crews,  and  I  am  authorized  to  say  that  the  en- 
gines will  be  furnished,  if  we  can  get  the  crews  to  run.  I  propose  that 
we  organize  two  or  three  crews,  and  take  the  first  freight  train  that  is  on 
the  track  below  the  city,  and  run  it  through  to  Chicago."  I  never  heard 
such  yelling  :  throw  him  out  the  window,  kill  him — all  sorts  of  threats 
were  made — but  they  quieted  down,  and  the  result  of  that  meeting  was  an 
interview  between  nine  railroaders  appointed  by  that  meeting,  at  the  office 
of  the  mayor,  at  which  I  was  invited  to  be  present,  and  we  sat  three  hours. 

Q.  At  the  mayor's  office  ?     What  maj-or  ? 

A.  Mayor  Phillips.  I  did  not  participate  in  that  discussion  only  to  be 
a  witness  at  the  interview  between  those  nine  men  and  the  committee,  which 
was  all  in  reference  to  their  illegal  possession  of  property  that  did  not  be- 
long them,  and  they  ought  to  abandon  their  possession,  and  give  the  prop- 
erty back  to  the  railroad  compan}T  in  the  condition  they  left  it  the  first  day 
of  the  strike.  It  was  understood,  that  the  railroad  officials  had  abandoned 
the  property  to  the  strikers,  insisting  that  it  had  been  taken  away  from 
them  illegally,  and  they  wanted  to  get  possession  of  their  property  in  a 
legal  way.  1  believe,  Mr.  Chairman,  except  the  little  part  I  took  with  this 
safety  committee  in  raising  money  and  men  to  do  whatever  might  be 
needed,  that  that  is  all  I  know  about  the  strike. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  these  men  state  what  their  grievances  were  ? 

A.  It  was  very  clear.  They  said  they  had  no  double-header  order  to  be 
rescinded,  but  they  were  bound  to  get  back  this  reduction  of  ten  per  cent, 
and  to  break  up  this  classification  of  engineers,  and  they  said  a  great  deal 
on  that  subject  in  this  boisterous  meeting.  Some  of  the  speeches  were 
very  intemperate  and  veiy  boisterous — bread  or  blood — and  all  that  sort 
of  thing,  but  they  were  hot-headed  fellows.  Then  other  men  thought  they 
had  made  a  mistake.  They  all  admitted  they  had  made  a  mistake  in  stink- 
ing and  holding  possession  of  the  property.  They  admitted  that  when  we 
argued  it  quietly.  The  mayor  argued  it  with  them,  and  they  admitted  to 
him  that  they  had  made  a  mistake  in  striking,  and  in  abandoning  their  jobs 
to  the  road,  and  they  said  they  were  so  organized  that  the  road  could  not 
run  a  train  out  without  the  consent  of  the  strikers.  Mayor  Phillips  said 
to  them,  u  What  do  you  mean  by  so  organized  ?  "  Says  he,  "We  have 
our  Brotherhood  of  Engineers  and  Trainmens'  Union,  and  they  extend  all 
over,  and  if  one  man  or  the  association  says  strike,  his  train  is  not  to  go, 
and  you  cannot  get  any  man  to  run  that  train,  and  the  road  will  have  to 
give  us  what  we  demand."  You  have  been  aware  of  this  movement  to  save 
the  freight  on  Saturday,  when  it  was  run  down  the  road,  and  it  is  not  nec- 
essary for  me  to  detail  that.  I  might  just  say  this  about  that:  Having 
lived  in  Allegheny  for  twenty  years,  and  several  years  right  down  there  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  depot,  that  I  was  surprised  to  find  so  few  of  these 
men  that  were  on  the  track  that  afternoon,  and  other  afternoons,  to  be  our 
own  Allegheny  railroaders,  and  in  answer  to  a  question  that  I  put  to  these 
men,  calling  to  a  man  named  Sourbeer,  and  one  or  two  othei's,  he  said,  You 
must  understand  that  a  great  many  of  these  trainsmen  that  are  young  men 
that  are  not  married,  and  have  no  fixed  home,  and  they  are  just  where  their 
train  happens  to  be.  There  is  a  man,  for  instance,  who  has  a  wife  and 
family,  lives  near  Union.     The  day  he  is  in  Allegheny  he  boards  at  the 


510  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

house,  and  a  large  number  of  those  men  that  are  striking  are  men  that  live 
at  the  places  along  the  line  of  the  road,  and  that  accounted  for  why  I  didn't 
know  more  of  them. 

James  P.  Barr,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  your  residence  ? 

A.  Fourteenth  ward  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Editor  of  the  Pittsburgh  Post  ? 

A.  Editor  of  the  Post. 

Q.  Editor  and  publisher  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Just  go  on  and  make  a  statement  and  what  you  know  of  the  causes  of 
the  riot  that  came  within  your  knowledge  by  conversation  with  the  employes 
of  the  road,  etc.,  and  what  came  under  your  observation  during  the  riot 
and  the  days  of  the  progress  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  1  think  I  should  prefer  to  answer  questions  first  before  I  go  into  any- 
thing like  that,  because  my  personal  observation  does  not  extend  over  a 
great  deal. 

Q.  When  did  you  first  learn  of  any  disturbance  among  the  railroad  em- 
ployes ? 

A.  On  Friday  morning.  The  first  was  on  Thursday  at  noon.  I  did  not 
know  anything  about  it  at  all  till  Friday  morning's  paper.  I  do  not  know 
any  of  our  people  knew  there  was  any  trouble  beyond  the  railroad  em- 
ployes, but  it  was  mentioned  in  Friday  morning's  paper,  and  on  Friday 
morning  we  learned  that  a  proclamation  was  issued,  and  the  military  were 
called  for.  I  went  to  the  depot  about  twelve  o'clock.  About  half-past 
one  I  went  out  to  the  Eighteenth  regiment,  at  Torrens  station.  Remained 
there  three  or  four  hours.  There  was  considerable  of  a  crowd  there.  I 
talked  to  Mr.  Hice — he  is  on  trial  here  now — he  appeared  to  be  a  leader 
of  the  party  there.  Colonel  Guthrie  talked  with  him.  He  told  him  that  he 
would  get  on  the  trains  as  they  were  coming  into  the  city  and  inform  the 
conductors  and  engineers  and  trainmen  that  there  was  a  strike,  and  have 
them  abandon  their  trains  when  they  came  in.  I  talked  with  him  a  good 
while,  expostulating  with  him.  He  said  they  did  not  intend  to  perform 
any  overt  act,  that  they  felt  persuaded  they  could  accomplish  their  purposes 
by  abondoning  their  trains.  It  required  experts  and  people  of  experience 
to  take  them  out  again.  They  knew  such  people  were  not  about.  I  told 
them  1  thought  it  would  soon  get  out  of  his  hands.  The  sheriff  and  Gen- 
eral Pearson  had  been  out  there  just  before.  I  came  on  the  ground  while 
he  was  there — probably  came  out  on  the  cars.  The  military  were  called 
into  position  two  or  three  times.  The  crowd  was  uneasy.  There  were  no 
trains  going  eastward.  I  think  there  were  some  trains  passed  while  I  was 
there  on  Friday,  and  a  good  many  people  came  out  on  an  engine  during 
the  afternoon.  I  came  in  on  Friday  night.  I  was  about  at  the  office. 
Around  town  there  was  no  particular  excitement.  We  had  been  subject 
to  these  things  for  years — strikes  of  employes  in  the  mills  and  in  the  mines — 
and  they  generally  exhausted  themselves  without  any  violence.  We  did 
not  anticipate  any  trouble,  but  on  Saturday  the  knowledge  came  that  the 
Philadelphia  troops  were  coming,  and  we  had  our  Sixth  division  out — the 
regiments  and  two  batteries — and  had  a  kind  of  a  circus.  Great  crowds 
of  people  gathered.  Crowds  of  women  and  children  gathered  on  the  hill 
side.  1  was  not  at  the  depot  nor  at  Twenty-eighth  street  at  the  time  the 
fuiug  occurred,  but  was  somewhat  conversant  with  the  condition  of  things. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  511 

Q.  Did  you  know  on  Friday,  when  you  went  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  that 
the  militia  had  been  called  out?     At  that  time  did  you  know  it  ? 

A.  There  was  a  printed  proclamation,  purporting  to  be  coming  from  the 
Governor.  On  Friday  morning,  at  nine  o'clock,  it  had  been  posted  on 
the  streets,  calling  for  the  local  troops  here.  General  Pearson's  orders 
were  printed  in  all  the  papers,  as  well  as  the  orders  of  Thursday  night. 
All  the  telegraphic  dispatches  were  in  the  papers  on  Friday  morning — 
from  the  sheriff,  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth,  Attorney  Gen- 
eral, the  Adjutant  General,  and  Mr.  Farr — some  eight  or  nine  dispatches 
were  all  printed  on  Friday  morning,  and  our  division  called  out.  At  that 
time,  the  whole  public  was  informed  as  to  the  fact  of  the  military  there. 

Q.  On  Saturday  night,  what  knowledge  had  you  of  the  movements  of 
the  military  ? 

A.  I  learned,  after  the  firing,  that  a  great  deal  of  excitement  prevailed. 
I  might  as  well  state  now,  that  the  fact  of  the  firing  upon  the  mob  did  not 
make  any  difference,  whether  it  was  by  orders  or  without  orders.  The 
crowd  supposed  it  was  by  orders,  because  their  vengeance  seemed  to  be 
concentrated  on  General  Pearson,  who  was  in  command.  They  thought 
he  gave  orders,  but  practically  it  made  no  difference  whether  it  was  by  an 
order  or  without  an  order.  It  makes  a  difference,  in  fact,  so  far  as  par- 
ties killed  were  concerned,  or  the  act  itself;  but  they  supposed  that  an 
order  had  been  given  to  fire,  and  that  they  then  had  a  grievance,  which 
they  had  not  before.  Before  that,  it  was  confined  to  railroad  employes. 
They  assumed  that  they  had  not  got  wages  enough.  There  were  double- 
headers  put  on,  but  when  people  were  killed,  they  said  there  was  then  a  good 
cause  for  grievance,  and  they  rushed  to  the  gunshops — one  right  opposite 
my  office — took  all  the  weapons  they  could  find  in  there,  broke  open  the 
whole  place,  carried  off  the  guns,  and  paraded  the  streets.  The  feeling 
then  was  intense — bitter,  and  revengeful  feelings  seemed  to  pervade  all 
classes  of  labor.  There  had  been  a  sympathy  with  them  all  the  way 
through — they  wei'e  part  of  the  labor  element.  I  think  myself  that  if  the 
military  had  not  been  there,  and  had  not  provoked  a  collision  at  that  un- 
fortunate time,  that  there  would  not  have  been  a  life  lost,  nor  a  dollar's 
worth  of  property  destined.  As  everybody  can  tell  after  the  battle  is 
lost  how  it  might  have  been  won,  we  find  that  after  we  surve}r  the  whole 
thing  over  again,  it  is  pretty  hard  to  lay  the  blame  on  anybody.  The  ac- 
tion of  the  militia  just  at  that  time  has  been  the  common  action  of  the  militia 
all  over  the  world.  It  requires  the  strictest  and  sternest  discipline  of  the 
regular  soldier,  to  obey  the  command  after  he  has  been  struck  or  knocked, 
to  refrain  from  resistance.  The  militiaman  is  not  paid  for  it ;  he  carries 
his  humanit}^  into  the  ranks,  and  when  he  is  struck  he  resists.  What  our 
militia  did  here,  they  did  in  Baltimore,  they  did  all  over  the  country,  and 
they  would  do  again  under  similar  circumstances.  The  question  of  their 
firing  without  orders,  is  a  thing  you  never  can  provide  against  with  militia. 

Q.  Sunday  morning,  what  was  done  by  the  military  or  civil  authorities, 
county  or  city  ? 

A.  Sunday  morning,  at  nine  o'clock,  when  I  came  to  my  office  I  found 
a  number  of  gentlemen  there,  merchants,  manufacturers,  and  business  men, 
alarmed  and  dazed  by  the  condition  of  things.  About  the  first  thing  that 
was  done,  was  to  write  a  resolution — they  wrote  a  resolution  to  get  the 
citizens  together,  and  provide  a  leader.  They  waited  from  Thursday  until 
Sunda}%  the  city,  the  county,  and  the  State  at  her  back,  and  we  had  not  pro- 
vided any  other  agency  for  self-protection  or  the  preservation  of  the  peace, 
but  these.  When  we  ascertained  on  Sunday  morning,  that  twelve  hundred 
soldiers,  veterans,  under  the  command  of  experienced  officers,  had  not  been 


512  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

able  to  quell  this  violence,  we  felt  that  no  fifty  or  one  hundred  men  could 
do  it,  and  we  were  at  a  loss  to  dam  the  brook  on  Saturday  night,  and  the 
flood  was  then  over,  and  we  had  to  wait  until  the  water  subsided  before  we 
could  get  foothold  or  make  a  landing.  We  went  to  work  as  fast  as  we 
could.  I  went  to  the  Union  depot  until  about  half-past  nine  or  ten  o'clock. 
I  saw  quite  a  lot  there,  they  appeared  to  be  cool  but  utterly  unable  to  pro- 
vide for  the  difficulty,  the  military  having  gone  away,  contrary  to  their  in- 
structions or  their  orders.  While  I  was  in  there,  General  Gallagher,  I 
think  it  was,  came  in.  He  had  been  around  the  city,  and  they  asked  him 
how  many  troops  it  would  take  to  hold  the  city  at  that  time,  and  he  said, 
it  would  require  at  least  fifteen  thousand.  I  sta}red  there  that  time,  and  a 
servant  came  up  and  said  we  were  the  last  people  in  the  hotel  building, 
and  we  had  better  go  off.     Then  we  went  to  the  Monongahela  House. 

Q.  Who  is  Gallagher  ? 

A.  I  think  he  is  colonel  in  one  of  the  neigboring  counties. 

Q.  Belonging  to  the  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania  1 

A.  Yes,  he  is  a  colonel — at  least  he  was  in  undress. 

Q.  Was  he  not  a  colonel  in  the  Pennsylvania  Reserves,  during  the  war  ? 

A.  Yes ;  in  Westmoreland,  I  think.  The  whole  town  was  out,  you 
know.  I  think  there  has  a  very  great  delusion  taken  possession  of  the 
public  mind,  in  regard  to  the  Sunday's  burning.  There  were  not  many 
people  on  the  tracks  at  any  time  during  Sunday,  because  they  were  crowded 
with  cars — cars  burning  slowly,  and  the  work  of  destruction  commenced  at 
night.  The  motive  was,  they  wanted  to  burn  these  troops  out  of  the  round- 
houses, and  communicating  fire  from  car  to  car,  was  rather  slow,  and  many 
people  imagined,  that  because  there  were  but  few  people  on  the  tracks 
during  the  day,  therefore  a  few  people  could  have  controlled  them.  The 
reflection  seems  to  be  made  upon  the  officers  of  the  city  and  county,  and 
the  military,  that  a  few  policemen,  or  a  few  military,  could  have  driven 
those  people  off  the  tracks,  and  that  would  have  been  the  end  of  it.  But 
anybody  that  stood  there  during  that  day,  and  was  among  these  people, 
found  thousands  of  people  on  the  streets  and  on  the  side-walks,  the  side 
streets,  at  Liberty  street,  that  prevented  any  water  being  thrown  on  the 
cars,  and  prevented  any  interference.  It  was  not  necessary  for  many  peo- 
ple to  be  there  to  fire  the  cars.  They  were  strangers.  I  suppose  the  rail- 
road men  who  had  the  first  grievances,  did  not  go  there,  because  they 
might  have  been  recognized,  but  they  all  stood  on  the  streets,  and  not  a 
drop  of  water  dared  to  be  thrown  on  these  tracks.  It  is  the  sheerest 
nonsense  to  talk  about  ten  men,  or  twenty-five  men,  or  two  thousand  men, 
to  have  stopped  this.  They  had  broken  open  barrels  of  whisky,  and  they 
knew  the  military  were  gone,  and  they  were  perfectly  satisfied  there  was 
no  police  force  to  stop  the  people,  and  unarmed  citizens  called  by  the 
sheriff  to  put  down  the  mob,  was  simply  ridiculous.  The  sheriff  did  what 
any  sheriff  would  do — he  called  a  posse,  a  lot  of  clerks,  or — lawyers,  to 
put  down  a  mob.  The  mob  understood  as  well  as  anybody  else,  that  that 
could  not  be  done,  it  was  not  his  fault,  and  it  was  not  the  fault  of  the  mayor 
that  there  was  not  any  police.  The  State  prevented  the  city  of  Pittsburgh 
from  borrowing  any  money.  The  bankers  in  this  cit}r  ottered  to  furnish 
the  amount  of  appropriation  that  was  short  for  police,  but  they  could  not 
get  the  money  back  again,  because  the  city  could  not  borrow  any  money. 
The  bankers  offered  to  provide  us  with  our  usual  number  of  police,  but 
the  State  law  stated  that  we  could  not  borrow  any  money  for  that  purpose. 

Q.  Constitution,  ain't  it  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  is  in  the  Constitution,  too.  The  State  stepped  in,  and  would 
not  let  us  do  it.     Eighty-five  men  to  cover  twenty-five  miles  square.     The 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  513 

patrolmen  were  up  all  Thursday  night,  and  on  Friday  we  hadn't  anjr  police. 
We  held  a  meeting  at  half  past  twelve,  and  in  the  meantime  a  committee 
five  was  appointed,  of  which  I  was  one,  who  went  into  the  crowd,  and  asked 
them  to  stop.  There  was  one  man,  he  was  in  a  blouse,  he  seemed  to  be 
dressed  as  a  railroader — he  attached  a  burning  car  to  a  locomotive,  and 
jumped  the  track  four  or  five  squares  east  of  the  depot.  When  our  com- 
mittee came  in,  and  when  Bishop  Tuigg  was  speaking,  he  rang  his  bell,  and 
started  off  with  his  steam  whistling,  not  allowing  people  to  hear  what  was 
said,  and  there  were  words  lost  on  the  crowd  that  was  in  front.  They  were 
not  railroad  men.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  the  fireman  the  city  would  have 
been  in  ashes.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  the  citizens  preserving  the  peace,  there 
is  no  telling  what  would  have  happened.  The  matter  was  of  such  dimen- 
sions, and  extended  over  so  many  cities,  and  miles  of  railway,  that  if 
this  whole  city  had  have  burned  down,  and  if  every  man,  woman,  and  child 
had  been  arrested,  that  was  not  the  end  of  the  thing.  It  was  only  a  small 
element — a  portion  of  it.  I  think  it  extended  over  nine  cities,  and  twent}- 
thousand  miles  of  railway.  It  had  proclamations  from  six  or  seven  Gover- 
nors, and  proclamations  from  the  President  of  the  United  States.  It  was 
a  matter  not  of  contagion,  but  of  organization.  I  have  here  the  proclama- 
tion of  the  Governor,  and  meeting  of  trainmen. 

Q.  What  facts  have  you  to  say  that  it  was  a  matter  or  organization  ? 

A.  Not  being  a  member  of  any  of  their  organizations,  although  I  am  of 
some  other  societies,  I  only  get  it  by  publications  which  I  have  in  my  bound 
files,  and  can  furnish  you  the  meetings  of  trainmen,  and  the  fact  that  on 
the  16th  of  July,  on  Monday,  that  these  same  railroad  men,  on  account  of 
wages  in  West  Virginia,  Martinsburg,  resisted  the  authority.  They  called 
on  the  Governor,  and  the  Governor  appealed  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States.  That  on  Wednesday,  the  18th,  the  proclamation  of  the  President 
of  the  United  States  was  issued,  which  was  twent3r-four  hours  in  advance 
of  the  first  interruption  here,  and  that  it  extended  over  nine  of  the  most 
populous  States  in  the  Union.  It  is  a  matter  of  current  public  positive 
history,  which  of  itself  would  be  sufficient  to  show  that  all  the  railroad 
employes  were  in  consultation,  and  had,  of  course,  an  organization.  I 
suppose  that  railroads  had  to  reduce  wages  in  consequence  of  reduced  re- 
ceipts, and  that  these  people,  with  their  oath  bound  organization,  had 
agreed  that  the  only  way  they  could  cure  that,  would  be  by  stopping  work. 
I  think  that  was  their  onhv  object. 

Q.  Have  you  any  facts,  aside  from  the  actual  existence  of  the  strike,  to 
show  that  they  had  secret  organizations  and  a  pre-arranged  plan  to  strike 
throughout  the  nine  States  ? 

A.  Not  being  a  member  of  any  secret  organization  myself,  I  was  onty 
governed,  as  a  public  journalist,  by  the  facts  that  came  to  me. 

Q.  You  arrive  at  that  conclusion,  then,  from  the  existence  of  the  strikes 
themselves,  and  their  spreading  over  so  large  a  territory  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  at  the  same  time,  it  could  not  be  simply  contagion  from 
one  line  to  the  other.  There  was  not  time  enough  to  communicate  from 
man  to  man  along  all  the  line  of  railroads,  and  that  they  having  possession 
of  the  telegraphic  wires  at  the  same  time,  they  had  all  the  works  of  the 
entire  railroad  itself,  and  it  was  communicated  to  the  whole  of  them,  and 
they  had  their  resolutions  and  perfected  their  organization. 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  many  railroads  in  this  country  reduced  their  wages 
ten  per  cent,  on  the  1st  of  June  ? 

A.  I  do  not,  except  from  the  current  reports  at  the  time  that  the  four 
great  trunk  lines  did — branches  of  the  roads  east  agreed  with  it.     About 
forty  thousand  miles  of  railroad  in  the  United  States  agreed  with  it.     About 
33  Riots. 


514  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

all,  although  the  strike  was  not  developed  all  over.  I  think  some  of  the 
New  York  roads,  perhaps,  arranged  it  with  their  employes,  but  still  there 
was  trouble.  The  main  trouble  here,  was  the  reduction  of  wages.  I  don't 
know  that  it  would  be  of  benefit  to  this  committee,  but  I  would  be  perfectly 
willing  to  give  my  bound  files  which  give  the  current  history  of  that  dur- 
ing the  two  weeks.  It  might  be  useful  to  look  over  to  show  the  existence 
of  this  thing.  There  are  many  things  that  are  official — the  Governor's 
proclamation  is  official. 

Q.  You  have  no  copies  of  the  papers  that  you  could  furnish  us  to  retain  ? 

A.  I  will  furnish  them  to  you  or  send  them  to  you  at  Harrisburg  by  ex- 
press. You  can  keep  them  as  long  as  you  want.  I  can  get  them  very  well. 
I  have  extracts  taken  out  of  them,  all  of  which  I  would  be  very  glad  to 

furnish.     There  is  one  thing  I  might  state 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Have  you  got  your  files  bound  for  the  month  of  July  ? 

A.  The  daily  and  weekly  are  bound  together.  I  have  them  bound,  and 
I  will  furnish  them  gladly  to  you. 

Q.  Could  you  not  furnish  us  with  a  bound  copy,  with  references  to  the 
pages  ? 

A.  You  can  have  from  July  28,  to  August  24,  that  is  two  weeks.  We 
felt  here  the  crisis  approaching,  and  the  importance  of  this  whole  matter, 
and  I  telegraphed  to  Mr.  Scott,  president  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad, 
these  words : 

Pittsburgh,  Saturday  noon,  1877. 

To  T.  A.  Scott,  Philadelphia  : 

Don't  you  think  you  could  best  serve  your  compan}T,  rescue  imperiled 
interests,  and  perhaps  save  valuable  lives  by  your  presence  here,  and  make 
in  person  some  proposition  to  convince  our  people  your  company  has 
rights  and  grievances.  The  current  sets  against  you  with  every  shade  "of 
labor,  and  it  is  important  that  you  should  be  on  hand  to  decide  whatever 
may  be  presented  to  you.     I  can  assure  you  the  situation  is  critical. 

J.  P.  Barr. 

That  was  on  Saturday,  about  eleven  o'clock,  before  any  firing — before  I 
knew  that  the  Philadelphia  people  were  here  at  all.  I  was  so  utterly  con- 
vinced of  the  critical  situation  of  affairs  here,  that  1  thought  if  Mr.  Scott 
was  here  in  person,  that  he  might  be  able  to  say  to  these  people  that  they 
were  then  an  unlawful  assembly,  and  that  an  appeal  from  him  would  settle 
this  thing.     If  the  committee  desire,  I  will  read  his  answer: 

Philadelphia,  July  21 — 4,  P.  M. 

James  P.  Barr,  Pittsburgh  : 

1  have  just  received  your  message,  and  fully  appreciate  the  grave  im- 
portance of  the  matters  transpiring  in  your  community.  You  will  speedily 
discover  that  the  strike  of  a  few  of  our  railway  employes  is  simply  being 
used  by  the  mob  violence,  which  some  of  your  people  are  permitting  or 
encouraging,  to  effect  other  purposes,  which,  if  successful,  will  destroy 
many  of  your  leading  local  interests.  The  strike  on  our  road  at  Pitts- 
burgh was  inaugurated  without  any  notice  to  or  conference  with  the 
officers  of  our  company  as  to  the  existence  of  a  grievance.  The  reduc- 
tions in  the  compensation  to  the  people  in  the  service  of  this  company  are 
to-day  less  than  in  any  other  branch  of  business  in  the  country,  and  were 
made  only  because  of  the  great  depression  in  trade  interests,  to  enable  us  to 
aid  the  various  communities  in  carrying  on  business  at  all.      When  violent 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  515 

possession  was  taken  of  our  property,  and  the  business  obstructed,  there 
was  no  recourse  left  us  but  to  call  upon  the  authorities  of  the  city,  county, 
and  State  to  take  charge  of  the  matter,  and  vindicate  the  laws  by  the 
restoration  of  order  in  such  form  as  to  them  should  seem  best.  If  I 
could  be  of  any  possible  service  in  Pittsburgh,  I  would  go  out,  but  at 
present  I  think  it  would  be  most  unwise  to  interfere  in  any  manner  with 
the  State  authorities  in  their  enforcement  of  law  and  order. 

Thomas  A.  Scott. 

On  Sunday  he  telegraphs  : 

Philadelphia,  July  25—12.30,  P.  M. 
To  James  P.  Barr,  Pittsburgh  : 

What  is  the  situation  of  affairs  in  Pittsburgh  to-day  ?  Are  the  loyal 
people  in  shape  to  protect  life  and  property  ?  The  statements  of  my  mes- 
sage of  last  Saturday  to  you  have  been  terribly  realized.  I  think  there  is 
not  and  cannot  be  any  safety  for  life  or  property  unless  the  State  and 
United  States  authorities  will  adopt  the  measures  necessary  to  restore  ab- 
solute law  and  order,  and  make  it  permanent.  Would  be  glad  to  have 
your  views  of  the  situation  this  morning. 

Thomas  A.  Scott. 

I  telegraphed  him  back  : 

Pittsburgh,  Wednesday,  July  25 — 2,  P.  M. 

To  T.  A.  Scott,  Philadelphia : 

The  local  military  and  organized  citizens,  animated  by  a  determination 
to  quell  mobs,  are  quite  sufficient  to  preserve  the  peace  and  property  of 
this  city.  Everything  is  quiet.  Our  impending  danger  is  the  suspen- 
sion of  general  labor  and  thronging  our  streets  with  idle  men.  Local  traffic 
for  coal  and  provisions  is  first  demanded. 

Neither  you  nor  labor  will  surrender,  because  it  involves  humilation,  but 
you  can  suggest  or  agree  to  a  board  of  arbitration  to  present  a  compromise, 
which  will  relieve  3rou  and  labor  without  disturbing  the  rights  or  griev- 
ances of  either.  Compromise  governs  the  daily  business  of  the  world. 
You  have  it  in  your  power  to  restore  peace  and  preserve  society.  The 
discontent  of  many  years  against  the  extravagance  of  railwa}7  management 
has  culminated,  and  forms  the  subject  of  complaint,  as  well  as  the  reduc- 
tion of  wages. 

I  implore  you  not  to  assume  the  ground  that  military  can  settle  anything 
but  defiance  of  law.  Have  this  compromise  effected  at  once,  an  1  the 
country  will  owe  you  a  debt  of  gratitude. 

J.  P.  Barr. 

And  he  says : 

Philadelphia,  Wednesday — £,  P.  M. 
To  James  P.  Barr  : 

I  like  your  suggestion  as  to  the  restoration  of  the  local  business  of  the 
country,  and  the  giving  of  employment  to  mines  and  factories.  This  it 
has  always  been  a  pleasure  to  me  to  do,  and  we  will  do  it  to-morrow,  if 
your  people  will  protect  the  employes  of  the  company  who  are  willing  and 
anxious  to  work  and  preserve  the  interest  of  the  country,  as  highways  like 
our  own  are  able  to  do. 

My  own  judgement  is  that  the  restoration  of  law  and  order  can  only  be 
effected  by  a  return  to  common  sense  by  the  people,  and  by  them  refrain- 


516  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

ing  from  encouraging  or  connecting  themselves  with  mobs  or  violence  of 
any  kind,  and  that  the  channels  of  trade  and  business  will  immediately  fill 
up,  and  give  employment  to  every  man  that  the  depressed  condition  of  the 
business  of  the  country  will  permit.  I  am  sure  we  shall  be  glad  to  aid 
them,  but  to  do  it  in  any  other  way  would  be  but  simply  temporizing  with 
the  worst  evil  the  world  has  ever  seen ;  but  to  effect  permanent  peace  and 
order,  and  protection  to  life  and  property,  the  matter  must  be  settled  by 
the  governmental  authorities  of  the  country  as  they  exist,  and  independ- 
ently of  the  transportation  companies  of  the  country,  which  have  been 
doing  and  are  anxious  to  do  their  full  duty. 

I  believe  if  our  men  are  protected  by  you  and  by  other  good  citizens,  there 
won't  be  an  hour's  delay  in  opening  our  roads  for  the  convenience  of  traffic. 
I  am  sure  that  nearly  the  entire  force  connected  with  our  road  is  thoroughly 
loyal,  and  that  no  trouble  will  come  from  them,  but  that  they  will  do  their 
duty. 

Thomas  A.  Scott. 

It  is  well  enough  in  Scott  to  say — I  think  he  stated  in  an  independent 
communication,  that  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  em- 
ployes were  loyal.  If  there  were  ten  per  cent,  of  them  loyal  I  think  it 
would  be  nearer  the  truth,  for  if  on  Sunday  twenty-five  men  could  have 
put  down  that  rio.t — they  have  three  hundred  clerks,  and  three  or  four 
hundred  more  in  their  machine  shops,  that  could  have  been  sworn  in  by 
the  mayor — they  had  a  better  right  to  protect  them.  I  suppose  it  is  well 
enough  for  Scott  to  say,  that  they  were  not  invited  by  the  citizens  of 
Pittsburgh.  It  was  a  rebellion  on  the  part  of  the  employes,  because  of 
grievances  they  had,  or  supposed  they  had,  and  when  mad  riot  was  inau- 
gurated after  that,  other  people  came  in  to  do  it.  It  was  not  the  people 
of  Pittsburgh,  the  taxpayers  or  representatives  of  the  people  of  Pittsburgh, 
any  more  than  it  was  in  Philadelphia  in  1844,  while  a  riot  held  possession 
of  that  city  for  over  a  week,  notwithstanding  the  military.  It  was  an  un- 
fortunate thing  that  the  military  were  ever  called.  They  did  the  very 
best  they  could.  They  supposed  they  were  coming  to  restore  order,  by 
the  quickest  method.  I  have  no  complaints  to  make  in  that  regard,  be- 
cause if  our  foresight  was  as  good  as  our  hindsight,  I  don't  think  there 
would  have  been  any  trouble  in  this  case. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  consultation  with  the  sheriff  about  his  calling  for 
militia  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not. 

Q.  When  you  learned  he  had  made  the  call,  did  you  take  any  steps  to 
see  him  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  Didn't  you  know  that  he  was  going  to  make  the  call  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  never  heard  of  any  call.  I  did  hear,  to  some  extent,  I  may 
say.  I  knew  that  the  railroad  authorities  were  more  perfectly  aware  of 
the  extent  of  this  trouble  than  the  community  generally,  and  when  the 
strike  was  made,  on  Thursday,  July  19 — when  the  day  for  putting  the 
order  for  double-headers  into  effect.  That  when  an  officer  of  the  railroad 
was  assaulted,  and  the  police  were  asked  to  arrest  that  man,  which  was 
done,  and  immediately  communication  was  made  with  the  State  authori- 
ties to  provide  for  a  military  force. 

Q.  How  do  you  know  that? 

A.  I  don't  want  you  to  ask  me  how  I  know  it  exactly. 

Q.  If  you  can  give  us  anj'  knowledge 

A.  As  a  member  of  a  grand  jury,  I  cannot  tell  who  swore  to  these  facts, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  517 

although  I  did  make  certain  facts  public.  I  can  state  here  the  facts  that 
came  before  me — that  the  general  of  the  Sixth  division  here  was  called 
several  hours  before  the  civil  authorities  were  called  upon.  That  he  was 
at  the  railroad  depot,  and  in  communication  with  the  State  authorities. 
That  he  was  called  there  by  the  State  authorities  to  consult  with  them. 
Under  the  law,  I  take  it,  that  the  civil  authorities  must  come  in  as  a  sort 
of  figure  head.  It  was  not  intended  that  the  sheriff  could  get  any  posse 
of  our  citizens  to  put  down  the  riot,  but  he  had  to  follow  up  the  require- 
ments of  the  law.  That  was  after  the  railroad  had  called  upon  the  State 
to  do  this  work,  being  perfectly  aware  that  we  had  no  police  force  suffi- 
cient. The  sheriff  did  his  full  duty.  It  was  not  the  fault  of  the  mayor 
that  there  was  no  police.  So  I  do  not  think  the  railroad,  if  they  intended 
to  meet  this  thing,  had  anything  else  to  do  but  to  call  on  the  State.  I 
think  it  is  a  most  dangerous  power,  and  one  that  will  stab  the  liberties  of 
this  country,  that  by  the  click  of  the  telegraph  they  can  call  for  a  thou- 
sand armed  men,  instead  of  exhausting  the  civil  authority,  if  it  takes  two 
weeks  to  do  it.  It  is  a  dangerous  power  to  give  them. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  claim  that  thej-  have  the  power  to  compel  the  Governor  to  fur- 
nish troops  ? 

A.  Who? 

Q.  The  sheriff  or  the  railroad  company  ? 

A.  I  say  it  is  a  power  entrusted  to  him,  that  Mr.  Scott  can  call  on  the 
Governor  of  the  State  and  furnish  transportation,  after  the  sheriff  only  sa}rs 
so,  because  the  sheriff  must  conform  with  the  law. 

Q.  Is  that  dangerous  that  he  has  that  right  ? 

A.  It  is  dangerous  that  any  man  has  a  right  to with  a 

thousand  armed  troops. 

Q.  It  is  dangerous  for  anyone  to  have  that  power? 

A.  The  Governor  or  any  other  man.  The  bill  reads :  It  says  that  the 
military  shall  be  subordinate  to  the  civil  authorities.  It  means  that  the 
civil  power  are  paramount,  and  the  military  should  never  be  called  in  ex- 
cept to  kill — they  are  not  to  be  degraded  into  police. 

Q.  I  want  to  know  whether  you  wish  to  convey  the  idea  that  the  rail- 
road company  or  the  sheriff  has  the  power  to  call  out  the  military,  or  that 
he  can  only  make  a  request,  and  the  Governor  has  the  power  ? 

A.  Unrler  the  old  militia  law  of  the  State  the  sheriff  could  call  them  out, 
or  General  Pearson,  or  the  major  general  in  command  of  this  division,  and 
he  could  oblige  them  to  serve  as  a  posse.    As  it  is  to-day,  he  cannot  do  it. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  I  understand,  from  what  you  have  already  said,  that  it  was  not  neces- 
sary, in  your  opinion,  to  call  out  the  militia  in  this  instance,  at  the  time 
they  were  called  ? 

A.  I  don't  exactly  mean  that,  but  I  do  mean  to  say,  it  seemed  to  be  the 
only  power  at  hand,  as  we  have  not  enough  provided  in  the  city  or  county. 
It  was  ill  advised  and  bad  judgment  when  they  were  called  to  put  them 
inside  of  the  mob,  and  not  to  keep  them  in  reserve.  The  purpose  of  a 
soldier  is  simply  to  kill,  and  it  was  particularly  ill  advised  on  Saturday, 
in  the  teeth  of  protests  made  by  representative  citizens.  It  could  effect 
nothing  but  what  it  did  effect,  and  that  was  violence  in  every  form. 

Q.  You  had  not  sufficient  police  force  here  to  cope  with  a  mob  of  its  ex- 
tent and  power? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  The  sheriff  had  not  sufficient  force  to  cope  with  it  ? 

A.  No. 


0 


513  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  And  I  understand  it  would  be  folly  for  the  sheriff  to  attempt  to  raise 
a  posse  of  citizens  to  cope  with  it — then  there  was  nothing  left  but  to  call 
out  the  military  ? 

A.  I  do  not  see  anything  else — if  they  intended  to  do  what  they  sup- 
posed the}7  could  do.    1  do  not  think  it  was  necessary  to  call  out  anybody. 

Q.  You  think  it  was  ill  advised,  to  undertake  to  move  trains  at  the  time  ? 

A.  They  could  not  have  moved  a  train,  because  they  had  not  the  men 
to  move  it,  but  they  could  have  done  there  what  they  did  elsewhere.  They 
could  have  let  it  exhaust  itself.  The  very  presence  of  the  soldiers  begat 
excitement,  and  if  they  intended  to  intimidate  the  great  crowd,  I  suppose 
the  calling  of  the  soldiers  would  do  that,  if  they  had  cool  leaders,  men 
who  understood  what  was  to  be  done  in  an  exigency  of  that  sort.  They 
ought  not  to  be  thrown  into  a  crowd  to  be  assaulted  by  stones. 

Q.  Would  the  mob  have  exhausted  itself  before  there  would  have  been 
great  destruction  of  property  ? 

A.  There  would  not  have  been  any  destruction  of  property  whatever. 

Q.  Would  not  there  not  have  been  a  loss  of  perishable  property  that 
was  in  transit,  too  ? 

A.  They  seemed  to  be  willing  to  make  provision  even  for  that.  It  seems 
to  me  the  whole  labor  movement  has  failed  signally  in  strikes  in  coal 
mines,  in  mills,  and  in  large  places,  because  it  was  only  local,  and  the 
whole  community  failed  to  sympathize  with  them.  They  failed  to  get  their 
rights  by  strikes,  because  it  did  not  affect  the  general  nterests.  They  dis- 
covered, for  the  first  time,  where  forty  millions  of  people  could  be  stricken 
as  with  a  blow,  by  all  the  people  on  these  roads  refusing  to  work.  They 
found  out,  for  the  first  time,  where  the  weak  point  was,  as  well  as  the 
strong  point,  in  this  country.  They  can  do  it  again.  When  the  employes — 
brakemen,  trainmen,  conductors,  and  engineers  will  agree  not  to  run  a  rail- 
road in  this  country,  that  is  the  end  of  traffic,  and  they  can  starve  out 
whole  communities.  They  discovered  that  fact,  and  then  it  was  on  Satur- 
day evening,  that  labor  sympathising  with  those  people,  they  partook  of 
the  strike,  and  helped  to  burn  cars  and  carry  on  the  work  of  destruction. 
That  is  a  danger  we  are  subject  to,  and  the  Governor,  in  this  city,  when 
he  came  back  from  the  West,  the  very  first  proclamation  he  issued,  was 
this : 

Pittsburgh,  July  25 — 1.30,  A.  M. 

To  the  people  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  : 

Whereas,  There  exists  a  condition  of  turbulence  and  disorder  within 
the  State,  extending  to  many  interest,  and  threatening  all  communities, 
under  the  impulse  of  which  there  has  grown  up  a  spirit  of  lawlessness, 
requiring  that  all  law  observing  citizens  shall  organize  themselves  into 
armed  bodies  for  the  purpose  of  self-protection  and  preserving  the  peace  ; 
therefore, 

I,  John  F.  Hartranft,  Governor  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  recommend 
that  all  citizens  shall  organize  themselves  into  associations,  with  such  arms 
as  they  can  procure,  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  order  and  suppressing 
violence,  an<(  all  good  citizens  are  warned  against  appearing  in  company 
with  any  mob  or  riotous  assembly,  and  thus  giving  encouragement  to  vio- 
lators of  the  law. 

(Signed)  J.  F.  Hartranft, 

Governor. 

lie  did  not  confine  it  to  Pittsburgh,  but  called  for  the  whole  power  of 
the  United  States  to  put  it  down. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  519 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  It  was  not  on  railroads  ? 

A.  It  got  into  coal  and  everything.  It  struck  labor.  They  found  when 
you  hit  the  mills  it  was  only  local ;  but  when  you  struck  the  railroads  it 
struck  everybody.  I  will  furnish  you  files  of  the  papers.  Also  the  of- 
ficial report  of  the  coroner,  and  the  testimony  taken  before  him,  and  the 
number  of  people  killed  on  Saturday.  . 

Q.  You  have  the  official  report  of  the  coroner  in  the  files  ? 

A.  Yes.  The  first  fire  there  were  ten  people  killed  outright,  and  there 
were  some  sixty  or  seventy  wounded — I  have  the  names  of  all  of  them. 
The  first  fire  the  people  were  killed  that  had  no  right  to  be  killed — the  fire 
of  Saturday  night.  Anybody  that  was  killed  after  Saturday  night  had  a 
right  to  be  killed;  but  it  is  a  very  dangerous  doctrine — judges  have  to 
charge  that — that  everybody  is  constructively  a  mob  that  is  then  around, 
but  that  won't  do  in  the  United  States,  to  charge  that  everybody  is  a  mob. 

Colonel  Gray,  re-called  : 

The  witness :  When  I  dismissed  my  command  at  the  Union  depot,  at 
eleven  o'clock  on  Saturday  night,  just  in  advance  of  that  I  want  to  say, 
because  I  took  all  the  responsibility,  General  Brown  left  Twenty-eighth 
street  on  that  afternoon  about  one  or  two  o'clock,  and  came  to  the  Union 
depot  and  left  me  in  command,  and  it  is  in  your  testimony  that  I  sent  an 
officer  to  Colonel  Howard,  with  the  purpose  in  view — that  purpose  I  want 
to  say — I  had  felt  all  day  that  whatever  orders  they  had  were  not  carried 
out,  and  I  thought  it  was  impossible,  so  far  as  I  was  concerned,  that  some- 
thing should  be  done,  and  I  sent  an  officer  to  Colonel  Howard,  to  ask  his 
cooperation,  and  I  would  take  a  different  course.  I  intended  to  vacate 
that  railroad  and  prevent  anyone  from  coming  on  it ;  and  I  want  to  say  in 
connection  with  that,  there  was  some  great  difficulty — the  local  trains  run- 
ning in  from  Walls  and  East  Liberty  were  coming  constantly,  and  the 
strikers  at  all  points  on  the  railroad  were  arriving  to  and  fro.  They  were 
getting  off  these  trains  and  getting  on  them,  so  that  the  military  were  at  a 
great  disadvantage.  Hundreds  came  in  on  every  train,  and  got  off  right 
on  the  track ;  and  another  point  I  want  to  say,  that  after  my  men  assem- 
bled— the  companies  coming  at  the  original  call — the  men  that  wanted  to 
come  in  on  the  railroad  were  put  off ;  they  couldn't  get  into  the  city  ;  they 
wanted  to  report  to  the  companies  here  on  duty.  They  were  put  off  the 
trains.  I  was  telegraphed  to  for  two  or  three  days,  men  along  the  railroads 
were  put  off.  I  re-organized  my  regiment  Monday  morning — all  the  com- 
panies— two  companies  at  the  request  of  Mr.  King,  who  was  here  from  the 
Alleghen3r  Yalley  railroad.  At  his  request,  I  left  one  company  in  charge 
of  the  sheds,  and  my  command  was  re-assembled,  very  promptly,  to  my 
great  astonishment,  Monday  morning.  There  was  no  difficulty  in  getting 
the  men  to  the  armory  and  re-assembling,  and  I  had  two  hundred  and  forty 
or  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  had  two  companies  outside  of  the  city. 
My  command  was  in  service  until  the  6th  day  of  December,  and  did  faithful 
service.  My  officers  are  men  that  don't  run  away. 
By  Senator  Yutz}' : 

Q.  You  account  for  the  small  turn  out  of  your  command,  when  you  first 
assembled  them,  from  the  fact  that  they  were  prevented  from  coming  on 
the  trains,  some  of  them  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  until  to-morrow  morning,  at 
eight  and  a  half  o'clock. 


520  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Pittsburgh,  Tuesday,  February  26,  1878. 

The  committee  met,  at  half  past  ten  o'clock.    Mr.  Reyburn  in  the  chair. 
All  members  present  except  Messrs.  Larrabee  and  Lindsey. 

Captain  J.  D.  McFarland,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reybnrn  : 

Q.  What  is  your  full  name  ? 

A.  John  D.  McFarland. 

Q.  "Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  78  Logan  street,  Seventh  ward. 

Q.  You  were  a  member  of  the  militia  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  In  what  capacity  ? 

A.  Captain  of  the  Washing-ton  infantry. 

Q.  Were  you  called  out  during  the  late  disturbance  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  called  out — got  my  orders  on  Friday  morning. 

Q.  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  make  a  statement  of  what  you  know  in 
relation  to  the  late  riots  ? 

A.  On  Friday,  I  believe  the  21st  of  July,  I  received  orders  from  the  ad- 
jutant of  the  regiment  to  which  we  are  attached,  to  assemble  my  command 
as  soon  as  possible,  at  the  armoiy.  I  sent  a  notice  to  the  sergeants  of  the 
company,  and  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  I  reported  to  Colonel 
Howard,  commanding  the  regiment,  at  Union  depot.  We  stayed  there  some 
time — a  short  time — I  suppose  an  hour,  perhaps  an  hour  and  a  half.  The 
regiment  was  ordered  out  on  the  street,  with  two  pieces  of  Breck's  battery, 
to  proceed  to  Twenty -eighth  street.  We  were  halted,  after  marching  three  or 
four  hundred  yards.  AVe  had  no  ammunition,  and  there  was  a  box  opened  on 
the  stone  wall  near  the  depot,  and  to  the  best  of  my  recollection,  we  there 
received  one  hundred  and  twenty  rounds  for  the  company — that  was  issued 
to  us — to  the  whole  of  the  command,  and  we  remained  on  the  street  some 
time,  I  suppose,  maybe  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  and  then  we  were  or- 
dered back  on  to  the  platform  of  the  depot,  inside  of  the  railroad  com- 
pany's lines.  We  remained  there  all  that  night,  the  night  of  Friday,  and 
until  Saturday  morning,  until  about  four  o'clock.  At  four  o'clock  we 
were  ordered  to  move  out  along  the  line  of  the  tracks.  Two  pieces  of 
Breck's  battery  was  placed  on  a  gondola  car,  and  the  regiment  I  under- 
stood had  been  sent  around  in  the  rear  on  the  hill.  We  were  the  first  com- 
pany on  the  track  at  T went}7 -eighth  street,  and  arriving  there,  we  found  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  men,  citizens.  There  were  not  over  thirty,  I  think  ; 
and  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  the  colonel  ordered  me  to  clear  the  tracks, 
and  put  them  off  the  company's  property,  which  we  did.  We  moved  up 
and  down  the  track,  and  that  was  repeated,  I  suppose,  a  couple  of  hours. 
When  we  would  move  down  the  track  to  clear  it,  the  parties  would  gather 
in  on  our  rear  and  flank,  there  had  been  no  pickets  out,  and  they  would 
gather  in  on  our  rear  on  the  track.  We  remained  there  with  the  com- 
mand, clearing  the  tracks,  I  suppose,  until  about  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  On  Saturday  ? 

A.  Yes;  on  Saturday,  perhaps  later  than  that.  I  am  not  certain  about 
the  time.  At  that  time  I  came  in,  had  permission  to  come  in  and  attend 
to  some  private  business,  and  I  was  not  there  during  the  firing.  As  soon 
as  I  heard  there  was  such  a  thing,  I  hastened  out,  and  found  that  the  Phila- 
delphia troops  had  been  put  in  the  round-house,  and  it  was  reported  that 


o 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  521 

the  Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth  regiments,  which  constitute  our  division, 
that  the  Eighteenth  had  been  sent  to  the  Union  depot.  I  learned  this 
at  the  hospital.  There  was  then  a  great  mob  making  such  a  noise,  as  a 
mob  usually  does.  I  hastened  to  the  Union  depot,  and  met  the  sergeant, 
who  informed  me  that  our  regiment  was  out  at  the  transfer  office.  I  went 
out  there,  and  found  General  Brown  and  Colonel  Howard  with  a  portion 
of  the  command  in  a  shed  surrounded  by  cars.  I  asked  Colonel  Howard — 
he  was  the  first  officer  I  saw — asked  him  what  he  was  doing  there.  He 
said  he  was  there  by  orders,  and  asked  me  the  state  of  affairs  in  the  city. 
1  told  him  the  condition  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Union  depot.  There 
was  a  large  mob  upon  the  street — from  the  Union  depot  to  Twenty-eighth 
street  was  crowded  with  a  mob,  and  they  were  hooting,  yelling,  and  threat- 
ening what  they  would  do.  I  heard  them  shouting,  they  would  break  into 
the  armories  and  gun  stores — that  was  the  common  threat  that  was  used 
by  the  mob  on  the  street.  That  afternoon,  Colonel  Howard  said  to  me, 
that  he  would  see  General  Brown,  who  was  up  stairs  in  the  transfer  office. 
General  Brown  came  down.  He  asked  me  the  condition.  I  made  to  him 
the  same  statement  I  had  made  to  Colonel  Howard,  and  I  advised  him  to 
take  another  position  than  that — he  had  first  asked  me  what  my  advice 
would  have  been.  I  told  him  that  I  thought  he  might  get  a  better  place 
for  the  men  than  that.  I  then  came  down  to  the  cit}r,  to  the  armory,  and 
found  the  mob  there  who  had  broken  in  and  taken  all  the  arms  that  had 
been  left  in  the  armory,  with  the  exception  of  those  that  had  been  con- 
cealed. They  got  the  arms  and  left. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Where  is  your  armory  ? 

A.  It  is  on  Market  street.  It  is  in  the  cit}^  property,  over  one  of  the 
market-houses.  All  of  the  regiments  are  quartered  there  in  the  city  prop- 
erty. I  suppose  I  had  been  there  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  when  the  bal- 
ance of  the  officers,  and  the  men  of  the  regiment,  came  down  into  the 
armory.  There  was  nothing  more  done  that  night.  I  was  on  the  streets, 
I  suppose,  until  twelve  o'clock,  until  an  alarm  from  the  box  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street  sounded  for  fire,  and,  in  company  with  several  other  persons, 
we  started  on  the  hill  above  the  hospital,  or  near  the  hospital,  not  quite  so 
far  out,  and  there  saw  what  I  took  to  be  the  first  car  that  was  burned  that 
had  been  set  on  fire.  It  was  running  down  near  the  round-house.  I  re- 
mained on  the  hill  a  good  portion  of  that  evening — it  was  then  morning. 

Q.  Sunday  morning  ? 

A.  Sunday  morning ;  yes,  sir.  Sunday  morning  I  came  home  and  laid 
down  awhile,  and  got  breakfast,  and  started  to  the  city  to  see  if  anything  had 
been  done  to  gather  the  battalion  together.  I  saw  none  of  the  officers  on  the 
street  at  all,  I  believe,  with  the  exception  of  the  assistant  adjutant  general, 
Colonel  Moore,  of  our  division,  and  one  officer  of  General  Pearson's  staff. 
There  was  nothing  done  that  day  until  afternoon.  A  citizen  came  up  to 
the  house — I  had  gone  home.  He  said  to  me,  says  he,  "  The  citizens  are 
going  to  put  this  thing  down.  They  would  like  to  get  your  arms."  I  said, 
"  No ;  if  the  citizens  will  back  us  up,  we  will  find  a  gun  for  every  man. 
We  have  got  all  ours.  All  we  want  is  ammunition  and  backing."  I  sent 
out  and  I  had  as  many  men  of  my  company  who  lived  near  me  come  to  a 
room  in  my  own  house,  and  I  there  ordered  those  men  to  go  out,  and  order 
the  balance  of  the  company  to  take  their  accoutrements,  which  they  had  so 
thrown  off,  and  come  to  the  mayor's  office.  I  did  not  want  to  go  to  my 
own  armory.  In  fact,  I  was  afraid  to  go  there,  from  the  fact  that  it  was 
a  place  that  could  not  have  been  defended  at  all.  It  could  easily  be  set 
fire  to.     Went  to  the  mayor,  and  asked  him  if  I  could  have  one  of  the 


522  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

rooms  in  which  to  assemble  men.  He  said,  "  Certainly."  He  was  glad  I 
ha  1  come.  I  sent  one  of  my  officers  out — my  first  lieutenant,  Mr.  Brown — 
out  to  our  colonel's  house.  I  sent  my  lieutenant  out  to  notify  Colonel 
Howard  what  I  had  done — I  had  ordered  the  company  to  assemble  at  the 
mayor's  office — and  asking  if  he  would  procure  us  more  ammunition  than 
what  I  had.  He  came  in — General  Brown  came  in — and  General  Brown 
gave  me  an  order  on  Major  Buffington,  and  Mayor  McCarthy  furnished  us 
with  a  wagon  in  which  to  go  out  and  get  ammunition.  Major  Buffington 
returned  word  that  they  had  scarcely  sufficient  ammunition  to  give  to 
their  own  guard.  I  stated  the  case  to  Mayor  McCarthy,  and  Mayor 
McCarthy,  about  eleven  o'clock,  started  out,  and,  in  the  course  of  a 
half  or  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  he  came  back  and  handed  me  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  rounds  which  he  had  got.  He  asked  me  if  I  would 
remain  with  him  during  the  night,  and  put  down  any  disturbance.  I  said 
I  would,  subject  to  the  orders  of  my  superior  officers.  On  Monday  morn- 
ing, about  half  past  eight  or  nine  o'clock,  I  had  left  the  men  go  to  get 
something  to  eat,  and  the  mayor  said  to  me,  "  I  don't  want  you  to  let  the 
men  go  away  from  here  unless  under  orders,  and  I  will  see  that  they  re- 
ceive provisions  ;  that  I  should  take  my  men  around  to  a  saloon  near 
there  ;  the}'  would  be  attended  to  there."  Shortly  after  breakfast  he  noti- 
fied me  there  was  a  boat  load  of  miners  coming  down  on  the  packet  from 
Elizabeth.  He  had  received  information  that  they  had  come  down,  and  ex- 
pected a  pretty  rough  time,  and  asked  me  to  go  with  them.  I  assembled 
the  men,  and  General  Brown  went  down  with  us.  There  was  a  squid  of 
police.  As  I  recollect  the  line  of  march,  there  was  a  squad  of  police  in 
front.  There  was  my  company,  and  then  there  was  a  company  of  citizen*, 
armed  with  shot-guns,  rifles,  and  carbines,  under  the  command  of  General 
Negley.  General  Negley  and  Mayor  McCarthy  and  General  Joe  Brown 
were  with  us.  We  went  down  to  Smithfield  street,  and  we  learned  that  the 
men,  in  place  of  coming  down  on  the  packet  as  far  as  its  regular  landing, 
had  got  off  about  half  a  mile  above  the  landing,  and  come  down  that 
way  ;  I  suppose,  so  as  to  get  in  the  city  without  any  trouble.  I  threw  my 
company  across  Grant  street,  and  blocked  up  the  passage.  Ordered  the  men 
to  load,' and  I  saw  then,  while  standing  in  front  of  the  command,  General 
Negle}r  and  Mayor  McCarthy  and  others,  making  addresses  to  this  band 
of  miners — they  were  all  reputed  to  be  miners — I  do  not  know  whether 
they  were  or  not.  The  crowd  was  dispersed.  We  marched  down  to  Water 
street.  There  were  no  shots  fired — no  disturbance  of  any  kind.  They 
seemed  to  be  pacified  by  the  remarks  made  by  the  officers.  We  then  went 
back  to  city  hall,  to  the  mayor's  office,  and  were  quartered  there  until  the 
afternoon,  when  I  received  orders  to  report  to  my  colonel.  I  reported  to 
him  on  First  avenue,  and  after  supper  we  were  sent  to  our  armory  again. 
During  the  night,  between  ten  and  eleven  o'clock,  I  was  ordered  out  again 
to  support  another  detachment  of  the  police.  It  seems  that  a  party  of 
roughs  from  Cumberland  had  taken  a  train,  and  taken  possession  of  it, 
and  the  mayor  was  notified,  and  he  sent  down  a  detail  of  police,  and  we 
were  sent  down  to  support  the  police.  The  police  had  men  under  arrest 
before  we  got  there,  and  the  next  day  we  escorted  these  men  and  the  po- 
lice over  to  Allegheny,  to  take  the  cars  for  Claremont.  That  was  about  all 
the  trouble — all  the  duty  we  really  did,  with  the  exception  of  some  ordi- 
nary patrolling — marching  around.  There  was  nothing  of  any  importance. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  came  from  the  transfer  station  to  your  armory  in  the  city — this 
was  on  Saturday  night? 

A.  This  was  on  Saturday  night. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  523 

Q.  What  time  in  the  night  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  it  would  be  about  eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  Bring  3-our  command  down  to  the  armory  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  leave  your  command  there? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  never  went  back  to  the  regiment  after  that,  that  night  ? 

A.  That  night.  No,  sir.  The  regiment  was  disbanded,  as  I  under- 
stood it. 

Q.  You  understood  that  next  da}7  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  well,  I  knew  of  the  fact  within  half  an  hour  afterwards  as 
I  stated.  The  balance  of  the  officers  came  there  while  I  was  still  in  the 
armory. 

Q.  What  was  your  object  in  going  to  the  armory? 

A.  My  object  in  going  there  was  to  save  any  property  that  could  pos- 
sibly be  saved.  We  had  considerable  property  there  of  ours  independent 
of  the  State's. 

Q.  Were  you  in  uniform  when  you  came  down  to  the  armory  ? 

A.  No, sir. 

Q.  Citizen's  dress  ? 

A.  Plain  clothes. 

Q.  Were  you  in  citizen's  dress  during  the  time  you  were  in  command  ? 

A.  No, sir. 

Q.  You  changed  }'our  uniform  ? 

A.  It  would  be  impossible,  in  my  own  opinion,  for  any  man  to  have  gone 
through  that  mob  in  uniform. 

Q.  You  rallied  your  men  on  Sunday  and  went  to  the  mayor's  office — 
did  you  remain  there  during  all  of  Sundaj-  ? 

A.  All  of  Sunday*  evening  and  Sunday  night  and  up  until  Monday,  until 
we  went  with  the  mayor  to  stop  the  progress  of  these  miners. 

Q.  Where  was  the  balance  of  your  regiment? 

A.  I  do  not  know,  sir.  I  know  they  were  assembled  on  Monday — I  do 
this  from  hearsay,  which,  of  course,  is  not  evidence — I  know  that  there 
were  two  of  the  companies  in  Allegheny  who  were  doing  duty  of  one  kind 
or  other  over  there. 

By  Senator  ReA'burn  : 

Q.  There  was  no  organization  of  the  regiment — you  received  no  orders 
from  the  colonel  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  were  acting  independently  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  was  acting  independently  in  support  of  the  majTor. 

Thomas  Graham,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q,.  Give  your  full  name  and  address  ? 

A.  Thomas  C.  Graham. 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  reside  in  the  Fifteenth  ward  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  am  janitor  of  the  citj'  hall. 

Q.  Have  you  any  information  concerning  the  riots  of  July,  the  subject 
which  we  are  investigating  ? 

A.  I  was  present  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  at  the  side  of  the  hill,  at  the 
time  the  firing  was  done. 

Q.  Be  good  enough  to  state,  then,  what  you  know  about  it  ? 


524  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  was  on  my  way  home  about  a  quarter  past  four  o'clock,  I  think, 
to  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  and  General  Brown  was  in  the  car  with  me  ; 
the  car  was  pretty  well  crowded  ;  we  were  standing  up.  When  we  arrived 
at  Twenty  eighth  street  he  said  to  me,  Come  along  up  and  see  the  mili- 
tary;  come  up  along.  I  said  I  didn't  care  about  going  up,  and  I  didn't 
think  that  any  one  outside  of  the  railroad  employes  had  any  business 
there ;  but  he  said  he  was  not  going  to  stop,  and  rather  insisted,  and  I  got 
off  the  car,  and  went  up  there.  We  crossed  over  the  track,  and  away  from 
the  crowd  altogether,  on  the  south  side  of  the  track,  beside  of  the  hill, 
and  we  walked  up  that  way,  leading  along  the  public  road — it  is  used  as  a 
public  thoroughfare,  to  a  certain  extent — and  there  halted.  I  thought  by 
going  up  there  we  could  have  a  good  view  of  everything  that  was  going  on, 
and  get  out  of  danger.  I  found  out  my  mistake  afterwards,  though. 
When  the  military  came  up  I  was  standing  rightabout  seventy-five  or  one 
hundred  feet  from  the  tracks,  on  the  side  of  the  hill.  Was  elevated  a  con- 
siderable distance,  and  had  a  good  view  over  all  that  was  going  on.  I 
kept  moving  my  head,  or  rather  my  eyes  rolling,  from  one  point  to  the 
other,  taking  all  in  that  was  going  on,  and  when  the  troops  came  up  and 
cleared  the  track  on  both  sides,  the  battery  came  up  and  across,  through 
Twenty-eighth  street ;  they  could  not  get  through,  but  part  of  them  came 
to  support  the  battery ;  came  up,  and  when  they  got  up  to  the  crowd — 
there  is  a  watch-box  stationed  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  by  the  side  of  the 
hospital  gate,  and  there  was  a  crowd  of  half  grown  boys  congregated 
around  that  box.  I  seen,  as  soon  as  they  came  up  by  the  boys,  they 
stooped  down  and  picked  up  stones,  there  was  like  to  be  trouble,  but  I 
concluded  I  would  be  safe  where  I  was,  and  remained  there.  As  soon  as 
the  troops  came  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing,  the  boys  commenced 
to  throw  at  the  troops,  and  some  missiles  were  thrown  from  the  corner  of 
the  hospital  grounds.  Then  the  firing  began,  and  continued  for  quite  a 
length  of  time.  I  stayed  where  I  was,  until  I  saw  two  men  fall,  one  of 
them  as  close  as  to  that  window,  the  other  one  further  down,  towards  the 
track.  There  was  a  ravine  in  the  rear  of  where  I  was  standing,  and  I 
made  the  remark  to  a  gentleman  standing  by  me  that  it  appeared  to  be 
getting  very  warm  here,  we  had  better  get  out  of  this,  and  I  leaped  right 
into  the  ravine,  and  there  remained  until  the  firing  was  over,  and  then 
came  down  and  went  home.  I  didn't  come  out  of  my  house  down  the 
street,  as  I  live  eight  squares  further  from  there  out.  I  didn't  come  in  till 
that  night.     That  was  about  what  I  saw  of  the  occurrence. 

Q.  How  many  people  were  engaged  in  this  throwing  ? 

A.  Well,  as  I  said,  the  starting  point  of  the  throwing  came  from  the 
side  of  the  watch-box — the  watch-box  of  the  man  who  tends  switch.  There 
was  about  a  dozen  of  them  around  there,  and  that  was  where  the  throwing 
commenced. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  the  troops  struck  with  stones  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  didn't  see  anyone  struck  particularly,  but  I  would  consider  it 
would  be  impossible  most  to  throw  into  that  crowd  without  striking  some 
one.     I  didn't  see  any  missiles. 

Q.  Were  you  close  enough  to  hear  any  command  given  by  the  officers  ? 

A.  I  was  about  seventy-five  or  one  hundred  feet  when  the  throwing  be- 
gun ;  I  heard  the  word  "fire"  very  distinctly. 

Q.  Where  did  it  come  from  ? 

A.   It  appeared  to  come  from  the  head  of  the  column. 

Q.  Was  it  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  should  say,  that  it  came  from  the  head  of  the  militray  column — 
there  was  not  more  than  a  space  of,  I  suppose,  thirty  feet,  and  it  might 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  525 

have  been  a  little  more,  it  could  not  have  been  much  more  than  that  from 
the  head  of  the  column  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  where  the  crowd  was. 

Q.  From  the  head  of  the  column? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Which  column  do  you  mean  ? 

A.  I  am  not  a  military  man. 

Q.  You  mean  the  company  marched  up  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  the  company  that  marched  up  was  then  as  close  as  I  am  to 
the  other  side  of  the  table,  with  their  arms  at  a  charge. 

Q.  Close  to  what  ? 

A.  To  the  crowd  at  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Trying  to  press  the  crowd  back  ? 

A.  Trying  to  press  the  crowd  or  make  their  way  through  them — was 
not  thrusting  or  anything  of  that  kind. 

Q.  You  don't  know  who  gave  this  command,  or  was  it  an  exclamation 
you  heard  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  1  am  under  the  impression  that  it  was  a  command  or  a  military  or- 
der, but  I  would  not  swear  who  it  was  that  gave  it.     I  could  not  do  that. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  it  appear  to  be  in  front  of  the  command — the  head  of  the  column 
where  the  command  came  from  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  was  standing  immediately  opposite  the  head  of  the  column,  and 
the  sound  of  that  command  appeared  to  come  directly  opposite  to  me,  down 
at  the  head  of  the  column. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  officers  in  advance  of  that  command  ? 

A.  When  the  military  marched  up  ? 

Q.  At  that  time,  when  you  heard  this  command,  were  any  officers  in 
advance  of  the  column  ? 

A.  I  seen  several  officers.  The  most  of  the  officers  were  strangers.  I 
don't  know  who  they  were.  I  could  see  they  were  officers,  by  their  uni- 
form. 

Q.  Were  they  in  front  of  the  men  ? 

A.  They  were  in  front  of  them  at  the  head  of  the  column.  The  troops 
were  formed  in  a  hollow  square.  They  marched  up,  and  then  got  the  com- 
mand front.  Tliey  marched  to  the  side  of  the  hill,  to  clear  the  track  of 
any  that  might  be  there,  and  those  who  were  standing  on  the  track  got  up 
on  the  side  of  the  hill.  There  were  very  few  on  that  side.  The  rear  rank 
got  the  command,  To  the  rear,  open  order,  march. 

Q.  You  heard  these  commands  ? 

A.  Yes ;  very  distinctly.  They  got  the  command  to  about,  and  then 
they  marched  to  the  north  side,  which  left  an  interval  of  two  or  three 
tracks  clear — formed  a  hollow  square. 

Q.  This  company  marched  down  between  these  two  lines  ? 

A.  This  company  appeared  to  be  at  the  head  of  the  column,  and  they 
marched  through  up  the  lines.  There  was  a  portion  of  them  came  away 
to  let  them  in,  and  they  marched  up. 

Q.  Was  there  a  company  marched  up  between  those  two  lines,  after  the 
open  order  ? 

A.  The  company  appeared  to  come  from  the  head  of  the  column. 

Q.  Wheeled  out  from  the  head  of  the  column  ? 

A.  I  don't  think — I  am  not  positive,  but  I  am  under  the  impression  it 
was  separated  from  the  column.  I  would  not  swear  positively.  They 
were  dressed  in  blue. 

Q.  How  did  they  march  up — company  front — in  line  of  battle  ? 


526  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  They  marched  up,  I  think,  in  sections  of  about  four — I  am  not  posi- 
tive about  that. 

Q.  Until  they  reached 

A.  Nearly  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  then  they  halted. 

Q.  And  saw  them  open  order,  and  one  rank  faced  about,  and  they  took 
positions  on  two  sides  of  the  track,  which  left  a  place  between  ? 

A.  Yep,  sir. 

Q.  Then  was  there  a  company  marched  up  between  these  two  ? 

A.  I  am  not  positive,  but  I  think  this  company  was  taken  from  the  head, 
or  a  portion  of  it — it  was  not  a  full  compan}^,  it  was  what  you  might  term 
a  squad — there  was  not,  I  suppose,  over  twenty-five. 

Q.  It  was  taken  from  the  head  of  the  column? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  a  company  marched  up  between  those  two  ranks  ? 

A.  I  think  a  battery.  I  think  this  company,  as  I  sairl,  was  taken  from 
the  head  of  the  column,  and  marched  up  to  support  the  battery,  in  order 
to  get  through  the  crowd  at  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Did  this  company  turn  around  and  face  the  crowd — how  did  they 
face?  This  crowd, you  said,  they  marched  up  and  tried  to  press  the  crowd 
back,  and  they  wheeled  out  from  the  column  and  marched  up  against  the 
crowd,  or  did  they  go  down  between  the  two  lines,  and  march  up  against 
the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  stated  that  they  appeared  to  be  reserved  for  the  purpose  of  sup- 
porting that  battery,  as  they  were  not  broughc  from  the  rear  in  front  rank 
at  all. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  sheriff  and  his  posse  ? 

A.  I  did.  . 

Q.  Where  were  they  ? 

A.  They  were  at  the  head,  coming  up — the  head  of  the  column. 

Q.  All  of  them  ? 

A.  All  of  them.  I  recognized  Sheriff  Fife,  Mr.  Pitcairn,  superintend- 
ent of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  and  General  Pearson  at  the  head.  When 
they  came  up,  the  sheriff  attempted  to  say  something  to  the  crowd,  and 
there  was  such  jeering  and  hallooing,  it  was  impossible  to  be  heard  from 
where  I  was  standing. 

Q.  You  are  positive  about  hearing  this  command  to  fire — was  not  this 
jeering 

A.  That  jeering  and  hooting  was  not  at  that  particular  time.  There 
appeared  to  be  a  little  confusion  when  that  portion  of  the  company  came 
up,  the  jeering  only  began  during  the  speaking  of  the  sheriff.  I  don't 
know  whether  he  was  reading  the  riot  act  or  not.  I  don't  know  what  he 
was  doing  ;   of  course  I  could  not  hear  it. 

E.  F.  A.  Hastings,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  is  you  full  name? 

A.  E.  F.  A.,  not  quite  the  whole  alphabet. 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside,  Mr.  Hastings? 

A.  I  live  between  Twenty-second  and  Twenty-third  now. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Machinist. 

Q.  Were  you  present  during  the  disturbance  last  July? 

A.  Yes,  I  was. 

Q.  State  what  came  under  your  observation  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  527 

A.  I  was  there  on  Twenty-eighth  street,  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  when 
the  troops  were  coming  up,  and  I  waited  there  until  they  came  pretty  well 
up  the  track,  then  I  came  down  the  hill,  and  I  looked  for  my  bo}\ 

Q.  What  time  was  this  ? 

A.  On  Saturday  afternoon,  when  I  seen  the  troops  come  up — and  they 
came  in  regular — I  think  it  was  four  deep.  They  came  up  and  stopped 
and  halted.  The}7  turned  around  in  open  order,  formed  in  a  hollow  square, 
and  I  turned  around  and  came  away  with  the  young  man,  and  I  took  him 
off  the  track,  and  started  him  down  towards  Penn  street.  I  turned  around 
and  looked  for  my  bo}r,  and  I  could  not  see  him.  Walked  in  towards  the 
cars,  and  stood  by  the  side  of  the  sand-house — the  cars  extended  up  a  little 
ways  beyond  the  sand-house — and  I  got  right  in  to  the  end  of  the  car.  Then 
came  orders  to  charge  bayonets.  I  turned  to  get  back,  and  the  crowd  was 
behind,  and  I  could  not  get  back.  I  got  a  bayonet  right  in  behind  here. 
[Indicating.]     Just  at  that  time  Pearson  stood  in  about  that  direction. 

Q.  Who  do  you  mean  by  Pearson  ? 

A.  General  Pearson,  or  Pierson,  or  whatever  you  call  him.  He  was  look- 
ing in  the  direction  towards  the  watch-box.  There  was  some  stones  being 
thrown  over  there — it  would  fly  all  to  pieces,  it  appeared  to  be  like  clay. 
There  was  only  one  stone  I  could  distinguish,  about  that  large,  [indicating,  j 
the  shape  of  an  oyster  shell.  It  came  from  there.  Then  there  was  a  couple 
of  old  shoes — I  didn't  see  anybody  struck  with  them.  Pearson  turned 
around,  when  he  was  standing  there  he  was  looking  about  this — he  turned 
around  towards  the  men,  and  his  officer  standing  here — I  don't  know 
whether  they  belonged  to  Pittsburgh,  or  where  the}'  belonged,  and  I  don't 
know  whether  they  were  officers.  Monkey  jackets  it  wa«,  I  think.  He 
says,  "  Order  your  men  to  fire."  He  repeated  the  word  fire  louder  than  he 
did  the  others,  and  turned  around,  and  walked  right  down  the  track  after 
that.  I  did  not  see  them  commence  firing,  and  I  dropped  right  down. 
They  fired  on  that  corner,  on  the  side  of  the  hill  first — these  men  in  front 
with  the  black  plumes  in  their  hat.  I  don't  know  one  from  the  other. 
They  wheeled  round,  and  fired  down  Twentj'-eighth  street.  They  walked 
over  the  top  of  me.  I  laid  there.  I  don't  know  where  Pearson  or  any  of 
the  rest  went  after  that.  I  got  up,  and  helped  this  man  in  front  of  me,-  that 
was  killed — I  helped  him  back. 

Q.  What  man  do  you  mean  ? 

A.  Some  say  it  was  Dearmot,  I  don't  know  his  name. 

Q.   Killed  by  the  cars  ? 

A.  No ;  killed  by  the  firing.  A  gun  was  right  up  against  his  breast 
when  he  was  shot. 

Q.  Where  did  this  fire  come  from — those  men  standing  bjr  the  cars  ? 

A.  The  military  all  around  that  hollow-square,  except  the  lower  end.     I 
laid  there;  I  was  right  underneath  them;  could  see  the  whole  thing  that 
was  going  on.     Some  of  the  men.  fired  right  up  in  the  air.     I  don't  know 
whether  they  belonged  to  Philadelphia  or  not. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  From  what  part  of  the  line  of  this  hollow-square  did  the  firing  com- 
mence ? 

A.  I  will  show  you  in  just  about  a  minute. 

[Witness  illustrates  on  paper,  the  situation  of  the  troops  during  the 
firing.] 

Q.  Just  say  where  the  first  fire  commenced  in  that  hollow  square,  so  that 
the  reporter  can  take  it  down. 

A.  It  was  near  the  corner,  on  the  side  of  the  track  next  to  the  hill. 

Q.  Near  the  corner  of  the  square  of  troops,  next  to  the  hill? 


528  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  There  was  no  square  there.     It  was  round. 

Q.  It  came  from  the  right,  next  towards  the  hill  ? 

A.  Next  towards  the  hill* 

Q.  How  many  shots  were  fired  at  first  ? 

A.  They  shot  like  a  little  fellow  would  throw  a  lot  of  shooting  crackers 
out. 

Q,.  How  long  after  you  heard  the  command  to  fire  did  this  shooting 
commence  ? 

A.  It  was  right  bjT  those  other  fellows  standing  over  on  this  side — right 
by  them.  I  guess  there  was  four  or  five  of  them  repeated  it.  I  took  them 
to  be  officers. 

Q.  Dressed  differently  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Were  they  in  front  of  their  men  when  they  gave  the  order  ? 

A.  They  were  in  this  hollow  square. 

A.  Did  they  turn  round  to  fire  ? 

A.  They  were  facing  the  crowd  to  fire.  Pearson  tui'ned  and  gave  these 
men  the  command. 

Q.  It  was  General  Pearson  that  gave  the  command  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  are  positive  it  was  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  I  am  positive.     I  was  standing  close  enough  to  hear  him. 

Q.  Did  he  give  the  command  to  fire,  or  was  he  cautioning  the  men  ? 

A.  He  gave  the  command  to  fire,  and  repeated  the  word  fire  louder  than 
he  did  all  the  others. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Were  there  an}r  other  officers  in  that  hollow  square,  that  you  knew, 
besides  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  None  to  my  knowledge,  that  I  knew.  There  were  some  men  that  I 
knew,  coming  up  ahead  of  them.  Mr.  Pitcairn  and  Mr.  Watt  came  up 
ahead  of  them.     I  know  some  of  them,  beside,  but  don't  know  their  names. 

Q.  Do  you  know  Colonel  Brown  or  Moore? 

A.  I  don't  know  him  by  name. 

Q.  Did  General  Pearson  give  this  command  to  an  officer  standing  close 
by  him  ? 

A.  Yes ;  called  them  officers. 

Q.  You  saw  him  when  he  gave  the  command  ? 

A.  The  men  that  had  swords,  I  think. 

Q.  You  saw  General  Pearson  when  he  gave  this  order  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  close  was  he  to  the  men  he  gave  the  order  to  ? 

A.  He  was  standing  looking  towards  the  switch  box,  where  these  were 
coming  from.  Right  in  front  there  were  some  men  had  a  bayonet  in 
another,  and  he  wanted  to  get  it  away.  He  wheeled  round  this  way  and 
gave  the  orders  for  these  men  to  fire,  and  then  walked  right  down  the  track, 
but  wherever  he  went  to  I  could  not  say. 

Q.  Was  he  standing  close  to  where  the  men  commenced  firing  when  he 
gave  the  order  to  those  men  ?  You  say  he  wheeled  around  ;  those  he  gave 
the  command  to  must  have  been  behind  him  ? 

A.  Here  is  where  he  stood.     [Illustrating.]      lie  wheeled  around  to  the 
officers  to  the  rear,  and  they  passed  the  command  to  the  officers  in  front. 
They  repeated  the  order  to  fire. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  the  officers  who  repeated  that  command  repeat  it  in  a  distinct, 
loud  tone  of  voice  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18T7.  529 

A.  Yes  ;  they  repeated  it  distinctly. 
Q.  How  many  of  them  ? 

A.  There  were  some  three  or  four,  I  could  not  say  exactly.  I  am  posi- 
tive there  was  three  or  four,  if  not  more — positive  of  three. 

Q.  And  then  the  firing  was  done — it  was  not  a  volley  of  musketry — it 
was  just  done  at  random,  was  it  ? 

A.  The  first  squad  that  fired  there,  I  don't  believe  there  was  more  than 
about  half  a  second  between  them,  and  the  squads,  as  soon  as  this  squad 
fired  on  this  side  first,  then  these  other  fellows  here  fired,  {"indicating,]  and 
the  crowd  broke  away  and  run  down.  I  laid  there.  They  wheeled  right 
down  over  me,  and  fired  down  Twenty-eighth  street. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  the  crowd  scatter  when  they  fired  ? 

A.  The  crowd  scattered. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  How  many  of  the  soldiers  fired  at  that  time — at  the  first  command  ? 

A.  The  first  fire  ? 

Q.  When  General  Pearson  gave  the  command  to  fire,  then  his  officers 
under  him  repeated  the  cammand.  Now  how  many  soldiers  fired  when  these 
officers  repeated  that  command  ? 

A.  It  looked  about  like  a  platoon — about  twenty-five,  I  suppose,  if  not 
more. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Were  the  crowd  resisting  these  men  ?  What  were  they  doing  when 
the  soldiers  came  up  ? 

A.  They  were  on  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing — the  railroad  crosses 
Twenty-eighth  street — they  were  on  there.  They  were  talking  and  holler- 
ing. Some  man  called  Pearson — that  was  the  man  I  took  away — called 
Pearson  a  son  of  a  bitch,  and  these  men  took  Pearson's  part.  Says  he : 
"  Don't  call  Al.  a  son  of  a  bitch ;  he  is  a  friend  of  mine !  "  I  thought 
there  was  going  to  be  a  fight  between  them,  too,  and  a  man  called  me 
over  and  told  me  to  get  him  away.  I  took  him  away  with  me  across  the 
track  towards  the  round-house,  and  he  started  on  down.  There  was  nobody 
in  front  of  me  at  all,  and  I  had  hardly  got  in  there  until  the  crowd  was 
right  at  my  heels. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  You  say  there  was  about  twenty-five  men  fired  ?  How  many  men 
fired  after  that  ? 

A.  They  appeared  to  be  firing  in  squads  all  over  the  line. 

Q.  How  long  did  this  firing  last  ? 

A.  I  don't  suppose  it  lasted  more  than  about  two  and  a  half  or  three 
minutes — could  not  have  lasted  any  longer,  I  think. 

Q.  What  were  the  officers  doing  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  went  down  the  track  flying — running  over  the  other 
side. 

Q.  They  were  hunting  their  quarters  ? 

A.  They  were  hunting  their  quarters. 
By  Mr.  Dewees  : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  the  order  to  load  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  they  were  all  loaded  before  they  got  there.  They  could  not 
have  loaded  in  that  time.  After  the  first  volley  was  fired,  then  I  seen 
them  loading — those  men  in  front. 

Q.  Don't  you  know  who  gave  the  order  to  load  ? 

A.  I  didn't  hear  anybocty  give  the  order  to  load. 

34  Riots. 


530  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  They  loaded  without  orders  ? 

A.  I  suppose  so,  after  the  first  fire. 
B}^  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  you  see  them  load  afterwards  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  breech  loaders. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  operation  ? 

A.  I  saw  them  pull  the  cock  back — that  part  that  turns  back — and  put 
in  a  cartridge.  I  was  lying  right  underneath  them  when  they  were  doing 
it.  The  parties  in  front  fired  the  last  shot  down  Twenty-eighth  street.  I 
don't  know  who  they  were.  They  were  men  with  black  plumes  in  their 
hats. 

Q.  You  say  the  parties  next  to  Twenty-eighth  street  were  the  last  to 
fire  ? 

A.  They  wheeled  right  round 

Q.  That  was  the  party  that  fired  first  ? 

A.  No  ;  the  party  that  fired  first  was  over  here.     [Illustrating.] 

Q.  The  party  facing  down  Liberty  street  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  tbey  fired.  There  was  some  that  was  against  a  car  that  could 
not  do  anything. 

Q.  Did  they  fire  before  the  front  line  fired  ? 

A.  They  fired  about  the  same  time.  There  was  a  car  stood  in  here  when 
they  fired,  so  that  you  could  do  nothing.     Some  of  them  fired  up  like. 

Q.  Fired  in  the  air,  did  they  ? 

A.  They  appeared  to  fire  in  the  air. 

Q.  How  did  these  men  of  this  side  ?  You  say  they  turned  and  fired  the 
other  way  ? 

A.  No",  sir  ;  those  men  in  front  wheeled  round  this  way,  and  fired  down 
Twenty-eighth.     Fired  up  first  and  then 

Q.  Where  did  they  deliver  their  first  fire — the  men  on  that  north  side 
of  the  track  ? 

A.  They  fired  some  of  them  right  up  square — down  below  the  car.     I 
could  not  see  on  account  of  the  cars. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  are  positive  that  the  firing  did  not  come  from  that  side  of  the 
line  next  towards  Liberty  street  first  ? 

A.  I  am  positive  it  did  not,  for  the  first  firing  commenced  along  the  side 
of  the  hill — that  part  I  saw. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  How  far  was  General  Pearson  out  from  the  military  when  this  com- 
mand to  fire  was  given  ? 

A.  He  was  in  the  hollow  square. 

Q.  How  far  from  the  men  ? 

A.  It  would  appear  to  be  in  the  center,  about  Twenty-eighth  street.  You 
know  this  line  went  round  on  Twenty-eighth,  and  covered  over  part  of 
Twenty-eighth  street  towards  the  hill. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  fire  during  the  night  ? 

A.  I  was  down  on  Penn  street  when  the  fire  started.  I  do  not  know 
anything  about  that.  I  went  up  there  to  see  it,  and  stood  on  Liberty 
street,  watching  the  lire. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  troops  come  out  of  the  round-house  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not.     I  was  not  there  at  that  time. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  said  General  Pearson — he  repeated  the  word  fire  louder  than  the 
balance  of  .his  order.  Are  you  right  positive  what  the  balance  of  the  or- 
der was  ? 


Leg.  Doc.]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  531 

A.  Order  your  men  to  fire. 

Q.  That  was  the  exact  language  1 

A.  That  is  the  very  words. 

Q.  You  are  positive  you  heard  the  words,  "  order  your  men  ?  " 

A.  Right  in  that  way :  "  Order  your  men  to  fire." 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  soldiers  struck  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  anybody  struck.  There  was  a  man  carried  awa}\  They 
say  he  got  sun  struck.    I  seen  him  carried  away.    I  didn't  see  anybody  hit. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  pistol  shots,  or  any  shots  fired  from  the  crowd,  or 
in  the  crowd,  before  the  firing  of  the  soldiery  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  ? 

A.  One  appeared  to  be  like  a  cap — it  was  right  in  that  corner.  [Ind- 
cating.] 

Q.  In  the  crowd  ? 

A.  That  was  the  first  shot  I  heard  fired.  That  soldier  fired  it.  He  didn't 
fire  straight  out.     His  gun  went  off  up  in  that  way. 

Q.  You  heard  a  noise  like  a  cap  before  the  firing  of  the  troops  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  tell  exactly  where  that  come  from.  It  appeared  to  be 
round  the  watch-box. 

Q.  About  the  switch-box  ?    • 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  That  is,  the  watch-box  on  the  corner  of  the  street,  and  the  railroad 
toward  the  hill  ? 

A.  That  was  on  the  side  of  the  hill.     It  was  right  here.     [Indicating.] 

Q.  It  appeared  to  come  from  that  direction  ? 

A.  From  that  direction. 

Q.  Didn't  it  sound  like  a  pistol  shot  ? 

A.  No  ;  like  a  cap. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Then  you  heard  no  firing  from  the  crowd  until  after  the  military  fired  ? 

A.  There  was  no  firing  done  until  the  military. 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  done  from  the  crowd  at  all  that  you  heard  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  seen  the  firing.  Parties  were  firing  from  the  side  of  the  hill 
after  that  fire.  A  man  on  a  car  fired  a  revolver.  He  was  laying  right 
down  at  the  end  of  the  car.  This  man  pulled  out  his  revolver  and  fired 
at  the  crowd. 

Q.  There  was  no  firing  from  the  crowd  or  mob  until  after  General  Peai'- 
son  had  given  the  command  to  fire,  and  they  had  obeyed  that  command  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  There  was  a  man  fired  from  a  car  ? 

A.  That  was  after  the  firing  was  done. 

Q.  Do  you  know  that  man  ? 

A.  I  would  know  him  if  I  would  see  him.  Don't  know  him  by  name.  I 
have  met  him  a  dozen  times  on  the  street  since.  I  didn't  want  to  go  and 
ask  his  name,  for  fear  they  would  ask  me  what  my  name  was. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  he  lives  ? 

A.  No,  sir.     I  know  he  lives  in  the  city  somewhere. 

Q.  Do  you  know  General  Pearson  well  ? 

A.  I  know  him  just  by  seeing  him,  and  that  is  about  all.  Never  spoke 
to  the  man  at  all.  I  don't  know  whether  he  spoke  to  me  that  time  in  the 
car  or  not.     I  won't  say  positively. 

Q.  Why  were  you  afraid  to  ask  this  man  his  name  ? 

A.  I  will  tell  you  just  the  reason  why.     I  didn't  want  to  be  called  up  as 


532  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

a  witness.     I  have  had  enough  trouble  running  round  with  this  thing.     I 
don't  want  to  go  against  a  man. 

Q.  You  prefer  that  he  should  go  scot-free  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  he  done  anything. 

R.  S.  Jones,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  is  your  full  name  ? 

A.  R.  S.  Jones. 

Q.  Where  is  your  residence  ? 

A.  No.  337  Chestnut  allej-,  south  side. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation,  Mr.  Jones  ? 

A.  I  am  a  boiler — puddler. 

Q.  Were  you  present  at  the  fire  that  occurred  by  the  troops  on  the  Sat- 
urday, the  21st  of  July  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  tell  what  you  saw  '( 

A.  I  went  out  there  about  quarter  to  four  o'clock — near  that  time — got 
there  just  about  half  an  hour  before  the  troops  came  up — the  Philadelphia 
troops.  1  was  there  when  the  command  was  given  to  fire.  They  marched 
up  the  track.  I  saw  General  Pearson  there,  and  Sheriff  Fife  and  his  dep- 
uties, some  of  them  I  don't  know. 

Q.  State  the  movements  of  the  troops,  and  what  you  saw  ? 

A.  They  marched  up  the  track  to  the  corner  of  Twenty-eighth  street. 
They  came  to  a  front  to  the  round-house — fronted  to  the  round-house. 
The  rear  rank  came  to  about  face  and  charged  bayonets.  They  marched 
across  the  track — the  opposite  side — and  that  left  a  space  there  of  about 
thirty  feet ;  and  there  was  a  company  behind  that,  formed  in  two  sections, 
and  one  section  marched  up  the  track — they  charged  bayonets — and  the 
Gatling  guns  came  right  along  after  them.  They  came  to  the  head  of  the 
column  and  stopped,  and  they  about  faced  and  formed  a  square.  I  heard 
the  command  given  to  fire.  I  was  standing  right  alongside  of  one  of  the 
soldiers,  talking  to  him  at  the  time,  from  Philadelphia.  I  never  thought 
they  were  going  to  fire,  or  I  would  not  have  been  there. 

Q.  You  heard  the  command  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  when  they  came  by  the  officer  that  was  at  the  head  of  the 
column,  turned  around  and  stepped  right  into  the  square,  and  the  sheriff 
and  his  deputies  stepped  in. 

Q.  Did  they  fire  in  a  volley  ? 

A.  They  fired  just  about  the  same  as  a  new  recruited  regiment — you 
can  pick  them  out  in  the  field — you  give  them  orders  to  fire,  and  they 
wouldn't  fire  as  one.  I  guess  it  was  just  about  as  near  as  they  could  fire 
under  the  circumstances.     I  suppose  they  were  a  little  scared. 

Q.  Did  the  crowd  resist  these  men  ? 

A.  I  didn't  see  any  disturbance  whatever  when  I  was  there.  I  didn't 
stay  there  after  the  firing. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anything  thrown,  or  an}^  disturbance  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  The  crowd  just  stood  there  ? 

A.  They  were  all  standing  there  before  the  firing.     I  guess  there  was 
not  many  there  after  the  firing.     I  didn't  stay  there  to  see. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  stone  thrown  from  the  crowd  at  the  soldiers  before 
the  firing  ? 

A.  1  didn't,  sir. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  533 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  firing  from  any  one  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  didn't. 

Q.  How  long  after  you  heard  the  command  given  to  fire  did  the  firing 
take  place  ? 

A.  Instantly. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  that  command  given  by  more  than  one  officer  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  Was  it  a  simultaneous  discharge  of  a  good  many  pieces  ? 

A.  As  I  said  before,  it  was  just  something  like  a  new  regiment. 

Q.  Have  you  had  any  experience  in  active  service  in  the  army  ? 

A.  I  was  in  the  army  three  years,  sir. 

Q.  What  is  the  difference  between  the  firing  in  a  new  regiment  and  an 
old  one  ? 

A.  They  don't  fire  together — they  will  in  time.  Time  makes  eveiything 
perfect. 

Q.  The  firing  is  somewhat  like  the  firing  in  a  battle,  after  the  first  volley 
is  fired  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  suppose  there  was  about  a  dozen  guns  went  off,  and  then  the 
rest  followed,  the  same  as  a  new  regiment. 

Q.  What  the  boys  used  to  call  a  rattling  fire  in  the  army  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  How  near  were  you  to  where  General  Pearson  stood  when  this  com- 
mand was  given  ? 

A.  I  guess  they  were  about  the  center  of  the  square,  and  I  was  standing 
three  men  from  the  end,  at  the  head  of  the  column — that  is,  the  right  of 
the  square  towards  the  round-house. 

Q.  What  distance  would  you  suppose  ? 

A.  About  fifteen  feet,  I  guess. 

Q.  From  where  General  Pearson  was  standing  to  where  you  were  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  cannot  tell  whether  General  Pearson  gave  that  command  ? 

A.  I  don't  know. 

Q.  Was  the  command  given  as  though  it  was  peremptory  ? 

A.  It  was  given  in  a  clear,  distinct  voice. 

Q.  Give  us  the  exact  language  of  the  command  ? 

A.  The  first  thing  I  heard  was,  "  fire  !"  just  about  that  loud. 
By  Mr.  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  it  come  from  the  officers  or  the  crowd  ? 

A.  It  came  from  the  inside  of  the  square. 

Q.  You  don't  know  who  gave  it  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.  I  was  looking  right  in  at  the  soldiers,  too,  but  I  could 
not  swear  who  gave  the  order. 

Q.  Wouldn't  you  have  been  apt  to  notice.     How  were  they  dressed  ? 

A.  Pearson  had  a  blouse. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  A  military  blouse  ? 

A.  A  military  blouse.     The  rest  of  the  officers  had  their  swords  on,  the 
general,  I  don't  think  he  had  a  sword  on. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  he  have  on  a  hat  ? 

A.  He  had  a  cap  on. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Might  not  that  command  have  come  from  one  of  the  men  in  the  ranks  ? 


534  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  don't  think  so — I  never  heard  an  order  given  from  a  soldier  in  the 
ranks  ? 

Q.  Might  not  that  command  have  come  from  one  in  the  line,  and  not 
from  the  officer  in  command  ? 

A.  From  where  I  was  standing,  I  thought  it  came  from  right  in  the 
center.  They  were  not  standing  in  the  center,  they  were  standing  about 
five  feet  from  the  head  of  this  square.     It  came  from  that  direction. 

Q.  You  don't  know  whether  it  came  from  an  officer  or  who  it  came 
from  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  state — I  judge  it  did. 

Q.  You  supposed  it  would,  but  you  really  don't  know  that  it  did  ? 

A.  No ;  I  didn't  see  his  mouth  open  at  the  time. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Were  you  present  at  the  disturbance  that  night  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  went  home,  and  stayed  there.  I  went  out  Sunday,  and 
I  guess  half  the  cars  were  burned  when  I  went  out. 

Q.  You  went  over  Saturday  night,  and  stayed  home  the  balance  of  the 
night  ? 

A.  Balance  of  the  night ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  was  the  feelings  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.     I  didn't  ask,  and  I  felt  just  as  if  I  had  no  business 
there,  and  the  quicker  I  got  out  the  better. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  You  say  General  Pearson  wore  a  blouse  and  a  cap  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  he  have  any  braid  or  anything  of  that  kind  about  the  uniform  ? 

A.  No ;  I  don't  think  there  was.  I  don't  think  there  was  anything  to 
distinguish  that  he  was  a  general  or  an  officer  of  any  kind. 

Q.  That  is,  to  distinguish  his  rank  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  at  least  I  didn't  see  it. 

Q.  Did  he  have  brass  buttons  on  his  blouse? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  take  particular  notice  of  it  ? 

A.  I  was  talking  to  him  a  few  minutes  before.  The  way  I  came  to  speak 
to  him,  we  had  gone  up  to  the  road  above  the  track,  and  I  had  got  through 
the  guard.  There  was  a  guard  across  the  track,  and  I  had  come  through, 
and  the  party  that  had  come  with  me — there  was  three  of  us,  the  guard 
wouldn't  let  them  through,  and  the  general  was  standing  there  and  I  asked 
him  to  let  them  through,  and  he  said  certainly,  and  they  let  the  party 
through — that  is  the  way  I  came  to  speak  to  him. 

Q.  Was  that  soon  after  or  before  the  firing  ? 

A.  That  was  just  before. 

Q.  Did  you  see  General  Pearson  after  the  firing  ? 

A.  I  didn't  stay  there  after  the  firing.  I  got  out  of  that  as  quick  as  I 
could. 

Q.  How  loni>  before  the  lire  began  did  you  see  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  I  saw  him  before,  and  I  saw  him  just  when  the  order  was  given. 

Q.  Have  you  an}r  knowledge  of  the  causes  leading  to  this  strike  first  ? 

A.  I  have  not,  indeed.  I  don't  know  anything  about  it.  I  knew  there 
was  a  strike. 

Q.  Did  3^011  see  them  leaving  the  rounddiouse  ? 
A.  No,  sir  ;  I  was  not  there. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  535 

William  J.  Shaner,  swo?-n  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  board  at  1145  Perm  street. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Roll  turner.     Work  for  my  brother-in-law. 

Q.  Were  you  present  on  the  day  of  the  firing  on  the  troops,  on  Satur- 
day, the  21st  of  July  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Describe  where  you  were  and  what  occurred,  as  near  as  you  can 
recollect  ? 

A.  When  the  troops  were  coming  up  the  track,  I  was  up  on  the  side  of 
the  hill,  with  a  comrade  of  mine,  Charles  Bier.  He  and  I  went  down  a 
few  steps,  and  waited  until  after  they  had  got  up  and  halted  and  formed 
two  ranks.  Before  they  formed  a  hollow  square,  I  says  to  him,  I  am  going 
down  to  see  them,  and  to  hear,  if  I  can  hear  them  read  anything  or  say 
anything.  He  said,  No,  no,  he  says,  yon  might  get  hurt.  Says  I,  No,  there 
is  danger ;  so  I  left  him  standing,  and  went  down  and  made  my  way  in. 
There  was  a  good  many  standing  around  at  that  time,  and  the  watch-box 
which  stood  there — I  put  my  foot  up  on  the  window,  and  held  on  to  a 
bracket,  a  little  above  the  rest  of  the  crowd,  and  I  stood  there  for  a  few 
moments,  and  I  heard  the  command  given  to  fire,  and  when  it  was  given  I 
tried  to  get  down,  but  I  couldn't  on  account  of  the  crowd  there,  and  when 
they  had  cleared  away,  I  got  down  and  ran  up  to  the  ravine  there,  and  laid 
down  the  best  I  conld.  That  was  my  position  when  the  firing  took  place. 
When  the  firing  ceased,  I  went  and  looked  to  see  if  I  could  see  my  com- 
rade, and  I  couldn't  find  him.  I  went  down  the  street,  and  found  that  he 
was  shot.  I  didn't  find  him  until  I  found  him  in  the  hospital.  I  got 
everything  he  had  on  his  person,  and  carried  them  home  to  his  folks. 

Q.  You  heard  the  command  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  occurred — did  the  crowd  stand  still,  or  were  they  making  a 
noise — and  did  they  interfere  with  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  There  was  no  interference  with  the  soldiers  at  all. 

Q.  Did  you  see  an3rthing  thrown  ? 

A.  Yes,  I  did. 

Q.  What  was  thrown  ? 

A.  I  saw  one  stone,  to  my  knowledge,  and  that  was  all  thrown — about 
as  'large  as  your  hand — for  it  come  from  the  corner  of  where  the  gate  goes 
up  to  the  hospital — the  right  hand  corner  as  you  face  Twenty-eight  street. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  firing  by  the  crowd  before  the  soldiers  were  ordered 
to  fire  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  firing  from  the  watch-box  there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  the  soldiers — not  from  the  crowd. 

Q.  Not  from  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Not  at  all. 

Q.  There  was  no  firing  at  all  from  that  part  of  the  crowd  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Could  you  have  heard  any  firing  ? 

A.  Yes,  I  could  have. 

Q.  It  was  quiet  there  Y 

A.  So  far  as  firing  was  concerned  it  was. 

Q.  I  mean  before  this  firing  took  place  ? 


536  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  There  was  noise,  talking,  and  hooting,  and  just  when  the  military 
fired  for  a  moment  it  ceased  like. 

Q.   Yon  could  hear  who  gave  the  command  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Who  was  it — an  officer  ? 

A.  Yes,  it  was  an  officer. 
Q.  Do  you  know  him  ? 

A.  Yes,  I  do. 

Q.  Who  was  it  ? 

A.  General  Pearson,  or  Albert  Pearson. 

Q.  Do  you  know  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  Yes,  I  do. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  known  him  ? 

A.  That  is,  I  know  him  by  sight,  but  never  spoke  to  the  man  in  my  life. 

Q.  How  was  he  dressed  that  day  ? 

A.  He  was  dressed  in  a  white  vest  and  blouse,  with  brass  buttons  on  it, 
and  the  blouse  was  buttoned  up  middling  close  to  the  neck,  and  he  had 
something  similar  to  that.     [Indicating.] 

Q.  A  soft  hat  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  as  near  as  I  could  see. 

Q.  Did  you  know  General  Pearson  before  that? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  In  all  this  confusion,  you  could  see  General  Pearson  give  the  com- 
mand to  fire  ? 

A.  Right  at  the  moment  the  command  to  fire  was  given,  it  was  kind  of 
stopped — the  confusion  was — and  I  heard  distinctly  the  command  "  fire  " 
given  by  General  Pearson. 

Q.  Where  was  he  standing  ? 

A.  He  was  standing  a  little  over  half  way  through  the  square,  towards 
the  rear  rank. 

Q.  Did  the  men  fire  as  soon  as  he  gave  the  command  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  They  fired  at  his  command  ? 

A.  They  fired  at  his  command. 

Q.  You  are  sure  of  that  ? 

A.  I  am  certain  of  it. 

Q.  Did  3tou  see  anjr  of  the  soldiers  struck  by  any  stones  ?  You  say  you 
only  saw  one  stone  thrown  ? 

A.  I  only  saw  one  stone  thrown,  to  my  knowledge,  that  I  could  distin- 
guish perfectly,  and  I  didn't  see  any  soldier  struck  at  all. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  After  General  Pearson  gave  the  command  to  fire,  was  it  repeated  by 
any  other  officers  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge.  I  didn't  pay  any  attention  to  it.  I  tried  to 
get  out  of  the  .        .  and  I  couldn't.     I  was  looking  out  for  my  head,  then. 

Q.  How  did  you  know  the  order  was  given  by  Pearson  ? 

A.  I  saw  it.     I  saw  General  Pearson,  and  saw  his  lips  move. 

Q.  In  what  direction  was  he  facing,  then  ? 

A.  He  was  kind  of  facing  toward  the  rear  rank. 

Q.  Towards  the  hill-side  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  The  other  way  down,  towards  Liberty  street  ? 

A.  Kind  of  towards  the  sand-house. 

Q.  That  is,  on  the  left  hand  side,  as  you  could  see  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  531 

Q.  He  was  facing  in  that  direction  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  the  fire  commence  from  that  direction  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  it  commenced  from  the  corner,  right  at  the  watch-box. 
Q.  Did  he  turn  his  back  to  give  the  command  ? 

A.  He  kind  of  turned  round  to  the  officers  that  were  there,  and  who 
they  were  I  don't  know. 

Q.  He  had  his  back  towards  the  watch-box  when  the  command  was 
given  to  fire  ? 

A.  Not  altogether,  he  didn't.  [  Witness  illustrates  the  situation  of  affairs 
on  paper.]  That  is  Twenty-eighth  street ;  here  is  the  watch-box  ;  there  is 
the  rear  rank ;  and  here  is  the  front,  rank ;  and  here  is  General  Pearson, 
right  in  here  ;  and  here  is  where  the  firing  commenced  ;  and  General  Pear- 
son was  standing,  with  his  face  towards  Twenty-eighth  street,  before  he 
gave  the  command  to  fire  ;  and  when  he  turned,  he  turned  right  around 
this  way,  and  his  face  was  directed  about  towards  me ;  I  could  look  right 
into  his  face  there.  There  was  a  man  standing  between  me  and  General 
Pearson,  up  like  from  him,  and  that  was  an  officer,  and  who  that  officer 
was  I  don't  know. 

Q.  You  say  you  heard  no  command  from  any  of  the  other  officers  ? 
A.  No,  sir. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 
Q.  What  did  he  do  after  the  firing.    Did  you  notice  what  became  of  him  ? 
A.  I  took  notice  he  disappeared  very  quickly.     I  don't  know  whether 
he  was  inspecting  car  wheels  or  not  ? 

Q.  All  that  I  want  to  know  is  what  occurred  after  the  command  to  fire 
was  given  ? 

A.  The  firing  commenced  immediately. 

By  Mr.  Means : 
Q.  You  didn't  tell  them  that  General  Pearson  was  inspecting  car  wheels, 
did  you  ? 

A.  It  was  hard  to  say  what  he  was  doing,  I  know  he  got  away. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  You  say  General  Pearson  had  a  blouse  on  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  It  was  buttoned  up  close  ? 
A.  Buttoned  up  right  across  there.  [Indicating.] 
Q.  That  is,  how  far  from  his  chin  ? 
A.  About  there.     [Indicating.] 
Q.  About  six  inches. 

A.  I  suppose  about  that — six  or  seven  inches,  as  near  as  I  could  see. 
Q.  How  many  rows  of  buttons  had  he  on  his  coat  ? 
A.  That  I  don't  know: 
Q.  What  kind  of  a  hat  did  he  wear  ? 
A.  A  soft  hat,  something  similar  to  that. 

Q.  Had  he  any  braid,  or  any  thing  else ;  a  wreath,  or  anything  on  his 
hat? 

A.  Not  as  I  took  notice  of. 

Q.  Had  he  any  trimmings  on  his  coat  to  distinguish  him  from  the  other 
officers "{ 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  that  I  saw. 
Q.  Had  he  any  braid  on  his  breast  ? 
A.  No,  sir ;  it  was  brass  buttoned. 
Q.  Buttoned  clear  up  ? 


538  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  It  was  buttoned  at  the  top.  Buttoned,  but  I  do  not  know  whether 
it  was  buttoned  below ;  it  was  a  kind  of  a  sack 

Q.  You  say  he  wore  a  white  vest  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  How  could  you  know  that  he  wore  a  white  vest? 

A.  I  could  see  his  white  vest  here.  [Indicating.]  His  vest  came  up  mid- 
dling close. 

By  Mr.  Dewees  : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  General  Pearson,  or  anybody  else,  notify  the  mob  to 
disperse  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  anybody  give  orders  to  load  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  heard  nothing  but  the  word,  fire  ? 

A.  There  was  a  command  before  that,  to  charge  bayonets,  but  I  do  not 
know  who  it  was  that  gave  that.     I  did  not  see  him. 

Q.  You  were  standing  upon  the  window  ? 

A.  With  my  foot  on  the  window,  and  holding  on  to  the  bracket  above. 

Q.  Were  there  any  officers  about,  except  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  Yes ;  there  were  other  officers  there,  but  I  do  not  know  who  they 
were. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  General  Pearson  have  on  a  belt  and  sword  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  as  I  saw. 

Q.  He  had  nothing  then  by  which  you  could  distinguish  him  as  an  offi- 
cer— he  had  no  shoulder  straps  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  No  trimmings  on  his  coat  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  as  I  saw. 

Q.  Nor  any  sword.  He  was  just  simply  dressed  as  a  civilian,  with  the 
exception  of  his  blouse  and  brass  buttons  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  a  blouse.  I  did  not  take  notice  to  his  dress,  only  in  that 
way. 

Q.  Had  he  shoulder  straps  on  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  as  I  saw. 

Q.  You  are  sure  of  that  ? 

A.  So  far  as  I  know.     I  did  not  see  it. 

Q.  You  would  have  noticed  it  if  he  had  ? 

A.  I  should  think  so. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  sheriff? 

A.  I  did  not  know  Sheriff  Fife,  but  a  man  was  pointed  out  to  me  as 
Sheriff  Fife,  and  I  would  know  him  again  if  I  was  to  see  him.  The  man 
that  was  pointed  out  to  me  had  a  straw  hat  on.     • 

Q.  You  are  sure  General  Pearson  was  not  pointed  out  to  you  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  am  sure  of  that.  No  man  need  point  out  General  Pearson 
to  me. 

Q.  You  are  sure  somebody  did  not  say  in  that  crowd,  "  There  is  Gen- 
eral Pearson  along  with  the  sheriff's  posse." 

A.  Not  to  my  recollection.  There  was  no  one  told  me  that.  When  they 
came  up,  General  Pearson,  Sheriff  Fife,  and  some  other  man — and  who  this 
man  was  I  did  not  know — was  kind  of  together.  They  were  at  the  head 
of  the  column,  and  came  up  the  railroad  just  as  they  halted,  and  before 
they  formed  an  open  square. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18??.  539 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  You  said  you  did  not  know  Sheriff  Fife.  How  do  you  know  it  was 
Sheriff  Fife  ? 

A.  I  said  a  man  that  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  Sheriff  Fife.  I  did  not 
know  the  man  personally,  only  he  was  pointed  out  to  me  that  day  by  a 
party  that  that  was  Sheriff  Fife.  I  never  saw  the  man  before,  to  my  re- 
collection, or  afterwards. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  party  of  citizens  in  front  of  the  military,  as  they 
came  up  ? 

A.  As  they  came  up  the  track  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  No,  sir ;  only  those  at  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Only  the  crowd  that  was  at  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  That  is  all. 

Q.  You  did  not  see  an}'  civilians  in  front  of  the  militaiy  as  the}'  marched 
up? 

A.  Not  to  my  recollection. 

Q.  You  say  you  went  down  to  hear  the  sheriff's  proclamation  ? 

A.  I  went  down  to  hear  if  he  would  read  any  riot  act,  or  anything  like 
that. 

Q.  You  did  not  see  the  sheriff  at  all  ? 

A.  Only  when  he  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  the  sheriff,  as  I  stated  before. 

Q.  Did  not  see  the  party  with  the  man  who  was  pointed  out  as  the 
sheriff? 

A.  I  said  I  saw  General  Pearson  and  some  other  gentleman  with  the 
sheriff. 

Q.  There  were  only  three  of  them  ? 

A.  Those  were  together.  There  were  a  great  many  others  alongside  of 
them. 

Q.  When  the  military  marched  up  the  track,  what  led  you  to  go  down 
to  hear  the  proclamation  ? 

A.  Nothing  ;  only  curiosity. 

Q.  Did  you  understand  that  the  sheriff  was  coming  there  with  a  posse? 
That  he  was  going  to  read  the  riot  act,  or  something  of  that  kind  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not  know  that  the  sheriff  was  coming  at  all.  I  did 
not  know  who  was  coming  until  after  they  got  up  there. 

Q.  What  did  you  go  down — you  said  you  went  down  to  hear  what  the 
sheriff  would  say  ? 

A.  I  went  down  there  to  hear  whether  there  would  be  anything  read,  or 
what  would  be  said,  and  that  was  after  the  sheriff  was  pointed  out  to  me. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  You  went  down  there  after  the  sheriff  was  pointed  out  to  you  ? 

A.  I  went  down  to  the  watch-box  after  the  sheriff  was  pointed  out  to 
me. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  There  were  only  three  of  them  together,  Sheriff  Fife,  General  Pear- 
son, and  another  man  ? 

A.  That  other  man,  I  do  not  know  who  it  was. 

Q.  I  mean  in  front  of  the  soldiers. 

A.  There  were  other  ones  around  them.  There  were  other  officers  near 
them.     Those  three  were  pretty  close  together. 

Q.  When  did  you  go  there  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  went  up  on  the  side  of  the  hill  among  the  boys  before  the  Phila- 
delphia troops  came  in  at  all ;  before  I  knew  they  were  coming  in — before 
the  train  came  in,  I  went  up  among  the  boys.     I  know  a  great  many  of 


540  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

them  among  the  military.     Spoke  to  them  and  shook  hands  with  them. 

Q.  Talked  with  them  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  witness  any  of  the  occurrences  during  the  night  after  the 
firing? 

A.  The  only  thing  I  saw  after  the  firing  was  a  car  that  was  fired,  and  I 
could  see  that  plainly  from  the  steps  I  was  sitting  on,  with  two  other 
boarders  that  were  sitting  around  the  steps.  The  steps  are  very  large, 
and  one  of  the  boarders  drew  attention  to  it.  He  says,  "  What  is  that 
lighting  up  there."  I  asked  him,  what.  He  says,  "  Don't  you  see  it  ?  " 
I  said,  "  It  is  nothing  more  than  a  railroad  man's  lamp." 

Q.  You  were  not  down  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  was  four  or  five  squares  away. 

Q.  I  understood  you  to  say  you  went  to  look  for  your  friend  ? 

A.  That  was  after  the  firing  commenced.  It  was  before  dark  I  had 
found  him,  but  I  had  left  him  in  the  hospital  just  before  dusk,  and  went  to 
his  home.  I  came  back  to  the  boarding-house  and  got  my  supper,  and 
stayed  there. 

Q.  Have  you  any  knowledge  of  the  causes  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Bv  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  style  of  hat  did  General  Pearson  wear  ?  You  said  he  had  a 
slouch  hat.     Of  what  color  was  it  ? 

A.  It  appeared  to  me  as  soft.     It  was  black. 

Q.  Broad  brimmed  hat  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know.  The  rim  was  not  broader  than  that  [indicating] — 
it  might  have  been. 

By  Senator  Bey  burn  : 

Q.  It  was  a  straw  hat  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  policemen  there  at  the  time  of  the  fire  ? 

A.  When  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  fired  ? 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Yes. 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge,  I  did  not. 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  your  knowledge.  Do  you  mean  you  did  not 
see  it  at  all — you  did  not  see  any  police  officers  ? 

A.  That  I  did  not  see  them  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge.  They  might 
have  been  there.     I  did  not  see  them. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  soldiers  come  out  of  the  round-house,  Sunday  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Did  you  see  them  after  they  came  out  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  did. 

Q.  As  they  marched  along  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  in  order. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  firing  on  them. 

A.  Yes;  I  did. 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  did  that  firing  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  do  not.  The  only  one  I  saw  firing  was  one  man,  and  he 
was  running:  the  whole  crowd  of  them  out,  as  near  as  I  could  tell. 

Q.  One  man  was  following  them  up  r 

A.  That  was  the  only  man  I  saw  have  a  shooting  iron  with  him,  and  he 
had  his  coat  off;  but  who  he  was  I  do  not  know,  and  I  would  not  know 
him  if  I  was  to  see  him,  for  I  was  standing  in  the  doorway  of  the  boarding 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187Y.  541 

house  when  he  went  past,  and  he  loaded  his  gun  right  furninst  the  door. 
He  had  one  of  the  guns  the  same  as  the  military  uses. 

Q.  Had  a  breech-loading  musket  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  cartridges  for  it  ? 

A.  He  had  cartridges  for  it  and  a  belt  on — a  cartridge-box. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  firing  from  houses  along  the  street  1 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not  go  out  for  to  see  until  after  they  had  passed  by. 
Then  I  went  out  along  the  street.  After  that,  saw  several  of  them  that 
was  shot — some  killed  dead — and  helped  pick  them  up  and  carry  them  in. 
One  of  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  I  helped  up  at  Thirty-third  street.  A 
ball  must  have  went  in  there  [indicating]  and  come  out  through  his  wrist. 
At  least  the  hole  was  through  his  wrist— -through  here  and  back  here. 
[Indicating.] 

Q.  One  man  did  all  the  shooting,  you  say  ? 

A.  That  is  the  only  man  I  saw — that  is,  right  there  where  I  live. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Where  do  you  live  ? 

A.  1145  Penn  street — board  there. 

Q.  Will  you  please  describe  that  man  that  did  that  firing  ? 

A.  I  cannot  do  it,  sir.  It  is  impossible.  Only  he  was  a  tall  man  ;  but 
how  he  was  dressed  I  could  not  tell,  with  the  exception  that  he  had  a  white 
shirt  on,  and  whether  it  was  an  undershirt  or  a  fine  shirt  I  do  not  know, 
because  I  did  not  pay  that  much  attention  to  it.     He  had  his  coat  off. 

Q.  How  close  were  you  to  him  ? 

A.  He  passed  along  the  pavement  and  I  was  standing  out  on  the  steps 
— the  steps  is  five  high,  I  think.  I  was  standing  in  the  doorway,  and 
he  was  below  me,  and  passed  along  the  pavement. 

Q.  Was  he  an  old  or  a  young  man  ? 

A.  Middle  aged  man,  as  far  as  I  could  judge. 

Q.  Did  he  wear  whiskers  ? 

A.  That  I  could  not  say. 

Q.  Did  he  follow  the  troops  up  ? 

A.  He  followed  them  as  far  as  the  corner  above.  Then  I  did  not  take 
notice  where  he  went  to,  because  I  come  to  the  conclusion  I  was  not  going 
to  interest  myself  in  it. 

Q.  How  many  shots  did  you  see  him  fire  ? 

A.  I  only  saw  him  fire  one  shot,  and  that  he  fired  from  the  corner  of 

Thirty-first  street,  and  by  the  time  he  fired  the  shot  I  saw  the  troops  he 

fired  into  stop  and  point  down,  and  there  was  two  balls  came  right  past 

the  door  right  over  my  head.     I  thought  it  was  time  to  pass  into  the  house. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  this  man  say  anything  ? 

A.  He  said  something  about  spilling  the  blood  of  some  of  his  friends, 
and  he  was  going  to  have  revenge,  when  he  passed  the  door.  That  is  all 
I  know. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  kind  of  a  breech-loading  gun  did  he  have  ? 

A.  The  same  as  the  military  have. 

Q.  It  was  a  military  gun,  you  mean  ? 

A.  It  was  a  military  gun ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  attend  any  meeting,  during  that  excitement,  of  citizens 
or  people,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  to  resist  the  soldiers  ? 

A  No,  sir. 


542  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Did  you  know  of  any  meeting  being  held  out  Penn  street  or  Butler 
street  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Would  you  know  this  man  that  fired  at  the  soldiers  if  3^011  were  to 
see  him  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  am  certain  of  that. 

Q.  You  say  he  had  a  cartridge-box — this  man  that  fired  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  a  white  belt. 

Q.  Had  it  buckled  around  his  body  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  kind  of  a  looking  cartridge-box  was  it  ? 

A.  The  same  as  the  military  used — a  black  one. 

Q.  A  square  box  ? 

A.  Yes ;  kind  of  square. 

P.  M.  Stack,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  reside  in  Spring  alley,  near  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Constable,  Twelfth  ward. 

Q.  Were  you  present  at  Twenty-eighth  street  on  Saturday,  21st  July? 

A.  At  the  time  of  the  shooting  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  state  what  you  observed  ? 

A.  I  was  in  town  that  afternoon.  I  think  it  was  about  half  past  two 
o'clock,  and  I  went  up,  and  I  saw  a  large  crowd  up  there — went  as  far  as 
Twenty-eighth  street  crossing — saw  a  lot  of  men  right  across  the  railroad, 
and  went  up  there,  and  seen  some  men  that  I  know — seen  some  Philadel- 
phia soldiers  come  up.  Seen  General  Pearson  there.  I  stayed  up  two  or 
three  minutes,  and  they  opened  ranks,  and  Pearson  came  right  up  the 
middle,  and  stayed  there  for  a  few  minutes,  and  Sheriff  Fife  was  on  the 
right  hand  side  next  to  the  hill.  The  crowd  was  hollering  "  Hold  the 
fort,"  or  something  to  that  effect.  I  think  it  was  "  Hold  the  fort  "  they 
were  hollering,  and  General  Pearson  was  there  and  he  said,  "  Charge 
bayonets,"  and  they  commenced  to  charge.  As  soon  as  they  commenced 
to  charge  the  crowd  behind  shoved  up.  I  was  one  of  the  front  and  could 
not  get  back.  The  first  thing  I  knew  they  commenced  to  fire.  I  thought 
they  were  firing  blank  cartridges,  until  I  saw  a  man  by  the  name  of  John 
Long  fall,  and  saw  they  was  not  firing  blank  cartridges,  and  I  turned 
around  and  ran  away  as  fast  as  I  could.     That  is  all  I  knew  about  it. 

Q.  Where  was  Pearson  ? 

A.  Pearson  was  about  in  the  middle.  They  came  up  about  sixteen 
abreast,  or  something  like  that.  I  could  not  exactly  tell.  He  was  in  the 
middle,  anyhow.     They  opened  order  and  came  right  up. 

Q.  About  sixteen  of  them? 

A.  About  sixteen  abreast,  right  across  the  track. 

Q.  The  sheriff,  you  mean  ? 

A.  What  they  call  the  Philadelphia  soldiers.  I  do  not  know  whether 
they  wcit'  Philadelphia  soldiers  or  not. 

(4.  Was  not  anybody  in  front  of  the  soldiers  when  they  marched  up  the 
railroad  track  ? 

A.  There  was  a  crowd  in  front  of  them.  Sheriff  Fife — there  is  a  board 
walk  where  you  get  off  the  train,  a  platform  where  you  get  on  the  train — 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  543 

he  was  marching  right  up  at  the  right  hand  side  as  you  come  up  the  rail- 
road track,  as  far  as  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Anybody  with  him  ? 

A.  That  I  could  not  say ;  he  was  right  with  the  soldiers,  and  you  could 
not  see  right  over  their  heads. 

Q.  Was  not  he  in  front  of  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  He  was  right  on  abreast  with  them. 

Q.  Could  not  you  see  Fife  and  who  was  with  him  ? 

A.  I  could  not  see  who  was  behind  me.  I  could  see  the  front.  I  could 
not  discern  the  men  who  was  behind  the  front  men. 

Q.  You  heard  Pearson  give  the  command  to  fire  ? 

A.  Charge  bayonets  first.  I  was  one  of  the  fellows  that  was  sticking 
around. 

Q.  What  were  you  doing,  trying  to  keep  it  off? 

A.  I  went  up  there — I  was  a  sworn  officer  of  the  railroad — and  I  thought 
I  would  try  to  do  what  I  could. 

Q.  Had  you  tried  to  quell  it  ? 

A.  Yes,  I  had,  so  far  as  I  knew  how.  I  assisted  Mayor  McCarthy's 
police  when  I  went  up  there. 

Q.  Were  the  police  there  ? 

A.  They  were  ;  eight  or  ten  police  there  during  the  day  and  at  night. 

Q.  What  did  they  do  ? 

A.  The  boys  were  around  there  playing  with  the  cars — wherever  there 
is  excitement  the  boys  are  always  there — they  were  trying  to  put  the  boys 
away,  and  the  men  were  not  doing  any  harm,  it  was  the  boys. 

Q.  You  could  not  put  the  boys  away  then  ? 

A.  No  ;  they  were  little  boys. 

Q.  When  the  soldiers  marched  up,  what  did  the  crowd  do  ?  Hid  they  fall 
back? 

A.  At  the  time  they  charged  bayonets,  the  rear  crowd  shoved  the  front 
up — they  were  shoving  them  up.     That  is  all  I  seen  about  it. 

Q.  Hid  you  see  any  stones  thrown  ? 

A.  I  did  ;  there  was  some  little  boys  threw  a  couple  of  stones,  and  I 
says,  "  Quit  that,  boy,  there  will  be  trouble  here." 

Q.  A  couple  of  stones  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Hid  you  hear  any  firing  ?  Hid  you  hear  anybody  shoot  before  the 
soldiers  shot  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  didn't  see  but  a  couple  of  stones  thrown  at  all  ? 

A.  It  was  thrown  from  a  couple  of  boys  from  the  sand-house.  They 
were  in  the  sand-house,  and  there  was  some  stones  in  the  sand,  and  they 
threw  them  over  our  heads.  I  seen  the  boys  that  threw  them — little  boys 
about  eight  or  ten  years  of  age.  There  is  a  sand-house  where  they  dry 
sand  for  the  engines,  and  they  were  in  the  sand-house  at  the  time. 

Q.  You  did  not  see  any  stones  come  from  the  side  of  the  hill  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  1  was  on  this  side  of  the  railroad,  nearer  to  Penn  street  than 
I  was  to  the  hillside. 

Q.  They  would  not  have  reached  you  ? 

A.  No ;  I  do  not  think  they  could,  unless  they  could  throw  them  that  far. 

Q.  Where  was  Pearson  standing  when  he  gave  this  command  ? 

A.  He  was  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  ranks — right  up  the  middle. 

Q.  Hid  he  give  the  command  himself  to  fire,  or  did  he  give  it  to  some- 
body else  ? 

A.  He  did ;  he  said  "  fire." 


544  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  That  is  all  he  said  ? 

A.  That  is  all,  sir ;  he  gave  command  to  charge  bayonets  first. 
Q.  Charge  bayonets  and  then  fire  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  the  men  that  he  ordered  to  charge  bayonets,  fire  ? 
A.  I  could  not  see  where  the  shots  came  from,  they  came  from  the  gun 
some  place,  that  I  know.     We  were  standing  right  in  front.     When  these 
men  fired,  Johnny  Long  fell  down.     I  helped  to  carry  him  in  when  the  doc- 
tor was  examining  him  there.     I  took  him  into  the  round-house. 
Q.  Do  you  know  Pearson  ? 
A.  I  do,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  know  him  by  sight  ? 
A.  I  had  known  Pearson  for  ten  years. 
Q.  How  was  he  dressed  ? 
A.  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you. 
Q.  You  did  not  notice  ? 

A.  I  was  just  looking  at  his  face,  same  as  I  am  looking  at  you.     I  did 
not  pay  particular  attention  to  his  dress. 

Q.  You  say  you  heard  him  give  this  command  ? 
A.  I  did,  sir. 

Q.  You  are  right  certain  of  this  ? 
A.  I  am  positive. 

Q.  You  are  sure  it  was  not  "  not  to  fire,"  and  you  only  heard  "  fire." 
A.  He  said  fire,  as  loud  as  I  am  talking  now.     I  was  not  sixteen  feet 
away  from  him. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  troops  when  they  came  out  of  the  round-house  ? 
A.  When  they  came  out,  on  Sunday  morning,  I  saw  them  go  up  Pern 
avenue.     I  did  not  see  them  leave  the  round-house. 
Q.  How  were  they  marching,  in  order  ? 
A.  Yes ;  in  order. 
Q.  Was  anybody  firing  on  them  ? 

A.  I  did  see  one  man,  just  as  I  was  coming  down  the  hill.  I  went  up 
there  to  see  the  burning  from  the  top  of  the  hill,  near  what  they  call  the 
pest-house,  and  saw  the  soldiers  between  the  round-house  and  the  square 
shop. 

Q,.  That  was  not  where  they  marched  out  Penn  street  before  the  fire  ? 
A.  The  fire  was  pretty  close  to  the  round-house  when  the  cars  were 
fired. 

Q.  That  was  after  the  troops  had  fired  ? 
A.  This  was  at  five  o'clock  Sunday  morning. 
Q.  When  they  came  out  ? 

A.  The  soldiers  that  were  in  there,  they  were  firing  away  all  night,  and 
when  I  came  out  they  were  getting  down  otf  the  hill  on  Twenty-eighth 
street,  and  the  troops  were  getting  out  then,  and  I  was  coming  down.  The 
tail  end  of  them  were  passing,  and  a  man  came  down  Twenty-eighth  street 
in  his  shirt  sleeves — a  pretty  good  sized  man,  not  too  big — and  he  had  a 
musket,  and  he  was  rolling  up  his  shirt  sleeves,  and  when  he  came  to  the 
drug  store,  corner  of  Twenty-eighth  and  Penn,  I  seen  him  raising  his  mus- 
ket. I  thought  they  would  return  back  the  fire  up  that  street  and  1  got 
down  the  alley  and  run  into  the  house. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  attempt  to  arrest  this  man  ? 
A.  No. 

(.J.  Did  you  not  think  it  was  your  duty,  as  constable,  to  stop  that  man 
from  shooting  ? 

A.  If  the  whole  police  force  could  not  stop  him,  I  could  not  stop  him  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  545 

Q.  You  did  not  try  ? 

A.  I  was  afraid  of  the  gun. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anybody  else  shoot  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  know  this  man  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  never  saw  him,  to  my  knowledge.  Could  not  describe  him 
to  you. 

Q.  What  did  he  say  when  he  was  shooting  ? 

A.  I  was  not  that  close  to  him.     I  did  not  get  that  close. 

Q.  Were  you  over  there  on  Thursday,  when  the  strike  first  took  place  ? 

A.  I  was  up  there ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  of  the  men  say  why  they  struck  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  any  of  the  causes  that  led  them  to  strike  ? 

A.  It  was  putting  on  double-headers.  I  believe  that  was  the  cause  I 
heard  for  it. 

Q.   Was  there  any  disturbance  there  Thursday  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  there  was  very  few  there  on  Thursday. 

Q.  Were  there  on  Friday  ? 

A.  Friday  they  commenced  to  gather  a  little ;  on  Saturday,  there  was 
upwards  of  a  thousand. 

Q.  Were  you  called  upon  at  any  time  to  exert  your  authority  to  keep 
the  peace  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  the  city  did  not  pay  me  for  that  as  a  constable. 

Q.  Is  not  that  part  of  your  duties  as  a  constable  ? 

A.  It  is  a  part  of  my  duty  as  constable  to  try  to  suppress  or  arrest 
anybody  I  would  see  acting  disorderly  on  the  street,  but  a  constable  among 
two  or  three  hundred  men  is  of  very  little  use.     We  ain't  paid  by  the  city 

government  as  constable,  to  do  anything 

By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Could  you  not  have  arrested  this  man  who  was  firing  on  the  troops  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  Were  you  not  armed  ? 

A.  I  was  not. 

Q.  Had  no  pistol  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  try  to  get  somebody  else  to  assist  you  in  arresting  this  man  ? 

A.  It  was  too  early  in  the  morning.  There  was  nobody  out  of  bed, 
hardly. 

Q.  You  did  not  follow  after  the  troops.     You  say  you  went  home  ? 

A.  I  went  home.     Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Stayed  there  ? 

A.  Stayed  there. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  police  about  the  fire  during  Sunday — -see  them  mak- 
ing any  effort  to  put  out  the  fire  or  prevent  it  ? 

A.  I  did  not.     I  went  to  my  mother-in-law's  on  Sunday. 

Q.  You  were  not  about  then  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Do  not  know  anything  about  what  occurred  then,  of  your  own  ob- 
servation ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Mayor  McCarthy  about  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  he  might  have  been  there.     I  did  not  see  him. 
35  Riots. 


546  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

C.  G.  Barnett,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  is  your  full  name  ? 

A.  C.  G.  Barnett.     They  call  me  Neall  for  short. 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  live  296  Centre  avenue. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  am  solicitor  for  the  Consolidated  Gas  Compan}\ 

Q.  Were  you  present  on  Saturday,  the  21st  of  July? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  At  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Be  kind  enough  to  describe  what  came  under  }'our  observation  ? 

A.  I  will  tell  3'ou  how  I  got  there.  I  live  on  Centre  avenue,  and  I 
came  over  the  hill  to  our  works.  I  went  over  there  about  dinner  time,  and 
stayed  at  the  works  until  about  three  o'clock.  I  had  nothing  more  to  do 
that  day,  and  I  thought  I  would  come  up  and  see  what  the  railroad  men 
were  doing.  I  stopped  there,  I  suppose,  until  about  half  past  three,  and 
the  train  came  in  with  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  on,  so  I  got  talking,  like 
the  rest  of  the  men  around  there,  and  I  stayed  there,  and  they  finally  com- 
menced to  holler,  and  they  said,  "  There  comes  the  Philadelphia  soldiers." 
I  knew  a  }roung  fellow  in  the  Philadelphia  troops,  b}r  the  name  of  Deal, 
and  I  thought  I  would  get  to  see  him.  I  looked  along  the  line,  and  finally 
found  him  ;  he  was  at  the  lower  part.     As  they  came  up  they  divided  off. 

Q.  What  is  his  name  ? 

A.  Willie  Deal ;  he  lives  in  Philadelphia.  When  the  soldiers  came  up, 
the  first  I  saw  was  Sheriff  Fife,  General  Pearson,  Captain  Moore,  and  then 
the  soldiers  came  up.  I  was  talking  with  Deal  awhile,  and  he  says,  "  You 
had  better  get  out  of  here,"  and  I  finally  walked  up  towards  the  switch- 
house,  at  the  corner  of  Twenty-eighth  and  the  railroad  track,  and  I  got 
up,  standing  beside  the  switch-house,  and  I  took  notice  of  a  few  bo}'s 
commencing  to  lift  up  some  small  stones  that  did  not  amount  to  much  ;  of 
course  it  would  hurt  a  person  to  be  hit  with  them.  I  told  the  hoys,  "  You 
had  better  quit  that,  3'ou  will  get  into  trouble."  They  said  they  were 
having  some  fun.  J  said  it  was  wrong  kind  of  fun  to  have.  Then  there 
was  a  sqund  of  about  twenty-five  soldiers  came  up  in  the  center,  and  they 
commenced  to  shove  the  crowd  back,  and  the  first  thing  I  saw  I  hoard  the 
command  to  fire  given.  I  thought  it  was  about  time  to  get  down,  and  I 
got  around  to  the  side.  I  could  still  see  the  soldiers,  and  the  first  thing 
I  heard  was  General  Pearson  giving  the  command  to  fire. 

Q.  You  heard  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  I  heard  him  just  as  distinctly  as  3tou  are  speaking  to  me. 

Q.  Do  j'ou  know  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  I  do,  sir  ;  that  is,  I  am  acquainted  with  him  to  see  him.  I  have 
lived  in  this  town  all  103-  life,  and  I  know  him  as  well  as  m3r  own  brother 
to  see  him. 

Q.  How  was  he  dressed  that  day? 

A.  lb'  had  a  blouse  on.  I  should  judge  it  buttoned  up  to  about  there. 
[Indicating.]  A  plain  blouse  ;  1  do  not  think  there  was  any  trimmings  on 
it,  except  the  buttons.     It  was  buttoned  up. 

A.  Did  lie  have  a  sword? 

A.  That  I  would  not  positively  sa3%  I  did  not  pay  that  much  attention 
to  him. 

Q.  Did  3113-  of  the  officers  have  swords,  or  did  you  notice  the  other  offi- 
cers ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  547 

A.  I  noticed  an  oflicer  that  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  General  Brinton. 

Q.  Did  he  have  a  sword  ? 

A.  He  had  a  sword. 

Q.  The  captains  of  the  companies  had  swords  ? 

A.  The  officers  had,  yes,  sir. 

Q.  All  had  swords  ? 

A.  Yes;  but  I  would  not  say  positively  that  General  Pearson  had  a 
sword  on,  because  I  did  not  take  that  particular  notice  of  him.  I  did  not 
think  it  was  necessary.     I  did  not  know  they  would  ever  have  any  trouble. 

Q.  You  are  sure  you  heard  Pearson  give  the  command? 

A.  I  did,  sir. 

Q.  Where  was  he  standing? 

A.  He  was  standing — there  was  a  car  between  the  sand-house  and  the 
round-house,  and  General  Pearson  was  standing  at  the  far  end  of  the  car, 
towards  the  Union  depot,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  sand-house. 

Q.  That  is  on  the  round -house  side  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  that  is  on  the  round-house  side — that  old  sand-house. 

Q.  Where  did  the  first  fire  come  from  ? 

A.  The  first  fire  was  on  the  side  that  the  round-house  was  on,  about 
midway  of  the  soldiers.  Some  of  them  fired  up  in  the  air,  and  after  the 
first  volley — there  is  a  road  runs  up  the  hill,  the  way  I  came  down — after 
the  first  volley  I  thought  it  was  getting  warm,  and  I  would  get  out  of  that 
and  get  home.  I  run  about  half  way,  and  there  was  a  little  boy  that  was 
shot  right  there,  and  I  grabbed  the  boy  as  I  was  running.  I  just  grabbed 
him  and  took  him  with  me,  and  there  was  a  little  hollow  there  where  the 
water  runs,  and  I  thought  that  was  a  safe  place  for  myself  and  the  boy 
both.  After  the  firing  there  was  a  boy  standing  there,  and  I  said,  "You  had 
better  go  and  get  Doctor  McCandless."  After  the  firing  stopped,  I  carried 
the  boy  to  a  little  shanty  house,  and  laid  him  down  there.  This  other  boy 
went  for  the  doctor. 

Q.  When  Pearson  gave  the  command,  what  became  of  him  ? 

A.  I  did  not  notice. 

Q.  You  are  right  sure  he  gave  the  command  "fire  ?"  He  did  not  say 
not  to  fire  ? 

A.  No  ;  he  gave  the  order  to  fire.     I  heard  it  distinctly. 

Q.  You  are  sure  it  was  Pearson — you  could  distinguish  Pearson  among 
the  crowd  of  officers  ? 

A.  As  a  military  man,  I  have  heard  him  give  orders.  Have  heard  him 
time  and  time  and  time  again,  and  I  know  a  man's  voice  when  I  hear  it 
very  often. 

Q.  What  did  he  have  on — a  hat  ? 

A.  I  think  he  had  a  soft  hat — black  soft  hat,  with  a  rim  about  that  wide 
[indicating] — it  may  have  been  wider,  but  I  did  not  pay  particular  atten- 
tion to  it — did  not  pay  enough  attention  to  him  to  know  that  he  had  a 
sword,  because  I  did  not  think  it  was  necessary. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  troops  come  out  of  the  round-house  the  next  day  ? 

A.  After  the  firing  was  over,  about  five  o'clock,  I  went  home,  and  a 
gentleman  by  the  name  of  Root,  that  boards  in  the  house  with  me — after 
supper  I  says,  "  Suppose  we  go  over  and  see  what  is  going  on  over  the 
hill."  We  went  over  and  stayed  there  awhile — did  not  go  down.  The 
next  Sunday  morning,  about  one  o'clock,  I  heard  an  alarm,  and  I  got  out 
of  my  room  and  went  through  the  hall  and  rapped  at  the  door.  Says  I, 
"  There  is  an  alarm  of  fire.  I  bet  that's  the  railroad  property.''  Says  he, 
"  Oh,  no."  I  went  back  to  bed,  and  stayed  there  until  the  next  morning 
about  seven  o'clock.     I  got  up  and  went  over  the  hill,  and  about  eight 


548  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

o'clock — I  think  it  was  eight  o'clock,  I  would  not  say  for  certain — the 
Philadelphia  soldiers  went  out  of  the  round-house.  I  was  away  up  on  the 
hill. 

Q.  Did  you  see  them  come  out? 

A.  I  saw  a  crowd.  I  could  not  distinguish.  I  was  five  or  six  hundred 
yards  away  from  them. 

Q-.  You  were  up  on  the  hill  ? 

A.  You  can't  see  very  well,  because  of  the  smoke  and  one  thing  or 
other — I  would  not  say  for  certain  it  was  them. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  anything  that  oecun*ed.  Did  you  ?ee  any  police 
in  this  crowd  when  you  went  there  Saturday — when  you  went  to  see  this 
friend  of  yours  ? 

A.  I  think  I  saw  one  or  two  police — I  think  I  saw  two  police. 

Q.  Were  they  making  an  effort  to  keep  the  crowd  back,  and  keep  them 
orderly  ? 

A.  One  of  these  police  talked  to  a  man  on  the  corner  of  Liberty  and 
Twenty-eighth  street,  right  at  the  end  of  the  Pennsylvania  shops.  I  judged, 
from  the  way  he  was  talking  to  him,  that  he  wanted  him  to  go  home.  I 
was  not  near  enough  to  him  to  tell. 

Q.  There  was  no  force  there  sufficient  to  make  any  impression  on  the 
crowd  ? 

A.  There  was  nothing  necessary  for  force.  The  men  were  quiet.  Of 
course  they  were  standing  on  the  railroad  track,  but  there  was  no  noise. 
They  were  quiet,  peaceable  men.  There  was  nothing  until  the  Philadel- 
phia soldiers  came.     That  was  the  commencement  of  it. 

Q.  When  the  sheriff  came  up,  what  did  the  crowd — did  they  say  any- 
thing or  do  anything? 

A.  Not  until  the  squad  of  about  twenty-five  soldiers  came  up  in  the 
center.  Then  they  commenced  to  shove,  and  they  had  not  room  to  get 
out.  I  suppose  if  they  had  given  them  five  minutes,  they  could  have  got 
away. 

Q.  Did  the  sheriff  make  any  call  upon  the  crowd  to  disperse  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw. 

Q.  You  were  talking  with  this  friend  of  yours  ? 

A.  He  told  me  to  get  out,  and  I  walked  toward  the  switch-house.  Says 
he,  "  Neall,  go  away  ;  if  there  is  anything  happens  here  you  will  get  hurt," 
and  I  took  his  advice. 

Q.  What  led  him  to  say  that  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know.     That  is  exactly  what  he  told  me. 

Q.  Were  there  not  stones  being  thrown,  that  led  this  man  to  think  there 
would  be  trouble  ? 

A.  No ;  he  was  at  the  lower  end,  towards  the  Union  depot. 

Q.  Could  he  not  see  ? 

A.  Not  where  he  was  standing. 

Q.  Was  there  not  a  crowd  making  an  attack  upon  the  soldiers,  and  that 
there  was  likely  to  be  trouble  ? 

A.  Not  at  that  time.  They  were  not  throwing  any  stones  until  I  got  to 
the  switch-house,  and  then  I  saw  the  boys  throwing  stones. 

Q.  Was  the  crowd  resisting  the  soldiers? 

A.  Not  at  that  time.  This  middle  division  had  not  gone  up.  Just  as 
they  started,  he  told  me  to  get  out  of  there. 

Q.  When  they  got  up,  didn't  the  crowd  resist  them? 

A.  I  think  if  they  had  given  them  five  minutes  there  would  have  been 
no  trouble.  There  was  a  great  many  men  tried  to  get  away,  and  the  crowd 
held  them  back. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  549 

i 
Q.  Was  it  men  there  like  yourself,  or  was  it  men  there  to  resist  the 

soldiers  ? 

A.  There  was  a  great  many  men  I  knew  had  nothing  to  do  with  the 
Pennsylvania.     They  were  there  just  standing  looking  on. 

Q.  If  you  went  through  a  crowd  like  that,  you  could  judge  whether 
there  were  men  there  to  resist  the  soldiers, or  whether  they  were  thereout 
of  curiosity  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  that  the  most  of  them  were  there  out  of  curiosity, 
and  I  did  not  know  the  ieeling  of  the  men.  I  never  go  up  that  direction, 
unless  I  am  on  business. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  ellorts  made  by  the  police  during  Sunday  to  stop 
the  burning  ? 

A.  I  was  not  near  the  railroad  track  on  Sunday.  I  stood  away  up  on 
the  hill — not  until  Sunday  evening,  until  half  past  seven,  and  then  came 
down  by  the  car  way,  and  came  down  to  the  Union  depot.  There  I  saw 
a  lot  of  police  stopping  the  men  from  carrying  away  ale.  I  should  judge — 
from  the  looks  of  the  barrels — what  they  call  Milwaukee  ale  or  beer. 

Q.  Milwaukee  ale  or  beer  ? 

A.  Beer,  I  suppose.  It  is  not  our  style  of  keg  that  is  made  in  Pitts- 
burgh here.  I  do  not  drink  enough  for  to  know  that.  I  know  it  was  beer 
or  ale. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Had  you  any  trouble  getting  through  the  crowd  when  you  wanted  to 
get  away  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  ran  alongside  of  the  hill,  while  there  was  very  few 
people. 

Q.  You  were  right  down  the  railroad  among  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  I  did  see  a  lot  of  guns  there,  said  to  be  Knapp's  battery,  lying  at  the 
watch-house — that  was  all  the  trouble.  Just  as  I  got  away  from  the  mob, 
I  had  no  trouble  at  all — I  could  run  away  along  the  hill. 

Q.  Would  it  have  been  any  trouble  for  the  crowd  to  get  away  when  the 
soldiers  came  up  to  ask  them  to  fall  back  ? 

A.  I  think  some  of  them  could  get  away — not  all  the  crowd,  because 
there  was  cars  on  the  other  side  of  Twenty-eighth  street,  lying  in  there, 
and  they  got  in  round  the  cars,  and  could  not  get  out. 

Q.  You  said  three  fourths  of  the  men  there  were  spectators  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  did  the  other  fourth  come  there  for? 

A.  I  have  not  the  least  idea,  I  never  go  there  unless  going  to  the  works. 

Q.  I  suppose  three  fourths  went  there  from  mere  curiosity,  and  that  the 
other  fourth  went  for  some  purpose  ? 

A.  Most  likely  they  did,  but  I  could  not  see  that. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  General  Pearson  say  anything  else  but  "  fire  !"  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  and  it  was  not  a  minute  or  a  minute  and  a  half  after  he  gave 
the  order  to  fire,  until  they  did  fire. 

Q.  How  far  were  you  from  him  ? 

A.  I  was  standing  about  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  up  off  the  railroad  track 
right  out  to  the  switch-house. 

Q.  Would  not  a  man  have  to  have  said  something  before  he  could  have 
given  the  word  "  fire  !" — you  heard  nothing  before  the  word  "  fire  !"  ? 

A.  They  did  not  get  away  fast  enough  than  was  given  to  fire,  and  just 
about  a  minute  afterward  the  firing  took  place. 


550  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

William  Black,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  is  your  full  name? 

A.  William  Black. 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  Out  at  Millvale  borough. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Boiler-puddler. 

Q.  Were  you  present  at  Twenty-eighth  street  on  the  21st  of  July,  Satur- 
day, at  the  time  of  the  firing? 

A.  I  was  a  little  while,  about  the  time  I  seen  the  Philadelphia  troops 
marching  up  the  railroad  four  abreast,  and  they  came  to  a  halt  just  before 
they  got  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  Came  to  a  "front  and  open  order — rear 
open  order,  then  the  front  rank  came  to  about  face,  and  they  faced  the  rear 
rank.  Then  a  company  marched  up  through  the  center,  right  up  front  to 
Twenty-eighth  street.  I  was  standing  outside  then  and  heard  the  order 
given  to  fire. 

Q.  You  were  standing  where  ? 

A.  Just  across  from  Twenty-eighth  street,  outside  the  crowd. 

Q.  You  were  out  behind  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  say  you  heard  the  command  to  fire  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  gave  the  command  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  do  not  know  who  it  was  gave  it. 

Q.  You  just  heard  the  word  ? 

A.  The  minute  the  word  was  given  to  fire  I  left. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anything  of  the  firing  ?  You  left  then — saw  nothing  of 
it? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  left  the  place  then  after  they  started  to  fire. 

Q.  Then  you  know  nothing  about  the  firing,  any  more  than  you  heard 
the  command  given — did  it  come  from  an  officer  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say  that. 

Q.  Or  was  it  from  the  crowd — did  you  hear  the  crowd  talk  about  firing  ? 

A.  Not  while  I  was  there. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anything  thrown  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  any  disturbance  there,  an}*-  noise  or  resisting  of  the  sol- 
diers ? 

A.  There  was  some  noise  there. 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  some  noise  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  hollering  "  Hold  the  fort." 

Q.  What  did  they  mean  by  holding  the  fort — holding  Twenty-eighth 
street  ? 

A.  I  suppose  so. 

Q.  They  meant  to  stay  there  in  spite  of  the  soldiers,  was  that  the  idea 
that  you  had — to  stay  there  in  spite  of  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  I  suppose  that  was  their  idea. 

Q.  Had  you  been  there  any  time  previous  to  the  firing  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  know  nothing  whatever  of  the  events  occurring  before  that? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  soldiers  afterwards  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  never  saw  them  any  more  after  that.  I  never  crossed  the 
river  again  until  Monday,  I  came  down  to  the  city  again. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  551 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  any  organization  formed  to  resist  the 
soldiers  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Who  went  with  you  to  the  scene  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  Saturday  ? 

Q.  Yes. 

A.  There  was  a  friend  of  mine  lives  right  over  here. 

Q.  Was  not  there  a  large  crowd  of  you  went  over  there  together? 

A.  No,  sir;  there  was  no  crowd. 

Q.  What  mill  are  you  working  at? 

A.  GraerF  &  Bennett's. 

Q.  Was  not  there  a  large  number  of  men  from  your  mill  went  over  there 
on  Saturday  just  before  the  firing? 

A.  If  they  went  over  there  I  didn't  know  an3'thing  about  it. 

Q.  Were  the  men  working  at  that  time — that  afternoon  ? 

A.  Saturday  they  generally  shut  down  about  two  o'clock  or  three  o'clock. 

Q.  You  were  not  working  that  day  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  leave  the  mill  ? 

A.  We  shut  down  work  about  one  o'clock  at  the  upper  end  of  the  mill. 

Q.  About  one  o'clock  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Didn't  most  of  the  men  who  were  at  work  in  the  forenoon  come  over 
to  Twenty-eighth  street? 

A.  I  couldn't  say  anything  about  that  at  all. 

Q.  Didn't  see  a  great  many  of  them  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  there  might  have  been  a  good  many  there,  but  I  didn't  see 
them,  the  crowd  was  so  big. 

Q.  Was  there  any  talk  about  there  in  the  crowd  when  you  were  standing 
there.  Did  you  hear  any  talk  about  resisting  the  soldiers,  and  not  allow 
them  to  clear  the  track  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  didn't  hear  anything  of  the  kind. 

Q.  Was  it  people  there  just  out  of  curiosity  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  say  what  they  were  there  for. 

Q.  You  were  there  out  of  curiosity,  were  you  ? 

Q.  Yes  ;  j  ust  come  over  to  see  the  soldiers. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  abusive  or  threatening  language  on  the  part  of  the 
crowd  towards  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  not  at  the  time  I  remained  there. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  In  the  forenoon  of  Saturday,  while  at  work,  did  you  hear  any  of  the 
men  say  that  they  were  going  over  there  in  the  afternoon  after  they  quit 
work  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  didn't  hear  the  men  say  anything. 

Q.  Didn't  have  any  talk  about  going  over  to  the  scene  of  this  riot  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Were  you  there  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  No,  sir.     Didn't  come  over  this  side  of  the  river  on  Sunday. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  quite  a  number  of  citizens  carrying  away  goods  and 
bringing  them  over  to  near  your  works,  in  that  vicinity  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  On  Sunday  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 


552  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29 , 

Q.  Did  you  see  anybody  carrying  any  plunder  from  the  cars  ? 
A.  They  didn't  fetch  it  across  there  in  the  day  time.     I  thought  they 
were  watching  pretty  sharp  around  there  over  the  other  side. 

Charles  P.  Wall,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  is  your  first  name  ? 

A.  Charles  P. 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  Fourteenth  ward. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Plumber. 

Q.  Were  you  at  Twenty-eighth  street  on  Saturday,  the  21st  July,  the 
time  of  the  firing  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  I  was. 

Q.  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  state  what  you  saw  ? 

A.  I  went  there  out  of  curiosity,  to  see  what  was  going  on,  on  Saturday 
afternoon,  and  shortly  after  I  was  there  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  came  up 
with  their  posse,  the  sheriff  at  the  head.  I  was  standing  on  the  track  and 
toward  the  round-house,  and  General  Pearson  came  round  and  said  he  was 
ordered  to  clear  the  track,  so  I  got  around  and  walked  up  Twenty -eighth 
and  come  around  on  the  hill  which  looks  down  on  the  track,  and  the  sol- 
diers formed  a  hollow  square — the  soldiers  facing  the  hill  as  well  as  facing 
the  round-house — and  then  the  soldiers  marched  towards  Twei^-eighth 
street,  and  the  command  was  given  to  charge  bayonets.  They  charged,  I 
think,  but  the  men  there  could  not  or  would  not  move  away  from  Twent3T- 
eighth  street.  The  soldiers  came  up  to  them  with  their  bayonets,  and  they 
grabbed  the  guns,  and  pushed  them  away  from  them.  Then  the  order  was 
given  to  fire.  The  men,  after  the  order  was  given  them,  started  to  run 
down  Twenty-eighth  street.  The  men  that  were  charging — that  were  fac- 
ing Twenty-eighth  street — could  not  fire  because  they  were  so  close.  The 
moment  they  started  to  run  they  brought  their  guns  to  bear  on  them,  and 
fired  on  the  crowd  as  they  were  running.  The  men  facing  the  hill  fired 
into  the  party  standing  on  the  hill,  and  I  seen  them  commence  to  fire,  and 
stayed  there  for  some  moments,  and  thought  they  were  firing  blank  cart- 
ridges, until  a  party  along  side  of  me  was  shot  in  the  head  and  dropped 
down,  and  I  thought  it  was  time  to  get,  and  I  started. 

Q.  Where  were  you  standing  ? 

A.  Standing  right  on  the  hill,  looking  clown  on  the  soldiers. 

Q.  How  far  from  them  ? 

A.  I  suppose  between  twenty  and  thirty  feet. 

Q.  There  is  a  road  that  runs  up  there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  far  were  you  from  that  watch-house  ? 

A.  I  was  about  thirty  feet  from  the  watch-house,  I  guess. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anything  thrown  at  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  saw  some  stones  thrown. 

Q.  Anything  fired  at  them — see  any  shots  or  hear  any  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  didn't  see  or  hear  any  shots. 

Q.  Were  j^ou  close  enough  to  tell  who  gave  the  order,  or  whether  it  was 
an  order  to  fire  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  was  close  enough. 

Q.  Was  it  given  by  an  officer? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  was. 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  the  officer  was  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  553 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  State  his  name  ? 

A.  General  Pearson  ? 

Q.  Do  you  know  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Personally  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  that  is,  I  don't  know  the  General  personally  to  speak  to 
him. 

Q.  I  mean  by  sight — if  you  see  General  Pearson  walking  along? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  was  he  when  he  gave  the  command  ? 

A.  He  was  in  the  square,  a  little  toward  Twenty-eighth — nearer  Twenty- 
eighth  street  than  any  other  part  of  the  square. 

Q.  Anybody  near  him  ? 

A.  Yes ;  Mr.  Pitcairn  and  some  of  the  other  officers  was  handy. 

Q.  Any  of  the  sheriff's  posse  ? 

A.  I  didn't  notice. 

Q.  They  were  in  front,  were  not  they,  when  the  troops  came  up  ? 

A.  The  sheriff  marched  front ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.   Did  he  stop  and  address  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  suppose  he  was  addressing  the  crowd  when  I  was  going  round,  but 
as  soon  as  he  gave  the  command  to  clear  the  track,  I  was  walking  round 
to  get  on  the  hill. 

Q.  You  are  sure  you  heard  General  Pearson  give  the  command  ? 

A.   Yes ;  positively. 

Q.  It  was  not  somebod}T  told  you  that  that  was  Pearson  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  know  the  man. 

Q.  Did  you  notice  how  he  was  dressed  that  day  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir — not  particularly.  I  noticed  he  had  a  blouse  on,  with  brass 
buttons  on,  buttoned  up.  I  suppose  I  was  as  close  to  him  as  I  am  to  you 
when  he  gave  the  command  to  clear  the  track.  He  said  he  had  orders  to 
clear  the  track.  As  soon  as  I  seen  they  were  going  to  clear  the  track,  I 
got  off  the  track  and  walked  around. 

Q.  Did  he  have  a  sword  on  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  could  see. 

Q.  Did  you  notice  whether  any  of  the  other  officers  had  swords  on  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not  notice  particularly. 

Q.  How  would  you  distinguish  an  officer? 

A.  Well,  I  would  distinguish  him  by  his  clothes,  of  course. 

Q.  If  there  were  a  number  of  men  there,  how  did  you  distinguish  it  was 
General  Pearson  gave  the  command  ? 

A.  I  could  not  help  to  distinguish  him,  because  I  knew  him  personally — 
knew  him  to  be  what  they  call  a  general.     He  had  a  blouse  on. 

Q.  Did  he  order  them  to  load,  or  anything  preliminary — he  just  said 
fire? 

A.  Just  gave  the  command  to  fire? 

Q.  Did  he  give  that  directly  to  the  men  themselves  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say  whether  it  was  direct  to  the  men,  because  immedi- 
ately after  he  gave  the  command  to  fire,  they  commenced  to  fire — whether 
it  was  passed  down  the  line  or  not,  I  could  not  say. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  the  soldiers  struck  with  stones  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  How  many  stones  were  there  thrown  ? 

A.  Oh,  a  good  many. 

Q.  Quite  a  volley  ? 


554  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Quite  a  volley  of  stones  thrown.  They  seemed  to  all  come  from  one 
place,  though.  On  the  hillside,  where  I  was  standing,  there  was  not  a  stone 
thrown. 

Q.  Any  stones  thrown  from  below  where  you  were  standing  ? 

A.  From  towards  the  hospital,  there  was.  That  seemed  to  be  the  only 
place  there  was  any  stones  coming  from. 

Q.  What  became  of  General  Pearson  after  he  gave  this  order  ? 

A.  I  didn't  wait  to  see  what  became  of  him.  I  seen  him  start  towards 
the  round-house.  Then  I  started  myself,  and  ran  up  the  hill  some  three 
hundred  or  four  hundred  yards,  and  then  I  stopped. 

Q.  From  what  point  did  the  stones  appear  to  come? 

A.  From  the  direction  of  the  hospital. 

Q.  In  front  of  you  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  from  the  rear. 

Q.  Could  you  see  who  threw  the  stones  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Did  General  Pearson  have  anything  about  him,  or  his  uniform,  that 
would  indicate  his  rank  ? 

A.  He  had  a  blouse  on  with  brass  buttons.  I  think  he  had  epaulets  on 
his  shoulders,  I  could  not  say  positively.  I  knew  the  man,  knew  him  to 
be  a  general. 

Q.  What  kind  of  a  hat  did  he  wear  ? 

A.  He  wore  a  slouch  hat — a  soft  hat. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  other  officers  there  that  wore  hats  ? 

A.  No,  I  couldn't  say  that  I  did.  I  didn't  take  notice  of  the  officers 
particularly.     In  fact  I  did  not  take  notice  of  any  of  them. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  troops  after  they  came  out  of  the  round-house  on 
Sunday  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  didn't. 

Q.  Were  you  there  during  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  left  there  as  soon  as  they  went  into  the  round-house  ;  then 
I  left  and  went  home ;  didn't  go  there  until  the  next  morning.  I  went 
over  on  the  hill  and  stayed  a  while,  then  I  went  home  again. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  them  talk  in  the  crowd  about  resisting  the  soldiers  1 

A.  No,  sir;  heard  nothing  said.  The  crowd  seemed  to  be  very  orderly 
up  to  the  time  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  came.  I  was  among  the  crowd  until 
past  one  o'clock  or  two  o'clock,  and  the  Fourteenth  regiment  had  charge 
of  the  track,  and  the  shifting  engine  was  going  backwards  and  forwards. 
Of  course,  there  was  a  big  crowd  there ;  but  they  didn't  interfere  in  any 
way  that  I  saw. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  the  crowd  say  what  they  would  do  when  the  Philadel- 
phia soldiers  came  in  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  didn't  hear  them  say  anything. 

Q.  They  were  looking  for  them,  were  they  not  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of;  didn't  hear  them  say  so. 

Q.  Was  it  possible  for  you  to  be  mistaken  in  the  man  that  gave  the  com- 
mand k'  fire  ?"     Might  it  not  have  been  somebody  else  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  so.  I  knew  the  general,  and  was  close  enough  to  hear 
distinctly. 

Q.  You  knew  the  command  really  came  from  him  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  General  Pearson  facing  towards  Liberty  street,  or  up  the  hill  ? 

A.  He  was  facing  kind  of  towards  Twenty-eighth  street.     Twenty-eighth 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187*7.  555 

crosses  Liberty.  That  is  where  the  most  excitement  was.  The  soldiers 
were  trjung  to  force  them  off  the  track.  The  crowd  had  gathered  up  the 
track,  and  they  were  trying  to  force  them  down.  I  suppose  the  men  in 
front  would  have  got  out  of  that  if  they  could,  because  I  don't  think  any 
man  would  stand  up  to  a  bayonet. 

Q.  Facing  towards  Twenty-eighth  and  Liberty  streets? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  the  firing  commence  from  that  direction  ? 

A.  No  ;  not  just  exactby.  They  fired  into  the  car  where  they  threw  the 
stones  first.  When  they  started,  the  men  that  were  standing  on  Twenty- 
eighth  started  to  run. 

Q.  The  crowd  ? 

A.  Then  the  soldiers  brought  their  guns  up  and  fired  on  them  as  they 
ran  down  Twenty-eighth  street.  Then  the  soldiers  that  was  fronting  the 
hill  fired  into  the  parties  on  the  hill. 

Q.  Then  the  firing  commenced  on  the  line  that  were  on  Twenty-eighth 
street — lying  parallel  with  Twentj'-eighth  street — facing  up  the  track  ? 

A.  Yes;  facing  up  the  track. 

Q.  How  long  after  that  fire  did  the  troops  commence  firing  that  were 
standing  to  their  right,  facing  up  the  hill  ? 

A.  I  suppose  it  was  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  seconds. 

Q.  Did  those  that  were  facing  down  towards  Liberty  street  fire  at  that 
time  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  they  did  not. 

Q.  Did  they  fire  at  any  time  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  seen. 

William  J.  McKay,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  Give  your  full  name. 

A.  William  J.  McKay. 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  Thirtieth  and  Penn  street. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Woi'k  in  the  Western  air  brake  shop,  on  Twenty-fifth  street. 

Q.  Were  you  present  during  Saturday,  the  21st  July,  at  Twentj'-eighth 
street  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Be  kind  enough  to  state  what  came  under  your  observation. 

A.  I  was  up  there  when  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  came.  One  of  them 
got  sun  struck,  and  they  had  to  carry  him  down  to  the  office,  Twenty-sixth 
street.     That  is  all  I  have  got  to  say. 

Q.  That  is  all  you  know  about  what  occurred  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  telegraph  office  there  ? 

A.  I  was  in  the  superintendent's  office. 

Q.  You  know  nothing  of  what  occurred  at  the  time  the  soldiers  fired  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  didn't  hear  them  fire  at  all. 

Q.  Did  any  of  the  officers  come  to  the  telegraph  office  while  you  were 
there  ? 

A.  One  soldier,  and  some  other  men  came  down,  I  don't  know  who  they 
were. 

Q.  Was  he  an  officer  ? 

A.  I  took  him  to  be  an  officer. 

Q.  Did  you  know  the  man  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 


556  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29 , 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  What  do  you  do  at  the  Westarn  air  brake  ? 

A.  Chip  brass  castings. 

Q.   Where  did  you  carry  this  man  that  was  sick  ? 

A.  Carried  him  into  the  office — the  left  second  door. 

Q.  What  office  ? 

A.  The  office  under  the  superintendent's  office ;  I  don't  know  whose  office 
it  was. 

Q.  Was  it  a  telegraph  office  ? 

A.  I  didn't  take  notice. 

Q.  Were  }rou  in  the  telegraph  office  at  any  time  after  you  carried  this 
man  down? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  was  never  in  the  office  before  in  my  life. 

Q.  It  was  not  a  telegraph  office  you  carried  this  man  to? 

A.  I  didn't  notice  what  office  it  was. 

Q.  It  was  the  superintendent's  office,  you  say  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  the  superintendent's  office  is  up  stairs. 

Q.  Whom  did  you  see  there  in  this  office,  where  you  carried  this  sol- 
dier ? 

A.  There  was  no  person  there. 

Q.  No  one  there  at  all  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 
;    Q.  Did  you  know  where  the  telegraph  was  of  the  railroad  company  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  is  it  ? 

A.  Twenty-sixth  street — it  was,  before  it  was  burned  down,  I  don't  know 
where  it  is  now. 

Q.  Isn't  there  a  telegraph  office  at  the  superintendent's  office  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  anything  about  that.  I  passed  the  office  often,  but  I 
was  never  in  it. 

Q.  What  was  this  office  used  for  that  you  carried  the  man  to  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  what  it  was  for. 
By  Senator  lleyburn : 

Q.  Were  there  any  officers  of  the  militia  there  when  you  went  there  with 
this  man,  except  the  one  that  helped  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  there  was  no  other  person  in  the  room  at  all. 

Q.  Bid  you  stay  there  with  those  men,  or  put  him  down  ? 

A.  We  laid  him  down  on  two  chairs,  and  there  was  a  man  came  in  and 
told  us  there  was  shooting  up  there,  and  I  went  up  and  left  him  there.  The 
other  two  stayed  there. 

Q.  Said  they  were  shooting  up  there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Is  that  all  he  said  about  it  ? 

A.  That  is  all. 

Q.  Did  he  say  anything  about  an  order  having  been  given  to  fire  on  the 
crowd  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  he  just  wheeled  round  and  started  back  out  again. 

Q.  Did  you  know  this  man  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  say  there  was  no  one  in  this  office  at  all,  when  3rou  carried  this 
soldier  there  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  there  was  no  person  in  when  we  went  in. 
By  Senator  Keyburn  : 

Q.  Did  you  see  General  Pearson  about  there? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  557 

A.  I  don't  know  the  man.     Never  saw  him. 

Q.  Pid  you  see  whether  there  was  any  other  offices  right  there,  close  by 
this — that  is,  where  you  carried  this  soldier  ? 

A.  How  do  you  mean  ? 

Q.  In  the  same  building? 

A.  I  didn't  see  any. 

Q.  The  rooms  close  by  these  are  used  as  offices  ? 

A.  Yes;  there  several  rooms  in  this  office.     There  may  have  been  a 
thousand  in  there,  but  I  didn't  see  them. 

Q.  On  which  side  of  the  track,  going  down  towards  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  It  is  on  the  right,  coming  down  this  way. 

Q.  Was  it  between  the  two  tracks,  between  the  Allegheny  Vallej'  and 
the  Pennsylvania  Central  track  ? 

A.  Yes;  it  is  right  along  side  of  the  Allegheny  track.  • 

Q.  Did  you  carry  this  man  down  the  Allegheny  track,  or  the  Pennsyl- 
vania track  ? 

A.  Down  the  Pennsylvania. 

Q.  And  then  turned  to  the  right  ? 

A.  Yes ;  where  the  engines  come  out  of  the  round-house — carried  him 
down  across  there,  and  went  into  the  office. 

Q.  Is  that  the  only  building  standing  between  these  two  tracks — the 
Allegheny  Valley  track  and  the  Pennsylvania  Central,  in  that  vicinity  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  there  is  two  or  three  dozen  buildings. 

Q.  What  were  they  ? 

A.  There  is  a  square  shop,  and  the  round-houses,  and  this  shop,  and 
then  there  is  small  buildings.     I  don't  know  what  they  are  used  for. 

Q.  There  are  offices  in  some  of  those  buildings,  are  there  not — machine 
shops  for  instance  ? 

A.  There  is  an  office  between  the  two  round-houses — Shafer's  office.  That 
is  the  only  one  I  know  there. 

Q.  You  are  positive  it  was  not  the  superintendent's  office  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  the  superintendent's  office  is  up  stairs. 

Q.  How  many  rooms  were  there  down  stairs  ? 

A.  1  don't  know  how  many ;  I  was  never  in  only  this  one. 

Q.  Were  you  there  on  Thursday  or  Friday  previous  to  this  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  was  up  there. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  the  causes  leading  to  this  riot? 

A.  No,  sir;  only  the  double-headers.     That  is  all  I  know. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  talk  of  resisting  the  troops  if  they  attempted  to 
clear  the  track  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  stones  or  anything  thrown  at  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  was  not  there  when  they  came  up.     This  man  fainted,  and 
I  helped  to  carry  him  down. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  notice  whether  there  were  any  doors  leading  out  of  this  of- 
fice to  any  other  rooms,  or  from  the  hall  you  went  into  to  other  rooms  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  as  you  go  into  the  door  there  is  a  door  leads  to  the  left, 
past  the  stairs.     There  is  one  under  the  stairs. 

Q.  Did  you  go  in  the  first  door? 

A.  No,  sir ;  the  second. 
Q.  To  the  left  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  the  first  door  open  on  the  left  as  you  went  in  the  hall  ? 

A.  I  didn't  notice ;  I  know  there  is  a  door  there,  because  I  took  notice 


558  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

to  it  as  we  went  in — we  went  on  to  a  second  door.  The  other  fellow  help- 
ing to  carry  him  seemed  to  know  where  to  take  him  to,  and  I  went  along. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anybody  in  the  room — the  first  room — the  front  room — 
to  which  this  door  led  to,  through  the  windows  or  door  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  could  see  no  person. 

D.  L.  Reynolds,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Reyburn: 

Q.  What  is  your  full  name  ? 

A.  D.  Leach  Reynolds. 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  At  the  time  of  this  trouble  I  resided  in  the  Twelfth  ward,  on  Thir- 
tieth street. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  was  conductor  on  the  road  at  that  time. 

Q.   Do  you  know  anything  of  the  causes  leading  to  this  strike  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  the  more  important  cause  of  it  was  the  abuse  of  the  men 
by  the  petted  officials,  such  as  despatches,  and  so  forth,  and  the  double- 
headers. 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  the  petted  parties  ? 

A.  It  is  just  this  way :  They  have  a  set  of  men  that  are  posted,  not  only 
in  Pittsburgh,  but  at  the  principal  stations,  whose  duty  it  is  to  give  the 
conductors  orders,  what  they  shall  do  with  the  cars,  what  cars  they  shall 
set  off  and  take  on,  and  they  can  either  give  a  man  a  nice  train  or  a  train 
where  there  is  no  work  to  do,  or  they  can  give  all  the  work  to  one  man — 
one  man  they  give  all  the  work  to  do,  and  one  man  they  let  go  behind  with 
nothing  to  do.  It  caused  a  great  deal  of  dissatisfaction,  and  a  great  deal 
of  growling.  As  sure  as  a  man  did  anj'  growling,  that  man  would  be  dis- 
charged the  next  trip. 

Q.  Are  you  employed  by  the  railroad  now  ? 

A.   No,  sir;  I  left  the  road  on  the  ltfth  August. 

Q.  Were  you  present  on  Saturday,  the  time  the  troops  came  in  collision 
with  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  State  what  you  saw  ? 

A.  I  went  up  there  about  half-past  one  or  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  saw  the  crowd  that  was  standing  on  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  didn't 
like  the  looks  of  it.  There  was  some  rather  rough  characters  there.  I  do 
not  know  who  they  were,  and  where  they  belonged.  I  then  took  up  a  po- 
sition in  the  hospital  grounds,  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  track, 
one  side  of  a  tree  that  stands  by  the  fence,  so  that  I  could  fully  see  and 
observe  all  that  was  going  on.  The  report  was  that  they  were  going  to 
send  a  train  out,  with  lots  of  militia,  and  General  Pearson  on  the  cow- 
catcher. I  was  waiting  to  see  if  the  train  succeeded  in  getting  through 
the  crowd.  The  Philadelphia  iroops,  as  I  was  going  up  Twenty-eighth 
street,  came  in.  I  believe  the  second  section  was  coming  in  at  the  time  I 
was  going  up.  I  remained  up  there,  1  presume,  all  of  two  hours  before 
the  Philadelphia  troops  came  up  the  track.  I  was  looking  in  so  many 
different  directions  that  I  could  not  tell  you  whether  General  Pearson  and 
Pitcairn,  and  the  sheriff,  was  in  front  of  the  soldiers  or  not.  I  saw  the  en- 
tire body  of  them  as  they  came  up.  I  do  not  remember  of  any  persons  or 
citizens  of  the  Commonwealth  in  front  of  the  militia  when  they  came  up 
and  formed  their  hollow  square.  Then  I  saw  .Mr.  Pitcairn  plainly,  and, 
:dso.  General  Pearson.  Sheriff  Fife  I  did  not  see.  At  thetimethey  formed 
their  hollow  square,  they  threw  out  a  platoon,  as  has   been  described,  but 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  559 

across  the  front  end  of  the  square.  That  platoon  undertook  to  chase  the 
crowd  back  off  the  railroad  tracks,  off  Twenty-eighth  street.  They  refused 
to  go  back,  and,  of  course,  that  is  where  the  riots  began.  The  soldiers 
tried  to  drive  them  back  by  shoving  them  back  with  their  breasts.  The}' 
refused  to  be  pushed  back.  Then  they  undertook  to  charge  them  back 
with  their  bayonets.  After  that  they  fell  back  a  step  or  two,  and  I  heard 
the  order  to  fire,  and  they  did  fire  with  good  effect.  About  that  time  I 
took  up  over  the  hill,  and  came  down  the  other  waj^  a  few  minutes  after 
the  fire.  I  presume  I  was  about  fifty  feet  from  the  front  end  of  the  soldiers. 
They  were  then  moving  around  somewhat,  and  I  asked  one  of  the  railroad 
bo}'s  if  he  had  seen  any  of  our  boj^s  fall.  He  said  there  was  three  or  four. 
I  asked  him  if  any  of  the  soldiers  were  killed.  About  that  time  there  was 
a  gun  went  of — I  think  it  went  off  in  the  air — and  just  then  I  seen  one  of 
the  conductors  coming  down  with  his  arm  resting  on  his  coat.  He  had 
taken  his  coat  off,  and  I  went  over  to  and  asked  him  how  bad  he  was  hurt. 
He  said  his  arm  was  weak,  so  that  he  could  not  hold  it  up.  I  assisted  him 
down  to  Penn  street,  and  put  him  in  a  grocer's  wagon,  and  took  him  to 
Doctor  Clark's,  and  went  to  my  own  house  and  told  my  wife  I  was  not 
hurt.  I  didn't  find  her  there,  I  found  her  on  Penn  street.  I  put  her  in  a 
baker  shop,  and  then  went  off  to  look  for  some  more  friends.  About  this 
time  they  threw  the  platoon  of  soldiers  across  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  1 
supposed  they  were  going  to  fire,  and  I  got  into  a  hotel  where  I  heard 
there  was  some  wounded,  to  hear  who  they  were.  There  had  been  some 
there,  but  they  had  been  removed.  I  afterwards  saw  them  bringing  down 
an  old  gentleman,  Mr.  Stockel.  I  went  home  that  evening,  got  my  supper 
and  remained  at  home  until,  I  presume,  it  was  three  o'clock.  Then  I  took 
my  wife  and  started  down  to  see.  At  Twenty-eighth  street  the  crowd  had 
got  so  dense  that  I  went  into  a  drug  store,  and  while  I  was  in  there,  a 
whole  party  went  by,  with  a  drum  beating  in  front  of  them.  They  were 
whooping  and  hollering.  I  don't  remember  that  there  was  any  firearms 
in  the  party,  but  I  know  they  had  a  big  drum,  and  were  pounding  on  that. 
As  soon  as  they  got  by,  I  says,  I  will  take  my  wife  home.  I  took  her 
home,  and  after  I  got  there,  the  neighbors  and  her  together  persuaded  me 
to  remain  there,  and  the  consequence  was  I  didn't  go  away  from  my  own 
door  stoop  that  evening.  I  went  to  bed,  I  presume  it  was  about  half  past 
nine  o'clock,  and  on  Sunday  morning,  I  presume  about  two  or  three 
o'clock,  she  tried  to  awaken  me  to  tell  me  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  prop- 
erty was  on  fire,  but  she  could  not  get  me  awake,  and  later  in  the  morning, 
when  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  were  going  up  Penn  street,  they  formed  a 
platoon  in  front  of  my  house.  I  started  out  to  hear  Avhere  they  had  gone 
to,  and  found  out  that  they  were  gone  up  the  street. 

Q.  Did  }rou  see  am'body  fire  on  them  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  didn't. 

Q.  Was  there  any  talk  of  resisting  these  soldiers  in  clearing  the  track, 
and  preventing  them  from  running  trains  ? 

A.  You  might  hear  men  talking  of  a  great  many  things,  but  nobody 
could  imagine  what  they  were  going  to  do.  Nobody  had  any  firearms  to 
resist  anything  with.  They  were  asking  the  question,  that  there  were  one 
thousand  five  hundred  Philadelphia  soldiers  coming,  and  what  are  you 
going  to  do  with  them  ? 

Q.  The  crowd  resisted  the  soldiers,  did  they,  when  they  attempted  to 
clear  the  track  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  The  soldiers  did  not  use  any  more  force  than  was  necessary,  at  fir>»t  ? 


560  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  No,  sir;  they  did  not  use  any  force  at  all,  but  simply  pushed  ahead 
with  their  breasts. 

Q.  Tried  to  push  the  crowd  back  quietly  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  stones  thrown  ? 

A.  I  saw  one  that  I  took  to  be  a  clod  of  earth,  about  the  size  of  my 
hand,  thrown  from  the  west  side  of  the  watch-box  from  the  side  of  the  hill, 
down  into  the  soldiers.     That  was  the  only  stone  I  saw  thrown  that  day. 

Q.  You  were  not  near  enough  to  tell  who  ordered  the  fii'ing  ? 

A.  I  could  hear  a  great  many  words.  I  could  not  hear  sentences,  but 
I  heard  the  word,  "  fire,"  distinctly.  I  could  not  hear  any  conversation 
unless  it  was  in  a  loud  tone  of  voice,  but  I  heard,  "  fire,"  as  distinctly  as 
37ou  speak. 

Q.  Did  the  soldiers  fire  in  a  volley  ? 

A.  No;  more  like  one  soldier  got  scared  and  he  fires  off  his  gun,  and 
the  balance  follow  suit. 

Q.  What  was  the  objection  to  running  double-headers  ? 

A.  It  puts  two  men's  work  on  one  man  for  one  man's  pay.  We  had  been 
reduced  so  often  that  we  thought  they  had  got  about  as  low  as  we  could 
live. 

Q.  How  much  did  you  average  ? 

A.  If  I  averaged  full  time,  it  was  $70  20  per  month  before  the  reduc- 
tion. After  that  I  got  $2  45  a  day,  and  never  got  a  full  month.  If  you 
want  to  know  all  about  their  wages,  I  can  tell  you  from  the  first  reduction. 
When  I  went  on  the  road  they  were  paying  conductors  $2  60  a  day. 

Q.  When  was  that  ? 

A.  The  21st  February,  1872,  I  think.  They  were  paying  conductors 
then  $2  60  a  day,  and  there  was  an  order  came  out — or  rather  the  men 
wanted  more  wages,  and  the  committee  went  to  Philadelphia,  and  it  was 
arranged  that  conductors,  who  had  been  running  trains  prior  to  March  1, 
would  get  $2  85.  New  conductors  were  only  to  get  $2  45.  When  I  went 
on  the  road  first  I  acted  in  the  capacity  of  brakeman  for  about  eight  weeks, 
and  on  the  24th  day  of  April  I  took  out  my  first  train,  and  I  received  $2  45 
for  that.  I  ran  from  the  21st  day  of  April  till  the  16th  of  June  as  extra 
conductor,  part  of  the  time  running  trains  and  part  of  the  time  not.  After 
the  16th  day  of  June  I  got  a  regular  train,  and  I  ran  that  for  a  whole  year 
for  $2  45,  and  from  the  16th  day  of  June  till  the  1st  day  of  next  January 
I  received  $2  70,  which  I  was  led  to  suppose  was  a  raise  of  ten  per  cent. 
On  the  1st  day  of  January  an  order  came  out  that  we  should  be  reduced, 
and  that  cut  me  down  to  $2  40.  I  could  not  understand  how  a  reduction 
of  ten  per  cent,  would  take  off  more  than  an  increase  of  ten  per  cent.,  and 
I  had  an  interview  with  Mr.  Pitcairn  and  the  only  satisfaction  I  got,  that 
the  company  was  loosing  money.  The  16th  day  of  June  my  wages  went 
up  to  $2  70,  and  that  was  the  wages  I  received  up  until  the  day  of  the 
last  reduction,  when  they  cut  me  down  to  $2  45. 

Q.  You  had  been  getting  $2  70,  and  they  cut  you  down  to  $2  10,  then 
you  went  to  talk  to  Mr.  Pitcairn,  and  he  told  you  that  the  business  was 
bad,  and  tney  had  to  make  this  reduction? 

A.  I  did  not  make  any  complaint.  They  reduced  by  tens  instead  of  by 
fives. 

Q.  What  reason  did  he  give? 

A.  He  could  not  give  me  any  reason,  he  said  it  was  done  on  higher  au- 
thority. 

Q.  I  understood  you  to  say,  he  said  something  about  business  was  poor  ? 

A.  He  said  that  the  company  was  losing  money.     He  took  into  consid- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  561 

eration  the  different  conductors,  and  the}*  had  different  pay,  and  the  con- 
clusion was  that  they  were  losing  money. 

Q.  Then  they  reduced  you  ? 

A.  They  reduced  me  to  $2  40  at  that  time.  They  ran  the  first  year  for 
$2  20,  and  the  second  year  for  $2  45,  and  the  third  year  for  $2  70 — so  the 
order  was  in  the  start  out.  I  never  happened  to  come  in  under  the  $2  20 
list,  they  raised  me  to  $2  70,  then  they  cut  me  down  to  $2  40,  and  I  had 
to  work  from  June  to  January,  at  $2  40,  and  then  went  up  again  to  $2  70, 
on  account  of  the  year  having  expired. 

Q.  What  was  the  pay  of  the  brakesman? 

A.  Brakesmen  originally  received  $2  00  a  day,  then  afterwards  they 
were  cut  down  to  $1  80,  and  the  last  reduction  brought  them  down  to 
$1  65. 

Q.  Did  you  know  what  wages  they  were  making  on  an  average  ? 

A.  They,  as  a  general  thing,  made  pretty  near  only  about  $26  per  month 
Some  months  a  man  can  make  almost  double  time,  other  months  he  could 
not  make  so  much. 

Q.  Did  that  depend  upon  his  being  attentive  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  it  depended  entirely  on  his  business.  A  new  man  was 
treated  the  same  as  an  old  man,  so  far  as  going  out  was  concerned,  unless 
he  was  an  extra  brakeman.  If  he  was  regular,  on  a  regular  run,  he  went 
on  that  train  every  time. 

Q.  Of  course,  if  he  was  not  there  to  go  out,  some  one  took  his  place  ? 

A.  It  he  was  not  there  to  go  out,  they  always  supplied  a  man  in  his 
place — the  crew  was  slim,  I  think,  as  it  was. 

Q.  The  man  that  was  there  always  got  his  work  ? 

A.  I  never  lost  a  day  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  by  being  absent,  un- 
less it  was  voluntarily  or  freight  was  scarce.  Sometimes  freight  was  scarce 
for  a  month,  and  they  would  have  to  cut  one  train  off  one  day,  and  once 
they  sent  me  home  in  July,  for  a  week.  It  was  on  account  of  trade  being 
very  dull. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  You  are  not  in  the  employ  of  the  road  now  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  When  did  you  leave  it  ? 

A.  On  the  16th  day  of  August. 

Q.  Was  there  more  of  the  hands  left  at  that  time  ? 

A.  The  road  was  principally  operated  after  the  strike  was  over,  by  the 
same  that  had  been  on  the  line  before  the  strike,  and  I  was  among  the 
number,  and  about  the  time  I  stopped  off,  things  began  to  assume  the  old 
fashioned  shape — one  day  they  would  want  me  and  the  next  day  they  would 
not,  and  1  went  to  Mr.  Pitcairn  and  asked  him  for  an  order  for  my  money, 
and  he  said  it  was  not  necessary  to  give  an  order  to  get  me  the  money. 

Q.  Quit  of  your  own  accord  ? 

A.  I  suppose  I  would  have  been  discharged  if  I  had  stuck  to  it. 

William  M.  McKay,  was  recalled  and  explained  to  the  committee  the 
situation  of  the  room  where  the  soldier  who  was  sun  struck  was  tcken  into. 

Colonel  Smith,  re-called : 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.   You  heard  the  last  witness  describe  the  building,  and  the  manner  in 
which  he  entered  that  building,  and  the  way  that  he  entered — where  he  says 
he  left  the  soldier  was  at  the  telegraph  office  1 

A.  It  was  not  a  telegraph  office.     [Witness  explains  the  situation  of 
36  Riots. 


562  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

the  rooms  in  the  building  on  a  plot.]  This  is  the  telegraph  office,  and  this 
is  the  train  master.  I  presume  by  the  description  that  was  where  the  sol- 
dier was  taken.  This  is  the  passage  connecting  the  main  enterance  of  the 
building  with  the  telegraph  office.  This  is  the  first  floor — the  first  floor 
above  the  basement — there  is  a  basement  under  the  telegraph  office,  and 
the  superintendent's  private  office  is  immediately  over  this,  on  the  second 
floor.  The  outer  office  of  the  superintendent  is  there  on  the  second  floor, 
and  the  clerks  here.  Three  on  the  first  and  three  on  the  second,  and  this 
is  the  trainmen's  room,  this  is  a  sort  of  counter  here  with  windows  where 
trainmen  come  up  to  get  their  orders. 

Q.  Was  there  a  telegraph  office  adjourning  this  room  where  Mr.  McKay 
carried  the  soldier? 

A.  The  room  is  connected.     There  is  a  door  just  here. 

Adjourned  until  this  afternoon,  at  three  o'clock. 


AFTERNOON  SESSION. 

Pittsburgh,  Tuesday,  February  26,  1878. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment. 

All  members  present  except  Messrs.  Lindsey  and  Larrabee. 

P.  J.  Young,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Reyburn : 

Q.  Where  is  your  residence  ? 

A.  No.  61  Fountain  street. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation,  sir  ? 

A.  Police  officer. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  force  at  the  time  of  the  riots,  in  July  ? 

A.  I  was  one  of  the  men  that  was  dropped  at  the  time  of  the  reduction — 
suspended. 

Q.  Were  you  on  duty  on  Thursday  and  Thursday  night,  at  the  railroad  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Be  kind  enough  to  state  what  occurred  there  ? 

A.  Well,  on  Thursday,  about  noon,  I  think,  Mayor  McCarthy  called — 
came  to  my  place  where  I  lived,  and  told  me  to  hurry  down  to  the  nia}Tor's 
office,  T  was  wanted.  I  went  down,  and  met  Chief  Dimick,and  he  told  me 
I  was  wanted  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  there  was  a  strike.  I  asked 
him  if  I  was  to  act  as  a  police  officer,  and  he  says,  Yes,  I  was  only  sus- 
pended. I  went  out  and  met  Mr.  Butler  at  the  Union  depot.  I  believe  he 
is  the  depot  master  there,  and  I  told  him  I  was  sent  out  there  by  the  may- 
or's orders.  He  sent  out  a  car  with  me  and  two  more  officers  to  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  where  we  joined  more  police  out  there.  When  I  arrived  there, 
there  was  a  large  crowd  of  people  congregated  upon  Twenty-eighth  street, 
along  the  railroad,  and  remained  there  until  two  or  three  o'clock.  I  don't 
know  exactly  what  time. 

Q.  In  the  afternoon  ? 

A.  Yes.  Then  me  and  four  officers  were  detailed  to  go  on  board  of  a 
double-header.  There  was  a  train  going  out.  I  went  on  the  first  engine, 
with  another  officer,  as  I  understood  for  a  protection  for  the  engineer,  as  far 
as  East  Liberty.  The  train  started,  and  moved  on  a  little  piece  up  the 
track,  and  a  crowd  of,  I  couldn't  say  how  many,  came  in  front  and  mo- 
tioned their  hands  at  the  engineer.     I  said  to  the  engineer,  go  ahead.      He 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18? 7.  563 

made  some  remark,  and  he  jumped  off  the  engine.  I  remained  there  on  the  en- 
gine, and  finally  the  fireman  jumped  off.  I  stood  there  for  some  time,  think- 
ing they  might  come  back  again.  They  didn't,  and  I  got  off,  and  was  asked 
by,  I  think,  Mr.  Fox — he  is  police  officer  of  the  company — if  I  wouldn't 
go  on  the  engine  again.  I  said  yes.  I  went  on  the  engine  and  remained 
there.  No  engineer  came  aboard,  and  finally  I  left.  At  the  same  time, 
the  other  police  that  were  out  there — I  don't  know  how  many — were  strung 
all  along  the  track,  keeping  the  crowd  off.  I  suppose  in  the  neighborhood 
of  six  o'clock  I  came  into  supper  here,  together  with  more  of  the  officers, 
to  the  Continental,  on  Fifth  avenue,  at  Mr.  Newell's  ;  we  had  supper  there. 
After  supper  we  all  went  out.  A  good  man}T  went  out  along  with  me  to 
the  Union  depot,  and  we  expected  to  get  a  train  to  go  out  as  far  as  Twenty- 
eighth  street.  We  stayed  along  there,  and  no  engine  came  down  to  the  de- 
pot that  night.  Me  and  two  or  three  more  officei-s  walked  out  Liberty 
street  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  There  was  a  large  crowd  of  people  along 
there  when  we  got  out.  I  moved  around  through  them.  We  patrolled 
Liberty  and  along  Penn  and  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  everything  was  very 
quiet.  I  left,  I  suppose,  in  the  neighborhood  of  four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
About  that  time.     That  is  all  I  know. 

Q.  Did  the  crowd  make  any  demonstrations  ?  Was  that  all  they  did, 
waving  their  hands  to  the  engineer  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  They  didn't  make  any  attempt  to  commit  any  violence  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  that  night  they  were  a  very  orderly  crowd. 

Q.  What  was  this  crowd  composed  of,  railroad  men  ? 

A.  I  suppose  there  was  some  railroad  men  there  through  them. 

Q.  How  many  was  there,  do  you  suppose,  altogether? 

A.  I  couldn't  exactly  say.  There  was  a  large  crowd  of  people.  They 
were  scattered  up  and  down  the  railroad.     It  was  dark. 

Q.  When  you  got  this  train,  could  you  not  have  run  that  train  out  ? 
Did  you  have  a  sufficient  police  force  to  guard  a  train — I  mean  on  Thurs- 
day afternoon  ? 

A.  I  wouldn't  be  afraid,  if  I  was  an  engineer,  to  run  away.    I  don't  know 
what  might  have  happened. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  you  have  a  police  uniform  on  ? 

A.  I  had  a  summer  uniform — police  blouse  ? 

Q.  A  regular  police  blouse  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  So  that  you  would  be  known  as  a  police  officer  ? 

A.  I  had  no  buttons  on  it.  I  had  mj^  shield  on  the  inside  of  my  coat. 
I  wore  citizen's  clothes  all  the  time  I  was  detailed  as  a  reserve  man. 

Q.  A  stranger  would  not  have  known  you  were  a  police  officer? 

A.  There  were  a  great  many  that  did  know  me. 

Q.  A  stranger  would  not  have  recognized  you  as  being  a  police  officer  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  didn't  wear  a  shield. 

Q.  Did  you  know  that  engineer  that  jumped  off  the  train  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  know  the  fireman  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  How  many  police,  officers  were  there  at  any  one  time  ? 

A.  I  couldn't,  in  fact,  say  how  many.  There  was  a  squad  went  out  in 
the  morning — some  more  men  that  was  suspended  at  that  time.  I  don't 
know  how  many  went  out. 

Q.  Ten  or  fifteen  or  twenty? 


564  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  expect  there  was  over  fifteen  men. 

Q.  Was  there  twent}'  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  say,  sir. 
By  Mr.  Reyburn  ; 

Q.  Did  you  keep  the  track  clear  ? 

A.  The  track  was  clear  at  that  time.  Afterwards,  of  course,  we  were 
not  keeping  it  clear.     There  was  a  large  crowd  that  stood  away  back. 

Q.  On  Friday,  what  did  you  do  ? 

A.  I  didn't  go  out  there  on  Friday. 

Q.  Why? 

A.  I  think  I  came  down  to  the  mayor's  office  Friday,  and  I  got  some 
sleep  that  forenoon,  Friday,  and  I  heard  that  the  sheriff  and  his  posse  had 
gone  out  and  our  services  were  not  required. 

Q.  Who  told  you  that  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  say.  I  don't  know  whether  it  came  from  the  chief's  clerk 
or  not — Mr.  Davis. 

Q.  You  heard  it  at  the  office  ? 

A.  I  heard  it,  I  think,  at  the  office.  I  won't  swear  to  it,  but  I  think  I 
heard  it  at  the  office.     However,  I  didn't  go  out. 

M.  Mulvaney,  sworn : 

By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  is  your  full  name  ? 

A.  Michael  Mulvaney. 

Q.  Where  do  37ou  reside? 

A.  In  Eighth  ward,  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Policeman. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  police  force  in  July,  at  the  time  of  the  disturbance  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  days  were  you  on  ? 

A.  On  Thursday,  the  mayor's  clerk  told  me  to  go  to  the  Union  depot 
there,  and  report  to  Mr.  Butler.  Mr.  Butler  told  me  to  go  to  work  at  the 
round-house,  and  two  or  three  more  of  us  went  down  and  we  remained 
there.  We  went  to  the  round-house,  and  we  met  some  more  of  the  police 
and  stayed  there  for  a  long  time.  There  was  a  big  crowd  around  there. 
A  lot  of  the  police  jumped  on  the  train  to  help  take  it  out — a  double- 
header.  Eight  or  nine  of  the  police  jumped  on  the  train,  and  I  saw  the 
engineer  and  fireman  jump  off.  The  fireman  and  engineer  jumped  off. 
That  is  all  I  saw  at  that  time.     Everything  was  quiet. 

0.  Were  you  there  during  that  time? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  was  not.     I  left  at  four  or  five  o'clock. 

Q.  Clearing  the  tracks  and  keeping  the  crowd  off? 

A.  The  crowd  stood  one  side. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Were  you  one  of  the  discharged  men  ? 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Who  sent  for  you  to  appear  at  the  mayor's  office? 

A.  1  think  it  was  the  mayor's  clerk  or  the  chief  clerk.  I  could  not  say 
which  of  the  two. 

Q.  How  many  of  you  went  out  together? 

A.  Me  and  two  more  fellows  went  together  at  that  time. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.   Vou  went  up  there  to  help  to  take  out  the  train — a  double-header? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  565 

Q.  How  many  of  you  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say.  There  was  a  good  many  police  there.  I  could  not 
say  how  many. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  engine  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  was  not  on  the  engine.  I  saw  a  lot  of  them  jump  on  the 
engine. 

Q.  Policemen  ? 

A.  Policemen. 

Q.  Were  there  any  threats  made  against  the  engineer  or  fireman  ? 

A.  I  did  not  hear  any. 

Conrad  Shaffer,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  is  your  full  name  ? 

A.   Conrad  Shaffer. 

Q.   Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  318  Fifth  avenue. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Police  officer  eight  years  and  nine  months. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  police  force  last  July,  at  the  time  of  the  riots  ? 

A.  I  was  not,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  sent  for  to  appear  at  the  mayor's  office  ? 

A.  On  Thursday  morning,  when  this  occurred,  we  were  standing  down 
there  on  Smithfield  street.  We  just  had  been  paid  off,  and  I  was  standing 
there  with  George  Kaulfman,  another  police  officer,  and  Detective  O'Mara 
came  to  us  and  said  we  were  wanted  at  the  mayor's  office.  We  went  over, 
and  they  said  to  us  there  was  a  strike  some  place.  They  did  not  tell  us 
where.  There  was  ten  of  us  gathered  around  there  in  the  mayor's  office, 
and  we  were  marched  by  Smithfield  street  to  the  Union  depot.  Mr.  Fox, 
the  railroad  officer,  was  along.  We  walked  up  Smithfield  to  the  Union 
depot  and  got  into  a  car  with  the  shifter  in  front,  and  took  us  out  to 
Twenty-eighth  street.  They  stopped  there  and  we  got  out,  and  when  we 
got  there  this  man  McCall,  who  struck  Watt — I  seen  the  man  running 
backwards  and  forwards — then  somebody  got  him  by  the  back  of  the  neck, 
and  I  then  ran  up  and  put  the  nippers  on  him  and  arrested  him  and  took 
him  to  the  Twelfth  ward  station-house,  and  we  went  back  to  the  railroad 
track.  I  stayed  there  all  the  forenoon,  until  about  two  o'clock  in  the  af- 
ternoon. There  was  a  train  came  along,  and  Mr.  Fox  came  to  us  and  said 
he  wanted  men  on  the  engine.  Fox  told  me  and  Cochran  to  stay  in  the 
rear,  and  we  went  back  to  the  rear,  and  while  we  were  going  back  the  train 
moved  on,  and  men  got  in  front  and  done  this  like,  [holding  up  his  hands,] 
and  the  engineer  got  off.  The  second  engineer  got  off,  and  the  men  that 
was  firing  they  got  off,  and  we  stopped  there  then  all  the  afternoon,  and 
we  went  to  the  central  station.  We  had  our  supper  in  the  Continental,  and 
after  we  had  supper  we  were  marched  back  again  out  to  the  depot.  Walked 
up  then  to  what  they  call  the  dispatch  office,  at  the  outer  depot.  There  is 
a  little  house  that  they  call  the  dispatch  office,  and  a  telegraph  dispatch 
came  in  that  they  did  not  want  any  more  officers — thought  they  could  do 
without  the  police  out  there — so  then  we  stood  there  for  a  long  time,  and 
did  not  know  what  to  do,  and  Clerk  Davis  told  us  we  might  go  home  if 
they  did  not  want  us.  Directly  a  dispatch  came  in  that  we  could  go  out. 
We  were  put  on  a  car  and  taken  out  again,  and  we  remained  all  that  night, 
until  half  past  three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Then  there  was  no  disturb- 
ance going  on,  and  we  went  home.     I  then  stayed  at  home.     We  were  not 


566  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  2S , 

wanted  any  more — the  city  did  not  want  us,  and  the  railroad  company  did 
not  want  us. 

Q.  Did  they  tell  you  they  did  not  want  you  ? 

A.  We  were  our  bosses. 

Q.  You  say  the  railroad  company  did  not  want  you  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  any  official  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  there  at  all. 
On  Monday  evening  after  the  proclamation  was  issued  for  all  the  old  offi- 
cers to  come  back  again,  I  went  to  the  Central  station  and  offered  my  ser- 
vices, and  on  Monday  morning  the  mayor,  and  General  Negley,  and  a 
squad  of  his  men,  and  a  company  of  Mr.  McFarland's  were  marched  down 
Smithfield  street  to  this  place,  where  the  boat  was  coming  in  from  Eliza- 
beth— right  down  here  on  second  avenue — and  stopped  them,  and  the 
mayor  and  General  Negley  then  made  speeches  to  the  men,  told  them  they 
had  better  not  raise  any  violence  in  the  city  of  Pittsburg  h,  and  keep  quiet. 
We  were  taken  away  again,  and  placed  on  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  force  on 
our  regular  beat. 

Q.  After  you  tried  to  start  this  train,  and  the  men  waved  their  hands, 
and  the  train  stopped,  did  you  get  off? 

A.  I  was  not  on  the  train.     I  was  in  the  rear  of  it. 

Q.  Were  the  officers  in  possession  of  the  track  ? 

A.  There  was  officers  all  along  the  track. 

Q.  They  could  have  run  this  train.  It  was  possible  for  the  train  to  go 
out ;  that  is,  the  crowd  could  not  have  interfered. 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  went  back  to  the  depot  after  supper  ? 

A.  After  we  had  supper,  we  marched  to  the  Union  depot.  Went  into  the 
telegraph  office,  outside  the  Union  depot — there  was  a  two  story  frame 
they  called  a  dispatch  office.  A  dispatch  came  in  that  they  did  not  want 
any  officers,  and  I  asked  Clerk  Davis,  says  I,  "  Don't  they  want  any  more 
police  out  there  "  and  he  said,  "  It  seems  not.  " 

Q.  Who  is  Clerk  Davis  ? 

A.  He  was  the  chief's  clerk. 

Q.  The  mayor's  clerk  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  the  chief's  clerk, 

Q.  He  was  not  a  railroad  official  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  the  chief's  clerk. 

Q.  Dispatch  came  that  they  did  not  want  any  more  officers  ? 

A.  They  dispatched  that  a  man  was  here,  and  if  they  wanted  him,  they 
could  have  him.  There  were  two  young  men  in  there  that  were  playing 
checkers.  I  could  see  them  standing  at  the  window  and  looking  in.  They 
were  playing  checkers  at  the  time,  and  I  walked  right  up  to  Mr.  Davis, 
and  the  young  fellow  held  his  ear  right  down  to  the  instrument  when  it 
came.  They  telegraphed,  "  You  can  send  him,  if  the  man  is  willing  to  go 
out.  "     So  he  went. 

Q.  You  did  not  go  back,  you  said. 

A.  I  went  home. 
By  Mi\  Means  : 

Q.  Did  you  know  those  engineers  that  jumped  off  the  train  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  they  were  perfect  strangers  to  me. 

Q.  Did  you  know  the  man  that  waved,  to  stop  the  train? 

A  No,  sir  ;  he  was  a  tall  }'Oung  man,  light  moustache,  to  the  best  of  my 
recollection. 

Q.  Did  you  know  any  of  the  railroad  employe's  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  It  was  on  a  different  part  of  the  city.  My  way  was  out 
here  on  Fifth  avenue,  that  was  over  on  the  other  side. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  567 

By  Mr.  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  they  start  the  train  ? 

A.  They  ran  about  the  length  of  this  room. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  on  the  track  in  front,  and  waved  and  signaled 
to  stop  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say  how  many  there  were  in  front  of  the  train.     There 
was  not  any  more  on  the  track  than  there  is  in  this  room. 

Q.  Did  they  make  any  threats? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Said  nothing  to  the  engineers  ? 

A.  No,  sir.     All  the  man  done  was  this.    [Waving  his  hands.] 

Q.  Did  you  take  that  to  be  a  signal  to  stop  ? 

A.  I  supposed  so.     I  was  in  the  rear,  and  Mr.  Fox  told  me.     He  says, 
"  Schaffer,  you  go  in  the  rear,  and  get  on  the  train."     Says  I,  "All  right, 
Mr.  Fox."     Just  as  I  got  ready  to  jump  on,  the  train  stopped. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert: 

Q.  This  man  that  made  these  signals,  was  he  on  the  track  in  front  of 
the  engine  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  far  were  you  from  the  engine  ? 

A.  I  went  to  jump  on.     I  went  to  get  on,  and  I  seen  the  young  man 
doing  this.     Some  of  them  hooted  and  cheered,  and  then  she  stopped. 

Q.  You  were  not  at  the  rear  of  the  train  ? 

A.  Not  quite  ;  it  was  a  long  train.     I  do  not  know  how  many  cars  were 
on  it. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  up  there  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

George  Cochrane,  sworn : 

By  Mr.  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  is  your  full  name  ? 

A.  George  Cochrane. 

Q.  Your  residence  ? 

A.  Eighth  ward. 

Q.  Occupation? 

A.  Been  on  the  police  force  until  they  dropped  these  men. 

Q.  Are  you  on  the  force  now  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  on  duty  on  Thursday  and  Thursday  night  of  July  19th? 

A.  I  was  one  of  the  ten  men  that  was  called  in  on  Thursday. 

Q.  Be  kind  enough  to  relate  what  occurred  ? 

A.  We  mustered  up  ten  men,  started  out  to  the  Union  depot,  got  on 
a  car  there  and  went  as  far  as  Twenty-eighth  street.  Seen  a  big  crowd  out 
there.  Stopped  around  there  a  little  while,  and  this  McCall,  he  jumped 
on  a  switch  there  and  made  use  of  some  threatening  language,  and  I  be- 
lieve, struck  superintendent  Watt,  and  we  arrested  him  and  put  him  in 
the  Twelfth  wai'd  station-house.  We  fetched  him  to  central  station  at 
Diamond  alley.  We  came  in,  got  supper  and  went  out  again,  then  went  to  the 
Union  depot  and  stopped  out  there  awhile,  and  didn't  know  whether  they 
wanted  any  more  men  or  not.  We  stopped  there  awhile,  and  finally  went 
out  as  far  as  Twenty-eighth  street  again,  and  stopped  there  all  night.  In 
the  morning,  I  guess,  six  or  seven  o'clock,  I  came  in  again — Friday  morn- 
ing 1  came  in  to  the  Union  depot,  and  seen  Mr.  Fox  there,  and  he  detailed 
me  for  the  depot  then — detailed  five  of  us.     Stayed  in  around  about  the 


568  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Union  depot.  I  staj^ed  there  until  nine  o'clock  Friday  night,  and  Fox  told 
me  I  had  better  go  home  and  get  some  sleep.  I  went  home  and  came  back 
Saturday  morning,  stayed  around  there  all  day  Saturday  and  Saturday  night, 
and  I  went  up  home  to  change  my  clothes.  Sunday  morning  I  came  back 
again,  stayed  around  until  the  Union  depot  had  catched  fire,  and  word  was 
sent  from  the  mayor's  office  that  the  mayor  wanted  all  the  policemen  he 
could  get  hold  of  to  report  at  the  mayor's.  We  went  down  to  the  ma3Tor's 
office,  and  was  detailed  there,  doing  duty  around  the  city.  We  went  out 
Second  avenue  here  and  stopped  a  party  there  from  coming  in.  The  mayor 
made  a  speech  to  them.  Went  to  the  Connellsville  depot  and  arrested 
some  thirty  or  forty  there  that  had  taken  a  train  and  would  not  pay  any 
fare. 

Q.  Taken  a  train  to  go  out  ? 

A.  No  ;  they  took  charge  of  a  train  and  would  not  pay  fare. 

Q.  That  was  the  parties  that  came  from  Cumberland,  Maryland. 

A.  Yes  ;  that  was  the  same  party. 

Q.  This  double-header,  on  Thursday,  I  believe,  was  thirty-six  cars  and 
two  locomotives  ? 

A.  We  started  to  go  out  with  some  four  or  five  policemen  on  each  locomo- 
tive. Sheaffer  and  I  was  on  the  rear  part  of  the  train,  and  we  made  sev- 
eral attempts  to  go  out,  and  the  engineer  on  the  first  locomotive  he  jumped 
off,  and  the  crowd  cheered  him.  Then  he  got  back  on  to  his  locomotive, 
and  got  his  coat  out  of  the  box  and  put  it  on,  and  they  both  left  their  en- 
gine.    There  was  nobody  to  hinder  them  going  out,  that  I  could  see. 

Q.  Do  you  suppose  they  could  run  out,  and  did  you  have  sufficient  force 
to  protect  them  ? 

A.  There  was  sufficient  force  to  protect  them. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Were  any  of  those  ten  men  you  speak  of,  that  left  the  ma}Tor's  office, 
dressed  in  police  uniform? 

A.  No ;  they  had  blouses  on  them. 

Q.  Could  any  of  them  be  distinguished  from  any  other  citizens  ? 

A.  No  ;  a  stranger  would  not  have  known  them,  I  suppose.     There  was 
hundreds  of  them  out  there  knew  me.     I  don't  suppose  a  stranger  would. 
B3-  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  made  the  engineers  leave  their  engines  ? 

A.  They  told  them  to  get  off. 

Q.  They  told  them  to  get  off? 

A.  They  beckoned  for  them,  I  believe,  and  they  got  off. 

Q.  Did  you  know  the  engineer? 

A.  Never  had  any  acquaintance  with  him.     Since  that  time  I  have. 

Q.   You  did  not  know  them  at  that  time  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Didn't  tell  you  why  they  got  off? 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  any  threats  made  by  an}r  one  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Means: 

Q.  You  speak  of  these  men  making  some  threats.  The}'  struck  Mr. 
Waft? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  McCalla,  he  used  threatening  language  at  the  time  he 
struck  him. 

Q.  What  did  he  say? 

A.   He  jumped  out  there  and  says,  "  We  will  die  here." 

Q.    Die — make  a  fight  before  these  trains  would  go  out? 

A.  Yes  ;  we  had  no  trouble  out  there  after  Ave  made  that  arrest  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  569 

Patrick  J.  Carrigan  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  No.  109  Second  avenue. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Police  officer. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  police  force  on  July  19  ? 

A.  Special  police  officer — yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  on  duty  on  Thursday  and  Thursday  evening  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  state  what  occurred  ? 

A.  I  went  on  duty  Thursday  afternoon.  There  was  a  pretty  good  sized 
crowd  at  Twent3^-eighth  street.  And  they  were  getting  ready  to  take  a 
train  out,  and  they  put  a  good  many  officers  on  each  car  and  the  locomo- 
tive, and  some  stayed  along  the  line  and  watched  them.  One  man  got  out 
in  front  and  done  this  way.  [Waving  his  hand.]  The  train  and  the  engi- 
neer got  off. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  stay  there  ? 

A.  I  staved  until  five  o'clock,  and  then  came  in  town,  and  they  were 
taking  this  McCall  in ;  and  I  got  supper,  and  then  went  out  again  in  the 
evening,  and  stayed  there  all  night. 

Q.  Were  you  on  duty  Friday  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.   Friday  night  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Saturday  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  on  duty  at  any  time  afterwards  there  ? 

A.  Yes;  went  on  duty  again  on  Tuesday  after  the  riot,  and  when  going 
out  on  the  train,  one  of  the  Pennsylvania  officials  got  on  the  train,  and 
told  us  when  we  got  to  Twenty-eighth  street  to  get  off,  and  not  let  these 
men  see  us.  They  did  not  want  these  men  to  know  that  they  were  .  .  . 
About  twelve  of  us  went  up  the  hill,  and  lay  there  behind  some  trees  all 
night. 

Q.  This  was  Thursday  ? 

A.  Thursday.  A  few  of  us  would  go  down  to  where  the  railroad  fellows 
were,  and  stand  around  there.     There  was  not  over  twenty-five  or  thirty. 

Q.  Were  they  on  the  tracks  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  on  Twenty-eighth  street.  There  was  nothing  on  the  tracks 
but  railroad  men,  walking  up  and  down. 

Q.  Could  you  have  taken  that  train  out  that  day  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  if  they  had  engineers  that  train  could  have  gone  out. 

Q.  You  had  possession  of  the  track — and  the  officers  did  ? 

A.  There  was  only  this  one  that  was  on  the  track. 

Q.  Was  there  any  attempt  made  to  assist  him  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw.  He  went  over  in  the  crowd.  I  was  down  back  where 
the  crowd  was,  in  case  of  any  of  them  interfering.  We  were  in  citizens' 
clothes,  and  we  scattered  amongst  them. 

Q.  There  was  no  attempt  made  to  arrest? 

A.  They  made  arrests  before  I  got  up. 

Q.  They  got  McCall  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Policemen  hid  behind  trees  ? 


510  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  We  were  told  to  go  there  by  the  railroad  officials — to  get  off  and  not 
show  ourselves  ;  there  was  some  trees  in  the  road,  and  we  laid  down  there. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Were  you  ordered  by  the  railroad  officials  in  charge  of  you  to  go 
behind  trees  ? 

A.  To  go  up  on  this  road.     He  didn't  tell  us  to  go  behind  trees. 

Q.  And  conceal  yourselves? 

A.  And  conceal  ourselves. 

John  Davis  re-called : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Were  you  out  at  Torrens,  Mr.  Davis,  during  Thursday? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  state  what  occurred  there,  and  what 
efforts  were  made  by  the  police  to  disperse  the  crowd  ? 

A.  When  I  got  there  there  was  nothing  special  going  on,  for  everything 
was  quiet.  I  didn't  remain  there  but  a  short  time — came  back  to  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  and  when  I  was  there  everything  was  perfectly  quiet. 

Q.  Officers  had  possession  of  the  track  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  have  testified  to  what  knowledge  you  had  of  the  occurrences  at 
Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  With  the  exception  of  Thursday  night — a  little  matter  I  forgot.  Af- 
ter I  had  got  the  men  their  suppers,  I  went  to  the  depot,  and  reported  at 
the  telegraph  office  I  had  men  to  go  out.  And  the  reply  came  back  that 
everything  was  quiet,  and  they  needed  no  more  men,  and  they  could  not 
send  an  engine  for  us.  I  told  the  men  what  transpired,  and  directly  a 
second  despatch  came,  that  we  could  go  out  if  we  wished  to.  Some  of  the 
men  walked  out,  some  remained  around  the  depot,  and  went  out  after- 
wards. As  I  have  stated  in  my  other  testimony,  on  Friday  morning  I  sent 
officers  up  to  the  depot,  and  they  returned  and  stated  that  they  were  not 
wanted  ;  they  had  all  the  men  they  wished. 

Q.  I  believe  you  testified  to  that  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  testified  to  that. 

Q.  Anything  else  ? 

A.  Nothing  further  than  I  was  a  witness  of  the  transaction  of  the  firing. 

Q.  Have  you  testified  as  to  that  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  You  stopped  me  right  at  the  firing.  I  was  present  when 
the  troops  came  up,  and  witnessed  the  whole  transaction. 

Q.  Go  ahead  ? 

A.  After  the  troops  came  up  there  were  civilians  in  front  of  the  troops. 
They  halted  probably  five  or  six  feet  from  Twenty-eighth  street.  The 
column  left  faced,  and  marched  towards  the  sand-house.  The  first  two 
columns  about  faced  and  marched  towards  the  hill  side — formed  an  open 
square — and  a  detachment  of  soldiers  came  between  the  two  columns,  with 
the  Gatling  guns  in  the  rear  of  them.  A  detachment  of  soldiers  came  up 
between  the  two  columns — came  towards  where  the  crowd  was  gathered — 
at  a  carry  arms,  and  it  appears  they  could  not  get  further,  and  they  fell 
back  five  or  six  paces,  and  came  to  a  charge  bayonets.  At  that  time,  when 
the}-  came  to  a  charge  baj^onets,  there  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  dozen 
or  two  missiles  thrown  from  the  house.  I  only  saw  one  stone  among  the 
lot.     At  that  moment  they  commenced  to  fire.     I  was  on  the  hill  side. 

Q.  Was  the  crowd  resisting  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  There  was  such  an  immense  gathering  there  they  could  not  get  away — 
they  had  no  chance  to  get  away. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  5Y1 

Q.  Did  the  soldiers  attempt  to  press  them  back  at  first  ? 

A.  They  first  came  to  carry  arms — carrying  their  guns  at  the  side  of 
them — then  they  stepped  back  and  came  to  a  charge.  Just  at  that  point 
these  missiles  came  from  the  little  house,  thrown  by  the  boys. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  pistol  shots  ? 

A.  Previous  to  that  ?     No,  sir  ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  command  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  didn't,  sir.  I  was  probably  sixty  yards  above  the  railroad  track. 
I  could  witness  the  movement  of  the  troops,  but  could  not  hear  any  orders 
given.  After  the  firing  I  immediately  came  down  the  hill  the  way  I  went 
up — took  the  same  course.  Came  down  past  the  soldiers,  and  went  into 
the  railroad  buildings.  I  saw  this  soldier,  who  was  carried  off  the  ground 
before  they  had  formed  a  square,  and  helped  to  bring  him  to. 

Q.  Who  was  there  ? 

A.  There  was  two  men  there — a  reporter  of  one  of  the  city  papers. 

Q.  Do  you  know  these  men  ? 

A.  Only  one  of  them. 

Q.  What  was  his  name  ? 

A.  Mr.  Rattigan.  Him  and  I  went  in  together.  He  is  a  reporter — used 
to  be  on  the  Pittsburgh  Chronicle. 

Q.  What  office  was  he  carried  to  ? 

A.  Telegraph  office.  The  first  floor  in  that  building,  Twenty-sixth 
street. 

Q.  Was  there  anybody  in  the  room  at  the  time  besides  these  two  men  ? 

A.  There  were  two  other  men  attending  him.  One  of  them  had  a  band- 
age around  his  head,  and  said  he  had  got  hit  with  a  stone.  He  said  he  was 
not  hurt  very  much.     There  was  a  small  bandage  around  his  forehead. 

Q.  You  didn't  know  who  gave  the  orders  to  fire  ? 

A.  No,  sir.     After  the  firing  there  was  quite  a raised.     Some 

parties  were  excited  over  it — some  of  their  friends  being  killed.     It  was 
quiet  Thursday,  Friday,  and  Saturday  along  the  railroad.     Had  no  trouble. 

Q.  How  soon  after  the  firing  did  }tou  go  down  to  this  telegraph  office  ? 

A.  The  minute  they  commenced  firing  I  saw  dust  flying  pretty  lively 
round  me,  and  I  started  up  the  hill.     I  suppose  I  was  three  to  five  minutes 
going  up  and  coming  down.     After  the  firing  was  done  I  came  right  down 
the  hillside  again — I  came  down  the  same  course  I  went  up. 
By  Senator  Yutz}r : 

Q.  You  say  a  sick  soldier  was  in  the  telegraph  office  ? 

A.  In  the  room  in  the  left  of  the  building  as  you  go  in. 

Q.  Is  that  the  telegraph  office  ? 

A.  They  call  it  a  telegraph  office,  but  it  is  not  in  that  room. 

Q.  Train  master's  office  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  whose  office  it  is.     They  call  it  a  telegraph  office. 

Q.  The  instruments  are  in  the  adjoining  office  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Could  you  see  into  the  telegraph  room  ? 

A.  I  opened  the  door  to  look  in. 

Q.  Anybody  in  ? 

A.  No ;  the  operator  was  working  with  this  young  man  on  the  floor. 
He  was  having  a  spasm,  stiffened  up.  They  worked  with  him  for  probably 
ten  minutes  before  he  came  to. 

Q.  He  had  a  fit,  didn't  he  ? 

A.  A  fit  of  some  kind. 

Q.  That  was  fifteen  minutes  before  the  firing  took  place  ? 


5T2  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  came  down  the  hill  immediatel}r  after  the  firing  took  place,  and 
went  there  to  see  these  parties  in  the  room. 

Q.  Did  }rou  see  General  Pearson  on  the  ground  just  before  the  firing  or 
during  the  time  of  the  firing  ? 

A.  Didn't  see  him  out  after  the  troops  went  into  the  round-house ;  then 
I  saw  him  in  the  yard,  probably  six  o'clock  in  the  evening — between  five 
and  six — I  saw  him  in  the  yard. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  officers  in  the  hollow  square  ? 

A.  I  saw  some,  but  could  not  recognize  any  of  them. 

Q.  Do  you  know  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Didn't  see  him  ? 

A.  No  ;  didn't  see  him  until  the  firing  was  all  over. 

Q.  If  General  Pearson  had  been  in  the  hollow  square,  wouldn't  you  have 
seen  him  ? 

A.  My  attention  was  not  directly  called  to  the  officers.  I  was  watching 
the  movements  of  the  men,  and  the  minute  these  stones  were  thrown,  my 
attention  was  called  to  that.  In  fact,  I  was  not  looking  at  the  officers,  I 
was  watching  the  movements  of  the  men.  I  suppose  if  I  was  looking  for 
General  Pearson,  I  could  have  picked  him  out  from  others.  I  have  known 
him  for  a  good  many  years. 

Richard  Hughes,  sworn  :  • 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  is  your  full  name  ? 

A.  Richard  Hughes. 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  2512  Carson  street,  south  side,  Twenty-fifth  ward. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  was  on  the  police  force. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  police  force  on  the  19th  dajr  of  last  July? 

A.  I  was  one  of  those  suspended. 

Q.  Did  you  offer  your  services  to  the  railroad  officers  on  the  19th  of 
July  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  went  up  to  the  Union  depot,  two  or  three  parties  along  with 
me,  ex-policemen,  Thursday  morning.  Stayed  there  until  about  eleven 
o'clock.  The  first  thing,  I  seen  about  ten  or  fifteen,  or  twenty  policemen, 
with  two  or  three  detectives,  walking  through  the  Union  depot.  That  drew 
my  attention,  and  I  followed  them.  George  Crosby,  and  two  or  three 
other  parties  went  back,  and  met  Mr.  Davis  on  Smithfield  street,  and  he 
told  us  they  wanted  to  see  us  at  the  office — wanted  us  to  go  out  to  the 
Union  depot.  We  went  down  to  the  Union  depot,  and  seven  of  us,  with 
detective  White,  and  taking  a  train  between  one  and  two  o'clock  from 
Union  depot  to  the  stock-yards,  we  went  out — seven  of  us.  Sam  Leary,  at 
East  Liberty,  he  came  in,  too.  Mr.  Watt  was  along  with  us.  There  was 
two  or  three  hundred  people  around  there,  and  they  told  us  to  clear  the 
track,  they  were  going  to  start  a  train  then.  We  went  to  move  them  off 
the  track,  so  they  did,  and  when  the  track  was  clear,  they  couldn't  get  en- 
gineers, firemen,  or  brakemen  to  take  out  the  train.  Stayed  there  until 
seven  or  eight  o'clock  that  evening,  and  everything  was  quiet.  The  reg- 
ular force  came  out  about  half-past  six  thai  evening,  in  full  uniform,  around 
the  stock-yards.  There  was  nothing  going  on  there.  ^Ve  came  on  on 
Monday  morning  following.  I  came  to  town ;  went  up  to  the  Union  depot. 
I  saw  two  or  three  policemen,  and  asked  who  hired  them,  and  they  said 
Fox.     I  asked  him  if  they  wanted  anymore  policemen,  and  he  said  he  had 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  573 

plenty.  I  asked  for  Mr.  Watt,  the  superintendent,  and  he  told  me  he  was 
at  the  round-house.  He  told  me  they  wanted  no  more  policemen.  I  asked 
him  to  pay  me  what  he  owed  me,  I  want  to  leave  town  in  the  afternoon. 
He  said  he  couldn't  pay  me,  to  go  to  the  office.  He  told  me  he  didn't 
want  any  more  police.     I  went  to  Mr.  Watt  myself. 

Q.  Did  you  tell  him  the  mayor  had  sent  you  ? 

A.  I  told  him  the  mayor  had  ordered  us  out  there.  The  day  before  that 
we  wanted  to  know  who  was  going  to  pay  us.  They  told  us  the  pay  was 
all  right.  Clerk  Davis  asked  me,  why  aint  you  on  duty,  and  I  told  him 
they  didn't  want  me. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anything  of  the  fire  that  night  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  left  two  o'clock  Friday  afternoon. 

George  W.  Crosby,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  is  your  full  name  ? 

A.  George  W.  Crosby. 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  No.  1117  Carson  street,  south  side. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Formerly  a  policeman  and  laborer. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  police  force  on  the  19th  of  July  last  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  was  taken  off  on  the  reduction.  The  11th  or  12th  of  July 
the  suspension  took  place. 

Q.  Did  you  offer  your  services  to  the  railroad  officials  on  Friday,  the 
20th  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  went  to  the  Union  depot  on  Friday,  the  20th,  between  nine 
and  ten  o'clock.  I  met  Mr.  Fox,  a  police  officer  of  the  Pennsylvania  rail- 
road, offered  my  services  to  him,  and  he  told  me  he  didn't  want  any  more. 
He  had  all  the  men  he  wanted,  and  mentioned  the  number  of  men  he  had. 

Q.  How  many  did  he  say  he  had  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  say  positively.  Three  or  four,  or  four  or  five.  I  couldn't 
swear  to  the  exact  number,  but  I  know  he  mentioned  it  to  me.  He  had 
all  the  men  he  wanted. 

Q.  You  were  not  on  duty  on  Thursday  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  was. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anybody  besides  Mr.  Fox  ? 

A.  At  the  Union  depot  ? 

Q.  No,  sir;  that  day — on  Friday? 

A.  No,  sir.     I  only  offered  mjr  services  to  him. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Mr.  Watt,  the  superintendent,  at  any  time  ? 

A.  I  was  in  company  with  Mr.  Hughes  at  the  time  he  saw  Mr.  Watt, 
and  I  had  nothing  to  say  to  Mr.  Watt  at  all. 

William  J.  White,  sworn. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 
Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 
A.  City  of  Pittsburgh. 
Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 
A.  On  the  detective  force. 

Q.  Were  you  out  at  Torrens  on  Thursday,  the  19th  of  July  ? 
A.  I  was,  sir. 

Q.  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  state  what  occurred,  and  what  efforts 
were  made  by  the  police  force  to  disperse  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  will  state  that  about  the  neighborhood  of  twelve  o'clock  on  Thurs- 


574  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

day,  the  19th  of  July,  I  met  the  chief's  clerk,  Mr.  Davis,  and  he  told  me  he 
wanted  all  the  available  police  he  could  get,  to  go  out  on  the  railroad,  there 
was  a  strike.  I  hunted  around  and  got  one  or  two,  and  going  up  Fifth 
avenue  I  met  the  mayor,  and  the  mayor  told  me  to  go  out  and  get  all  I 
could,  and  go  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  I  went  up  to  the  depot,  and  got 
about  six  or  seven  men,  besides  myself,  and  took  up  some  on  my  way — 
about  seven  men,  I  guess — and  went  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  getting  off 
the  cars  there  ;  and  Mr.  Watt  was  with  us,  and  he  told  us  we  had  better  go 
on  to  Torrens  station.  We  got  on  the  cars  and  went  to  Torrens  station, 
and  got  off  there.  There  was  quite  a  crowd — I  suppose  seventy-five  or  one 
hundred  strikers.  Mr.  Watt  asked  me  to  clear  the  tracks.  I  done  so. 
Told  the  men  to  get  off  the  tracks,  and  they  all  went  off  the  tracks,  and  had 
no  trouble  or  difficulty  whatever.  Stayed  around  there  for  a  considerable 
time,  and  I  think  Mr.  Gumbert,  a  gentleman  connected  with  the  dispatch- 
er, came  to  me  and  said,  "  \\'e  are  going  to  send  a  train  out."  Says  I, 
"  All  right."  Says  he,  "What  I  want  you  to  do,  is  to  get  the  men  up  the 
track,  and  see  that  nobody  mounts  the  train."  I  told  the  men  to  scatter 
along,  in  different  positions,  on  the  track  ;  that  this  train  was  going  out, 
and  see  that  nobody  got  on  the  train,  and  that  the  train  went  out.  No  per- 
son interfered  whatever. 

Q.  What  day  was  this  ? 

A.  Thursday,  the  19th. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  Was  that  a  double-header  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say.     I  suppose  there  was  over  twenty  cars  on  it. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  there  were  two  engines  on  it  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  there  was  only  one  engine. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  there  ? 

A.  I  remained  until  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Q.  Any  further  effort  made  to  run  trains  after  that  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Any  threats  made  by  any  of  the  men  when  the  train  started  ?  Was 
the  engineer  threatened  by  the  crowd  ? 

A.  No ;  I  talked  to  some  and  they  said  they  did  not  wish  to  intimidate 
any  person.  They  were  talking  to  the  engineer  and  fireman.  There  was 
no  threats  or  violence  while  I  was  there. 

Q.  Were  you  at  Twenty-eighth  street  during  the  firing  on  the  troops  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  connected  with  the  riots  ? 

A.  I  was  not  up  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  from  the  fact  that  the  rules  at 
the  mayor's  office  require  that  a  man  has  a  week  in  the  office,  and  it  was  my 
week  in  the  office,  and  Friday  and  Saturday  I  was  in  the  office  all  day. 
Sunday,  after  dinner,  I  started  out.  Then  I  started  to  help  the  fire  depart- 
ment, and  do  what  1  could  in  that  way. 

Q.  You  were  at  the  office  after  the  Thursday  of  that  week? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  While  there,  did  you  hear  any  demand  made  on  the  majTor  for  a  force 
of  police  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that  I  did.  The  mayor  was  a  good  deal  confused  about 
it.  We  had  not  the  force,  in  fact.  I  think  it  was  Friday  or  Saturday  mor- 
ning. I  seen  a  party  come  down  to  the  mayor,  and  go  into  the  office,  and 
ask  for  that — some  warrants  that  should  have  been  served — that  they  hand 
them  over.  I  believe  they  were  handed  over  to  a  young  man  that  came 
there — some  warrants  issued,  I  think,  for  some  of  the  head  rioters. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  575 

~By  Senator  Reybiirn : 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  those  warrants  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  do  not. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  one  ask  the  mayor  to  go  along  up  to  the  railroad, 
and  see  Mr  Cassatt  or  Pitcairn  or  anybody  else  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  Did  3rou  hear  any  conversation  in  the  office  by  some  men,  in  regard 
to  the  burning  of  all  the  railroad  property,  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  I  did  not ;  no,  sir.     I  was  in  the  office  until  dinner  time.     There  was 
a  good  deal  of  excitement  around  thei'e.     Citizens  running  in — and  the 
mayor  was  doing  all  he  could,  under  the  circumstances. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.   Who  was  the  man  that  demanded  the  warrants  ? 

A.  He  was  a  young  man.     I  could  not  tell. 

James  Scott,  sworn. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  is  your  name  ? 

A.  James  Scott. 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside? 

A.  Ninth  ward,  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  am  a  detective  officer. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  force  at  the  time  of  the  disturbance,  in  July  1 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  the  mayor  offer  the  services  of  the  police  force  to  the 
firemen  to  protect  them,  at  any  time  during  the  fire  on  Saturday  night  or 
Sunday  ? 

A.  I  will  just  state,  as  brief  as  I  can.  On  Sunday  morning  I  was  sent 
by  the  chief  to  the  Twelfth  ward  station  to  take  charge  of  the  telegraph 
office,  and  I  met  the  mayor  coming  down.  He  asked  me  if  I  was  going 
down.  He  told  me  to  remain  at  the  station  there  until  I  was  relieved.  In 
an  hour  and  a  half  the  mayor  came  back  again  in  a  buggy  and  asked  if 
any  squad  of  police  had  come  up.  He  left  his  buggy  there,  and  went  to 
Twenty-eighth  street.  The  station-house  is  at  Twenty-sixth  street.  We 
went  up  street  and  came  back  again,  and  about  the  time  we  came  back  the 
squad  of  police  was  there.  They  brought  in  some  prisoners.  They  had 
their  arms  full  of  goods.  The  mayor  gave  them  orders  to  string  along  on 
Liberty  street  and  protect  the  firemen,  and  arrest  anybody  that  would  in- 
terfere with  them,  and  they  started.  I  stood  there  all  day,  until  seven 
o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Q.  Do  I  understand  you  went  with  those  men  to  Liberty  street  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  stayed  at  the  station-house  ? 

A.  I  stayed  until  I  was  relieved  by  the  night  captain.  There  were  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  men  taken  out.  I  think  there  are  seven  different  sta- 
tion-houses that  have  a  police  wire  in,  and  you  have  to  have  a  man  to  at- 
tend to  it ;  but  in  daylight  they  have  none. 

Q.  There  is  no  man  left  in  the  station-house  at  that  time  ? 

A .  Nobody  to  do  that.  When  we  had  the  one  hundred  and  sixteen  men 
on,  the  lieutenant  was  always  on  duty  more  or  less,  and  it  was  understood 
he  could  operate,  and  if  there  was  anything  wrong  in  the  district,  he  could 
telegraph  to  head-quarters.  We  have  one  in  East  Liberty,  one  at  Law- 
renceville,  one  in  the  Twelfth  ward,  one  at  Centre  avenue,  one  at  the  Four- 


570  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

teenth  ward,  and  three  on  the  south  side.  I  came  down  in  the  evening  at 
seven  o'clock.  Some  parties  threatened  they  would  be  around  in  the  eve- 
ning to  burn  the  water-works,  and  the  citizens  of  those  two  blocks  sur- 
rounding that  and  edging  on  the  Fort  Wajme  sheds  considered  if  any  of 
those  places  got  started  it  would  be  liable  to  burn  them  out.  I  went  down 
to  the  mayor's  office  and  reported  this  danger,  and  I  thought  we  ought  to 
have  a  squad  of  police,  fifteen  or  twenty.  I  reported  to  the  chief  and  also 
to  the  mayor,  and  said  i  would  start  back  and  get  together  what  citizens  I 
could  :  and  it  was  not  an  hour  until  there  was  twenty-five  police  there. 
We  surrounded  these  water-works  and  stayed  there  until  daylight. 

Q.  The  morning  of 

A.  That  was  Sunday  night  at  the  time  of  the  fire.  During  the  night, 
about  eleven  o'clock,  we  smelled  smoke  at  the  far  end  of  the  Fort  Wayne, 
and  a  couple  of  citizens,  by  the  names  of  Mo  ran  and  Reed,  went  down 
there  and  put  it  out.  If  it  had  got  started  there  would  have  been  quite  a 
fire  there. 

Q.  You  are  a  detective,  I  understand  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  on  duty  on  Thursday  ? 

A.  On  duty  on  Thursday ;  yes,  sir,  on  duty  right  along. 

Q.  Did  3'ou  witness  any  of  the  occurrences  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  was  not  out  there  at  any  time.     No  orders  to  go  out. 

Q.  You  received  no  instructions  about  arresting  these  men.  There  was 
a  warrant  for  some  men  who  were  supposed  to  be  leaders  ? 

A.  There  was  a  part}'  detailed  for  that  purpose. 

Q.  You  were  not  in  that  party  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Would  it  have  been  possible  that  night  for  these  men  to  get  hold  of 
these  parties — those  officers  that  had  the  warrants  ?  Were  }rou  out  that  night 
on  duty  ? 

A.  Not  that  night — never  off  duty,  you  might  say — we  are  always  on  duty. 

Q.  What  I  want  to  know  is,  whether  these  officers  could  have  arrested 
these  men  they  had  warrants  for  1 

A.  I  think  it  would  have  been  almost  an  impossibility  to  have  got  them, 
unless  they  were  got  at  their  homes.  To  take  them  out  of  that  crowd  would 
take  twice  the  force  to  get  one  or  two  men. 

Q.  You  believe  that  with  the  force  of  the  mayor,  it  would  have  been  im- 
possible to  have  taken  these  men  ? 

A.  To  take  these  men  right  in  the  crowd,  it  would  have  been  dangerous. 
I  felt  that  way.  I  have  had  occasion  to  be  where  there  was  something  like 
a  riot  at  the  bolt  works,  this  same  summer,  and  we  had  about  twenty  police 
there,  and  I  suppose  there  was  some  fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  men. 
We  gave  them  to  understand  they  could  not  pass  into  the  gates,  and  they 
did  not  pass  in,  and  it  all  passed  quiet,  and  nobody  hurt ;  but  if  we  had 
fired  one  shot,  I  do  not  think  we  would  have  been  of  much  use. 

Q.  As  an  experienced  officer,  you  would  not  have  made  the  arrest  that 
night  in  that  crowd  ? 

A.  Not  in  that  crowd. 

(4.  Do  you  know  whether  there  was  any  effort  made  to  shadow  these 
men — following  them  to  their  homes  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  577 

Charles  L.  Schriver,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  Reside  in  Harrisburg. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Locomotive  fireman. 

il.  Were  you  employed  by  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  At  the  time  of  the  strike  on  the  19th  of  July  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  there  on  Thursday? 

A.  I  was  there  on  Thursday  morning. 

Q.  Be  kind  enough  to  state  what  occurred  ? 

A.  I  got  to  the  round-house,  I  guess,  about  eight  o'clock ;  stayed  in 
there  awhile.  I  was  reading  a  dispatch  containing  an  account  of  the  riot 
in  Martinsburg  to  three  or  four  other  fireman  and  engineers.  There  was  a 
man  came  into  the  round-house  and  said  the  brakemen  were  on  a  strike. 
So  a  couple  of  us  went  down  to  the  yard,  and  the  brakemen  said  down  there 
that  they  were  not  going  out  on  any  double-headers.  There  was  a  fellow 
tried  to  make  a  coupling,  and  a  man  hit  him  with  a  link,  and  a  little  while 
after  that  they  took  out  the  same  train  with  a  yard  engine.  They  couldn't 
get  any  long  road  engines  out — nobody  would  go.  I  went  home  to  dinner 
and  came  back.  They  tried  to  take  out  this  double-header.  They  coupled 
engine  775  and  473,  and  it  was  an  understood  thing  between  the  engineers 
and  conductors,  that  any  person  could  go  out  ahead  and  make  a  signal  to  stop, 
they  would  stop  and  get  off.  As  soon  as  775  went  down  the  yard  and  got 
the  train  of  thirty-six  cars,  and  came  up  into  the  yard,  and  478  coupled 
ahead  and  pulled  iier  out,  there  was  four  or  five  policemen  got  on  each  engine, 
and  John  Major,  he  was  on  473,  and  the  engineer  of  473,  pulled  her  out. 
She  made  about  two  exhausts,  and  a  fellow  got  ahead  on  the  track  and 
threw  up  his  hands.  That  stopped  her.  He  reversed,  and  got  off.  Then 
the  road  foreman  and  civil  engineer  took  the  train  back  into  the  yard  and 
ran  the  engines  up  to  the  round-house.  I  went  home  to  supper  that  evening, 
and  was  going  to  Allegheny,  and  parties  said,  ik  You  better  stay  around 
here  at  Twenty-eighth  street."  It  was  all  very  quiet.  There  was  no  disturb- 
ance or  anything.  About  twelve  o'clock,  somebody  says,  there  was  a 
kind  of  collision  in  the  crowd.  Right  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  about  three 
feet  on  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  there  was  a  car  that  they  used  in  loading 
cinders,  and  directly  a  man  stepped  up — it  was  Sheriff  Fife — and  com- 
menced talking,  and  said  we  had  better  go  home,  and  leave  the  compairv 
do  as  they  please.  It  was  only  making  the  thing  worse.  The  company 
would  come  out  ahead  anyhow,  and  it  was  no  use  kicking  about  it.  Gen- 
eral Pearson  and  Davy  Watt  was  along,  and,  I  guess,  they  talked  in  the 
neighborhood  of  ten  minutes,  perhaps,  and  some  person  went  to  General 
Pearson,  and  asked  him  about  the  case  of  McCall,  who  had  been  arrested. 
Pearson  said  if  they  would  be  down  at  the  lockup  with  all  their  witnesses, 
he  would  defend  them,  and  would  not  want  any  money  for  it.  They  thought 
that  was  a  magnificent  offer  of  General  Pearson,  and  they  would  accept 
it,  and  I  do  not  know  whether  they  went  down  or  not.  I  went  home — 
the  sheriff  was  there — and  went  to  bed  and  got  up  about  six  o'clock,  went 
down  street ;  bought  a  paper  to  read  an  account  of  the  strike,  and  went 
down  town  ;  and  going  down,  there  was  one  hundred  cars  of  stock  that  had 
come  to  Twenty-fifth  street,  and  asked  for  them  to  have  two  engines,  and 
some  parties  volunteered  in  the  crowd  that  they  could  have  a  dozen  if  they 
37  Riots. 


578  Report  of  Committee.  [So.  29, 

wanted.  I  went  down  to  the  depot  about  nine  o'clock,  and  the  engineer 
requested  me  to  fire  one  of  these  trains  to  East  Liberty.  I  fired  up  twice 
for  him.  The  first  trip  they  had  put  up  this  proclamation  purporting  to  be 
the  Governor's.  I  read  it  myself.  There  was  three  of  them,  I  believe, 
posted  up  round  there  somewhere.  This  was  about  eleven  o'clock.  There 
was  nothing  further  occurred  of  any  importance  there  that  night.  I  heard 
of  the  First  division  being  called  out.  Knew  of  the  other  troops  being 
called  out — 1  heard  of  it  about  eleven  o'clock.  The  First  division  was  called 
out,  and  was  coming  here  at  about  two  o'clock.  I  heard  about  the  shoot- 
ing in  Baltimore,  and  was  told  that  they  came  to  do  the  same  thing  here.  I 
stayed  there  until  General  Pearson  came.  I  was  acquainted  with  General 
Brown.  Talked  to  Major  McDonald,  he  said  his  men  could  not  fire,  that 
his  men  had  no  ammunition. 

Q.  Who  told  you  that? 

A.  Major  McDonaly,  of  the  Fourteenth  regiment.  I  talked  to  General 
Pearson  a  while,  and  he  got  up  and  said  there  was  no  damn  use  of  the 
boys  going  around  there,  he  was  going  out  with  a  double-header,  and  was 
going  to  ride  on  the  pilot.  Some  of  the  boys  allowed  that  he  was  not.  I 
stayed  there  until  ten  o'clock,  and  I  knew  the  Philadelphia  troops  ought  to 
be  there  pretty  soon.  I  left  and  went  home ;  went  to  bed.  1  slept  then 
until  evening,  and  didn't  know  anything  about  the  shooting,  until  I  was 
awaked  up  about  six  o'clock.  I  went  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  Didn't 
see  any  dead  men.  Seen  some  blood  around.  Stayed  around  Twenty-eighth 
street  and  Penn,  and  saw  parties  marching  out  with  guns,  flags,  drums, 
&c.  Went  home  and  slept  until  half-past  three  o'clock  that  morning.  1 
got  awake  by  seeing  the  fire  out  of  my  bed.  Waited  until  daylight.  As  I 
got  to  the  Twelfth  ward  lockup  the  black  maria  came.  They  took  down 
a  whole  gang  for  stealing  up  there  that  night.  Just  as  I  crossed  Tweuty- 
sixth  street,  an  engineer  of  the  road  says, "  The  Philadelphia  troops  fired  at 
us."  I  got  up  to  Twenty-eighth  street  again,  and  was  told  the}'  were  going  to 
leave  the  round-house.  I  stayed  there  at  the  corner  of  Twenty-eighth  and 
Libert}',  and  I  saw  them  marching  down  Twenty-fifth  street.  Then  I  stayed 
at  Twenty  eighth  stieet  until  they  passed.  I  saw  they  had  all  their  arms 
cocked,  and  ready  to  fire. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anybody  fire  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  went  up  to  the  hospital  grounds  with  a  lad}'  friend  of 
mine,  stayed  around  Twenty-eighth  street.  She  thought  it  would  be  the 
least  danger.  As  soon  as  they  got  to  Thirty-third  street,  I  heard  a  volley. 
I  guess  it  must  have  been  a  hundred  pieces  went  off. 

Q.  You  said  it  was  understood  that  if  any  man  came  in  front  of  the  en- 
gines, any  engineers  and  firemen  were  all  to  get  off? 

A.  It  was  an  understood  thing  between  the  crew  of  this  train.  The 
conductor,  by  the  name  of  Franze — he  formerly  run  from  Pittsburgh  to 
Connemaugh,  and  then  from  Derry  to  Altoona.  He  came  from  Johnstown 
that  morning.  He  didn't  want  to  go  out,  and  lie  came  to  where  there  was  a 
crowd  standing,  and  he  said  if  any  person  would  tell  me  not  to  turn  the 
switch,  I  wouldn't  do  it.  He  only  wanted  an  excuse  not  to  go  out.  He 
wanted  to  keep  himself  solid  with  the  company,  find  keep  his  job.  lit' 
went  down  to  the  transfer, and  coupled  up  thirty-six  cars, and  Woodward, 
the  engineer  of 47o,  he  said  the  same.  All  hi'  wanted  was  some  one  to  go 
and  signal  to  stop,  and  then  they  would  have  an  excuse  that  the}-  couldn't 
go  out.  They  would  be  solid  with  the  company  and  men  also.  When 
they  coupled  these  engines,  473  and  775,  a  man  by  the  name  of  David 
Davis,  he  was  the  first  man  to  swing,  and  they  understood  what  he  wanted, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  579 

and  he  reversed,  and  stopped.     That  is  what  I  say,  it  was  an  understood 
thing  between  the  crowd  and  that  train  crew. 

Q.  Was  there  any  understanding  among  the  men  generally  ? 

A  No  ;  there  was  no  understanding  among  the  men  generally.  I  think 
every  person  said  they  wouldn't  go  out  on  double-headers. 

Q.  They  had  all  agreed  on  that  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  were  the  causes  leading  to  the  strike  ? 

A.  When  the  reduction  become  known  it  was  decided  on  a  strike.  Then 
there  was  to  be  a  strike,  and  they  sent  a  committee  of  engineers  to  see 
Mr.  Scott  ;  but  they  couldn't  get  any  satisfaction.  I  understood  then  that 
the  27th,  I  believe,  was  set  for  another  strike,  and  that  fell  through  ;  but 
this  strike,  it  was  not  a  pre-arranged  thing,  until  it  was  known,  until  the 
first  eight-forty  train  that  morning.  When  I  came  to  the  round-house — 
everything  was  double-headers.  On  Monday  there  had  been  an  order 
posted  on  the  telegraph  that  all  trains  were  double-headers,  and  a  new 
line  would  run  to  Altoona.  That  would  have  taken  a  great  deal  of  work 
from  some  men.  There  would  be  a  good  many  discharged.  They  sus- 
pended two  or  three  of  their  oldest  engineers.  Every  man  refused  to  give 
up.  They  all  talked  of  it,  and  went  on  with  the  strike,  all  the  other  roads 
striking.  On  Friday  a  telegram  came  from  the  Erie  that  all  of  them  were  I 
on  a  strike. 

Q.  Telegraph  came  from  the  Erie  ? 

A.  Came  from  Hornersville,  New  York. 

Q.  To  the  Trainmen's  Union. 

A.  It  come  to  the  master  of  the  Firemen's  Brotherhood  of  this  division? 

Q.  It  was  an  understood  thing  they  were  going  to  strike  on  Friday? 

A.  No,  sir;  you  misunderstood  me.  It  was  an  understood  thing  that  a 
strike  was  to  occur  on  the  19th  of  July,  but  after  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
went  out  first,  and  then,  when  the  men  on  the  Pennsylvania  struck,  then 
the  rest  of  them  followed  suit.  The  Fort  Wayne,  Pan  Handle,  and  all 
over  the  country,  all  followed  after  the  B.  and  0.  and  Pennsylvania. 

Q.  That  was  not  double-headers  ? 

A.  The  rest  of  them  followed — that  was  going  against  their  ten  per 
cent. 

Q.  What  was  the  cause  ? 

A.  The  ten  per  cent,  and  abuse  and  double-headers  was  the  main  cause 
of  the  sti'ike.     If  a  man  didn't  make  himself  solid  with  these  petty  of- 
ficials, they  were  abused. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  it  understood  that  there  was  to  be  a  strike  all  over  the  country 
when  the  Pennsylvania  Central  men  struck  ? 

A.  No ;  as  far  as  I  know  I  don't  think  it  was.  After  the  Penns3dvania 
went  out,  the  other  men  had  their  cause  to  strike,  too,  and  they  followed 
suit,  right  after  the  Pennsylvania,  because  they  had  the  two  big  trunk 
lines  striking,  and  these  other  little  roads,  that  they  would  follow  suit. 

Q.  You  were  speaking  of  the  Firemen's  Brotherhood.  Is  that  the  same 
thing  as  the  Trainmen's  Union  ? 

A.  It  is  just  the  same  as  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers. 

Q.  That  is  separate  from  the  Trainmen's  Union  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Are  you  a  member  of  the  Firemen's  Brotherhood  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  don't  belong. 

Q.  A  member  of  the  Trainmen's  Union. 

A.  No,  sir. 


580  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Were  you  a  member  of  any  organization  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  attended  one  meeting  the  firemen  had.  Engineers  had 
their  meeting,  and  firemen  had  their  meeting,  and  trainmen  had  their  meet- 
ing. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  there  was  a  man  selected  to  start  this  strike  in 
any  way  ? 

A.  To  tell  the  truth,  there  was  not  one  man  in  Pittsburgh  knew  this 
strike  was  to  occur  on  the  19th  of  July. 

Q.  You  believe  the  first  man  that  left  the  train 

A.  Was  the  cause  of  the  rest  following.  This  Rye,  one  of  the  men  you 
had  before  you,  his  crew  was  to  go  out  that  morning  at  eight-fort}'.  That 
would  have  been  the  second  double-header  on  the  road.  Of  course,  there 
was  a  good  many  double-headers  run  over  it,  but  it  was  to  be  general. 
There  was  to  be  no  single  trains.  When  his  crew  said  they  were  not  going 
out,  we  might  as  well  quit  tiiis,  as  to  be  discharged  after  a  while,  then  the 
rest  of  the  men  coming  in,  they  would  not  go  out,  then,  because  the  first  fel- 
lows refused  to  go  out  on  double-headers.  If  a  man  would  have  wanted 
to  go  out,  he  could  have.  There  was  nothing  to  prevent  him,  if  he  had  a 
little  courage. 

Q.  There  would  have  been  no  bodily  injury  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  if  I  had  wanted  to  go  out,  I  could  have  gone  out  or  any- 
thing else.     The  strike  was  conducted  by  intimidation. 

Q.  1  understand  you  one  fellow  got  struck  with  a  link? 

A.  That  was  done  by  a  party  who  was  not  really  responsible  for  what 
he  was  doing.  He  was  a  little  the  worse  for  his  beer,  or  he  would  not  have 
done  it. 

Q.  We  had  testimony  that  links  and  pins  were  thrown  at  engineers  on 
their  engines — did  you  see  anything  of  that  kind  ? 

A.  There  was  one  link  thrown  at  this  man  that  went  to  couple  the  caboose 
to  the  engines  on  the  Thursday  morning,  and  he  had  no  business  to  couple 
a  caboose,  or  they  wouldn't  have  thrown  any  link.     He  belonged  down  to 
the  transfer,  and  was  not  a  long  road  man. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Every  fellow  has  his  work,  and  if  he  undertakes  to  do  anything  else, 
the}r  don't  allow  him  ? 

A.  Just  as  affairs  stood  then,  they  didn't  allow  it.  There  was  no  threat 
made.  Another  fireman  and  me  sat  down  on  a  track  and  talked  to  some 
of  them — asked  what  they  were  going  to  do.  They  said  nothing ;  only 
we  are  not  going  out  on  double-headers. 

Q.  How  did  they  come  and  take  possession  of  the  switches,  and  stop 
trains  from  running  ? 

A.  They  didn't  stop  any  ;  they  didn't  have  any  men  to  go  out  with  them. 
A  good  many  men  deny  that  they  had  anything  to  do  with  the  strike,  but 
they  had  at  that  time.  They  wanted  their  ten  per  cent,  as  much  as  any- 
body. 

Q.  Had  the  order  cut  their  wages'  down  below  what  they  could  have 
lived  on,  or  could  the  men  make  fair  wages  enough  to  live  on? 

A.  If  the  strike  had  not  taken  place  that  morning,  there  would  have 
been  twelve  engineers  to  go  off,  about  ten  firemen,  and  forty  trainmen,  con- 
ductors, brakemen,  and  flagmen — that  would  have  been  fifty  or  sixty  men. 
It  would  have  been  only  a  week  or  so  until  they  would  have  run  everything 
to  Altoona,  and  that  would  have  thrown  out  the  east  end  of  the  division, 
and  then  there  would  he  nothing  left  for  the  strikers  at  all,  only  when  freight 
was  ;i  little  heavy  they  would  not  have  made  anything.  A  man  never  made 
much  money  unless  freights  were  very  good,  and  he  is  running  all  the  time, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  581 

and  is  half  dead — then  he  can  make  money.  That  is  in  regard  to  firemen 
or  brakemen ;  of  course  engineers,  with  their  big  wages,  they  can  make 
money. 

Q.  Was  it  your  object,  as  strikers,  to  compel  the  railroad  company  to 
employ  more  men  than  they  really  needed  ? 

A.  The  object  of  the  strike  was  to  do  away  with  double-headers  and  get 
their  ten  per  cent,  back,  if  they  could.  If  Mr.  Watt  would  have  come  up 
there  that  morning  and  said,  all  right,  let  them  run  single  trains,  the  thing 
would  have  been  over  in  half  a  minute.  No  ;  the}'  wouldn't  do  that.  They 
didn't  think  about  their  ten  per  cent,  that  morning.  All  it  was  about  was 
double-headers.  After  the  strike  was  prolonged,  then  the  ten  per  cent. 
was  more  thought  of. 

By  Senator  Rej'burn  : 

Q.  You  informed  the  masters  of  those  lodges  that  there  was  a  strike 
here  in  Pennsylvania,  on  the  Pennsylvania,  and  he  telegraphed  back  that 
there  would  be  strikes  on  all  the  roads  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  What  was  it  ? 

A.  There  was  a  telegram  came  from  Hornersville,  on  the  Erie  road,  from 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Donahue,  to  the  master  of  this  division  of  the  Fire- 
men's Brotherhood,  stating  that  they  were  all  out,  and  wished  the  Penn- 
sylvania railroad  men  success.     I  believe  that  was  it. 

Q.  Was  there  any  understanding  among  the  men  that  they  were  safe 
here,  in  Pittsburgh,  to  strike,  and  not  to  be  molested,  and  they  wouldn't 
be  if  they  were  Philadelphia  men  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  In  other  words,  that  if  the  Philadelphia  men  came  here  they  had  no 
sympathy  with  the  strikers,  and  they  would  be  apt  to  attempt  to  run 
trains  out,  and  take  possession  of  the  tracks  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  have  never  heard  anything  of  that. 

Q.  You  don't  know  that  this  point  was  selected,  then  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  it  was  only  accidental  the  strike  came  about,  and  it  was 
through  the  double-headers.  If  the  strike  would  have  been  to  occur  that 
day,  every  body  would  have  known  it. 

Q.  Are  you  working  now  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Discharged  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  never  was  discharged.  I  asked  for  my  time  twice,  and  it  was 
refused  me,  and  I  never  went  to  work  one  day.  I  went  down  to  Pitcairn's 
office  to  get  a  letter  of  recommendation — I  wanted  to  go  on  some  other 
road — and  all  the  letter  he  would  give  me  was  a  note  saying  he  discharged 
me  on  account  of  reduction  of  force. 

Officer  White,  re-called : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  State  what  action  the  police  officers  took  on  Sunday  to  put  down 
the  riot,  and  burn,  and  break  into  the  stores  ? 

A.  I  would  state  that  on  Saturday  night,  about  the  bi'eaking  in  of  stores, 
I  was  at  the  office,  and  word  came  there  that  they  were  going  into  John- 
son's gun  store.  I  was  ordered  up  there,  and  went  up  there,  and  the  mob 
was  then  there,  and  I  believe  Mr.  Johnson  had  handed  out  two  or  three 
guns  there,  to  keep  the  mob  away  until  the  police  came  there.  As  soon 
as  we  got  there,  we  closed  the  doors,  stood  and  guarded  the  gun-shop  for 
a  considerable  time,  until  the  mob  went  away,  and  stopped  them  from 
going  in  there. 


582  Report  op  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  encounter  with  the  mob  ? 

A.  No  ;  not  a  good  deal  to  keep  them  away  ? 

Q.  You  made  a  show  of  force,  and  they  dispersed  ? 

A.  Yes.  Then  we  had  word  they  were  up  on  Liberty,  at  a  place  kept  by 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Shute.  I  found  they  had  opened  and  cleaned  it  out. 
I  came  to  the  office  again,  and  was  ordered  down  to  O'Mara  and  Bown's, 
and  we  found  the}r  had  been  in  there. 

Q.  What  did  they  take  out — pretty  much  anything  they  could  lay  their 
hands  on  ? 

A.  J  do  not  think  it  was  for  arms,  for  the  purpose  of  going  out  to  kill 
the  Philadelphians.  I  think  it  was  plunder  more  than  any  thing  else — a 
general  cleaning  oat — anything  the3r  could  get  their  hands  on — scissors  or 
aii3'thing  else.  There  was  a  man  came  into  the  office  with  a  couple  of  pair 
of  scissors  he  had  taken  from  some  one.  I  did  not  think  he  wanted  the 
scissors  to  kill  any  one  with.  They  cleaned  Bown's  out  completely — knives, 
pistols,  scissors,  anything  that  was  in  the  store. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  that  crowd  was  from  that  broke  into  Bown's 
store  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell.  I  did  not  know  whether  it  was  the  party  that  had 
stopped  at  Johnson's  or  not.  There  was  a  couple  of  hundred  at  John- 
son's trying  to  get  in,  and  we  kept  them  from  getting  in  there. 

Q,.  Do  you  know  where  they  were  from  ? 

A.  Xo,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  an  alderman  that  was  with  them,  from  the  south 
side  ? 

A.  After  I  had  left  Bown's  store,  a  company  happened  on  Fifth  street. 
I  saw  a  gang  of  two  or  three  hundred,  and  I  saw  an  alderman  with  them. 

Q.  Anybody  else  you  know  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Who? 

A.  A  councilman. 

Q.  Did  they  appear  to  be  leading  this  crowd  ? 

A.  The  councilman  did.  The  alderman  did  not  seem  to  take  much  part 
in  it.     The  councilman  seemed  to  be  at  the  head  of  it. 

Q.  What  day  was  this? 

A.  Saturday  night. 

Q.  Whereabouts  does  he  live? 

A.  Fifth  avenne.     After  the  breaking  in  at  Bown's 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  they  were  part  of  the  crowd  that  broke  into 
the  stores  or  not  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  they  were. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  the  property  was  destro^yed  at  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  you.  I  would  also  state  about  the  police,  on  Sunday 
afternoon,  during  the  time  the  Pan-Handle  depot  was  in  their  charge.  The 
police  drove  the  mob  out  of  the  Pan-Handle  depot  at  the  time  they  were 
setting  fire  there.  I  know  that  they  were  police  stretched  the  ropes  on  the 
street  and  kept  the  mob  out,  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  firemen  when 
working  there. 

Q.  Did  they  hold  it  for  any  length  of  time  ? 

A.  They  did  hold  it  and  kept  the  fire  from  going  any  further — kept  the 
mob  outside  of  the  ropes. 

Q.  Was  it  not  burned  ? 

A.  It  was  burned  ;  yes,  sir. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  As  an  officer,  do  yon  believe  that  had  there  not  been  any  interference 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877-  583 

with  the  railroad  emplo3Tes  that  3-011  could  have  kept  the  peace  with  the 
force  of  police  you  had  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  it  was  the  railroad  employes  that  gave  us  the  trouble. 
I  think  it  was  the  outside  rabble  entirely? 

Q.  I  asked  a  question.  The  question  is  this :  Do  you  believe,  as  an  offi- 
cer, had  you  nothing  to  contend  but  the  railroad  employes,  could  you  have 
kept  the  peace  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  I  think  the  mayor  could  have  kept  the  peace.  I  do  not 
think  there  would  have  been  any  trouble  at  all  if  the  military  had  not  been 
called  out  at  all.  My  experience  on  Thursday,  with  these  men  at  Torrens 
station,  was,  I  had  not  any  trouble  with  them.  These  men  were  orderly, 
and  when  they  were  ordered  off  the  track  the}'  went  off  the  track,  and  I  had 
no  trouble  at  all,  and  I  apprehended  no  trouble.  The  men  said  they  only 
wanted  their  rights,  and  did  not  wish  to  interfere  with  us  at  all,  while  we 
thought  they  were. 

Colonel  J.  B.  Moore,  re-called. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  I  believe  you  testified  to  being  at  the  firing,  and  so  forth.  Did  you  see 
General  Pearson  that  afternoon  ? 

A.  I  saw  General  Pearson  continuously,  sir,  from  Friday  at  eleven 
o'clock  until  eleven  o'clock  Saturday,  except 

Q.  How  was  General  Pearson  dressed  that  afternoon  ? 

A.  Full  major  general's  undress  uniform. 

Q.  What  was  that  ? 

A.  Fatigue  cap,  with  velvet  band  and  wreath,  and  the  letters  "  U.  S."  in 
front  of  it ;  shoulder  straps,  with  two  stars ;  dark  blue  blouse  and  pants, 
and  blouse  braided,  as  worn  by  officers  usually. 

Q.  Gold  braid? 

A.  No,  sir;  it  is  black  braid.  Major  general's  belt  on,  very  rare  work- 
manship. 

Q.  Was  it  something  that  would  attract  attention — conspicuous  ? 

A.  Yes ;  it  was  one  of  those  gotten  up  for  a  present,  very  elaborately 
embroidered. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.   What  color  was  it  ? 

A.  Red,  marked  with  gold  braid. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  General  Pearson,  then,  had  a  fatigue  cap  ? 

A.  Yes;  such  as  prescribed  for  major  generals  to  wear. 

Q.  What  was  it  made  of — the  blue  cap  ? 

A.  Dark  blue  cloth,  with  a  velvet  band. 

Q.  Gold  wreath,  with  the  letters  U.  S.  in  front  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  he  wear  this  cap  up  there,  just  prior  to  the  firing  of  the  military 
on  the  mob  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  not  just  prior.  On  Friday,  when  I  reported  to  him,  he  had 
on  a  straw  hat,  a  white  vest,  and  a  blouse,  before  he  and  I  came  down  from 
the  Union  depot,  and  we  put  on  our  uniforms  in  the  evening.  I  suppose 
between  eight  and  nine  o'clock.     It  was  not  dark. 

Q.  On  Saturda}7  he  wore  this  uniform  ? 

A.  Yes ;  he  wore  a  uniform  continuously  from  that  up. 

Q.  Insignia  of  rank  on  shoulders  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  his  sword.    He  had  a  sword  with  a  gold  scabbard.    All  the 


584  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

officers  of  his  staff  that  were  there  were  in  full  uniform,  except  Colonel 
Hays. 

Q.  Was  be  there  with  the  military  or  with  the  Philadelphia  troops  when 
the  firing  took  place  ? 

A .  No,  sir  ;  there  was  no  officer  near  the  Philadelphia  troops  except  my- 
self, that  is,  at  the  point  when  the  firing  took  place  at  Twenty-eighth  street. 
Mr.  George  Steen,  Major  Stouts,  and  Major  Fife  were  at  the  cars  taken 
out,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  below  the  street.  They  were  down  at  that 
flank  of  the  troops. 

Q.  Were  }*ou  inside  of  this  hollow-square  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  wear  a  cap  ? 

A.  I  wore  a  cap. 

Q.  Wear  a  belt  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Sword? 

A.  Sword  and  blouse,  precisely  like  the  one  General  Pearson  had  on, 
except  the  shoulder  straps. 

Q.  Did  you  know  where  General  Pearson  was,  about  the  time  the  firing 
took  place  ? 

A.  I  knew  where  he  started  off.  He  gave  me  orders  to  remain  with  Gen- 
eral Brinton,  while  he  would  go  to  the  telegraph  office. 

Q.  How  long  before  the  firing  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  five  or  seven  minutes. 

Q.  And  started,  did  he? 

A.  Yes,  started  ;  I  judge  that  from  the  fact  that  General  Brinton  went 
down  the  Weccaco  Legion  and  the  Gatling  guns,  and  go  through  the  two 
lines  that  had  been  formed  on  each  side  of  the  track.  Just  as  he  had  sent 
down  that  order,  General  Pearson  started,  and  I  should  judge  it  would 
take  time  to  get  the  guns  up.  I  have  no  distinct  knowledge  of  the  time 
at  all.  It  was  quite  a  little  time  before  they  were  able  to  get  the  guns  up 
over  the  ties. 

B}T  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Then  General  Pearson  left  before  these  troops  marched  down  ?  That 
is  the  Weccaco  Legion,  with  the  Gatling  guns — he  left  before  that  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  it  was  before  the  firing  took  place  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  That  was  the  detachment  that  attempted  to  put  the  crowd  back  off 
Twenty-eighth  street? 

A.  I  cannot  say  whether  it  was  the  Weccaco  Legion  or  Washington 
Grays.  I  understood  they  were  both  there,  but  I  could  not  distinguish 
them,  they  were  all,  as  a  matter  of  course,  strangers  to  me.  I  saw  '*  W. 
L."  on  their  knapsacks,  of  either  the  front  or  rear  rank.  I  could  not  see 
which  it  was. 

Q.  General  Pearson  could  not  have  been  there  at  the  time  of  the  firing  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  be  there  without  my  knowing, 
for  he  gave  me  orders  to  remain  with  General  Brinton,  while  he  went  to 
the  telegraph  office,  and  I  know  there  was  no  officer  there  except  myself. 
When  a  man  is  alone,  he  generally  knows  it. 

Q.  No  officer  of  your  division  there — that  is,  General  Brinton  and  his 
command  were  there  ? 

A.  General  Brinton  was  about  as  close  to  me  as  you  are. 


Leg.  Doc.]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  585 

Captain  E.  Y.  Breck,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Where  is  your  residence  ? 

A.  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  am  a  stenographer  of  court  of  common  pleas,  No.  1. 

Q.  What  position  did  you  occupy  in  the  militia  at  the  time  of  the  dis- 
turbance in  July? 

A.  I  was  captain  in  the  National  Guard,  commanding  Hutchinson's  bat- 
tery at  that  time,  now  known  as  Breck's  battery. 

Q.  Were  you  present  at  the  time  of  the  firing  of  the  troops,  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street  ? 

A.  I  was,  sir. 

Q.  Be  kind  enough  to  state  what  occurred  ? 

A.  Do  you  wish  a  statement,  as  to  the  firing? 

A.  As  to  the  fire,  and  who  were  present — what  officers? 

A.  Well,  I  was  stationed  just  above  the  flag-house — I  suppose  you  know 
where  that  is — and  I  had  received  an  order  a  short  time  before  the  First 
division  arrived  on  the  ground  to  be  prepared  to  load  my  guns  on  gondola 
cars,  and  I  saw  a  plank  brought  out  from  the  round-house  on  a  truck,  and 
dumped  there  on  the  track  to  load  the  guns.     I  was  quite  anxious,  of 
course.    There  was  a  large  crowd  around  there,  and  I  did  not  feel  altogether 
secure.     There  was  only  one  company  of  infantry  there,  behind  me,  sup- 
porting the  guns,  and  there  were  a  great  many  rumors  floating  around 
there.     There  was  a  rumor  of  trouble  in  Philadelphia,  and  I  was  to  be 
sent  there,  and  for  various  causes  I  was  anxious  to  see  commanding  offi- 
cer— General  Pearson — and  as  soon  as  I  saw  the  column  advancing  up  the 
track,  I  stood  up  on  one  of  my  limbei's,  where  I  could  look  over  the  heads 
of  the  crowd,  and  see  what  was  going  on.     As  they  came  up,  I  noticed,  I 
think,  first  it  was  the  sheriff,  I  remember  of  seeing  him,  I  think  some  of 
his  deputies,  and  I  saw  General  Pearson  and  two  officers,  whom  I  after- 
wards knew  as  General  Brinton  and  General  Matthews.   Although  I  did  not 
know  them  at  the  time,  I  got  acquainted  with  them  that  night.     This,  I 
suppose,  was  about  half-past  four  in  the  afternoon.     They  moved  up  until 
the  right  of  the  column  rested  at  Twenty-eighth  street.     They  halted  once 
down  about  opposite  Twenty-sixth  street  gate,  and  then,  I  suppose,  was 
the  time  that  General  Loud's  brigade  was  put  in  possession  of  those  cars 
down  there.     Then  the  first  division  started  on  up.     The  First  brigade, 
they  came  up  until  the  right  was  about  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  the  First 
regiment  was  leading.    The  regiment  was  in  columns  of  four.    They  wheeled 
in  line  to  the  left,  forced  the  crowd  back  off  the  track,  and  up  to  within 
probably  within  twenty  feet  of  the  walls  of  the  round-house.     There  were, 
I  think,  four  gondola  cars  there,  standing  on  side  tracks,  that  prevented 
them  clearing  the  track  clear  to  the  walls  of  the  round-house.     These  cars 
were  covered  with  people.     As  soon  as  they  halted,  both  ranks  were  faced 
about,  and  what  had  been  the  rear  rank  was  marched  toward  the  hill.    Then 
there  was  a  company  brought  up  from  the  rear,  marched  up  through  the  open 
ranks,  and  about  that  time  General  Pearson  dissappeared  from  view.    I  was 
watching  out  very  carefully  for  him,  because  I  was  expecting  orders  every 
moment,  and  I  was  very  anxious  that  he  would  know  where  I  was.     In 
fact,  he  did  see  me.   As  they  were  marching  up  I  stood  on  the  limber,  and 
did  something  to  attract  his  attention,  and  I  attracted  his  attention,  and 
he  nodded,  as  much  as  to  say  he  knew  where  I  was.     The  reason  I  did 
that  was,  my  position  had  been  changed  since  morning,  the  guns  had  been 
moved  from  the  position  in  which  he  had  ordered  them  placed,  and  I 


58G  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

wanted  him  to  know  exactly  where  they  were.  About  that  time  I  lost 
sight  of  him,  and  I  did  not  see  him  again  until  I  suppose  about  quarter  of 
six,  I  saw  him  in  the  telegraph  office. 

Q.  How  was  General  Pearson  dressed  that  day — could  you  see? 

A.  Yes;  [  was  with  General  Pearson  the  evening  before,  when  he  put 
on  his  uniform.  We  were  down  at  Union  Depot  hotel,  and  he  asked  me 
if  I  would  like  to  take  a  walk  around  to  head-quarters.  I  told  him  I  would, 
and  he  and  Colonel  Moore  and  myself  started  off  for  head-quarters.  We 
came  up  Grant,  and  I  remember  some  house  over  here,  where  the  general 
was  acquainted  with  two  or  thi'ee  ladies  there.  That  two  or  three  ladies 
sat  on  the  steps,  and  they  stopped  the  general  and  made  some  remark  about 
they  hoped  he  was  not  going  to  shoot  the  people,  and  he  stood  and  talked 
some  little  time.  We  went  on  down  to  head-quarters,  and  got  a  fatigue 
blouse  out  of  some  of  the  cases  there — the  fatigue  blouse  of  the  old  pattern 
is  alike  for  all  officers  of  different  rank — the  designation  is  by  the  shoulder- 
straps.  He  got  this  blouse  out  and  found  his  straps,  and  I  pinned  the 
straps  on  for  him — major  general's  straps — and  he  put  on  his  cap  and  belt, 
and  I  think  he  carried  his  sword  in  his  arm,  if  I  am  not  mistaken.  We 
stayed  there  a  few  minutes,  I  do  not  know  but  we  might  have  been  there 
ten  minutes.  Then  we  went  down  to  the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Smithfield, 
and  took  a  car  for  the  Union  depot,  and  went  right  back.  He  had  the 
same  uniform  when  he  came  up  the  track  and  the  same  uniform  when  I 
saw  him  in  the  superintendent's  office,  at  a  quarter  to  six. 

Q.  Immediately  after  the  firing  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  the  first  time  I  saw  him  after  the  firing.  The  cap — it  is  an 
ordinary  fatigue  cap,  with  a  velvet  band  for  general  officers.  He  had  that 
cap  and  a  wreath  in  front,  and  I  think  two  stars  in  the  wreath — either  U. 
S.  or  two  stars.  I  believe  it  is  regulation  to  wear  two  stars,  and  the  blouse 
had  what  they  call  herring-bone  trimming — black  braid,  and  runs  from  the 
buttons  out  into  loops  and  slashed  at  the  sides,  and  the  belt  was  usually 
worn  under  the  blouse,  but  it  was  over  the  blouse — a  red  morocco  belt, 
groundwork  of  morocco,  with  gold  embroidery.  Quite  profusely  embroid- 
ered. 

Q.  Did  the  crowd  resist  these  soldiers  when  they  marched  to  Twenty- 
eighth  ? 

A.  Up  the  tracks  ? 

Q.  Yes,  sir. 

A.  As  they  came  up  the  crowd  opened  out  for  them — the  column  was 
narrow.  They  were  in  columns  of  four.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  hoot- 
ing and  jeering.  I  think  some  few  of  the  people  were  trying  to  cheer.  It 
certainly  was  a  sight  that  any  man  who  had  love  for  the  military  would 
cheer  at.  I  never  saw  a  handsomer  sight  for  so  small  a  body  of  men. 
They  were  in  regular  order,  well  uniformed,  thoroughly  equipped,  and  their 
guns  looked  splendidly  in  the  sun  ;  and  the  crowd  gave  way  and  there  was 
no  actual  resistance' — nothing  to  stop  the  troops  until  they  tried  to  clear 
the  Twent}T-eighth  street  crossing.  The  column  marched  up  without  halt- 
ing. I  do  not  think  they  impeded  their  step  any.  When  they  marched 
toward  the  round-house  they  wheeled  into  line,  to  the  left,  and  went  to- 
wards the  round-house.  The  crowd  got  back.  They  could  not  clear  the 
tracks  clear  to  the  round-house  on  account  of  those  cars.  When  the  rear 
rank  marched  toward  the  hill  the  crowd  gave  way,  but  the  troops  only 
came  to  the  edge  of  the  track — the  right  hand  track  going  out.  That,  of 
course,  left  plenty  of  room  for  the  crowd  on  the  road.  The  road  was  black 
with  people.  There  were  a  great  many  on  the  side  of  the  hill  and  the  base 
of  the  hill. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  587 

Q.  This  crowd  at  Twent3,-eighth  street,  did  they  resist  when  this  detach- 
ment marched  through  the  center  and  marched  up  against  them  ? 

A.  Yes ;  there  was  one  company  that  it  looked  to  me,  from  where  I 
stood,  as  if  they  were  unable  to  do  anything  with  the  crowd — unable  to 
move  it — and  there  was  a  stronger  company,  or  more  men — it  was  another 
company — I  think  it  was  the  Weccaco  Legion  and  the  Washington  Greys — 
brought  up  from  the  rear.  They  came  up  at  a  carry,  but  they  did  not  drive 
the  crowd  far.  They  could  not  do  it  without  using  their  bayonets,  and  I  do 
not  know  whether  there  was  an  order  to  charge  bayonets  given  or  not,  but 
at  any  rate,  the  men  commenced  to  bring  their  guns  down  as  if  the}'  were 
going  to  charge,  and  from  where  I  stood,  I  could  see  the  guns  held  by  the 
mob — held  them  in  their  hands — and  I  could  see  the  men  take  hold,  up 
near  the  muzzle,  and  draw  their  guns  back,  in  order  to  get  them  down  to 
a  charge.  Just  as  they  did  that  there  were  one  or  two  pistol  shots  fired, 
and  then  I  saw  about  a  wagon  load  of  stones  and  lumps  of  coal — in  an  in- 
stant the  air  was  black  with  stones  and  lumps  of  coal.  Then  a  gun  went 
off  on  the  right  of  the  company,  followed  by  three  or  four  more,  and  then 
very  nearly  a  volley;  and  I  did  not  want  to  be  killed  and  jumped  off  the 
lumber. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  command  to  fire  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  How  near  were  you  to  this  body  of  men — the  Philadelphia  troops  ? 

A.  I  was  within  sixty  feet  of  the  middle  of  the  Twenty-eighth  street 
crossing,  I  suppose. 

Q.   Could  you  see  the  officers  inside  this  hollow  square  ? 

A.  The  officers  were  mostby — except  the  regimental  officers — the  gen- 
eral officers  were  up  on  the  crossing  with  this  company — General  Brinton 
and  General  Matthews.  I  ran  down  on  the  track  to  help  the  first  regiment 
officers  stop  the  firing.  The  men  had  fired,  I  suppose,  two  or  three  rounds 
apiece.  I  helped  the  officers  to  steady  the  men  up,  and  give  a  little  con- 
fidence to  the  men,  and  as  soon  as  they  did  that,  and  I  think  loaded  again 
by  command.  Then  I  went  up  to  the  crossing,  and  I  saw  General  Brinton 
and  General  Matthews,  and  he  had  already  thrown  two  companies  further 
up  the  track,  and  had  the  two  Gatling  guns  in  position,  one  pointing  up 
the  track — both,  in  fact.  And  while  I  stood  there,  they  turned  and  went 
down  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Just  before  the  firing  of  the  troops,  did  you  see  any  officers  in  this 
square,  or  between  these  two  lines  facing  away  from  the  tracks — one  facing 
the  hill,  and  another  facing  down  the  other  way  ? 

A..  They  were  both  facing  the  hill  at  that  time.  As  soon  as  the  battal- 
ion wheeled  into  line,  there  was  some  little  fuss  there — a  man  or  two 
fainted.     They  faced  both  ranks  about. 

Q.  There  was  a  space  there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  The  regimental  officers  were  there  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  spoke  to  Colonel  Miller.  He  reminded  me  of  it  the  other  day 
in  Philadelphia. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  the  officers  of  the  Sixth  division  there  between 
these  two  lines  ? 

A.  Xo,  sir;  I  think  not,  they  were  further  up,  right  on  the  crossing. 
The  two  lines  reached — suppose  this  is  the  lower  line  of  Twenty-eighth 
street.  [Illustrating.]  They  brought  these  lines  right  up  to  within  ten 
feet,  perhaps,  of  the  lower  line  of  the  street,  and  then  those  two  companies 
were  right  here.  [Indicating.] 


538  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Do  I  understand  you  to  say,  that  the  company  that  was  marched 
toward  Twenty-eighth  street  did  connect  with  those  two  wings  of  the 
flanks  ? 

A.  The  company  was  practically  covered  on  the  flanks.  There  was  a 
flag-house  in  here.  [Indicating.] 

Q.  Some  space  between  that  company  and  the  flanks  of  the  regiment  ? 

A.  Yes.  There  was  a  little  space,  because  I  remember  when  I  went 
down  I  went  around  the  left  flank. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  the  officers  of  the  Sixth  division  in  the  rear  of 
this  first  company,  marching  towards  Twenty-eighth  street.  Did  you  see 
Colonel  Moore  ? 

A.  I  do  not  remember  of  seeing  him.     I  might  have  seen  him. 

Q.  Where  did  you  see  Pearson  ?  You  said  you  saw  Pearson,  and  nod- 
ded to  him  ? 

A.  That  was  when  he  was  marching  up,  and  I  followed  him  with  my  eye 
until  I  saw  him  on  the  crossing  where  the  crowd  was,  but  this  was  before 
they  attempted  to  drive  the  crowd  back,  and  there  was  one  company — it 
was  a  small  company — and  they  did  not  make  much  of  an  effort  with  them. 
They  sent  back  for  more  men.  I  do  not  think  the  Gatlings  were  brought 
up  at  first.  My  recollection  is  they  came  up  with  those  other  companies 
that  were  brought  up  from  the  rear. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  did  not  see  him  after  those  other  companies  came  up  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not  see  him  then. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Where  did  the  firing  commence  ? 

A.  Commenced  on  the  right  of  this  company. 

Q.  The  company  advancing  towards  the  crossing  ? 

A.  Yes.  They  were  facing  up  the  railroad  track  right  as  you  go  out. 
The  firing  into  the  troops  commenced  over  here.  [Indicating.]  There 
were  two  or  three  car  loads  of  coal  standing  there. 

Q.  On  the  left  going  east? 

A.  On  the  left  going  east,  and  there  was  a  man  on  that  car  fired  the  first 
shot. 

Q.  A  pistol  shot  ? 

A.  As  nearly  as  I  could  state.  Then  there  was  a  house  on  the  road 
going  up  to  the  hospital  grounds — there  was  a  man  behind  that  that  was 
firing  down  this  way — I  saw  that  they  both  fired  about  the  same  time. 
There  must  have  been  a  dozen  pistol  shots  almost  simultaneously  with  the 
lumps  of  coal  and  stones. 

Q.  Did  that  house  stand  near  the  gate  that  leads  up  to  the  hospital  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  think  this  end  of  the  house  was  on  a  line  with  the  gate.  The 
watch-box  would  be  down  here  [indicating]  across  the  street,  and  up  a  lit- 
tle from  the  railroad.  I  was  out  there  a  month  or  so  ago,  and  it  has  been 
removed. 

Q.  Where  was  your  battery  ? 

A.  Right  in  there.     [Indicating.] 

Q.  A  little  above  the  watch-house  ? 

A.  A  little  above  the  watch-house. 

.    Major  J.  B.  Steen,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn: 
Q.  What  is  your  full  name  ? 
A.  James  B. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187*7.  589 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  reside  in  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  The  coal  business. 

Q.  Were  you  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania  in  July 
last  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  was  quartermaster  on  General  Pearson's  staff. 

Q.  Were  you  present  at  the  time  the  troops  were  called  out  to  quell  the 
disturbance  or  strike  ? 

A.  I  was  present  at  the  time  the  Philadelphia  troops  arrived. 

Q.  State  as  briefly  as  you  can  when  you  came  upon  the  scene,  and  what 
occurred  ? 

A.  These  Philadelphia  troops  arrived  at  Union  depot  some  time  after 
dinner,  and  they  furnished  them  with  meals  there,  and  along  in  the  after- 
noon the  column  started  out  towards  Twenty -eighth  street,  headed  by 
Sheriff  Fife,  General  Pearson,  and  General  Brinton,  and  Major  Stroud,  and 
Givens,  and  Moore,  and  myself  were  on  the  staff ;  and  when  we  arrived  at 
Twenty-eighth  street,  we  formed  a  hollow  square.  There  was  a  pile  of 
plank  about  the  center  of  the  square,  and  I  sat  down  on  the  plank  with 
Pitcairn.  We  marched  the  Washington  Grays  through  the  center,  to  force 
the  crowd  back  off  Twenty-eighth  street.  There  was  pistol  shots,  and 
stones  thrown,  and  they  commenced  firing  on  the  right,  and  then  there  was 
a  general  volley  along  the  line. 

Q.  Was  this  firing  by  orders  ? 

A.  I  did  not  hear  any  orders.  General  Peai-son  had  passed  me  while  I 
was  sitting  on  this  pile  of  plank,  and  he  asked  Pitcairn  where  the  nearest 
telegraph  office  was,  and,  I  think,  he  told  him  in  his  office,  and  he  started 
down  that  way.     It  was  five  or  ten  minutes  before  the  firing  took  place. 

Q.  That  was  before  this  company  was  marched  out  to  clear  the  cross- 
? 

A.  No,  sir ;  it  was  after  the  company  was  marched  out.  I  am  not  posi- 
tive whether  it  was  after  or  before,  but  my  recollection  is  that  it  was  after. 

Q.  General  Pearson  passed  you,  then,  going  down  to  go  to  Pitcairn's 
office? 

A.  Yes  ;  to  the  telegraph  office. 

Q.  How  was  he  dressed  ? 

A.  He  had  a  fatigue  uniform,  blue  cap,  blouse,  sword,  belt,  and  blue 
pantaloons. 

Q.  Had  this  blouse  buttons  up  close  to  the  throat  ? 

A.  Buttons  all  the  way  up  to  the  throat. 

Q.  Did  you  notice  whether  it  was  buttoned  that  way '( 

A.  I  could  not  say  whether  it  was  buttoned  or  not.  I  should  judge  it 
was  though. 

Q.  Did  you  say  he  had  a  cap  on  ? 

A.  Cap  ;  yes,  sir. 
By  Senator  Yutzy ; 

Q.  Shoulder  straps  ? 

A.  Two  stars  on  the  shoulder — straps,  and  stars. 

Q.  Were  they  conspicuous  enough  to  be  noticed  ? 

A.  They  would  be  noticed,  I  should  judge — regular  size. 

Q.  Regulation  size  ? 

A.  Regulation  size. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  General  Pearson  passed  you  before  the  firing  commenced  ? 

A.  Before  the  firing  commenced. 


mg 


590  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Five  or  ten  minutes? 

A.  Five  or  ten  minutes.     I  was  sitting  on  a  pile  of  plank  there,  and  Pit- 
cairn  was  sitting  beside  me  and  Major  Stroud. 

Q.  How  far  is  it  from  there  to  Pitcairn's  office  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  it  was  about  a  square — a  little  over  that — two  squares. 

Q.  Did  he  come  back  again  at  all,  before  the  firing  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  the  next  place  I  saw  him,  was  in  Pitcairn's  office.     I  went 
down  to  hunt  him  up  to  report,  and  I  saw  him  in  Pitcairn's  office. 
By  Senator  Yutzy ; 

Q.  Did  he  know  that  there  had  been  firing  ? 

A.  He  knew  it ;  yes,  sir. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Was  anybody  there  when  you  got  there  ? 

A.  Yes ;  there  were  several  gentlemen  there,  but  I  do  not  recollect  who 
they  were. 

Q.  Was  he  in  the  telegraph  office  or  in  Pitcairn's — that  is  above  the 
telegraph  office? 

A.  In  Pitcairn's  office. 

Q.  Has  he  a  telegraph  instrument  there  ? 

A.  There  is  a  waiter  that  goes  down,  and  they  send  the  messages  down 
to  the  office. 

Q.  Was  he  dressed  the  same  as  when  he  passed  you? 

A.  Yes  ;  in  his  fatigue  uniform. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  How  close  were  you  to  the  military  when  the  firing  took  place  ? 

A.  I  was  sitting  right  in  the  center  of  the  hollow  square. 

Q.  Were  you  in  uniform  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  command  to  fire  by  any  officer? 

A.  I  did  not.     I  do  not  think  there  was  any  command  given  to  fire. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  the  officers  attempt  to  stop  the  men  when  the  firing  took  place  ? 

A.  As  soon  as  the  firing  took  place,  they  attempted  to  stop  them.     One 
company,  I  think  on  the  left,  did  not  fire. 

Q.  What  did  they  say — order  them  to  cease  firing  ? 

A.  Run  to  them  and  knocked  their  guns  up. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  the  command  to  cease  firing  ? 

A.  I  heard  that  very  plain. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  Who  gave  that  command  ? 

A.  The  different  officers  of  the  regiments. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  shots  fired  from  the  crowd  before  the  firing  by  the 
military  ? 

A.  Some  pistol  shots  and  some  stones  thrown. 

Q.  How  many  shots  ? 

A.  I  should  think  there  were  several.     I  suppose  about  ten  or  twelve. 

Q.  Before  the  firing  by  the  military  ? 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  military  struck  or  injured  before  the  firing  on  the 
mob? 

A.  There  was  one  of  them  hit  with  a  stone. 

H.  Yierheller,  sivorn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 
Q.  What  is  your  full  name? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18T7.  591 

A.  Henry. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Keeping  saloon. 

Q.  Are  you  a  resident  of  Pittsburgh? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  you  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  At  the  time  of  the  July  riots? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  position  did  j'ou  hold  ? 

A.  Private  in  company  A,  Eighteenth  regiment. 

Q.  Were  you  out  at  Twenty-eighth  street  on  the  afternoon  of  the  Twenty- 
first — Saturday  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  on  the  Twenty-first.  I  was  at  the  Union  depot  on  Sat- 
urday. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  troops  start  from  the  Union  depot,  out  ? 

A.  I  was  there  before  the  Philadelphia  troops  arrived  there  on  Saturday. 
I  went  there  with  Major  Stroub,  of  General  Pearson's  staff.  He  came  to 
General  Pearson's  head-quarters  and  wished  to  report  to  the  general.  Their 
head-quarters  were  right  over  my  place,  on  Fifth  avenue,  and  he  asked  me 
to  go  out  with  him  to  report  to  the  general,  and  I  did  so. 

Q.  Did  you  see  General  Pearson  there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  It  must  have  been  between  twelve  and  one  o'clock. 

Q.  Had  the  Philadelphia  troops  arrived  then  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  How  was  General  Pearson  dressed  ? 

A.  He  had  a  fatigue  uniform  blouse — officer's  blouse  on  and  a  fatigue 
cap. 

Q.  You  were  not  present  when  the  firing  took  place  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Know  nothing  of  that  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  If  you  have  anything  that  has  not  been  testified,  that  is  of  any  im- 
portance to  our  committee,  make  a  brief  statement  of  it  ? 

A.  In  relation  to  Saturday,  and  that  is  all  I  know  of  it.  I  remained 
around  there  for  an  hour  or  so,  intending  to  wait  until  the  Philadelphia 
troops  arrived,  but  they  were  late  getting  in,  and  I  left  there. 

Q.  You  were  not  there  when  the  firing  took  place? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Major  General  Albert  L.  Pearson  re-called. 

By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  did  testify  as  to  the  movements  of  the  troops,  &c,  out  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  I  think,  Saturday  afternoon  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  I  want  simply  to  ask  you  how  you  were  dressed  on  that  occasion  ? 

A.  Up  until  Friday  night  I  was  dressed  in  citizens'  clothes ;  light  gray 
pantaloons,  blue  cutaway  coat,  and  straw  hat,  but  at  about  nine  o'clock, 
Captain  Breck,  Colonel  Moore,  and  myself  came  down  to  my  headquarters, 
and  Colonel  Moore  and  I  then  procured  our  uniform.  I  wore  my  uniform 
from  nine  o'clock  Friday  night  up  until  long  after  the  difficulty  ;  in  fact, 
the  only  clothing  I  had  on  up  until  Monday,  was  a  complete  major  gen- 
eral's uniform.     The  coat  is  single  breasted,  five  buttons  down  front,  and 


592  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

from  each  button  was  a  broad  braid  which  is  known  in  military  language 
as  herring  bone — goes  from  each  button  across  the  breast — and  a  large  loop. 
The  coat  is  slashed  up  the  side,  and  that  has  got  a  herring  bone  along  the 
trimmings  on  the  side,  and  the  same  up  the  arm.  The  shoulder  straps  were 
regular  shoulder  straps — major  general's — two  stars.  The  cap,  blue — a  fa- 
tigue cap  as  usually  worn  by  officers,  with  a  dark  blue  velvet  band  clear 
around  the  cap,  with  a  wreath  embroidered  with  gold,  and,  at  that  time, 
the  letters  U.  IS.  inside  of  the  wreath.  The  belt  was  red  Turkish  morocco, 
very  elaborately  embroidered  in  gold.  There  was  a  wreath  embroidered 
entirely  around  the  belt  with  gold  embroidery,  up  above  and  below  the 
wreath 

Q.  It  was  morocco  '( 

A.  Yes ;  the  scabbard  was  gilt  plate,  and  a  handle  of  silver — it  was  a 
uniform,  1  presume,  the  only  one  like  it  on  the  ground.  General  Brinton's 
blouse  was  a  perfectly  plain  blouse  without  the  herring  bone  trimmings  on 
it — it  was  not  slashed.  I  don't  think  any  of  the  other  general  officers  had 
a  blouse  like  it ;  in  fact,  1  know  they  had  not. 

Q.  You  have  testified  in  regard  to  leaving  before  the  firing  ? 

A.  When  I  left,  there  was  no  indications  of  any  firing  or  anything  of 
that  kind  at  all.     There  hal  be^n  no  stones  thrown  or  pistol  shots  fired  — 
nothing  to  indicate  that  there  would  be. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.   Why  did  you  leave? 

A.  I  left,  as  I  testified  before,  from  the  fact  that  I  had  been  informed 
by  some  of  the  officers  of  my  own  division,  that  there  was  a  feeling  existing 
among  the  portion  of  the  troops  of  my  own  division  that  were  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  that  probably  they  couldn't  be  depended  upon.  I  thought  it 
was  better  to  have  the  other  divisions  that  had  been  placed  under  arms 
sent  for  at  once,  and  walked  down  the  tracks  and  telegraphed  to  General 
Latta  for  that  purpose. 

Q.  What  office  did  you  go  to  ? 

A.  Pitcairn's  office  was  over  the  telegraph  office,  at  the  corner  of  Twenty- 
sixth  and  Liberty.  It  is  two  squares  away  from  where  the  difficulty  oc- 
curred. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  telegraph  office  or  above  ? 

A.  In  Pitcairn's  office.  There  were  waiters  running  from  Pitcairn's  office 
down  to  the  telegraph  office,  so  that  messages  could  be  received  or  sent  in 
that  manner.     I  was  accompanied  by  Major  Evans,  who  went  with  me. 

Q.  Major  Evans  you  say  went  back  with  you  ? 

A.  Major  Evans  accompained  me  from  Twenty-eighth  street  to  Pitcairn's 
office  and  was  there  when  we  first  received  the  information  that  the  affair 
had  taken  place,  and.  was  with  me  all  the  time  that  the  difficulty  was  going 
on. 

Q.  Does  he  occupy  any  position  in  the  division  ? 

A.  He  is  major  and  paymaster  of  the  division,  but  was  acting  as  a  per- 
sonal aid  that  day. 

Q.  Where  is  he  ? 

A.  He  is  out  at  his  mill,  at  Soho. 

Q.  Iron  mill  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  firm  of  Evans,  Dalzell  &  Co.  I  think  the  first  man  that 
gave  me  any  information  of  any  firing  was  Mr.  Cassatt — that  is  a  positive 
assurance  that  the  firing  had  taken  place.  He  had  been  up  in  the  cupola 
of  one  of  the  buildings  and  had  observed  all  the  proceedings  that  had  taken 
place  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  I  think  lie  was  the  first  that  gave  me  any 
positive  assurance  that  the  troops  had  fired.     I  know  1  had  heard  no  firing, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  593 

had  not  heard  the  explosion  of  the  pieces  at  all.  I  am  very  free  to  confess 
that  I  am  very  sorry  that  I  was  not  at  Twenty-eighth  street  at  the  time 
of  the  difficulty ,  because  General  Brinton,  when  no  other  officer  would  have 
had  any  reason  to  have  waited  for  an  order  very  long,  for  most  undoubtedly 
and  most  assuredly  had  I  been  there,  and  the  pistol  shots  had  been  fired 
as  has  been  testified,  and  stones  thrown,  as  Captain  Breck  has  stated,  and 
the  troops  treated  in  the  manner  in  which  they  undoubtedly  were  treated, 
1  would  have  directed  Brinton  at  once  to  fire  upon  the  rioters,  and  would 
have  kept  it  up  just  long  enough  that  they  wouldn't  have  come  back  to 
that  locality  again,  at  least  a  good  manj^  of  them.  I  didn't  believe  an  order 
was  given,  at  least,  from  what  Brinton  has  informed,  but  I  thought  it 
should  have  been  given. 

Colonel  Gray,  re-called  : 

B}^  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  You  have  given  your  testimony,  I  believe,  before,  as  to  the  occur- 
rences. All  we  want  to  ask  is,  did  you  see  General  Pearson  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  21st  of  July? 

A.  I  saw  him  at  a  distance.  I  was  on  the  hill  side,  and  saw  him  come 
up  with  the  troops.  I  was  up  in  the  morning,  in  the  forepart  of  the  day, 
probably  twice  I  saw  him  there,  but  I  was  not  close  to  him.  I  was  not 
down  to  the  railroad  that  day. 

Q.  How  was  he  dressed  in  the  morning  that  you  saw  him  ? 

A.  I  saw  him  at  the  Union  depot  at  night — Friday  night — and  then  in 
the  morning,  before  he  went  out  there.  He  was  dressed  in  his  fatigue  uni- 
form, and  it  has  been  very  accurately  described  by  himself,  and  I  think 
everybody  in  the  Sixth  division  knows  it,  and  everybody  who  has  seen 
him,  the  peculiar  coat — different  from  any  other  fatigue  uniform  that  is  in 
existence  now.  I  think  he  was  dressed  in  that  uniform  and  fatigue  cap. 
I  saw  him  come  up  with  the  Philadelphia  troops,  at  a  distance.  I  was  on 
the  hill  side,  and  recognized  him  very  distinctly.  I  was  anxious  that  he 
should  be  there,  and  was  satisfied  that  he  was  there. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  to  meet  at  Harrisburg,  at  the  call 
of  the  chairman. 


Harrisburg,  March  8.  1878. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  notice,  in  Senate  committee  room,  Xo. 
6,  all  members  present  except  Mr.  Larrabee. 

Governor  John  F.  Hartranft,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Governor,  just  state  in  your  own  way  where  you  were  in  July  last, 
when  the  railroad  strikes  first  broke  out,  and  when  3-ou  received  the  first 
information,  and  what  was  done  by  yourself  thereafter  ? 

A.  I  contemplated  making  a  trip  to  the  west  with  my  faniilv,  and,  in 
thinking  the  matter  over  before  I  started,  I  had  a  conversation  with  the 
Adjutant  Genei'al,  in  which  I  stated  to  him  that  I  thought  eveiything  was 
as  calm  in  the  State  it  ever  was  since  our  administration,  yet,  if  there  was 
any  trouble,  he  should  exercise  the  authority  vested  in  the  commander-in- 
chief,  in  accordance  with  the  same  rules  and  principles  that  we  had  estab- 
lished when  there  was  trouble  prior  to  my  leaving  the  State — that  is,  when 
there  was  trouble  in  a  section  of  the  State,  we  frequently  had  culls  from  the 
38  Riots. 


594  Report  of  Committee.  [^°-  29, 

shei'iffs  of  the  county,  and  after  we  became  satisfied  that  the  sheriff  had 
exhausted  his  authority,  or  was  unwilling  to  exercise  his  full  authority, 
we  generally  sent  troops.  With  these  general  instructions,  not  anticipat- 
ing for  a  moment  that  it  meant  anything,  I  left  the  State  on  Monday,  the 
16th  of  July.  On  Wednesday  morning,  I  saw  by  the  papers,  at  Chicago, 
where  I  was,  that  there  was  trouble  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  road.  On 
the  next  day,  Thursday,  receiving  the  papers  on  the  train,  I  saw  that  the 
trouble  was  spreading.  I  telegraphed  to  the  State  for  information  as  to 
whether  this  had  spread  upon  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  road  into  the  State. 
The  first  dispatch  that  I  received  was  received  at  Antelope,  on  the  Union 
Pacific  railroad,  on  Friday  forenoon  sometime.  The  dispatch  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  Mob  stopped  all  freight  trains  at  Pittsburgh.  Sheriff  called  for  troops. 
Ordered  Pearson  to  take  charge,  and  put  one  regiment  on  duty.  Says  he 
may  need  more." 

Q.  Who  was  that  dispatch  received  from  ? 

A.  It  was  from  General  Latta. 

Q.  That  was  on  Friday,  the  20th  of  July  ? 

A.  That  was  on  the  20th,  in  the  forenoon.  As  soon  as  I  reached  Chey- 
enne, I  sent  a  dispatch  to  General  Latta,  at  one-thirty,  p.  M. : 

"  Order  promptly  all  troops  necessaiy  to  support  the  sheriffs  in  protect- 
ing moving  trains  on  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad.  Go  to  Pittsburgh  and 
keep  supervision  of  all  troops  ordered  out.  Will  be  due  at  Ogden  to-mor- 
row at  six  o'clock.     In  the  meantime,  en  route,  let  me  know  the  situation." 

I  again  sent  a  dispatch  from  Laramie  City,  same  day,  five-twenty,  P.  M. : 

"  Spare  nothing  to  protect  all  persons  in  their  rights  under  the  Constitu- 
tion and  laws  of  the  State,  in  accordance  with  the  policy  heretofore  adopted. 
Am  on  the  train  to  Ogden." 

I  receded  a  dispatch  from  General  Latta — I  do  not  remember  whether 
before  sending  this  last  or  after — to  this  effect: 

"Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  July  20,  1877. 

"  No  difficulty  on  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  in  Pennsylvania.  Strike 
extended  to  Pennsylvania  railroad.  Trains  stopped  at  Pittsburgh  by 
rioters,  numbering  two  or  three  thousand. 

"  General  Pearson  has  six  hundred  men  under  arms  guarding  property. 
General  Brinton  will  be  here  to-day,  with  twelve  or  fifteen  hundred  men. 
Movement  will  be  made  immediately  on  his  arrival  to  open  road,  and  we 
expect  to  do  so  without  bloodshed. 

"  I  will  be  at  Union  hotel,  Pittsburgh,  until  order  is  restored.  Keep  me 
advised  of  your  movements.  If  your  presence  is  needed,  I  will  promptly 
wire  you." 

I  received  numerous  dispatches  after  that  from  General  Latta,  Mr.  Scott, 
and  others,  and  at  Ogden  I  sent  the  following  dispatch  to  General  Latta, 
Saturday  evening,  the  21st  of  <luly: 

''  Dispatch  received.  Unless  1  hear  from  you  to  change  my  mind,  I  will 
take  the  first  train  to  Pittsburgh.  There  must  be  no  illegal  interference 
with  any  person  willing  to  work,  and  to  this  end  act  promptly,  that  it  may 
be  done  without  bloodshed." 

I  then  went  to  Salt  Lake  City  with  my  family,  the  next  train  east  not 
being  clue  at  Ogden  until  ten  o'clock  Sunday  morning.  When  I  arrived  at 
Salt  Lake  City,  I  had  another  dispatch  from  Mr.  Quay.  This  I  received 
ut  nine  o'clock  Saturday  evening  : 

"A  collision  has  occurred  here  between  the  strikers  and  the  troops. 
Number  of  persons  have  been   killed  and  wounded.      Intense  excitement 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  595 

prevails  in  city,  and  there  are  indications  of  further  bloodshed,  and  that 
the  trouble  will  be  wide-spread  and  protracted.  I  suggest  that  you  return, 
allowing  your  party  to  go  forward." 

I  then  secured  a  special  train,  leaving  there  at  twelve  o'clock,  and  got 
to  Pittsburgh  on  Tuesday  afternoon. 

Q.  Before  you  go  any  further,  I  would  like  to  ask  a  question  or  two  : 
In  your  instructions  to  General  Latta,  before  leaving  the  State,  was  it  your 
intention  to  delegate  to  General  Latta  your  power  as  commander-in-chief 
to  call  out  the  militia  in  case  of  an  emergency  ? 

A.  Not  my  power,  but  simply  discretion,  under  the  general  order,  to  act 
in  accordance  with  our  custom  in  case  there  was  any  trouble  in  my  ab- 
sence, and  to  issue  orders  by  my  authority,  just  the  same  as  if  I  were  in 
the  State. 

Q.  Signing  your  name  ? 

A.  No;  his  own,  by  order  of  the  commander-in-chief,  or  what  is  the 
same  thing,  as  Adjutant  General.  I  may  say  that  I  talked  with  the  Attor- 
ney General  before  I  left  the  State,  and  he  thought  there  was  no  reason 
why  I  should  not  go. 

Q,.  He  was  to  follow  strictly  the  regulations  that  had  been  adopted  here- 
tofore ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Under  the  act  of  1864,  what  have  been  the  regulations — I  do  not 
quite  understand  you  on  that  point — about  calling  out  troops  ? 

A.  We  have  not  fallen  back  upon  the  act  of  1864,  because  the  sheriffs 
have  always  called.  In  fact,  the  sheriffs  are  generally  very  prompt  to  call 
for  troops.  They  often  wanted  our  assistance  when  we  thought  it  was  not 
necessary,  and  in  every  instance  when  troops  have  been  ordered  out  during 
my  administration,  they  have  been  ordered,  as  they  were  in  this  case,  upon 
the  call  of  the  civil  authorities  to  aid  them.  We  have  always  kept  the 
troops,  so  far  as  we  could,  subordinate  to  the  civil  authorities.  In  this  in- 
stance, and  some  other  instances,  perhaps  the  civil  authorities  were  not 
quite  as  active  as  they  ought  to  have  been,  and  they,  to  a  certain  extent, 
disappeared,  and  then,  of  course,  we  came  under  the  act  of  1864.  But  in 
the  first  instance  we  have  never  exercised  our  authority  under  that  act. 

Q.  You  would  consider  that  under  that  act  you  have  authority  to  call 
out  the  militia  upon  notice,  or  your  own  knowledge,  that  there  is  any  se- 
rious riot  or  outbreak  in  the  State  ? 

A.  Yes.  If  there  is  a  riot  in  any  section  of  the  State,  and  the  civil  au- 
thorities are  unable  or  unwilling  to  suppress  it,  I  think  it  would  be  my 
duty,  as  Executive,  to  order  out  the  National  Guard,  and  to  take  charge 
of  the  situation  to  protect  life  and  property.  I  would  not  hesitate  to  do 
it,  whenever  I  became  satisfied  of  that  fact. 

Q.  In  your  judgment,  would  that  be  in  conflict — would  such  an  action 
be  in  conflict,  in  any  way — with  the  Constitution,  which  says  that  the  mil- 
itary shall  always  be  in  subordination  to  the  civil  authorities  ? 

A.  Well,  I  do  not  pretend  to  give  any  legal  opinion  upon  that  point ; 
but,  so  far  as  the  past  has  been  concerned,  we  would  have  been  glad  and 
willing  to  let  the  civil  authorities  take  entire  control,  and  it  is  only  when 
they  were  willing  and  anxious  that  we  took  part,  and  there  never  has 
been  a  conflict. 

Q.  That  has  always  been  the  rule  adopted  by  you,  as  commander-in- 
chief? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  I  am  not  quite  sure  that  that  question  may  not  arise.  I 
can  see  very  easily  how  it  might  arise  in  the  near  future,  in  any  locality 


596  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

where  the  civil  authorities  might  be  in  sympathy  with  the  lawless  elements, 
but  we  hope  that  it  may  not. 

Q.  And  is  that  a  reason  whj  you  have  adhered  to  the  rules  that  you 
have  just'  mentioned  ? 

Q.  I  do  not  know  that  it  was  because  of  any  supposed  conflict,  but  I 
adhered  to  that  because  I  thought  it  was  the  common-sense  way  of  doing 
it.     That  is  about  all. 

Q.  Then  the  first  telegram,  I  understood  you  to  say,  received  from  Gen- 
eral Latta  was  in  the  forenoon  of  Friday,  the  20th  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  know  on  that  day  that  General  Latta  had  already  ordered 
out  the  militia  ? 

A.  Not  except  through  him. 

Q.  Does  that  telegram  state  that  ? 

A.  Yes.  He  says,  "  Ordered  Pearson  to  take  charge,  and  put  one  regi- 
ment on  duty." 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  time  General  Latta  gave  that  order  to  General 
Pearson  to  take  charge  ? 

A.  No ;  I  do  not. 

Q.  I  would  like  you  now  to  state  when  the  news  first  reached  you  of 
any  disturbance  at  Scranton,  and  through  what  channel,  and  your  action 
in  relation  to  the  outbreak  at  Scranton. 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  I  knew  anything  definitely  about  the  trouble 
there  until  the  25th.  As  I  was  passing  through  Harrisburg  to  Philadel- 
phia, on  the  25th,  I  received  a  dispatch  from  the  Brotherhood  of  Firemen 
and  Brakemen,  and  there  was  also  one,  I  think,  from  the  officers  of  the 
road,  which  I  do  not  see  here  just  now.  The  question  that  arose  there 
was  that  the  railroad  company  were  unable  to  run  their  trains,  because  the 
firemen  and  brakemen  had  struck,  and  mob  would  not  let  them,  and  then 
the  Brotherhood  of  Firemen  and  Brakeman  agreed  that  they  might  run 
the  mails  through,  and  the  company  did  not  want  to  do  that  unless  they 
could  take  a  passenger  train.  I  telegraphed  back  to  the  superintendent  of 
the  railroad,  "  Would  advise  you  to  let  mails  run  through."  My  object  in 
that  was  not  to  precipitate  an}r  further  disturbance  until  I  had  everything 
in  hand.  There  was,  I  think,  no  running  of  trains  for  a  week  or  ten  days 
after  that.  They  were  making  an  effort  to  run  trains  about  the  31st  of 
July,  but  on  the  1st  of  August  there  was  a  disturbance  in  Scranton,  and 
the  mayor  called  upon  me  for  troops.  The  miners  came  out  on  a  strike 
ab  ut  the  25th.  In  consequence  of  this  general  confusion  in  Luzerne 
county,  no  trains  moved.  I  had  anticipated  a  movement  to  Luzerne 
county  for  the  purpose  of  starting  trains,  and  had  made  my  arrangements, 
but  this  riot  at  Scranton  precipitated  the  movement,  and  I  got  there  on 
August  2d.  The  riot  occurred  on  the  1st,  and  I  got  the  first  news  about 
two  o'clock,  and  my  advance  troops  got  to  Scranton  early  next  morning. 

Q.  What  day  did  you  say  you  received  the  call  from  the  mayor  for 
troops  ? 

A.  On  the  1st  of  August.     The  -dispatch  was : 

"  Mob  have  partly  taken  possession  of  the  town.  I  was  assaulted,  and 
sent  to  my  committee  for  assistance.  Mob  attempted  to  follow  me  up, 
when  three  or  more  were  killed.     Come  to  my  assistance. 

"  R.  H.  McKune, 

"Mayor." 

Very  soon  afterward,  I  received  another  dispatch :  "  How  soon  can  I 
expect  troops  ?  "     Then  I  received  half  a  dazen  dispatches  from  private 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  597 

parties.     I  sent  a  dispatch  to  McKune :  "  Keep  quiet.     Will  be  with  you 
in  the  morning." 

Q.  Had  you  any  communication  with  the  mayor  prior  to  the  1st  day  of 
August  ? 

A.  Yes ;  there  were  several  dispatches  in  which  he  was  confident  that 
he  could  manage  the  situation.  For  instance,  here  is  one  on  the  29th  of 
July:  "Pumps  will  start  to-morrow.  Send  no  troops  until  you  hear 
further  from  me.  Am  in  hopes  of  a  peaceful  settlement."  Here  is  a  dis- 
patch from  the  mayor  on  the  25th  of  July,  which  I  overlooked  before : 
"  Strikers  have  taken  the  coaches  off  of  the  mail  train,  and  will  not  allow 
them  to  proceed.  I  am  unable  to  assist  the  company  in  getting  the  train 
started."  That  is  on  the  25th  of  July.  There  is  another  dispatch  here 
which  influenced  me  to  some  extent,  dated  July  25  : 

"There  is  not  flour  or  provisions  enough  in  this  (Wyoming)  district  to 
last  one  week.  We  are  informed  that  at  Scranton  the  situation  is  no  bet- 
ter. Unless  some  means  are  adopted  to  open  up  western  communication 
by  rail,  there  will  be  serious  trouble  here.  The  situation  is  very  grave, 
and  demands  urgent  attention. 

"  Yery  respectfull}-, 

"CONYNOHAMS    &    PAINE." 

That  is  dated  Wilkes-Barre,  July  25,  1877. 

Q.  Then,  I  understand,  prior  to  August  1,  the  mayor  of  Scranton  did 
not  desire  troops  to  be  sent  ? 

A.  No ;  the  first  dispatch  did  not  call  for  troops,  but  he  was  evidently 
looking  to  me  for  assistance.     But  in  a  few  days  after  that,  on  the  29th, 
he  thinks  he  is  able  to  control  it. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Up  to  that  time  he  was  confident  that  the  civil  authorities  could  con- 
trol it  ? 

A.  Yes.  There  was  no  conflict,  because  the  railroad  companies  could 
not  move  their  trains,  and  did  not  attempt  it.  They  could  not  move  them, 
and  the  civil  authorities  were  unable  to  assist  the  railroad  companies,  and 
therefore  did  not  attempt  it,  and  everything  was  quiet.  Eventually  they 
were  looking  to  me  to  help  them,  but  I  did  not  propose  to  go  there  until 
I  got  through  with  Pittsburgh.  Besides,  I  thought  if  we  got  everything 
started  at  Pittsburgh,  the  moral  effect  of  that  might  settle  the  question  in 
the  whole  State,  and  there  would  be  no  necessity  to  go  anywhere  else. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  other  dispatches  from  him  except  the  one  you 
have  read,  dated  the  29th,  in  which  he  expressed  himself  as  being  able  to 
control  it. 

A.  Xo  ;  I  think  not.  I  find  none  in  the  appendix  to  the  message,  and  I 
have  none  in  this  package,  I  know.  While  I  was  at  Pittsburgh,  Mr.  Farr, 
my  private  secretary,  was  here  in  charge,  and  he  kept  me  in  constant  com- 
munication with  the  region — with  the  Luzerne  region — and  there  is  one 
dispatch  from  him  here ;  it  is  rather  lengthy,  but  it  gives  the  situation  on 
the  31st  of  July,  the  day  before  the  riot  occurred. 

The  dispatch  was  read  as  follows  : 

"  With  exception  of  Luzerne  county,  matters  in  eastern  Pennsylvania 
have  returned  to  normal  condition.  Philadelphia  is  orderly.  In  Reading 
all  danger  is  over,  and  civil  authorities  are  rapidly  arresting  rioters.  About 
fifty  are  now  in  jail.  The  citizens  support  General  Reeder's  action,  and 
believe  the  firing  of  his  troops  prevented  great  destruction  of  property. 
Two  of  leaders  of  rioters  were  killed.  The  P.  &  R.  R.  is  running  trains, 
and  the  bridge  will  be  ready  for  trains  in  two  weeks.     At  Harrisburg  all 


503  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

signs  of  disorders  have  disappeared.  Forty  arrests  have  been  made,  and 
the  authorities  are  rapidly  ferreting  others.  There  is  no  doubt  of  their 
conviction  of  majority  of  prisoners,  both  in  Reading  and  Harrisburg. 
Captain  Linden  assures  me  there  are  no  fears  of  an  outbreak  in  Schuylkill, 
unless  irruptions  of  striking  miners  from  Luzerne  force  the  men  in  Schujd- 
kill  to  quit  work.  General  Sigfried's  advices  from  Pottsville  are  to  same 
effect.  \n  Luzerne  affairs  are  threatening.  The  Lehigh  Yalley  R.  R.  has 
not  resumed,  and  trains  are  stopped  on  other  roads  by  miners.  Engineers 
driven  from  pumps,  and  mines  are  flooding.  In  Wilkes-Rarre  there  is  said 
to  be  a  scarcity  of  provisions,  owing  to  interrupted  transportation,  and 
fears  are  felt  of  disturbance  on  that  account.  A  concentration  of  troops 
in  Luzerne,  to  give  control  of  property,  open  traffic,  and  protect  workmen, 
would  remove  the  last  vestige  of  lawlessness  in  eastern  Pennsylvania. 
There  are  two  hundred  regulars  in  Reading.  Available  troops  can  be 
taken  from  Harrisburg  or  Reading  without  danger.  If  to-night's  advices 
indicate  the  necessity,  I  will  go  to  Scranton  and  Wilkesbarre  to-morrow, 
if  I  can  get  there." 

Witness  :  There  is  another  one  here,  11.30,  p.  m.,  that  I  suppose  was- the 
same  date. 

The  dispatch  was  read,  as  follows : 

"  In  answer  to  my  dispatch  of  yesterday,  Sheriff  Kirkendall,  of  Luzerne, 
telegraphs  as  follows  :  '  All  travel  and  communication  by  railroad  stopped. 
Rumors  that  Lehigh  Valley  road  resumes  to-day.  There  has  been  no  riots 
so  far,  nor  destruction  of  property,  except  incident  to  stopping  mines. 
Work  in  all  mines  stopped;  men  on  strike.'  I  report  no  immediate  ap- 
prehension  of  danger.     There  are  some  five   hundred   troops — National 

Guard — encamped  here — Wilkes-Rarre telegraphs  from 

Kingston,  July  31,  that  Kingston,  Plymouth,  and  Nanticoke  have  been 
entirely  in  the  hands  of  mob  since  last  night.  If  ai^thing  is  being  done  to 
master  it,  I  don't  know  it.  Last  night,  30th,  they  mobbed  a  passenger 
train  at  Plymouth.  Have  been  ready  all  day  to  do  so  again,  if  one  moved. 
This  afternoon,  31st,  at  Nanticoke,  the  mob  stopped  all  the  pumps  at  the 
mines.     The  citizens  are  powerless  to  act;  those  in  authority  don't. 

C.  N.  Farr,  jr., 
Private  Sec,y.v 

Q.  Had  you  any  communication  with  the  sheriff  of  Luzerne  county 
direct  ? 

A.  His  dispatch  is  incorporated  in  these  :  "  In  answer  to  my  dispatch 
of  yesterday,  Sheriff  Kirkendall,  of  Luzerne,  telegraphs  as  follows:  'All 
travel  and  communication  by  railroad  stopped.  Rumors  that  Lehigh 
Yalley  road  resumes  to-da3%  There  has  been  no  riot  so  far,  nor  destruc- 
tion of  property,  except  incident  to  stopping  mines.  Work  in  mines  all 
stopped  ;  men  on  strike.'  "  And  there  may  have  been  other  dispatches 
received  from  him  which  I  have  not  got — which  I  did  not  print. 

Q.  Had  you  any  dispatches  from  the  sheriff  of  Luzerne  county,  in  which 
he  expressed  himself  as  being  able  to  control  the  situation  of  affairs  with- 
out troops  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  think  there  were  no  such  dispatches. 

Q.  Did  he  make  any  call  for  troops  ? 

A.  lie  made  no  call.  The  mayor  of  Scranton  made  a  call,  and  so  did 
the  mayor  of  Wilkes- Barre.  I  cannot  find  the  dispatch  from  the  mayor  of 
Wilkes-Rarre,  but  I  am  satisfied  there  was  one. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  time  the  call  was  made  by  the  mayor  of  Wilkes- 
Barre? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  599 

A.  It  came  on  the  same  afternoon  that  Mayor  McKune  called  for  troops. 
I  do  not  know  just  what  time  the  miners  came  out  of  the  mines.  I  do  not 
think  they  came  out  until  after  railroad  communication  was  stopped.  I 
think  the  strike  was  inaugurated  after  that. 

Q.  Did  you  publish  the  proclamation  in  your  message? 

A.  Yes  ;  there  are  two  proclamations  there. 

Q.  I  wish  you  would  state  when  the  first  proclamation  was  issued  ? 

A.  The  first  proclamation  was  issued  on  the  20th  of  July.  The  procla- 
mation was  gotten  up  at  the  office,  and  I  was  notified  that  it  was  issued  as 
soon  as  it  was  done. 

Q.  By  the  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth  ? 

A.  By  the  Adjutant  General.  It  was  signed  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Commonwealth.  The  proclamation  was  prepared  on  a  blank,  which  was 
left  signed  for  general  purposes.  Then,  when  I  returned  to  Pittsburgh  I 
issued  another  proclamation,  which  was  dated  the  25th  of  Jul}'. 

The  proclamation  was  as  follows  : 

Pennsylvania,  ss  : 

J.  F.  Hartranft. 

,-^a^^     In  the  name  and  by  the  authority  of  the  Commonwealth  of 
<p,ace  °f)  Pennsylvania. 

-J  great  seal    -  •' 

(of  state,  j  John  F.  Hartranft, 

>-^.-~^-'  Governor  of  the  said  Commonwealth. 

A  PROCLAMATION. 

To  the  people  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  : 

Whereas,  There  exists  a  condition  of  turbulence  and  disorder  within 
the  State,  extending  to  many  interests  and  threatening  all  communities, 
under  the  impulse  of  which  there  has  grown  up  a  spirit  of  lawlessness 
requiring  that  all  law-observing  citizens  shall  organize  themselves  into 
armed  bodies  for  the  purpose  of  self  protection  and  preserving  the  peace. 

Therefore,  I,  John  F.  Hartranft,  Governor  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania, 
do  hereby  recommend  that  all  citizens  shall  organize  themselves  into  as- 
sociations, with  such  arms  as  the}^  can  procure,  for  the  purpose  of  main- 
taining order  and  suppressing  violence ;  and  all  good  citizens  are  warned 
against  appearing  in  company  with  any  mob  or  riotous  assembly,  and  thus 
giving  encouragement  to  violators  of  the  law. 

Given  under  my  hand,  and  the  great  s^al  of  the  State,  at  Harrisburg,  this 
twenty-fifth  day  of  July,  Anno  Domini  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
seventy-seven,  and  of  the  Commonwealth,  the  one  hundred  and  second. 
By  the  Governor : 

M.  S.  Quay, 
Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth. 

The  witness :  That  was  issued  that  night.  It  got  into  the  morning  pa- 
pers, I  think  of  the  25th,  in  which  I  called  upon  the  people  to  organize, 
and  aid  the  civil  authorities. 

Q.  Have  you  a  telegram  notifying  you  of  the  issue  of  the  first  proclama- 
tion ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 


-5 


Harrisburg,  Pa.,  July  20,  2.20,  P.  M.,  1877. 

Governor  J.  F.  Hartranft,  on  No.  3,  Sherman,  Wyoming: 

Trouble  on  the  P.  R.  R.,  at  Pittsburgh.  Railroad  officials  over-anxious, 
fearing  trouble  would  extend  to  Philadephia,  where  train  hands  were  in 
session  last  night. 


COO  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Scott  suggested  }*our  return,  but  there  is  no  necessity.  Proclamation 
issued.  Go  on.  Where  can  we  telegraph  next  ?  We  goto  Pittsburgh 
this  afternoon. 

(Signed)  Jas.  W.  Latta, 

C.  N.  Farr. 

Q.  When  you  arrived  at  Pittsburgh,  state  whether  you  were  met  by  any 
committee  of  citizens  or  not  ? 

A.  When  I  came  to  Allegheny  there  was  a  large  number  of  citizens — 
a  committee  in  fact.  They  had  telegraphed  to  me  before  I  arrived.  The 
names  in  the  dispatch  were  John  Kirkpatrick,  John  Harper,  chairman  of 
committee,  G.  Johnston,  Joseph  McCune,  John  B.  Guthrie,  George  A.  Ber- 
ry, John  H.  Bickelsen,  John  D.  Scully,  and  there  were  some  twenty  or 
twenty-five  citizens,  most  of  whom  I  was  personally  acquainted  with,  asked 
me  to  remain.  My  intention  was  to  go  right  to  Philadelphia,  to  consult 
with  General  Hancock,  who  had  charge  of  the  regular  troops  that  had  been 
sent  into  the  State,  and  with  General  Schofield,  who  represented  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  I  did  not  see  what  I  could  do  in  Pittsburgh 
without  troops,  but,  to  satisfy  them,  I  remained,  went  to  the  hotel,  and  had 
the  wires  brought  into  the  room,  and  probably  lost  no  time  by  doing  it. 
I  did  a  great  deal  of  work  that  night.  I  became  satisfied,  b}r  mjr  inquiries, 
that  the  roads  leading  into  Pittsburgh  would  have  to  be  opened  as  soon  as 
possible.  The  committee  claimed  that  their  supply  of  coal  for  the  manu- 
facturing establishments,  for  their  water-works,  and  gas-works  would  not 
be  sufficient  to  hold  out  more  than  about  a  week,  at  least,  not  two  weeks, 
and  if  that  supply  should  give  out,  together  with  the  supplies  of  food, 
there  would  be  a  terrible  state  of  affairs,  and  that  made  me  more  earnest 
and  determined,  perhaps,  to  organize  a  force  and  get  back  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. I  then  went  to  Philadelphia  and  consulted  with  these  gentlemen — 
the  officers  I  named — and  we  all  agreed  that  there  was  but  one  thing  to  do, 
and  that  was  to  organize  a  sufficient  force  and  go  to  Pittsburgh  and  open 
the  roads,  which  was  done. 

Q.  Was  there  any  resistance  in  the  city  of  Allegheny  to  your  passage 
through  the  city  ? 

A.  Xo,  sir. 

Q.  By  the  rioters  or  strikers  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  they  received  me  very  kindly.  They  cheered  me.  I  would 
not  say  they  were  rioters,  but  they  were  the  strikers  connected  with  the 
road. 

Q.  They  were  blockading  freight,  or  holding  freight  trains,  at  that  time 
in  Allegheny  city  ? 

A.  Yes;  but  there  was  no  destruction  of  property.  Mr.  R.  A.  Amnion 
sent  the  following  dispatch  to  me  as  I  was  coming  into  Pittsburgh.  I  re- 
ceived it  about  fifty  or  one  hundred  miles  out  of  Pittsburgh  :  "  We  bid 
you  welcome  home,  and  assure  you  a  safe  passage  over  Fort  Wayne  road." 
He  was  very  prominent  at  the  depot  when  I  arrived,  and  I  did  not  see  an}" 
other  person  that  assumed  to  have  an}r  authority  over  the  road  when  I 
arrived. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  :  _ 

Q.  Will  3rou  please  state  who  this  R.  A.  Amnion  is? 

A.  I  saw  him  that  day,  and  have  never  seen  him  since. 

Q.  Was  he  a  railroad  official,  or  was  he  one  of  the  strikers  ? 

A.  I  think  he  was  one  of  the  strikers.  I  think  he  had  possession  of  the 
telegraph — I  am  not  sure  about  that.  He  told  me — I  do  not  know  whether 
it  is  proper  to  state  this — that  the  principal  railroad  official,  I  forget  his 
name,  sent  him  word  to  protect  the  property,  which  he  said  he  did. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  601 

Q.  Mr.  MeCollough,  was  it  ? 

A.  I  do  not  remember  now.  Very  likely  it  was — Layng,  I  think,  was 
the  name. 

Q.  State  when  you  left  the  State,  whether  there  was  anything  at  all  to 
induce  you  to  believe  that  there  was  any  liability  of  a  disturbance  of  the 
peace  ? 

A.  Not  the  slightest  in  the  world.  I  said  at  the  time  I  had  the  conversa- 
tion with  General  Latta,  that  I  thought  things  never  looked  better  than 
they  did  now — at  that  time. 

Q.  Since  that  time,  in  }'our  intercourse  with  the  railroad  officials  of  the 
State  in  any  way,  have  you  got  information  as  to  the  causes  of  the  out- 
break ? 

A.  Not  sufficient  for  me  to  express  any  opinion.  I  have  never  investi- 
gated that. 

Q.  Far  enough  to  express  any  opinion  on  the  subject  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  guess  you  know  more  about  that  than  I  do,  by  this  time. 

Q.  Have  3tou  had  any  conversation  or  communications  with  any  of  the 
railroad  employes  who  were  engaged  in  the  strike,  other  than  Mr.  Amnion? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  Mr.  Amnion  give  any  reasons  for  his  taking  charge  of  the  rail- 
road and  telegraph  at  Allegheny  City  ? 

A.  No  ;  the  only  reason  he  gave,  so  far  as  protecting  the  property  was 
concerned — I  think  it  was  Mr.  Layng  that  sent  him  word  to  protect  the 
property  that  night — the  night  of  the  21st — and  he  claimed  that  he  had' 
lie  claimed  a  good  deal  of  credit  for  what  was  done — I  do  not  know,  of  my 
own  knowledge,  whether  he  had  anything  to  do  with  it.  I  might  say  that 
there  was  a  committee  of  engineers  came  to  see  me  at  Pittsburgh,  when  I 
was  there  with  the  troops  on  Sunday.  They  pretended  that  they  were 
informed  that  I  had  authority  to  settle  this  question  between  them  and 
the  railroad  company.  Of  course,  I  told  them  I  had  nothing  more  to  do 
with  it  than  any  other  citizen,  so  far  as  their  differences  were  concerned. 
Another  committee  also  came  to  see  me,  when  I  was  at  Kingston  with 
troops — that  was  in  Luzerne  county — but  there  was  nothing  of  any  im- 
portance passed,  because  there  was  nothing  that  we  could  do — nothing  that 
I  could  do.     I  went  simply  to  preserve  order. 

Q.  Had  }^ou  been  at  home  at  the  time  of  receiving  the  call  from  the 
sheriff  of  Allegheny  county  for  troops,  would  you  have  asked  him  what 
measures  he  had  taken  to  suppress  the  disturbance,  before  you  would  have 
ordered  out  the  troops  ? 

A.  It  is  very  likely  I  would  ;  but  I  would  have  been  influenced  by  the 
magnitude  of  the  threatened  disturbance  to  a  very  great  extent.  Of 
course,  we  always  resist  the  sending  of  troops  to  the  last  moment ;  but,  in 
this  instance,  I  think  it  was  perfectly  proper  to  send  troops. 

Q.  You  would  be  influenced  by  the  magnitude  of  the  disturbance,  then, 
rather  than  by  the  efforts  put  forth  by  the  sheriff  to  suppress  it  ? 

A.  If  I  knew  the  exact  character  of  the  sheriff  I  would  be  very  much 
influenced  by  his  call ;  but  they  are  nearly  always  strangers,  and  I  do  not 
know  to  what  extent  they  can  be  relied  upon.  I  always  avail  myself  of 
all  the  information  I  can  get,  and  is  very  difficult  to  say  what  would  con- 
trol the  Executive  in  making  up  his  mind  just  at  the  last  moment.  Some 
sheriffs  are  very  timid,  and  they  throw  the  responsibility  off  as  soon  as 
possible.  They  think  the  moment  thej-  get  troops  that  they  are  relieved. 
Others  have  a  good  deal  more  pride,  and  they  try  to  control  matters  them- 
selves. I  think  a  great  deal  more  could  be  done  by  sheriffs  than  is  gener- 
ally done. 


602  Report  of  Committee.  [No;  29, 

Q.  After  ordering  out  the  military  force  of  the  State,  are  the  civil  au- 
thorities relieved  or  superceded  by  the  military  force  ? 

A.  Xo  ;  not  as  long  as  they  appear  active  and  on  the  ground.  If  they 
retire,  of  course  the  responsibility  falls  upon  the  Executive  and  his  troops. 

Q.  To  preserve  the  peace  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  Then  we  come  under  the  act  of  1864,  which,  I  suppose, 
was  the  case  in  this  instance. 

Q.  If  the  civil  authorities  in  the  locality  should  retire  and  do  nothing 
towards  the  suppression  of  the  riot,  then  you  deem  it  the  duty  of  the  mili- 
tary to  preserve  the  peace  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  would  not  hesitate  a  moment. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Would  you  not  regard  it  the  duty  of  both  military  and  civil  authori- 
ties to  cooperate  ? 

A.  I  would  have  the  military  support  the  civil  authorities,  and  I  think 
the  latter  ought  to  appear  somewhere  all  the  time,  even  if  not  in  any  great 
force,  or  with  much  power,  because  the  rioters  must  be  arrested  and  tried 
by  civil  authorities. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  And  the  military  is  to  support  ? 

A.  Is  to  support. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  And  the  civil  authorites  are  not  relieved  from  any  responsibility  after 
that  just  because  the  military  are  pesent  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  so.     I  do  not  think  that  the  laws  relieved  them.     They 
relieved  themselves. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  I  understood  you  to  say  you  have  never  found  it  necessary  to  fall 
back  upon  that  act  of  1864 — the  particular  section  that  authorizes  the 
commander-in-chief  to  call  out  troops — I  think  it  is  the  ninety-second  sec- 
tion ? 

A.  At  Susquehanna  Depot  the  sheriff  was  active  all  the  time,  and  there 
was  no  conflict.  In  fact,  we  never  had  a  conflict  before.  We  ordered  the 
troops  to  Luzerne  county  again  the  next  year — they  were  sent  there  upon 
the  call  of  the  sheriff.  He  was  not  very  active.  I  finally  told  him  to  come  to 
my  office,  and  we  consulted  as  to  the  necessity  of  withdrawing  the  troops, 
and  we  both  decided  that  it  was  not  the  time  to  withdraw  the  troops. 
He  would  not  take  the  entire  responsibility,  but  I  divided  it  with  him. 
That  was  the  nearest  to  taking  the  supreme  control  before.  I  considered 
the  July  riots  of  such  a  magnitude  and  so  wide  spread  over  the  State — 
railroad  communication  stopped — the  highways  of  the  State  obstructed — 
that  it  was  necessary  to  exercise  the  authority  given  by  the  act  of  1864. 
Although  the  troops  went  to  Pittsburgh  on  the  call  of  the  sheriff,  and  to 
Luzerne  on  the  call  of  the  mayor  of  Scran  ton  and  the  mayor  of  Wilkes- 
Barre,  after  they  got  on  the  spot,  it  was  necessary,  I  think,  to  assume  gen- 
eral control. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Under  the  act  of  1864,  you  have  the  authority  or  the  power  to  call 
out  the  military  whenever  you  get  information  from  any  source  that  there 
is  a  disturbance  of  the  peace  that  cannot  be  quelled  by  the  civil  authorities 
without  being  called  on,  or  request  made  by  the  sheriff  or  mayor  or  other 
civil  authority? 

A.  That  is  my  construction  of  it.  I  am  quite  sure  that  that  was  the 
intention  of  the  act,  when  it  was  passed. 

Q.  We  are  required  to  examine,  and  inquire  into  the  conduct  of  the  mil- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  603 

itary  during  the  riot — will  you  please  give  us  a  statement  of  their  conduct — 
of  the  militia. 

A.  I  think  that  would  be  simply  expressing  an  opinion  which  the  com- 
mittee is  called  upon  to  do  after  investigating  the  facts.  I  have  investigated 
the  facts,  and  give  my  opinion  in  my  message.  You  can  take  that  as  my 
evidence. 

Q.  What  you  know  of  your  own  professional  knowledge  of  the  conduct 
of  the  military  ? 

.A.  That  is  a  very  comprehensive  question.  A  great  deal  might  be  said, 
pro  and  con. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  I  suppose  you  can  tell  what  the  conduct  of  the  militia  was  after  you 
came  home  and  took  charge  ? 

A .  I  had  every  faith  in  them.     The  troops  that  I  went  to  Pittsburgh  with, 
and  the  troops  I  went  to  Luzerne  county  with,  I  think  they  would  have 
done  anything  I  could  have  expected  with  that  many  men. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  consider  their  conduct,  as  troops,  commendable  during  the 
time  that  jrou  had  charge  of  them  after  your  return  to  the  State  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes  ;  we  had  no  conflict  afterwards  at  all. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  I  suppose  what  Mr.  Yutzy  would  like  to  know  is,  whether  there  was 
any  individual  instance  of  misconduct  on  the  part  of  any  officer  or  soldier, 
after  you  took  charge,  that  came  within  your  own  knowledge — came  under 
your  observation  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  had  no  occasion  to  have  anybody  court-martialed  for  any 
misconduct. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  If  they  had  misconducted  themselves  you  would  have  had  them  court- 
martialed  ? 

A.  I  would  have  taken  notice  of  it  in  that  way.  A  militia  officer  occu- 
pies a  very  singular  position.  He  ought  to  have  more  judgment  and  more 
courage  than  an  officer  of  like  grade  in  the  field  if  he  is  confronted  with 
any  great  emergency.  The  men  that  he  commands  are  part  of  the  people — 
part  of  the  very  people  he  is  called  on  to  oppose — and  in  a  disturbance  like 
this,  suddenly  thrown  up,  a  large  proportion  of  the  community  may  be 
against  the  troops  and  in  favor  of  the  disturber  of  the  peace.  It  is  a  very 
difficult  position  to  hold,  and  it  requires  a  great  deal  of  judgment.  In  fact, 
a  great  deal  more  than  it  would  require  in  the  field. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  It  is  not  like  meeting  an  enemy  on  the  field  to  meet  these  people  ? 

A.  No.  Of  course  this  is  only  at  first  blush.  After  everybody  cools  off 
and  they  begin  to  realize  that  there  must  be  law  and  order,  then  the  reac- 
tion comes,  but  in  the  first  instance  it  is  a  very  difficult  thing  to  determine 
just  what  to  do.  I  would  not  like  to  loosely  condemn  people.  I  cannot 
tell  what  I  would  have  done  if  I  had  been  there.  No  man  can  tell.  It  is 
probabl}-  much  easier  to  tell  what  ought  to  have  been  done  after  it  is  all 
over,  and  I  am  very  confident  now  what  I  would  do  in  the  future.  I  have 
learned  a  great  deal  from  these  riots  that  I  never  knew  before,  and  the  ex- 
perience has  been  quite  valuable  to  the  officers  of  the  National  Guard,  and 
everybody.  I  do  not  think  the  like  would  occur  again,  unless  there  is  a 
general  revolution. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  I  would  like  to  ask  you  this  question  :  Whether  you  have  noticed  any 
tendency  of  the  civil  authorities  of  the  State  to  rely  upon  the  National 


604  Report  or  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Guard  and  shirk  their  own  responsibility  since  the  organization  of  the 
guard  ? 

A.  There  has  always  been  a  National  Guard  in  the  State.  As  to  the 
main  question,  there  is  a  tendency  to  rely  too  much  on  the  guard. 

(4.  Is  that  tendency  growing,  so  far  as  your  observation  is  concerned  ? 

A.  About  two  years  ago  we  had  a  good  many  calls.  They  seemed  to 
want  troops  for  every  little  disturbance.  I  think  there  were  four  calls  for 
troops  from  the  western  part  of  the  State — two  in  one  da}r,  I  believe.  The 
troops  were  not  sent.  There  has  been  no  call  since  this  late  riot,  and  there 
had  not  been  before  that  for  a  long  time. 

Q.  Has  the  National  Guard  been  increased  under  your  administration  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  we  have  diminished  it.  Companies  that  would  not  come  up 
to  the  standard  at  the  annual  inspections  were  mustered  out.  Last  year 
we  mustered  out  twenty  companies. 

Q.  I  suppose  the  Adjutant  General's  book  shows  the  number  of  the  Na- 
tional Guard  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  the  most  they  can  have  is  two  hundred  companies — two  hun- 
dred is  the  limit. 

Q.  Those  companies  are  not  full,  I  believe,  now  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes;  they  are  full.  Our  minimum  is  forty.  They  must  all  be 
above  that.  Some  of  them  have  fifty  or  sixty,  and  a  few  companies  have 
more  than  that,  even.  The  number  of  the  companies  is  simply  an  arbitrary 
number  fixed  by  statute. 

Q.  Any  further  statement  you  desire  to  make  you  can  do  so  ? 

A.  I  have  none.     We  have  a  large  quantity  of  telegrams  and  papers. 

Q.  In  addition  to  these  that  are  published  in  the  message — in  the  ap- 
pendix ? 

A.  Oh,  yes ;  but  they  are  not  of  very  great  importance.  I  picked  out 
those  that  were  the  most  important. 

Chester  N.  Farr,  affirmed  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  You  are  the  private  secretary  of  the  Governor  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  State  where  your  residence  is,  Mr.  Farr  ? 

A.  I  reside  in  Reading,  Berks  county. 

Q.  State  where  you  were  last  July — on  the  19th  ? 

A.  I  was  in  Reading,  at  home. 

Q.  Just  go  on  and  state  from  that  point  what  intelligence  }rou  received 
of  any  disturbance  in  any  portion  of  the  State,  and  how  it  came  to  you, 
and  your  knowledge  of  what  transpired  after  that  ? 

A.  On  the  evening  of  the  19th,  about  nine  o'clock,  I  received  a  telegram 
from  the  Executive  Department,  embodying  the  telegram  of  the  sheriff  of 
Allegheny  county  to  the  Governor,  and  I  left  in  the  ten-thirty  train  to  come 
on  hei'e  with  the  expectation  of  meeting  General  Latta;  and  after  I  arrived 
here,  I  found  that  General  Latta  had  left  on  the  train  from  Philadelphia,  and 
he  was  on  the  way,  and  during  that  time,  sometime  in  the  morning,  about  two 
o'clock,  I  think,  of  the  20th,  I  got  a  dispatch  from  the  sheriff — at  least  a 
dispatch  came — it  was  to  the  Governor,  and  I  answered  him  that  General 
Lntta  was  on  his  way,  and  that  there  would  be  a  consultation  and  action 
taken  if  necessary.  On  the  morning  of  the  20th,  I  went  down  to  the  depot 
and  found  out  when  General  Latta  was  expected  to  arrive,  and  went  down 
to  meet  him  at  the  train,  and  found  he  had  ordered  General  Pearson's 
troops  on  duty  in  Pittsburgh  ;  then  prepared  the  proclamation,  which  is 
given  in  the  appendix  to  the  message,  and  went  up  to  the  hotel  and  took 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  605 

an  hour  or  two's  sleep,  and  in  the  morning  the  general  telegraphed  to  the 
Governor  that  the  proclamation  was  issued  or  would  be  issued.  I  don't 
remember  the  form. 

Q.  That  was  on  Friday  morning? 
A.  That  was  Friday  morning. 
Q.  Friday  morning,  the  20th  ? 

A.  The  20th.     During  the  day  there  was  a  number  of  dispatches  by  the 
general  to  the  department,  and  at  three-fort3r-five  the  general  and  myself 
and  his  clerk  and  the  Assistant  Adjutant  General  took  the  train  for  Pitts- 
burgh, and  on  the  way  we  received  advices  frequently  in  regard  to  the 
character  of  the  situation — the  threatening  character  of  it — and  having 
ordered  General  Pearson  out,  the  general  was  waiting  to  find  what  had 
been  the  result.     It  was  calculated  that  the  Pittsburgh  division — General 
Pearson's  division — would  furnish  about  a  thousand  men;  but  sometime 
in  the  afternoon  we  got  advices  from  General  Pearson  that  he  had  only 
succeeded  in  getting  two  hundred  and  thirty  men.     Then  the  general — 
if  I  recollect  rightly — General  Pearson  in  the  same  dispatch  advised  that 
the  situation  was  so  serious  that  he  thought,  in  order  to  save  bloodshed, 
there  ought  to  be  some  other  troops.     General  Latta  then  ordered  Gen- 
eral Brinton  or  requested  General  Brinton  to  have  his  troops  notified,  and 
afterward,  when  another  dispatch  came  from  General  Pearson,  very  much 
of  the  same  character  stating  that  he  had  only  a  very  small  force  out,  and 
the  men  were  not  responding  promptly,  and  that  the  situation  was  very 
threatening  and  would  require  a  great  many  troops,  he  ordered  General 
Brinton's  division  to  report  to  General  Pearson  at  Pittsburgh. 
A.  What  time  was  that  order  given  to  General  Brinton  ? 
A.  Sometime  late  in  the  afternoon — I  don't  know  the  exact  time. 
Q.  Do  you  remember  the  point  from  which  the  order  was  sent  ? 
A.  No,  sir ;  I  don't  remember  the  point. 
Q.  It  was  while  you  were  en  route  to  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  It  was  while  we  were  en  route  ;  yes.  We  arrived  at  Pittsburgh,  at 
the  Union  depot,  between  twelve  and  one  o'clock,  on  Saturday  morning. 
We  had  been  joined  on  the  way  by  Colonel  Norris  and  Mr.  Linn.  We 
were  met  at  the  depot  by  General  Pearson  ;  informed  us  that  in  the  course 
of  the  few  hours  that  had  intervened,  he  had  succeeded  in  getting  together 
about  six  hundred  men.  I  think  he  stated  he  had  at  the  depot  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  men  ;  the  other  two  hundred  and  fifty,  composing  the 
Eighteenth  regiment,  were  at  Torrens  station.  The  matter  was  talked 
over,  and  it  was  decided,  as  I  understood,  that  no  movement  was  to  be 
made  until  the  Philadelphia  troops  came.  I  believe  General  Pearson  had 
intended  that  afternoon  to  attempt  to  run  the  trains,  but  had  given  it  up 
for  some  reason.  I  suppose  because  he  thought  that  if  he  had  more  troops, 
he  could  do  it  without  a  collision.  In  the  morning,  it  was  intended  to 
wait  until  there  was  a  large  force  there,  for  the  purpose  of  having  as  large 
a  force  as  possible,  so  as  to  avoid  any  collision  if  possible.  During  the 
morning — I  suppose  between  three  and  four,  or  four  and  five  o'clock — the 
hill  at  the  side  near  Twenty-eighth  street — I  never  went  down  to  the 
ground,  and  don't  know  anything  about  it,  except  from  the  conversation 
that  took  place  at  the  time — the  hill  at  the  side  of  the  track  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  was  occupied  by  the  Fourteenth  regiment,  and  Breck's  bat- 
tery. I  believe  the  intention  of  that  movement  was  to  keep  the  crowd  off 
the  hill.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  Saturday,  the  first  detach- 
ment of  the  First  division  arrived,  and  after  the  troops  had  been  fed,  they 
marched  down  the  track,  and  shortly  afterwards — I  suppose  it  was  five 
o'clock — between  four  and  five  o'clock — we  were  told  a  collision  had  taken 


606  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

place  between  the  troops  and  the  rioters.  We  saw  one  or  two  of  the  Pitts- 
burgh soldiers  coming  up  the  streets  carrying  their  guns.  The  crowd 
would  collect  around  them,  and  something  would  pass  between  them,  and 
there  would  be  cheers  or  something  of  that  kind.  About  six  o'clock,  or 
perhaps  later,  we  were  told  that  the  troops  had  gone  into  the  round-house, 
and  about  nine  o'clock — the  time  is  merely  in  my  mind  as  a  sequence  of 
events — I  did  not  look  at  the  time — I  suppose  it  was  about  nine  o'clock — 
General  Pearson  himself  came  into  the  room,  but  left  shortly  afterwards. 
All  telegraphic  communications  stopped  about  that  time,  and  we  had  no 
communications  with  the  troops  in  the  round-house,  or  where  they  were, 
until  some  time  after  that,  when  Sergeant  Wilson,  of  the  cavalry,  came  in 
dressed  as  a  laborer,  and  brought  some  dispatches  from  General  Brinton. 
During  the  night  there  were  several  dispatches  brought,  and  answers  re- 
turned in  the  same  manner,  and  in  the  morning,  about  nine  o'clock — half- 
past  eight  or  nine  o'clock — we  were  told  the  troops  had  left  the  round 
house. 

Q.  At  this  point,  Mr.  Farr — because  there  are  some  questions  I  want 
to  ask  prior  to  that — what  time  was  it  after  }rou  received  the  dispatch  at 
Heading  bearing  the  sheriff's  dispatch? 

A.  It  was  after  supper  some  time.  I  don't  remember  the  exact  time, 
but  about  supper  time. 

Q,  On  the  19th? 

A.   On  the  19th;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Thursday  evening,  then,  after  supper? 

A.  It  was  Thursday  evening,  either  about  supper  or  after  that  time. 

Q.  Have  you  that  dispatch,  or  can  you  get  it  ? 

A.  I  think  I  have  it  home.     I  don't  think  I  have  it  with  me. 

Q.  Who  was  that  signed  by  ? 

A.  It  was  repeated  by  Mr.  Keely. 

Q.  From  the  Executive  Department  ? 

A.  From  the  Executive  Department.  It  might  be  I  am  wrong  about 
the  dispatch.  It  may  have  contained  simply  Gardner's  dispatch.  My 
recollection  is,  it  was  the  same  as  the  sheriff's,  but  the  sheriff's  may  have 
come  the  next  morning.  I  think  I  have  all  those  dispatches  collected  to- 
gether. I  don't  know  whether  that  dispatch  contained  any  man's  name,  or 
whether  I  simply  assumed  it  was  from  the  sheriff,  from  the  fact  that  it  may 
have  said,  "  The  following  dispatch  was  received  at  this  office."  I  think  I 
have  the  dispatch,  and  I  can  get  it  when  I  go  home  and  look  over  the  dis- 
patches. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  arrive  at  Harrisburg  ? 

A.  I  got  here — that  train  gets  here  about  midnight;  leaves  Reading  at 
ten-thirty,  and  gets  here  some  time  between  twelve  and  one. 

Q.  Did  3rou  have  any  communication  with  the  Secretary  of  State,  on 
your  arrival,  Mr.  Quay? 

A.  The  Secretary  of  State  was  not  here. 

Q.   He  was  not  here? 

A.   No,  sir. 

Q.   What  time  did  you  mett  General  Latta  ? 

A.  Some  time  between  two  and  three  o'clock,  I  think.  The  time  may 
have  been  later.     I  think  it  was  two-fifty;  I  am  not  positive. 

Q.  And  you  then  prepared  the  first  proclamation? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  drew  the  draft  of  it,  and,  after  the  general  had  ordered 
the  troops  out,  the  proclamation  was  issued. 

0.  The  general  didn't  make  the  order  until  after  he  arrived  here  and 
ordered  the  troops  out  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  GOV 

A.  I  understood  him  to  say  he  had  ordered  the  troops  from  Lancaster 

Q.  Did  that  proclamation  appear  in  the  morning  papers  ? 

A.  That  I  don't  know.  I  think  it  did.  I  am  not  positive  of  that.  My 
recollection  is  it  was  telegraphed  to  Pittsburgh.     I  am  not  positive. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  time  you  telegraphed  it  to  Pittsburgh  from  here  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  it  was  sometime  in  the  morning.  It  must  have  been  some 
time  about  four  o'clock. 

Q.  Had  }tou  any  other  intelligence  from  Pittsburgh  than  that  contained 
in  the  telegram  of  Sheriff  Fife  ? 

A.  That,  and  simply  what  I  learned  from  General  Latta. 

Q.  You  had  no  other  telegrams  or  communications  to  you  or  to  the  Ex- 
ecutive Department  ? 

A.  Not  to  me. 

Q.  At  the  time  of  issuing  the  proclamation  ? 

A.  This  other  telegram  may  have  been  there.  I  had  received  one  other 
dispatch  from  Sheriff  Fife,  just  before  I  saw  General  Latta,  which,  as  I 
stated,  I  had  answered  by  saying  that  General  Latta  would  be  here.  I 
think  you  will  find  that  dispatch  in  the  Governor's  message. 

Q.  Was  that  directed  to  the  Governor? 

A.  Yes;  it  was  directed  to  the  Governor,  and  I  think  it  embodied  this 
dispatch. 

Q.  If  you  can  get  both  of  those  dispatches  we  would  like  to  have  them  ? 

A.  That  I  answered  by  stating  that  General  Latta  would  be  there. 

Q.  Where  did  you  meet  the  Secretary  of  State  first  ? 

A.  At  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  On  your  arrival  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  he  came  in  Saturday  morning,  I  think,  just  after  daylight — 
just  about  daylight,  probably.  He  was  at  the  Monongahela.  We  had 
telegraphed  him  to  meet  us  at  the  Monongahela  house,  and  after  we  got 
to  the  Union  depot  we  found  General  Pearson  and  the  troops  were  stopping 
there  and  were  detained.     Colonel  Quay  came  in  in  the  morning. 

Q.  After  your  arrival  there  and  consultation  with  General  Pearson,  it 
was  determined  not  to  attempt  to  move  any  train  until  the  Philadelphia 
troops  arrived,  as  I  understand  3*011  ? 

A.  I  understood  that  to  be  the  determination.  Of  course  in  these  mili- 
tary consultations,  although  I  listened,  I  did  not  take  any  part.  That  was 
m}r  understanding  of  the  result  of  the  conversation. 

Q.  Did  you  understand  General  Pearson  to  be  giving  directions  to  the 
military  force  there  ? 

A.  I  understood  General  Pearson  to  be  in  command. 

Q.  And  that  the  Adjutant  General  was  there  exercising  his  powers  and 
duties  as  Adjutant  General  proper? 

A.  So  I  understood.     I    understood   that   the    Adjutant    General  had 
authority  from  the  Governor,  and  was  exercising  his  authority  so  far  as 
getting  the  troops  there. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  As  commander-in-chief? 

A.  That  is,  he  had  directions  from  the  commander-in-chief  to  issue  the 
orders  necessaiy  to  assist  I  he  authorities. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  :" 

Q.  In  calling  out  the  troops  ? 

A.  Yes ;  but  after  the  troops  were  gathered  together,  the}*  were  in  com- 
mand of  the  officer  of  the  division — that  is,  so  far  as  any  military  opera- 
tions were  concerned. 

Q.  And  that  General  Latta  was  not  giving  directions  to  the  troops  after 


608  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

they  came  there — not  taking  command  of  the  troops,  or  superseding  Gen- 
eral Pearson  at  all  ? 

A.  That  was  my  understanding. 

Q.  After  the  collision  occurred,  what  time  was  it  when  General  Pearson 
arrived  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  the  time  exactly,  but  it  was  nine  or  ten  o'clock,  as  near 
as  I  can  sa3r.  I  don't  think  I  looked  at  my  watch  the  whole  twentj^-four 
hours.     I  merely  remember  the  time  by  the  sequence. 

Q.  What  was  his  purpose  in  coming  there,  or  did  he  express  any  pur- 
pose ? 

A.  My  recollection  is,  he  said  he  had  come  to  see  whether  he  could  get 
provisions  and  ammunition,  and  I  think  that  is  the  same  reason  that  he 
gives  in  his  report. 

Q.  What  efforts  did  he  make  to  get  provisions  and  ammunition  to  the 
troops  that  night  ? 

A.  None  at  all,  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  You  saw  no  efforts  made? 

A.  I  understood  from  the  conversation  that  took  place,  that  it  was  ad- 
mitted that  General  Pearson  could  not  get  back  to  the  round-house,  and 
that  he  alone,  without  any  force — there  was  no  force  there — could  not  get 
any  provisions  to  the  troops,  and  that  as  he  seemed  to  be  particularly  ob 
noxious  to  the  mob,  it  would  be  safer— or  at  least  keep  the  mob  from 
going  to  extremes — if  he  was  out  of  the  way.  For  these  reasons  he  ac- 
cepted General  Latta's  suggestion  that  he  should  leave. 

Q.  How  long  did  he  remain  at  the  hotel  ? 

A.  I  suppose — perhaps  half  an  hour,  perhaps  longer. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  he  went  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  he  started  to  go  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  don't.  He  came  there  with,  I  think,  four  members  of  his 
staff. 

Q.  Did  they  go  with  him,  or  did  they  remain  ? 

A.  I  think  one  of  them  remained.  I  am  not  positive  about  that.  I  did 
not  know  the  gentleman  at  that  time.  I  cannot  always  rank  them — there 
were  a  good  many  of  them  there. 

Q.  Who  was  to  take  command  of  the  troops  after  he  left  ? 

A.  That  was  understood  to  devolve  upon  General  Brinton.  In  fact, 
that  was  something  that  I  heard  the  Adjutant  General  ask — whether  he, 
General  Pearson,  had  left  General  Brinton  in  command,  and  whether  Gen- 
eral Brinton  expected  him  back.  And  he  said  that  he  had  told  General 
Brinton  if  he  did  not  come  back  he  was  to  take  command,  and  1  alwaj's 
understood  after  General  Pearson  left,  General  Brinton  to  be  in  command 
of  the  troops. 

Q.  Of  all  the  troops  there  then,  including  those  of  the  Sixth  division? 

A.  I  don't  know  that  I  have  any  reason  for  being  so  explicit  as  that.  I 
simply  supposed  that  General  Brinton  was  in  command  of  the  troops  who 
were  in  the  round-house,  whether  they  were  Pittsburgh  or  Philadelphia 
troops,  who  were  there  at  that  time.  The  detachment  there  was  regarded 
as  under  his  command. 

Q.  What  time  was  the  telegraphic  communication  between  the  Union 
Depot  hotel  and  General  Brinton  cut  off? 

A.  Just  about  the  time  General  Pearson  came.  I  think  it  was  almost 
simultaneously  about  the  time  General  Pearson  came  in,  the}"  announced 
that  the  communications  were  closed.  The  telegraph  operator  said  he 
could  not  communicate. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18T7.  609 

Q.  Was  anything  said  or  done  there  about  moving  General  Brinton  or 
getting  any  word  to  General  Brinton — any  communication  in  any  other 
wa}'  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes ;  there  was  some  talk — very  considerable.  I  think  it  was 
believed  that  General  Brinton  was  perfectly  safe  with  his  troops  until  after 
the  firing  began.     Then  there  was  considerable  anxiety. 

Q.  That  is  after  the  burning  ? 

A.  I  mean  the  burning — after  they  set  fire  to  the  cars.  There  was  very 
considerable  anxiety  in  regard  to  him,  but  the  railroad  officials  stated  that 
the  buildings  the  troops  were  in  were  perfectly  fire  proof,  and  it  was  sup- 
posed that  he  was  perfectly  able  to  take  care  of  himself. 

Q.  Did  you  see  or  hear  an}rthing  from  General  Brown  or  his  command 
that  night  ? 

A.  After  we  first  got  there — during  Saturday — General  Brown  was 
in  and  out  several  times  in  citizen's  dress,  telling  about  his  conversa- 
tions with  the  rioters,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  talked  to  him,  and 
various  other  things.     I  did  not  see  him  that  night  after  the  fire. 

Q.  Did  you  know  anything  about  his  dismissing  his  command — ordering 
Colonel  Gray  or  Colonel  Howard  to  dismiss  their  regiments  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  If  the  Fourteenth  regiment  came  to  the  Union  depot  on 
Saturday  night,  I  did  not  see  it.  There  was  one  company  of  the  Four- 
teenth regiment — I  think  it  was  the  Fourteenth  regiment — that  was  left, 
or  came  in  afterwards  in  some  way,  that  was  there  that  night  at  the  depot, 
and  there  were  eighteen — eighteen  or  twenty  men  of  the  Black  Hussars. 
There  was  about  thirty  thousand  rounds  of.  ammunition  there. 

Q.  Eighteen  of  the  Black  Hussars,  do  I  understand  you  to  say  ? 

A.  1  think  there  were  eighteen  or  twenty — something  like  that.  They 
were  unarmed,  except  with  the  sabers,  so  far  as  I  could  see. 

Q.  Nothing  but  sabers  ? 

A.  That  is  all. 

Q.  Was  there  any  talk  by  the  Adjutant  General,  or  any  effort  made,  to 
get  a  communication,  or  to  communicate  with  General  Brinton  in  any 
way  during  the  night  of  Saturday  night? 

A.  Oh,  yes.  After  the  firing  took  place — I  did  not  see  it,  I  only  knew 
this,  of  course,  from  hearsay — there  was  a  wagon  sent  out  with  provisions 
for  the  troops.  It  was  loaded  up  and  sent  down,  but  the  mob  prevented 
it  getting  to  the  troops.  That  was,  I  think,  just  before  night-fall,  and 
during  the  night  there  were  several  efforts  made. 

Q.  There  were  none  of  those  Black  Hussars,  or  of  Colonel  Howard's, 
or  of  Colonel  Gray's  brigade  sent,  were  there  ? 

A.  There  were  no  troops  there.  The  Black  Hussars — it  would  have 
been  madness  to  have  sent  out  eighteen  or  twenty  men  with  sabers  into 
that  crowd. 

Q.  Neither  was  the  other  company  that  you  spoke  of? 

A.  The  other  company — I  don't  remember  just  when  that  company  came 
in.  I  noticed  it  sometime  during  the  night.  I  didn't  see  it  when  it  first 
came.  I  don't  think  it  was  left  there  when  the  troops  went  down.  It  was 
considered  better  to  attempt  no  military  movements  during  the  night  time, 
because  of  the  crowd  in  the  streets. 

Q.  When  the  burning  commenced,  was  there  any  efforts  made  by  the  mil- 
itary in  any  way  to  stop  the  burning  so  far  as  you  know  ? 

A.  None  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  Was  it  a  subject  of  conversation  at  the  Union  hotel,  between  Latta 
and  yourself,  or  any  others  that  were  in  consultation  there  ? 

A.  I  don't  understand  the  question. 
39  Riots. 


610  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Was  that  subject  talked  of? 

A.  Do  you  mean,  whether  we  were  to  prevent  it,  or  whether  as  to  the 
possibility  or  the  feasibility  of  General  Brinton's  preventing  it  ? 

Q.  What  was  the  feasibility  of  General  Brinton  himself  preventing  it? 

A.  I  cannot  remember  that  there  was  anything  said  particularly  about  it. 
Although  at  that  time  it  was  supposed,  before  we  received  any  communi- 
cation from  him — it  was  supposed  he  was  able  to  take  care  of  himself.  He 
had  five  hundred  men  and  two  Gatling  guns,  and  he  had  taken,  I  think, 
twenty  rounds  of  ammunition  per  man  and  a  couple  of  thousand  for  his 
gun,  and  until  we  got  that  first  dispatch  from  him,  it  was  generally  sup- 
posed that  he  would  be  able  to  take  care  of  himself. 

Q.  Which  was  the  highest  in  rank,  General  Brinton  or  General  Brown  ? 

A.  General  Brinton  was  the  highest.  General  Brinton  was  a  major  gen- 
eral, and  General  Brown,  brigadier.  He  is  brigadier  ol  the  Sixth  division. 
While  we  were  in  the  depot,  after  the  firing  took  place,  there  were  a  number 
of  wounded  men  brought  in — soldiers.  1  heard  the  surgeon  state,  that  he 
had  ten  or  fifteen — I  have  forgotten  which — anyway  it  was  quite  a  number 
— it  was  nearly  a  dozen  at  least,  and  thej^  were  sent  awa}r  on  the  next 
train.  Most  of  them  were  woundod  with  pistol  shots,  so  he  stated. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Where  did  those  soldiers  come  from  ? 

A.  From  the  front,  where  the  collision  had  taken  place. 

Q.  I)o  you  recollect  how  many  soldiers  were  brought  in  wounded  ? 

A.  There  were  from  ten  to  fifteen. 

Q.  All  of  General  Brinton's.  command  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.  They  were  all  with  that  detachment,  but  there  were 
some  troops  down  there  who  were  not  of  the  First  division.  General 
Brown  had  the  Fourteenth,  of  the  Sixth  division,  and  Breck's  battery,  at 
Pittsburgh,  and  the  Jefferson  cavalry.  But  I  think  most  of  those  wounded 
were  Philadelphia  troops.  I  judge  so  simply  from  the  fact  that  they  were 
sent  down  in  the  train — with  the  last  train  that  was  permitted  to  go  through. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  leave  the  Union  depot — just  go  on  from  that 
point  ? 

A.  After  the  troops  had  left  the  depot,  this  scout  came  in  and  informed 
us  that  General  Brinton  had  left  the  round-house.  I  believe,  however, 
General  Latta  had  known  it  just  before  he  came  in.  The  first  I  knew  of 
it  was  when  he  came  in  and  informed  us  that  the  troops  had  left.  Then 
General  Brown  came  in  shortty  afterwards,  and  stated  that  the  troops  were 
in  bad  condition.  The  report  was  that  they  were  being  massacred  by  the 
citizens,  and  General  Brown  expi*essed  great  indignation  then,  lie  said  he 
didn't  care  what  happened  to  the  mob  after  their  exhibition  of  brutality, 
and  made  other  expressions  of  that  kind.  Afterwards  we  found  out  that 
these  were  entirely  exaggerated  reports ;  that  the  troops  had  marched  out 
in  reasonably  good  order.  We  stayed  at  the  Union  depot  until  nearly  noon, 
or  about  eleven  o'clock,  I  should  judge.  That  was  about  nine  o'clock.  The 
proprietor  got  very  anxious  about  the  matter,  because  he  thought  our  pres- 
ence there  would  induce  the  rnob  to  set  fire  to  the  building.  General  Latta 
would  not  leave  until  he  made  arrangements  to  save  the  ammunition,  and 
arrangements  were  made.  The  building  was  then  deserted.  Nearly  every- 
body was  out  of  it,  so  far  as  the  occupants  of  it.  There  were  a  number 
of  muskets  that  had  been  left  by  the  troops.  They  were  taken  up  stairs, 
and  put  in  the  room.  Between  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock,  or  thereabouts, 
we  left  and  went  down  stairs,  attempted  to  get  a  carriage,  ami  could  not 
find  a  driver.  Then  we  went  across  the  street  and  took  ears,  and  went  to 
the  Monongahela  house;  and  while  there  we  received   information  from 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18T7.  611 

Colonel  Norris,  who,  with  Colonel  Stewart,  had  started  in  the  morning 
after  General  Brinton.  And  we  received  the  same  information  in  various 
ways — I  don't  know  the  exact  channels — that  the  troops  were  beyond 
Sharpsburg,  across  the  bridge,  and  wanted  provisions,  and  efforts  were 
made  to  get  them. 

Q.  The  Monongahela  house  was  then  the  head -quarters  of  General  Latta — 
General  Latta  made  his  head-quarters  there  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  he  stopped  there,  and  notified  every  one  with  whom  we  had  tele- 
graphic communications  where  he  was. 

Q.  How  long  did  he  remain  there  ? 

A.  Until  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Q.  That  Sunday  evening  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Yourself  and  the  Secretary  of  State  with  him  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Any  other  ? 

A.  The  Assistant  Adjutant  General,  the  Deputy  Secretary  of  State,  and 
Colonel  Norris,  and  Mr.  Russell,  the  clerk.  When  we  went  into  the  Mo- 
nongahela house,  we  registered  our  names,  and  when  I  looked  at  the  reg- 
ister afterwards,  I  found  thay  had  scratched  them  all  out  and  put  in  ficti- 
tious names.  While  we  were  there,  we  heard  that  the  mob  had  set  fire  to 
the  Union  depot.  Of  course,  we  could  see  the  light,  and  I  supposed  the 
proprietors  were  afraid  they  might  serve  the  Monongahela  house  the  same 
way  during  the  night  that  they  had  the  Union  depot.  It  was  within  my 
own  personal  knowledge  that  the  Adjutant  General  was  endeavoring  to  get 
the  other  detachment  of  the  First  division,  and  the  Eighteenth  regiment — 
Colonel  Guthrie's  regiment — that  was  at  Torrens  station,  in  such  a  condi- 
tion that  they  could  join  General  Brinton  in  the  morning.  It  was  supposed 
that  General  Brinton  would  have  no  difficulty  in  stating  where  he  was  until 
that  juncture  was  effected,  but  the  trains  were  all  stopped,  and  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  get  engineers  to  run  them,  even  where  they  could  be  run,  and  the 
junction  was  not  effected,  and  General  Brinton  was  directed,  or  instructed 
whatever  it  may  be,  to  make  that  junction  himself  when  he  left  the  round- 
house. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.   tie  didn't  make  that  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  As  I  understand  it,  the  intention  was  to  get  the  troops  con- 
centrated together  after  the  collision,  so  as  to  get  as  lai"ge  a  force  as  pos- 
sible, but  they  were  in  detachments,  and  the  railroads  were  stopped,  and 
many  of  the  troops  were  without  ammunition.  Wherever  it  was  possible 
ammunition  was  sent  to  them.  It  was  wagoned  down  to  the  detachment 
of  General  Brinton's — his  second  detachment — and  it  was  sent  down  the 
Ohio  river  to  the  Erie  division  and  wherever  it  was  possible. 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  officers  of  the  railroad  company  at  the  Mononga- 
hela house  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  both  at  the  Union  depot  and  Monongahela  house.  They  came 
in. 

Q.  Were  there  an}T  efforts — did  you  know  on  Sunday  that  Colonel  Gray 
and  Colonel  Howard's  regiment  had  been  dismissed  on  Saturda}T  night  ? 

A.  I  knew  nothing  of  it  ? 

Q.  You  had  no  knowledge  of  it? 

A.  1  had  no  knowledge  of  it.  It  was  generally  understood  that  the 
Pittsburgh  division  had  gone  to  pieces,  except  the  Eighteenth  regiment. 

Q.  Did  the  civil  authorities,  the  mayor  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  or  the 


612  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

sheriff  of  the  county,  have  an}^  consultation  with  General   Latta  at  the 
Monongahela  house  during  that  day  ? 

A.  Not  at  the  Monongahela  house? 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  they  at  any  time  after  your  arrival  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  of  seeing  the  sheriff.  I  don't  think  he  was  there 
in  the  room  at  all,  although  I  understood  he  went  with  the  detachment  to 
Twenty-eighth  street.  The  mayor  came,  as  I  understood,  when  he  was 
sent  for  by  General  Latta,  and  stayed,  I  suppose,  twenty  minutes. 

Q.  When  was  that  ? 

A.  That  was  during  Saturday  night.  It  may  have  been  early  Sunday 
morning,  but  it  was  before  daylight. 

Q.  While  you  were  yet  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel  ? 

A.  At  the  Union  depot.  He  came  when  he  was  sent  for,  and  I  did 
not  take  any  part  in  the  conversation,  or  hear  it,  but  he  talked  with 
General  Latta,  afterwards  with  Secretary  Quay,  and  then  left,  and  that 
was  the  last  I  ever  saw  of  him. 

Q.  Were  you  in  consultation  with  citizens  on  Sunday? 

A.  Citizens  were  very  scarce.  I  never  saw  many  Pittsburgh  people. 
Whenever  a  Pittsburgh  man  left,  he  very  seldom  came  back. 

Q.  Did  you  know  where  the  head-quarters  of  the  citizens'  committee 
was  during  the  day,  Sunday  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  And  3' ou  were  not  called  upon  by  them  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of,  sir. 

Q.  Was  it  known  through  the  city  where  General  Latta  was  ? 

A.  It  was  in  every  paper  that  I  saw  in  the  morning. 

Q.  And  you  registered  when  you  went  to  the  Monongahela  house  ? 

A.  Our  arrival  there  the  night  before  was  in  every  morning  paper  that 
I  saw  of  the  cit}T,  and  we  were  registered  at  the  hotel,  and  we  registered 
at  the  Monongahela  house  when  we  went  there,  and  this  very  party  who 
had  been  sent  out  in  the  interim  we  had  gone  to  the  Monongahela,  they 
had  no  difficulty  in  finding  us. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  you  understand  the  railroad  company — the  officials,  I  mean— ^to 
believe  that  they  could  run  trains?  Did  they  seem  to  have  that  impres- 
sion after  you  arrived  in  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  It  was  understood  that  they  had  the  crews  ready  just  as  soon  as  the 
track  was  clear,  and  if  protection  was  given  them,  they  could  run  trains  ? 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  did  you  get  that  information  ?     From  what  railroad  officer  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember.  I  think  it  was  stated  generally — it  was  so  under- 
stood. 

Q.  Mr.  Cassatt  was  there,  I  believe.     Was  he  not  ? 

A.  Mr.  Cassatt  was  there. 

Q.  And  Pitcairn,  the  superintendent? 

A.  Mr.  Pitcairn  was  there.  I  think  Mr.  Pitcairn  was  the  man  I  heard 
make  the  statement  that  he  had  the  crews  ? 

Q.  Ready  to  start  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  I  am  not  positive  as  to  that. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  efforts  General  Latta  made  during  the  day — Sun- 
da}',  1  mean — to  stop  the  burning,  or  to  collect  a  force — collect  troops  for 
that  purpose  ? 

A.  1  understood  he  was  engaged  all  day  in  endeavoring  to  get  those 
troops  in  the  condition  that  they  could  be  used. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  613 

Q.  Colonel  Guthrie's  regiment  at  Torrens  station,  and  General  Brinton's 
command — he  was  trying  to  get  them  to  form  a  junction,  so  that  they 
could  be  used  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  there  any  other  troops  within  the  reach  of  the  city  ? 

A.  I  think  there  was.  The  second  detachment  of  the  First  division  was 
on  its  way,  and  it  must  have  been  near  the  city,  some  place. 

Q.  Who  was  commanding  that  regiment  ? 

A.  Colonel  Rodgers,  I  think. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  they  were  that  night  ? 

A.  No;  I  do  not  know  of  my  own  knowledge,  at  that  time.  I  know, 
since,  they  were  within  a  few  miles.  They  were,  I  suppose,  twelve  or 
fourteen  miles,  perhaps  less;  but  they  were  without  ammunition. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  leave  the  Monongahela  house,  and  where  did  you 
go  from  there  ? 

A.  We  left  the  Monongahela  house  and  took  a  boat  and  went  to  Beaver. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  arrive  at  Beaver  ? 

A.  About  midnight,  I  guess. 

Q.  Sunday  night  ? 

A.  Yes  sir. 

Q.  And  from  Beaver  where  ? 

A.  From  Beaver  the  intention  was  to  go  to  Erie.  TJpon  inquiry  at 
Pittsburgh,  the  railroad  officials  informed  us  that  they  could  not  get  their 
trains  through  to  Harrisburg,  and  so  the  intention  was  to  go  from  Beaver 
to  Erie,  as  we  understood  the  Erie  railroad  was  running,  and  go  to  Har- 
risburg ;  but  when  we  got  to  Beaver  we  found  that  the  road  running  to 
Erie  was  stopped  also,  then  General  Latta  and  the  Assistant  Adjutant 
General  and  myself  took  a  carriage  and  drove  over  to  Allegheny  City,  and 
found  that  the  train  was  running  on  the  West  Penn.  and  took  that  train, 
and  got  to  Harrisburg. 

Q.  The  purpose  in  coming  to  Harrisburg  was  to  collect  more  troops  ? 

A.  The  communications  were  uncertain,  and  there  was  no  way  to  get 
ammunition  or  orders  to  these  troops. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  until  Monday  afternoon,  at  two 
o'clock. 


Harrisburg,  Monday,  March  11,  1878. 

The  committee  met  pursuant  to  adjournment,  in  Senate  committee  room, 
No.  6,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

All  members  present,  except  Messrs.  Means,  Torbert,  Dewees,  and  Lar- 
rabee. 

Chester  N.  Farr,  recalled  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Is  this  the  first  dispatch  you  received  ?   [Indicating.] 

A.  That  is  the  first  dispatch  I  received.  I  received  that  after  supper, 
Thursday  night,  the  1 9th. 

Q.  After  supper,  about  what  hour? 

A.  About  nine  o'clock.  It  was  shortly  after,  and  little  before  the  train 
left. 

Q.  Dated  received  9.16. 

A.  It  was  about  that  time.     The  dispatch  was  as  follows  : 


-•. 


■ 


I 


I 


Railroad  Riots,  Ji  ly,  18T7. 


615 


A 


in.     They  had  stayed  to  guard  the  railroad  property. 
i  men  he  had  at  that  time. 

i   iron  police.     The   police  were  some  twenty  or 
hurt  in  the  fire — about  seven  of  them 

diet  that  took   [.lace  between  the  rioters  and  the 

"d  that  matter,  Seventh  street  runs  this  way, 

ner — at  Penn  street — it.  was  where  the  principle 

.  and  the  police  were  drawn  across  Penn 

When  the  troops  came  out  of  the  cut 

.  the  line. 


kill. 

them  lo<t  his  foot.     Seven  of  them,"altoget  her. 

killed  in  the  conflict  thai  took  place  that  evening? 

were  killed,  and  fifty  odd  were  wounded. 

I  torn  up  the  track,     [saw  that.     Theyhadtorn 

■  of  I  erturned.  the  watchman's  box  there, 

ip.     There  was  certainly  oo  attempt  to  make  a  barri- 

a  barricade. 

sembled  there  of  the  rioters  when  you  got 

•v  men  standing  round. 
1    men   that    were   standing  about — railroad  em- 

I  I       OUrse  there  were  a  great  many  people  On  the 
walking  around. 

»ok  place  between  Reeder's  troops 

The  -  burned  on  Sunday,  I  think — Sunday 

r  in  an  iderable  force  after  your  arrival  in  the 

•  mob. 

disturbance  nor  breach  of  the  peace? 
ommenced  to  arrest  people  who  were  engaged 

re  made  by  the  civil  authorities  to  punish  those 

.    o  far  as  you  know  of  you  own  knowledge? 

;    -they  arrested  aboul  sixty  or  seventy.     I  think 

liey  were  all  held   for  appearance  at  court.     Two  of 

the  two  that  were  engaged  in  burning  the   bridge. 

.  md  the  others  were  tried,  and  so  far  as  I  know 

d  knowledge,  there  were  about  a  dozen  that  I  know  of 

, nd  the  others  were   held   lor  the  next   term  of 

liether  they  have  been  tried  or  not.     [supposethey 

:  know. 

nade  by  the  mayor  1 
.   ...  the  chief  of  police,  assisted  by  the  coal  and  iron 
of  the  city. 


616  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  This  coal  and  iron  police  yon  speak  of,  is  that  a  police  kept  up  by 
the  company — a  private  compan}^  ? 

A.  I  understand  that  to  be  under  some  act  of  Assembly,  by  which  the 
Governor  has  power  to  appoint  special  policemen.  I  never  looked  up  the 
act  of  Assembly.  I  know  there  are  policemen  appointed  that  way — special 
policemen. 

Q.  For  the  city? 

A.  No,  sir;  for  the  protection  of  corporate  property.  I  don't  know 
whether  it  specially  applies  to  corporate  property  or  not. 

Q.  Is  that  a  general  act  ? 

A.  Indeed,  sir,  I  never  looked  at  the  act.  I  don't  know.  I  really  don't 
know  where  the  authority  comes  from,  except  I  know  these  appointments 
are  made. 

By  Senator  Reyburn. 

Q.  Confined  to  the  coal  regions  ? 

A.  They  call  them  coal  and  iron  police.  I  don't  know  under  what  act 
of  Assembly. 

Q.  How  are  they  paid  1 

A.  I  suppose  they  are  paid  by  the  companies,  I  don't  know  though. 

Q.  How  many  of  these  were  there  in  the  city  of  Reading  '( 

A.  I  don't  know  of  my  own  knowledge.  I  heard  there  were  seventeen 
or  eighteen.  There  is  one  correction  I  want  to  make.  I  don't  know  whether 
I  have  stated  that  I  know  of  my  own  personal  knowledge  that  Mayor  Mc- 
Carthy came  to  the  room,  or  whether  I  said  I  understood  he  was  sent  for. 
I  don't  remember  him  as  coming  to  the  room. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  That  was  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  At  Pittsburgh.     I  learned  afterwards  he  had  been  sent  for,  and  did 
come.     I  was  not  introduced  then,  and  had  no  conversation  myself,  and 
didn't  enter  into  the  conversation. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  he  was  sent  for  ? 

A.  That  I  do  not  know  of  my  own  personal  knowledge. 

James  W.  Latta,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  State  to  the  committee  where  you  were  on  the  19th  of  July  last,  or 
when  the  news  first  reached  you  of  the  disturbance  on  the  Pennsylvania 
railroad  at  Pittsburgh,  and  what  action  was  taken  by  you  with  reference 
thereto ? 

A.  On  the  evening  of  the  19th  of  July,  18*17,  I  was  sitting  in  the  room 
of  Post  No.  2,  Grand  Army  Republic,  at  one  of  its  regular  weekly  ses- 
sions, at  the  corner  of  Spring  Garden  and  Thirteenth  streets,  Philadelphia. 
About  nine-thirty  o'clock,  there  was  a  rap  came  at  the  door,  and  the  mes- 
senger announced  that  I  was  wanted  outside.  I  went  outside  and  found  a 
gentleman  in  a  carriage,  who  announced  himself  as  an  official  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania  Railroad  Company.  He  told  me  there  was  some  difficulty  upon 
the  railway,  and  that  they  would  like  to  see  me  if  I  could  go  down  to  the 
West  Philadelphia  depot.  1  went  back  and  left  word  it  was  doubtful 
whether  I  would  be  back  again  that  night,  and  I  went  with  him  to  the; 
depot.  I  there  met  Mr.  Lockhart,  superintendent  of  the  Philadelphia 
division, and  went  with  two  others,  whom  1  do  not  nOw  recollect  by  name. 
They  told  me  all  the  circumstances  that  had  occurred  at  Pittsburgh.  They 
produced  a  number  of  dispatches,  described  the  action  that  had  been  taken 
by  the  strikers  during  that  day  of  Thursday,  pulling  oft'  men  from  their 


Leg.  Doc.j  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  617 

trains,  and  pounding  some  of  their  officials  when  they  attempted  to  run 
them,  and  the  fact  that  the  mayor  had  been  called  on, and  had  been  found 
to  have  gone  to  Castle  Shannon.  This  further  fact  I  am  not  positive 
whether  it  appeared  in  the  dispatches,  or  whether  I  simpby  recollect  from 
having  learned  it  subsequently.  My  impression  is  it  appeared  in  the  dis- 
patches that  the  fact  was  that  an  effort  had  been  made  by  the  mayor,  with 
some  thirteen  or  fifteen  policemen,  to  assist  the  railroad  people  in  getting 
the  train  out,  and  it  had  failed.  I  have  endeavored  to  get  those  dispatches, 
but  have  not  been  able  to  do  so. 

Q.  Was  this  information  communicated  to  you  by  the  railroad  officials 
at  Philadelphia,  or  was  it  contained  in  the  dispatches  that  you  received 
from  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  It  was  communicated  to  me  by  them.  They  showed  me  the  dis- 
patches that  contained  the  information  to  them,  and  I  read  them  there  in 
the  office.  Colonel  Scott.it  appears,  had  been  sent  for..  He  was  somewheres 
out  in  the  country,  and  they  then  said  to  me,  we  want  troops.  I  told  them  / 
they  would  have  to  take  some  other  steps  to  secure  the  calling  for  troops 
before  any  troops  could  be  ordered.  I  said,  it  appears  the  mayor  has 
been  doing  something  and  you  must  look  to  the  sheriff.  They  then  showed 
me  a  dispatch  that  had  been  addressed  by  Mr.  Cassatt  to  the  Lieutenant 
Governor.  I  was  satisfied  the  Lieutenant  Governor  had  no  power  in  the 
premises,  but,  fearing  that  there  might  be  some  question  as  to  whether  he 
had  or  not,  I  got  the  Constitution,  and  they  had  Sraull's  hand-book.  I 
made  up  my  mind  conclusively,  that  he  had  not,  and  I  telegraphed  to  the 
Attorney  General.  In  the  meantime,  however,  Mr.  Scott  came  in,  and 
they,  I  believe,  started  off  some  requests  to  other  people  about  getting  the 
sheriff  on  the  ground,  and  I  telegraphed  to  Pearson  at  the  same  time,  to 
know  something  about  it  myself,  and  believing  it  was  going  to  be  a  serious 
affair,  I  went  immediately  back  to  my  home  and  took  a  carriage  and  drove 
to  the  eleven  o'clock  train,  and  found  Mr.  Gardner,  who  was  on  a  special 
train.     We  jumped  on  his  train  and  came  to  Harrisburg. 

Q.  Who  is  Mr.  Gardner? 

A.  He  is  general  superintendent  of  the  railway.  He  was  going  to  his 
home  in  Altoona. 

Q.  Pennsylvania  railway  ? 

A.  Pennsylvania  railway.  M}r  impression  is  that  is  all  that  occurred 
at  the  depot.  I  got  on  his  train  at  Lancaster.  We  had  a  pretty  slow  run, 
we  were  stopped  a  good  deal,  and  at  Lancaster  I  got  a  dispatch  from  the 
sheriff  which  appears  in  my  report  and  appears  in  all  the  official  documents. 

Q.  Sheriff,  Allegheny  county  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  it  was  addressed  tome.  It  was  stating  that  he  had  ad- 
dressed one  to  the  Governor. 

Q.  That  is  the  one  dated  July  20,  1877,  at  one-fourteen,  p.  M.  ? 

A.  That  is  the  only  one. 

Q.  Contained  on  page  No.  1  of  your  report  ? 

The  dispatch  referred  to,  is  as  follows : 

Pittsburgh,  July  20,  1877—149,  A.  M. 
General  James  W.  Latta: 

I  have  addressed  to  Governor  Hartranft  the  following  message,  and 
learning  that  he  is  absent,  I  forward  it  to  you  for  your  information. 

R.  H.  Fife, 

Sheriff  of  Allegheny  county. 


618 


Report  of  Committee. 


[No.  29, 


Pittsburgh,  July  20,  1877—1.14,  A.  M. 


Honorable  John  F.  Hartranft  : 

A  tumultuous  mob  exists  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  at  East  Liberty, 
in  the  Twelfth  ward  of  Pittsburgh.  Large  assemblages  of  people  are  upon 
the  railroad,  and  the  movement  of  freight  trains,  either  east  or  west,  is 
prevented  by  intimidation  and  violence,  molesting,  obstructing  the  engi- 
neers and  other  employes  of  the  railroad  company  in  the  discharge  of 
their  duties.  As  the  sheriff  of  the  county,  I  have  endeavored  to  suppress 
the  riot,  and  have  not  adequate  means  at  my  command  to  do  so.  I  there- 
fore request  you  to  interfere  your  authority  in  calling  out  the  military  to 
suppress  the  same. 

R.  H.  Fife, 
Sheriff  of  Allegheny  county. 

Witness :  Meantime,  I  had  seen  some  telegrams  from  the  Lieutenant 
Governor,  either  before  or  after  this,  I  forget  which,  that  he  had  no  power 
in  the  premises.  Having  received  instructions  from  Governor  Hartranft 
before  he  left  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  which  was  upon  the  Monday  pre- 
vious to  this  date,  that  in  case  of  trouble,  I  should  assume  the  responsi- 
bility, and  the  case  being  one  of  serious  magnitude,  knowing  the  fact  that 
the  regular  army  had  been  three  or  four  days  endeavoring  to  open  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio  road,  and  had  failed,  I  thought  the  time  had  come  for 
prompt  and  immediate  action,  and  I  sent  a  dispatch  which  reads  as  follows — 
from  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  to  General  Pearson.  This  dispatch  shows 
conclusively,  that  the  military  were  acting  subordinately  to  the  civil  au- 
thorities : 

Lancaster,  7,  20,  1877—2.35,  A.  M. 
Major  General  A.  L.  Pearson,  Pittsburgh  : 

You  will  assume  charge  of  the  situation  in  the  Twelfth  ward  of  Pitts- 
burgh, to  aid  the  civil  authorities  in  suppressing  existing  disorders.  Place 
one  regiment  on  duty,  advise  me  which  command  you  so  place,  and  report 
generally. 

James  W.  Latta, 
Adjutant  General. 

And  I  immediately  advised  the  sheriff  from  Lancaster;  the  same  tele- 
gram went  to  the  sheriff: 

Lancaster,  Pa.,  July  20,  1877—2.35,  A.  M. 

\\.  11.  Fife,  Sheriff,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. : 

Have  directed  General  Pearson  to  place  one  regiment  on  duty  to  aid 
3rou  in  suppressing  disorders. 

James  W.  Latta, 
Adjutant  General. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  send  those  despatches  ? 

A.  Two  thirty-five,  A.  M.,  in  the  morning  of  the  20th  .1  illy,  on  the  way  from 
Lancaster  to  Earrisburg.  We  were  running  w\\  last.  It  was  a  matter 
more  of  form  than  anything  else,  to  prepa  re  a  proclamation.  The  proclama- 
tion I  did  Dot  conceive  to  be  of  any  moment,  and  I  thought,  as  a  matter  of 
form,  1  would  let  one  go  out.  I  got  it  pretty  well  finished  by  the  time  we 
got  to  Earrisburg,  and  at  Earrisburg  we  met  Mr.  Farr,  and  I  told  him  to 
complete  it,  ami  let,  it  go  out.  That  is  the  proclamation  that  has  been  re- 
ferred to  in  his  testimony  and  the  Governor's,  and  which  appears  in  the 
Governor's  message — in  the  appendix  to  the  Governor's  message. 


tbtr*-  m 


Leg.  Doc.] 


Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877. 


619 


Q.  The  first  proclamation  that  was  issued  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  the  first  proclamation. 

Q.  State  what  advice  you  gave  them  ? 

A.  At  Harrisburg — we  moved  on  Friday  quickly  from  Lancaster,  and 
when  I  got  to  Harrisburg — an  hour  and  a  half  afterward  I  sent  the  dis- 
patch, which  appears  on  page  2  of  my  report,  as  follows: 

Governor  J.  F.  Hartranft,  (care  S.  H.  H.  Clark,)  Omaha,  Nebraska  : 

Mob  stopped  all  freight  trains  at  Pittsburgh.  Sheriff  called  for  troops. 
Ordered  Pearson  to  take  charge,  and  to  put  oue  regiment  on  duty.  Says 
he  may  need  more. 

James  W.  Latta. 
Adjutant  General. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  send  them  ? 

A.  That  was  about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Q.  When  did  you  inform  the  Governor  that  you  had  issued  a  proclama- 
tion ? 

A.  Xot  until  eight  or  nine  o'clock  that  morning  in  another  dispatch  that 
the  Governor  produced.     The  proclamation  really  had  not  gone  out  then. 

Q.  Did  you  inform  him  before  or  after  the  proclamation  had  gone  out 
to  the  public  ? 

A.  I  think  the  proclamation  went  over  the  wires  about  that  time,  but  it 

had  not  really  become  a  proclamation  and  about  the  time 

I  did  not  recollect  of  an3'thing  of  moment  or  importance  occuring  between 
that  time  of  the  sending  of  that  dispatch,  about  the  proclamation,  which 
was  read  here  on  Saturdav,  until  some  time  during;  the  morning.  1  sent  a 
....  General  Pearson,  to  know  how  things  were  progressing,  what 
things  had  been  done,  and  at  two  o'clock  I  received  a  reply,  which  appears 
in  my  report,  on  page  2.  It  left  Pittsburgh  one-fifty-eight,  p.  M.  Reads 
as  follows,  addressed  to  me : 

Pittsburgh,  July  20,  1877—1.58,  P.  M. 

General  James  W.  Latta,  Harrisburg: 

I  have  ordered  out  all  my  infantry  and  two  sections  of  Hutchinson's 
battery.  The  Eighteenth  regiment,  under  command  of  Colonel  Guthrie, 
are  at  Torrens  station,  where  several  hundred  determined  rioters  are  as- 
sembled, and  defy  the  officers  of  the  law.  The  Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth 
I  will  station  between  the  Union  depot  and  East  Liberty.  At  the  outer 
depot,  fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  men  are  congregated,  and  refuse  to 
allow  the  passage  of  any  freight  trains.  I  will  station  the  artillery  at  that 
point.  It  will  require  a  strong  hand  to  quell  the  disturbances,  and  disperse 
the  mob.  Thinking  it  better  to  overawe  the  mob  by  an  appearance  of 
strategy,  and  to  save  bloodshed,  I  have  ordered  out  my  command  as  above. 
A  portion  of  the  eighteenth  regiment  were  on  duty  at  eight  o'clock,  a.  m. 

A.  L.  Pearson. 
Major  General. 

I  then  left  Hai'risburg  with  Mr.  Farr  and  Colonel  Hassinger  and  Mr. 
Russell  on  the  fast  line  west.  During  the  morning,  I  might  sa}~  that  Col- 
onel Scott  was  telegraphing  me  quite  considerably  about  whether  or  not 
there  were  enough  troops,  and  earnestly  suggesting  me  to  put  some  more 
in  the  field,  and  to  show  the  opinion  in  which  the  troops  of  Pittsburgh 
were  held  at  that  time,  there  is  a  dispatch  here  which  has  never  been  pub 
lished,  and  which  I  will  read  now.  I  thought  I  could  understand  how  to 
handle  people  I  had  been  with  for  a  good  while,  and  there  ain't  any  ques- 


620  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

tion  about  it,  but  this  Sixth  division,  of  the  National  Guard,  stood  the  equal 
of  any  in  the  Commonwealth,  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  day  of  July,  and 
I  assured  Colonel  Scott,  the  troops  were,  in  my  judgment,  so  far  as  I 
understood  the  situation,  satisfactory  to  me.  I  sent  to  Colonel  Scott  this 
telegram,  dated  Harrisburg,  Juty  20,  at  noon. 

Adjutant  General's  Office, 
Harrisburg,  July  20,  1877—12,  M. 

Colonel  Thomas  A.  Scott,  Philadelphia : 

Pearson  is  moving  his  whole  force,  and  is  doubtless  on  the  ground  by 
this  time.  He  is  an  efficient,  energetic,  and  judicious  commander,  with  a 
body  of  troops  under  him  that  are  as  well  disciplined  and  drilled  as  any 
National  Guard  forces  in  the  country.  They  are  officered  by  gentlemen 
of  military  experience  and  proved  ability.  I  appreciate  the  situation,  and 
no  energies  of  mine  shall  be  spared  to  bring  matters  to  a  successful  issue. 
I  go  west  on  fast  line.  Will  keep  you  advised.  Have  read  Mr.  Cassatt's 
dispatch  to  you. 

(Signed)  James  W.  Latta, 

Adjutant  General. 

Shortly  after  this  dispatch  went,  some  two  and  a  half  hours,  I  got  some 
intimation  through  the  railroad  people  that  the  troops  were  not  coming  out 
right,  and  I  told  them  I  could  say  nothing  to  them  until  I  heard  from  Gen- 
eral Pearson,  who  had  the  whole  charge  of  matters.  This  dispatch  of 
Pearson's,  which  appeared  in  my  report,  page  3,  confirms  these  suspicions 
which  I  had  about  what  these  railroad  officials  had  said  to  me  : 

Pittsburgh,  July  20, 1877—5,  P.  M. 

Major  General  James  W.  Latta,  Adjutant  General,  {on  Fast  Line  ivest :) 

Matters  are  getting  worse.  The  Fourteenth  regiment,  up  to  this  time, 
four  o'clock,  have  not  reported  a  man.  The  Nineteenth  has  but  fifty  (50) 
men.  The  Eighteenth  regiment  has  had  one  hundred  and  fifty  (150)  on 
duty  since  morning.  Captain  Breck  has  his  battery  horsed  and  ready  for 
duty.  Is  now  at  Union  depot.  I  fear  the  majority  of  the  troops  sympa- 
thize with  the  strikers.  Mr.  Cassatt  is  most  anxious  to  have  other  troops, 
and  as  it  will  take  a  long  time  to  get  country  troops  together,  the  Phila- 
delphia troops  could  be  brought  here  in  less  time  than  any  others,  and 
would  not  be  in  sympathy  with  the  strikers.  Mr.  Cassatt  suggests  that 
you  have  a  good  regiment  under  arms,  and  if  I  fail  with  what  I  have  got, 
they  can  be  ordered  here  by  special  train,  and  would  arrive  early  in  the 
morning.  I  will  make  the  attempt  to  run  the  trains  through  in  less  than 
an  hour,  and  will  notify  you  of  the  result. 

A.  L.  Pearson, 
Jlfajor  General. 

To  which  I  replied,  as  follows. 

Mifflin,  July  20,  1877—545,  P.  M. 

General  A.  L.  Pearson,  Pittsburgh  : 

Your  dispatch  received.  You  say  Cassatt  suggests  that  another  regi- 
ment be  held  under  arms.     Do  you  ask  that  the  order  be  issued  ? 

James  W.  Latta, 
Adjutant  General. 
Then  immediately  after  that  I  got  one  from   Pearson  which  opened  up 
the  whole  situation,  and  was  acted  on.     That  dispatch  is  on  the  same  page, 
and  reads  as  follows : 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  621 

Pittsburgh,  July  20,  1877—6.35,  P.  M. 

Major  General  James  W.  Latta,  (Fast  Line  west :)  , 

After  every  exertion  on  the  part  of  myself  and  staff,  since  four  o'clock 
this  a.  m.,  I  have  but  two  hundred  and  thirty  men  on  hand.  There  are  not 
less  than  four  or  five  thousand  strikers,  and  increasing  in  large  numbers 
hourly.  The  sympathy  of  the  various  companies  is  with  them,  and  I  have 
no  hesitation  in  saying,  that  to  avert  bloodshed,  we  should  have  not  less 
than  two  thousand  troops.  While  I  can  scatter  the  crowd,  it  will  be  only 
for  the  time  being,  and  at  fearful  loss  of  life.  I  suggest  that  two  thousand 
men  be  sent  to-night. 

A.  L.  Pearson, 
Major  General. 

Q.  What  hour  is  that  dispatch  dated  ? 

A.  That  dispatch  is  dated  six-thirty-five,  p.  M.,  Pittsbui'gh,  July  20, 1877, 
and  I  got  it  at  McVeytown  tower,  east  of  Huntingdon.  I  immediately  or- 
dered the  divisions  of  Generals  Brinton,  Gallagher,  Huydekooper,  and 
White,  and  the  Fifth  regiment  of  General  Beaver's  division  under  arms, 
and  advised  General  Pearson  of  this  by  telegram.  In  view  of  this  fact  of 
sjnnpathetic  tendencies  on  the  part  of  the  strikers  with  the  rioters,  after  I 
got  Pearson's  dispatch,  in  another  answer  to  Colonel  Scott,  I  said  I  didn't 
deem  it  advisable  to  take  any  action  with  the  ti'oops  just  then,  until  we 
found  out  exactly  how  the  troops  felt.  If  the  troops  were  going  to  be  in 
this  condition  all  over  the  State,  we  better  study  a  little  before  making 
further  movements,  and  I  telegraphed  Brinton  a  private  and  confidential 
dispatch,  inquiring  what  the  sentiment  was  there.  He  telegraphed  back, 
assuring  me  his  people  were  right,  and  I  might  use  them  on  any  emergency 
whatever.  Immediately  after  that  I  put  Brinton  in  the  field,  and  ordered^ 
him  to  move  the  whole  division  to  Pittsburgh.  I  directed  Brinton  to  sup- 
ply himself  with  ammunition,  such  as  he  had  in  Philadelphia.  I  had 
forty-five  thousand  rounds  prepared  for  him,  and  handed  to  him  as  he 
passed  through,  with  instructions  to  issue  it  to  his  troops,  not  less  than 
ten  rounds  a  man,  before  they  went  any  further,  and  I  also  put  in  his  charge 
two  Gattling  guns,  which  we  had  at  the  Harrisburg  arsenal,  leaving  their 
heavy  guns  behind  them.  I  pursued  my  individual  movement  to  Pitts- 
burgh, and,  I  think,  I  got  there  some  time  about  one  or  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning  of  Saturday.  I  do  not  recollect  exactty  the  time.  I  found  ex- 
citement, and  things  conditioned  during  the  night  as  I  supposed  I  would 
find  them,  from  what  reports  I  had.  Found  these  two  regiments,  the 
Fourteenth  and  the  Nineteenth,  partially  gotten  together  in  cars.  Pear- 
son was  about  to  execute  a  movement  to  carry  them  out  by  some  strategic 
plan,  about  daylight,  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  there  hold  the  crossing 
with  these  two  regiments  and  a  battery,  the  object  being  entirely  to  avoid 
bloodshed,  that  being  the  tenor  of  all  the  dispatches  I  received.  From 
what  I  could  learn,  1  thought  the  movement  of  that  battery  and  the  ne- 
cessity for  two  thousand  men  was  rather  an  unwise  one,  and  I  advised 
against  it ;  but  the  battery  was  taken  out,  and  the  measure  was  successfully 
accomplished.  I  discovered,  much  to  my  surprise,  that  public  sentiment 
and  the  press  were  in  pretty  strong  sympathy  and  accord  with  the  people 
who  were  defying  the  law.  No  sheriff,  no  mayor,  that  I  saw  at  all.  Mat- 
ters went  on  until  two  o'clock,  I  think,  without  any  change  worthy  of  com- 
ment, when  Brinton  arrived  with  about  six  hundred  and  fifty  men.  I  then 
asked  Pearson  distinctly  whether  he  was  satisfied,  or  had  enough  troops 
to  master  the  situation,  and  he  said  lie  was  satisfied  with  them,  and  the 
movement  commenced.     I  remained  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel,  to  say  noth- 


622  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

ing  of  the  transaction  at  Twenty-fifth  street.  The  fi  ring  was  first  announced 
to  me  in  a  dispatch,  which  was  given  in  my  report.  It  might  be  stated, 
in  this  connection,  that  the  whole  forty-five  rounds  of  ammunition  were 
brought  to  Pittsburgh,  and  it  was  a  pretty  serious  embarrassment  in  future 
operations.  These  facts  are  all  set  forth  in  my  report,  and  the  troops  were 
supplied  with  twent}r  rounds  per  man,  and  the  guns  with  two  thousand 
rounds  each — the  Gattling. 

Q.  Before  they  started  from  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  Before  they  started  from  the  Union  depot.  We  had  a  vast  amount  of 
it  lying  there.  If  we  had  only  got  it  issued,  it  might  have  made  some 
change  in  circumstances.  The  dispatch  announcing  the  fire,  I  received  at 
the  Union  depot,  five-twenty  p.  M. 

Q.  What  page  is  that  on? 

A.  Page  5. 

Outer  Depot,  July  21,  1877—5.25,  P.  M. 

Major  General  Latta,  Union  Depot: 

Send  for  Huidekoper's,  Gallagher's  Beaver's,  and  White's,  divisions.  The 
location  of  the  ground  is  such  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  handle  troops. 
The  troops  have  just  fired  into  the  crowd,  and  I  am  informed  a  number  are 
killed.  I  am  satisfied  no  trains  can  be  sent  out  to-night.  The  appearance 
of  affairs  is  desperate. 

A.  L.  Pearson, 
Major  General 

The  object  of  the  movement,  was,  of  course,  to  open  the  road,  and  Mr. 
Pitcairn  told  me  shortly  before  the  movement  commenced,  in  reply  to  an 
interrogatory,  that  he  had  fifteen  crews  ready  to  carry  out  trains. 

Q.  Ready  to  take  out  trains  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  I  never  knew  the  reason  why  the  trains  did  not  run  until 
I  read  General  Brinton's  report,  which  was  some  ten  months  afterward. 
I  inquired  from  a  gentleman  connected  with  the  railroad  company  why  the 
trains  did  not  move  that  day  when  the  tracks  were  open,  ready  for  them 
to  move,  about  an  hour  after  the  fire  occurred,  and  he  told  me  the  reason 
was  that  General  Pearson  said  it  would  not  do;  but  upon  referring  to 
General  Brinton's  report,  I  found  that  an  offer  had  been  made  by  the  troops 
to  guard  the  trains,  and  the  railroad  people  said,  we  have  not  got  the  men 
to  move  the  trains,  and  the  trains,  consequently,  could  not  move.  The 
road  was  open.  The  soldiers  had  discharged  their  duty,  and  opened  the 
road. 

Q.  How  long  was  it  kept  open  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know,  but  I  presume  some  couple  of  hours,  from  all  I  learn 
from  the  official  reports,  before  they  withdrew  from  this  position  to  the 
round-house  ? 

Q.  What  time  was  it  that  Mr.  Pitcairn  stated  to  you  that  he  had  fifteen 
crews  to  move  trains  ? 

A.  I  should  think  it  was  about — just  a  little  while  before  Brinton  came 
in,  with  his  troops,  and  lie  got  there  at  two  o'clock.  I  saw  him  in  the  hall- 
way of  the  hotel,  standing  about  ten  or  fifteen  feet  from  the  desk  of  the 
Union  Depot  hotel  clerk's  office.  I  think  Pearson  stood  beside  me.  I  am 
not  so  sure  of  that,  though. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  consultation  with  General  Pearson  or  railroad  nun 
about  the  propriety  of  undertaking  to  start  trains  that  evening — thai  after- 
noon? 

A.  I  have  no  distinct  recollection  of  airy  consultation  with  him. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  623 

Q.  Do  3tou  remember  of  any  citizens  calling  at  the  office  of  the  Union 
Depot  hotel,  and  advising  against  moving  the  trains  that  afternoon  ? 

A.  No  citizens  called  on  me  with  such  advice. 

Q.  Did  an}'  of  the  civil  authorities  ? 

A.  I  never  saw  any  civil  authorities  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  except 
the  mayor,  for  about  ten  or  twelve  minutes,  and  then  I  sent  for  him  to 
come,  during  all  the  time  I  was  there. 

Q.  When  did  you  send  for  him  ? 

A.  About  midnight,  on  Saturday-  He  met  Colonel  Quay,  and  I  think 
the  first  word  he  said — I  think  he  said  :  "  If  Hartranft  had  been  here  the 
troops  would  not  have  been  ordered  out.  Why  didn't  you  do  like  you  did 
before — telegraph  him,  and  then  there  would  not  have  been  any  trouble." 
I  said  to  him  :  "I  think  that  if  you  get  out  there  you  can  stop  this  thing 
now."  He  said  it  was  beyond  his  power,  and  he  made  some  remark  I  did 
not  like  very  well,  and  I  turned  on  my  heel,  and  left  him  in  consultation 
with  Colonel  Quay. 

Q.  Can  you  remember  that  remark  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  The  substance  of  it  ? 

A.  No;  not  well  enough  to  testify  to  under  oath.  Colonel  Quay  and  he 
kept  up  some  considerable  conversation. 

Q.  Was  Colonel  Quay  present  when  that  remark  was  made  ? 

A.  He  was  ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  was  he  ? 

A.  Our  room  was  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  on  the  second  floor — the  first 
floor — I  suppose  the  hotel  would  call  it  the  first  floor  of  the  Union  Depot 
hotel.  This  room  faces  right  opposite  the  stairs.  Quay  and  McCarthy 
were  sitting  on  a  kind  of  a  bench  there,  and  I  was  standing  up.  Matters 
went  on.  I  don't  recollect  when  I  first  learned  that  the  troops  were  in  the 
round-house.  Oh,  yes !  here  is  the  dispatch,  on  page  5,  addressed  from 
Pearson  to  me  : 

Outer  Depot,  July  21.  1877. 

Major  General  James  W.  Latta,  Union  Depot  : 

Brinton  reports  about  fifteen  killed  and  wounded,  and  child  of  ten  years. 
The  rioters  numbered  not  less  than  ten  thousand,  and  completely  sur- 
rounded the  troops,  and  fired  the  first  shots.  It  is  reported  that  the  United 
States  arsenal  will  be  attacked,  and  arms  and  ammunition  captured.  Have 
notified  the  commandant  of  the  fact.  The  rioters  contemplate  burning  the 
railroad  buildings,  and  I  have  ordered  all  my  troops  inside  the  walls  of  the 
buildings,  and  will  protect  at  all  hazards. 

A.  L.  Pearson, 
Major  General. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  receive  that  dispatch  ? 

A.  That  dispatch  must  have  been  received  about  dark,  or  shortly  after- 
ward. I  see  it  is  without  hour.  Then  I  placed  myself  in  communication 
with  him.  There  are  two  dispatches  here.  I  started  a  messenger  boy  off 
to  the  arsenal.  It  appears  that  Pearson  had  been  in  communication  with 
them  to  advise  the  officers  of  the  fact  of  what  trouble  there  was.  I  was 
getting  replies  and  sending  messages  back  from  these  troops.     They  were 

on  their  way of  them  without  ammunition,  and  some  of  them 

had  been  unable  to  get  out  of  there,  and  wanted  to  know  whether  they 
should  use  force,  and  they  finally  did  get  out  and  go  to  the  lower  end  of 
Pittsburgh  by  the  next  morning. 

Q.  What  time  did  Pearson  reach  you  at  the  Union  depot  that  evening  ? 


624  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  have  reported  it  at  ten  o'clock,  and  I  think  that  hour  is  about  right. 

Q.  What  was  that  report,  then,  as  near  as  you  state  it  ? 

A.  He  came  in  with  four  of  his  staff,  and  I  was  rather  astonished  at  see- 
ing him.  The  mob  had  got  pretty  thick,  and  I  had  learned  through  the 
entire  afternoon  that  no  soldier  could  appear  upon  the  highway  with  any 
safety,  unless  he  had  troops  with  him.  A  rope,  I  learned,  was  put  around 
the  neck  of  General  Brinton's  staff  officers,  and  he  was  threatened  with 
assassination  and  all  sorts  of  things  ;  but  there  is  no  question  about  the 
fact,  unless  a  soldier  was  willing  to  give  up  his  gun,  he  had  no  business  out 
among  them.  Pearson  managed  to  get  down  unobserved.  The  cars  were 
four  lines  deep — were  all  down  to  the  round-house — and  I  suppose  he  got 
through  them.  He  said  he  managed  to  get  down  there  in  that  way.  I 
told  him  I  was  very  much  surprised  to  see  him  there,  and  he  said  the  ob- 
ject of  his  visit  was  ammunition  and  rations  for  the  troops — they  were 
almost  entirely  out,  and  I  told  him  the  situation — whether  he  understood 
it  fully  I  do  not  know — it  was  impossible  fur  liim  to  get  back.  I  thought 
his  usefulness  was  about  ended.  He  got  there,  and  he  could  not  return 
again.  I  told  him  to  go  somewhere  else,  and  report  to  me  at  daylight.  He 
went  to  the  house  of  one  of  the  staff  officers,  somewhere  on  the  outskirts 
of  the  town — Richard  Evans.  Daylight  came,  and  he  could  not  go  through, 
I  suppose,  if  he  had  tried.  I  heard  nothing  further  from  him  until  about 
one  o'clock.  One  of  his  staff  officers  brought  a  note  from  him  at  the  Mo- 
nongahela  house.  He  offered  to  do  any  duty  he  could.  He  said  if  he  came 
on  the  street  he  was  satisfied  his  life  would  not  be  his  own  for  a  moment ; 
and  I  did  not  see  anything  for  an}Tbody  to  do  just  then,  and  I  told  him  I 
could  see  nothing  to  be  answered  by  his  coming  out  at  that  time,  and  he 
might  as  well  remain  where  he  was. 

Q.  General  Pearson  was  in  command  of  the  troops,  then,  until  ten  o'clock  ? 

A.  O,  yes.  I  must  say  something  else.  He  was  in  command  up  to  ten 
o'clock.  Before  I  told  Pearson  to  go  away,  I  asked  him  four  or  five  times 
very  distinctly,  and  put  the  interrogatory  as  strong  as  I  could,  to  know 
whether  he  had  left  General  Brinton  in  absolute  command,  and  he  said  that 
he  had — that  Brinton  was  the  commanding  officer,  and  I  have  since  letters 
from  General  Brinton,  in  which  he  has  assumed  that  he  was  in  command 
of  those  troops. 

Q.  After  General  Pearson  left,  then  General  Brinton  was  the  command- 
ing officer  ? 

A.  He  was  the  commanding  officer. 

Q.  Had  entire  charge.  Did  you  have  any  communication  with  General 
Brinton  ? 

A.  When  Pearson  left,  no  fire  had  broken  out.  Pearson  rather  charges 
disaster  on  me  in  his  report.  The  burning  did  not  occur  until  after  he 
went  home.  After  Pearson  left,  Air.  Parr  and  Colonel  Norris,  Mr.  Linn, 
and  Cassatt  and  Phillips  were  active  and  energetic  in  getting  provisions 
out — trying  at  least.  Having  got  an  engine  fired  up,  they  backed  it  into 
the  Union  depot,  and  I  think  they  got  coffee  and  sandwiches — a  tremen- 
dous amount  of  provisions  carried  out  to  where  the  engine  was.  An  en- 
gineer had  agreed  to  push  it  out,  and  everything  was  read}'  for  the  move- 
ment, when  the  engineer  reported  that  the  fire  hail  gotten  between  the 
round-house  and  the  Union  depot,  and  he  could  not  go.  The  cars  were 
burned,  and  he  could  not  run  his  engine  past  them,  and  the  consequence 
was  that  the  scheme  was  abandoned.  About  that  time,  a  man  disguised 
as  a  working  man,  at  great  personal  risk  and  the  exercise  of  a  vast  deal 
of  tact,  presented  himself  to  my  room  at  the  hotel.  IB'  told  me  where  he 
had  come  from,  and  brought  a  dispatch  from  General  Brinton.     At  that 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  625 

time,  I  suppose,  the  fire  had  got  pretty  well  ahead,  and  it  was  rather  of  a 
demoralizing  character.  I  had  had  it  in  mind,  if  it  was  possible,  to  get  a 
communication  to  Brinton,and  propose  some  plan  to  get  out  of  the  round- 
house, and  clean  that  mob  out ;  but  I  desisted  from  that  when  I  read  that 
dispatch.  I  unfortunately  have  lost  it,  but  I  recollect  I  stood  up  and  read 
it  out  in  the  room,  and  I  recollect  I  said — that  subject  of  ordering  the 
troops  out  had  been  discussed — I  said  I  will  assume  no  responsibility  of 
ordering  the  troops  to  fight,  when  a  report  like  that  comes  from  them,  and 
it  left  me  under  the  impression  that  the  whole  thing  was  gone  up.  I  rec- 
ollect, I  walked  up  and  down  the  room  that  night,  and  I  thought  every 
friend  I  had  would  be  burned  to  death  by  morning.  I  had  no  idea  they 
would  ever  get  out,  and  I  devoted  my  entire  energies  to  their  relief.  I 
had  been  the  associate  of  the  First  regiment  since  my  early  boyhood  days, 
and  that  dispatch  left  me  and  everybody  else  with  that  idea.  I  sat  down 
and  answered,  in  the  nature  of  one  which  appears  upon  page  7,  of  that  re- 
port, and  sent  it  back  by  this  same  man.  At  that  time  the  mob  had  got 
to  be  so  serious,  that  I  did  not  deem  it  wisdom  to  order  any  troops  into 
the  city  of  Pittsburgh  without  ammunition.  The  troops  of  Colonel  Rod- 
gers,  which  was  part  of  the  First  division,  and  which  should  have  been 
supplied  with  ammunition,  were  then  about  somewhere  at  Walls  station. 
At  the  time  Pearson  came  in  to  me,  communications  stopped  with  the 
round-house — wires  were  cut.  We  had  one  Western  Union  wire  running 
to  different  points,  and  that  was  the  only  one  we  could  get  hold  of.  None, 
however,  to  the  round-house.  I  sent  word  to  this  detachment  at  Walls, 
and  to  the  detachments  on  their  way,  not  to  come  within  ten  miles  of  the 
city,  until  they  got  ammunition.  Then  I  sent  this  dispatch  back  to  Gen- 
eral Brinton : 

Major  General  R.  M.  Brinton,  round-house  : 

I  know  your  situation  fully.  Regret  that  you  are  so  placed,  but  know- 
ing j'our  high  soldierly  qualities,  know  that  you  will  hold  out  to  the  last. 
It  would  be  sad  to  sacrifice  life,  as  you  would  have  to,  in  case  of  a  persist- 
ent attack,  but  if  it  comes,  it  consequently  must  follow.  Every  one  has 
been  untiring  in  efforts  to  get  rations  and  ammunition  to  you,  and,  in  every 
instance,  it  has  failed.  Cassatt  and  Philips,  of  the  railroad,  Baugh,  of 
your  staff,  Norris,  Farr,  and  Linn,  volunteers,  are  now  making  every  effort 
to  again  sUortly  reach  you.     No  chanee  for  friction  primers. 

Have  again  made  every  effort  to  reach  you,  but  failed  on  account  of  the 
fire.  The  rest  of  Philadelphia  troops  are  at  Walls  station,  twelve  miles 
east,  and  there  remain  awaiting  ammunition.  I  am  starting  private  con- 
veyance to  Torrens,  with  ammunition  to  Guthrie,  in  large  enough  quanti- 
ties to  supply  himself  and  the  troops  now  at  Walls.  VVhen  I  hear  of  its 
safe  arrival,  I  will  order  them  forward  to  Guthrie,  to  report  to  him,  direct- 
ing him  to  move  to  your  relief,  with  the  whole  command.  His  march  will 
be  about  five  miles,  and,  if  all  things  prove  successful,  he  ought  to  reach 
you  by  five  or  six  o'clock.  If  compelled  to  escape  at  last,  do  so  to  the 
eastward  ;  take  Penn  avenue,  if  possible,  and  make  for  Guthrie,  at  Torrens. 

James  W.  Latta, 
Adjutant  General. 

These  instructions  were  not  followed  ;  but  a  different  and  another  route 
was  taken.  I  had  inquired  from  the  people  of  Harrisburg  where  the  best 
place  was  to  feed  troops  at  that  time  in  that  large  body.  I  was  told  by 
those  who  seemed  to  know  that  one  of  those  large  hotels  at  East  Liberty 
could  accommodate  five  or  six  hundred  men,  and  I  had  made  this  direc- 
tion to  go  to  East  Liberty  to  get  the  men  fed.  Men  dragged  out  from 
40  Riots. 


626  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

their  homes,  and  kept  up  two  nights,  cannot  exist  like  the  old  and  heavier 
campaigner  can,  who  have  become  inured  to  privations. 

Q.  In  giving  these  orders  in  your  communication  to  General  Brinton, 
and  in  the  orders  you  gave  to  Colonel  Guthrie  and  Colonel  Rodgers,  were 
you  assuming  command  of  the  troops,  or  in  what  capacity? 

A.  I  was  assuming  command,  so  far  as  that  was  concerned.  I  could  not 
assume,  as  Adjutant  General,  the  command  of  any  troops,  unless  I  relieve 
the  officer  commanding,  and  that  would  be  a  very  delicate  thing  to  do  in 
the  situation  we  were  in.  For  the  purpose  of  concentration,  and  for  the 
purpose  of  a  movement,  I  was  acting  as  commander-in-chief,  and  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  general  directions? 

Q.  You  had  plenty  of  ammunition  at  the  Union  depot? 

A.  Plenty  of  ammunition. 

Q.  Could  you  not  have  ordered  Colonel  Guthrie  to  have  marched  down 
Fifth  street  by  a  circuitous  route,  and  brought  him  to  the  Union  depot  at 
night? 

A.  He  said  he  hadn't  forces  enough. 

Q.  There  was  no  force  on  Fifth  street,  was  there — running  out  Fifth 
avenue  ? 

A.  I  suppose  I  could  have  done  all  these  things,  but  1  didn't  conceive, 
in  view  of  the  reports  I  had,  that  it  was  wise  to  undertake,  and  my  views 
were  fully  confirmed  by  the  dispatches  that  came  from  Guthrie  himself, 
after  I  had  ordered  the  movement,  because  he  wired  me  as  follows — after 
I  got  him  an  order  for  the  concentration  he  wants  to  know — a  Pittsburgher 
inquired  of  me  what  route  he  shall  take. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Guthrie  have  any  ammunition  ? 

A.  0,  yes  ;  he  had  some  seven  to  ten  rounds,  I  believe — I  know  he  had 
some  ammunition. 

Q.  How  many  rounds  did  General  Brinton  have  with  him  in  the  round- 
house ? 

A.  I  reported  twenty — that  is  my  belief. 

Q.  At  the  time  3^011  sent  this  communication,  on  page  7,  with  the  mes- 
sage to  General  Brinton,  could  you  not  have  ordered  him  out  of  the  round- 
house, and  could  he  not  have  marched,  at  that  time,  down  to  the  Union 
depot  ? 

A.  I  cannot  answer  whether  he  could  have  marched  down.  I  could  have 
ordered  him  to  do  so. 

Q.  What  is  your  opinion  about  his  having  been  able  to  march  down  to 
Union  depot,  and  cut  his  way  to  Union  depot  at  that  time? 

A.  I  do  not  think  at  that  time  it  would  have  been  a  wise  movement  in 
the  night. 

Q.  A  fire  had  already  broken  out  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  that  Brinton  had  received  that  communication  ? 

A.  O,  yes  ;  Brinton  got  that. 

Q.  Was  that  discussed,  or  did  that  occur  to  you  at  the  time  to  order  him 
down  to  the  Union  depot? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  have  just  stated  I  intended  to  order  him  out.  I  do  not  mean 
to  say  at  that  particular  time,  but  I  intended  to  suggest,  when  I  got  this 
dispatch,  and  then  I  would  not  assume  the  responsibility  of  ordering  troops 
out  that  were  described  to  be  in  that  condition. 

Q.  Have  you  that  dispatch  ? 

A.  That  is  lost. 

Q.  Can  you  state  the  nature  of  it — the  contents  of  it? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18??.  62? 

A.  I  do  not  want  to  say  one  thing  that  is  in  it.  The  contents  of  it  were, 
as  I  have  stated,  general  demoralization. 

Q.  Of  his  troops? 

A.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  his  troops.  The  impression  made  by  the  dis- 
patch was  one  that  created  upon  the  mind  of  anybody  who  read  it — and 
there  was  no  use  attempt  to  fight  just  then  with  the  troops.  That  was  an 
impression  left  upon  my  mind,  and  upon  the  minds  of  those  who  heard  me 
read  it. 

Q.  Is  that  dispatch  lost? 

A.  That  dispatch  is  lost. 

Q.  Who  was  present  and  heard  that  dispatch  read  ? 

A.  Colonel  Farr,  Colonel  Quay,  Colonel  Hassinger,  and  Mr.  Russell. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  received  ? 

A.  About  midnight. 

Q.  Did  General  Pearson  consult  you  after  the  track  had  been  cleared, 
and  after  the  collision,  at  about  five  o'clock — did  he  consult  you  as  to  the 
disposition  of  the  troops? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  know  they  were  going  to  be  placed  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  know  where  the  Fourteenth  and  the  Nineteenth  regiments 
were,  commanded  by  Colonel  Gray  and  Colonel  Howard  ? 

A.  I  knew  where  they  had  been  sent  to  in  the  morning. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  they  were  in  the  evening  ? 

A.  I  made  up  my  mind  they  had  all  disappeared.  I  must  not  use  that 
phrase  any  more,  because  one  of  the  military  newspapers  says  it  is  a  pecul- 
iar one  to  use — that  troops  disappear. 

Q.  Did  you  know  they  were  ordered  in  the  transfer  depot? 

A.  No,  sir;  but  somebody  came  in,  and  told  me  they  were  all  gone. 

Q.  Do  37ou  know  when  they  were  disbanded  by  order  of  General  Brown  ? 

A.  The  first  I  knew  of  that  was,  I  saw  Brown  two  or  three  times  during 
the  night  in  citizens'  clothes,  and  toward  the  early  morning,  but  I  had 
heard  all  along  his  troops  had  gone.  The  old  gentleman  was  pretty  well 
excited.  He  was  going  out  and  making  promises,  and  coming  back,  and 
having  interviews,  and  getting  in  among  the  fellows.  The  next  day,  Cap 
Bigham,  he  was  a  pretty  strong  man,  was  in  the  room  at  the  hotel,  be- 
tween nine  and  ten  o'clock,  and  I  said  something  pretty  rough  to  Bigham, 
about  the  troops  running  away,  and  Bigham,  like  a  good  soldier,  would 

that  he  had  done  what  he  was  told ;  he  said  these  troops  left 

there  by  order  of  General  Brown. 

Q.  That  was  the  first  you  knew  of  General  Brown's  order  ? 

A.  That  is  the  first  I  ever  heard. 

Q.  After  General  Pearson  left,  then  General  Brinton  was  the  command- 
ing officer,  as  I  understand,  and  you  learned  that  fact  by  and  through  Gen- 
eral Pearson  ? 

A.  By  and  through  General  Pearson. 

Q.  That  he  had  left  him  in  command  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  know  that  the  ammunition  was  at  the  Union 
depot  ? 

A.  0,  yes. 

Q.  He  knew  it  had  been  left  there  ? 

A.  You  know  he  kept  sending  for  us  to  send  it  out  to  him.  He  left  the 
ammunition  under  the  guard  of  a  detachment  of  cavalry.  They  had  sabers 
way  up  at  the  lower  end  of  the  depot.     My  recollection  is,  when  things 


628  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

got  pretty  hot,  these  men  were  no  earthly  account  round  with  their  sabers, 
and  I  believe  a  captain  and  some  men  of  the  Fourteenth  were  standing 
around  there,  too.  They  never  reported  to  me  for  any  special  purpose. 
I  sent  those  gentlemen  out.  I  know  I  sent  some  of  them  out,  for  they 
succeeded  in  getting  out,  some  from  this  exposed  place,  down  to  the  cellar 
of  the  hotel. 

Q.  Was  Cassatt  and  Pitcairn  out  at  Twentieth  street,  at  the  time  of  the 
collision  ? 

A.  I  am  told  they  were. 

Q.  Did  you  have  conversation  with  them  after  they  returned  ? 

A.  I  had  a  conversation  with  one  of  them. 

Q.  Did  you  ask  them  whether  trains  had  been  moved  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  they  made  answer  just  as  I  have  stated.  Said  General 
Pearson  told  them  not  to  move — they  said  General  Pearson  told  them  not 
to  move. 

Q.  And  did  you  have  any  conversation  with  General  Pearson  on  the 
subject,  when  he  came  in  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  consultation  before  the  troops  started  with  the 
civil  authorities  ? 

A.  I  never  saw  them. 

Q.  You  don't  know  what  arrangements — as  I  understand  it,  the  sheriff 
marched  with  a  posse  in  front  of  the  troops  ? 

A.  I  have  been  told  so.  I  never  saw  the  sheriff  but  once  in  my  life,  and 
that  was  two  or  three  weeks  afterwards. 

Q.  Were  your  instructions  to  the  commanders  to  keep  themselves  sub- 
ordinate to  the  civil  authorities  ? 

A.  I  have  just  read  my  original  dispatches — aiding  the  civil  authorities. 

Q.  When  General  Pearson  left,  at  ten  o'clock,  you  did  practically  relieve 
him  from  command  ? 

A.  Yes.     Of  course,  it  was  a  virtual  relief,  as  explained  in  that  way. 

Q.  He  first  asked  you  whether  he  had  left  General  Brinton  in  command  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Now,  did  you  consider  you  had  power  to  order  the  movements  of 
General  Brinton,  after  General  Pearson  had  left? 

A.  I  did  ;  for  purposes  such  as  that. 

Q.  And  also  of  Colonel  Guthrie  ? 

A.  I  did  ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  Colonel  Rodgers  and  the  troops  in  that  vicinity  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  You  will  observe  I  did  not  give  Brinton  any  particular 
order. 

Q.  That  power  you  had  by  virtue  of  the  instructions  that  the  com- 
mander-in-chief had  given  you  before  he  left  ? 

A.  I  took  it  I  had  that  power  generally  in  the  comprehensive  duties  of 
Adjutant  General.  The  conclusion  of  this  dispatch  to  Brinton  is  not 
in  the  shape  of  an  order.  It  tells  him  what  to  do.  Brinton  thought 
he  could  have  done  better,  he  could  have  gone  somewhere  else,  and  when 
a  man  don't  follow  such  instructions  as  that  he  takes  a  great  deal  of  risk, 
just  as  a  man  who  refuses  to  obey  the  order  of  an  adjutant,  if  the  Adjutant 
General  is  sustained  by  his  chief,  he  is  going  to  get  a  pretty  good  dressing  ; 
if  not,  he  is  all  right. 

Q.  General  Brinton  could  have  obeyed  your  instructions  or  disobeyed 
them  ? 

A.  I  am  simpty  applying  that  remark  to  the  conclusion  of  this  letter, 
which  reads  :  "  If  compelled  to  escape,  at  least  do  so  to  the  eastward.     Take 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  629 

Penn  avenue,  if  possible,  and  make  for  Guthrie,  at  Torrens."  Brinton 
could  have  taken  that  direction,  or  taken  some  other  one  if  he  thought  he 
could  do  better  by  taking  some  other.  When  he  didn't  take  the  direction 
I  gave  him,  he  assumed  a  responsibility. 

Q.  Afterwards,  you  ordered  him  to  join  Guthrie,  at  Torrens  ? 

A.  I  did ;  yes.  He  had  got  too  far  then.  After  this  order  went  out, 
they  succeeded  in  getting  ammunition  to  Guthrie.  I  had  ordered  a  train 
from  Walls  by  telegraph.  The  reply  I  got  from  Walls  was,  that  the  '.'  en- 
gineers won't  run  the  trains.     I  can't  move  them."     Then  I  ordered  the 


wagon. 


Q.  Did  you  see  the  sheriff  after  you  arrived  at  Pittsburgh,  or  the  Union 
depot,  before  the  troops  were  sent  to  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  I  never  saw  the  sheriff  nor  the  mayor  until  I  sent  for  him. 

Q.  Did  you  ask  General  Pearson  whether  he  had  a  consultation  with  the 
sheriff  or  the  mayor  ? 

A.  I  did  not  ask  him  anything  about  the  mayor,  but  I  had  dispatches 
from  Pearson  in  which  he  said  he  had  been  with  the  sheriff. 

Q.  You  saw  no  citizens  on  Saturday  night,  I  understand  j'ou  to  say? 

A.  Saturday  night — I  don't  recollect.  I  think  Mr.  Rook  came  in  the 
room  for  a  few  moments  on  Saturday  afternoon.  Mr.  Hampden  was  in 
the  room. 

Q.  Who  is  the  solicitor  ? 

A.  There  was  a  good  many  railroad  men  around  there,  but  outside  of 
the  railroad  men  I  have  no  distinct  recollection  of  any  one  but  Rook. 

Q.  Did  you  see  James  Park,  junior,  Saturday  evening  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  such  a  name.     I  might  know  him  if  I  would  see  him. 

Q.  He  had  no  conversation  with  Mr.  Cassatt  in  your  presence,  that  you 
recollect  of  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  nor  nobody  had  any  conversation  with  Mr.  Cassatt  in  my 
presence  during  the  evening.  I  didn't  see  Mr.  Cassatt  more  than  a  few 
moments. 

Q.  On  Saturdajr  afternoon,  did  you  see  these  gentlemen  ? 

A.  I  don't  know — I  don't  think  I  did.  I  might  have  seen  him.  If  I 
saw  this  gentleman  I  could  tell  better.     I  don't  know  the  name. 

A.  Did  any  citizens  speak  to  you  or  to  Cassatt,  in  your  presence,  in  re- 
gard to  any  meeting  any  time  to  move  trains  on  Saturday? 

A.  No,  sir ;  nobody.     I  heard  it  talked  of,  but  nobody  ever  came  to  me. 
It  was  talked  of  in  our  room  between  us. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  It  was  talked  of  in  the  room  ? 

A.  Between  ourselves. 

Q.  Was  this  before  the  effort  was  made  to  clear  the  tracks  with  troops  ? 

A.  I  do  not  recollect. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Did  it  occur  to  3-011  that  Saturday  would  be  a  bad  day  to  undertake 
the  movement  of  trains  ? 

A.  It  has  occurred  to  me.  Whether  it  occurred  to  me  then  or  not  I  am 
not  able  to  answer. 

Q.  Were  you  aware  that  the  rolling  mills  and  manufacturing  establish- 
ments in  Pittsburgh  closed  at  noon  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  I  was  at  that  time. 

Q.  And  that  a  large  number  of  men  were  idle  on  Saturday  afternoon  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  I  was  at  that  time,  but  it  is  just  one  of  those  sort  of 
things  I  know  now,  and  I  cannot  give  a  full  recollection  or  impression.  I 
know  this  much,  there  was  no  direct  report  to  me  of  this  fact  with  any 


630  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

suggestion  that  the  movement  be  suspended  on  account  of  that  fact,  be- 
cause then  I  would  recollect  distinctly. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Your  own  understanding  when  you  got  to  Pittsburgh  was  the  civil 
authorities  had  lost  all  control,  and  were  powerless  ? 

A.  When  I  first  «ot  to  Pittsburgh? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  Yes ;  so  far  as  any  force  they  had. 

Q.  They  were  powerless  to  disperse  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  so  far  as  any  force  which  they  could  control  as  a  civil 
posse. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  After  the  burning  commenced  Saturday — the  burning  of  cars — did 
it  occur  to  you  that  it  was  possible  for  General  Brinton,  with  the  men  he 
had  there,  to  stop  that  in  any  wa}T  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.     It  occurred  to  me. 

Q.  Did  you  take  it  into  consideration? 

A.  I  don't  know  that  I  did  particularly.  I  was  not  thinking  particularly 
about  that. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  consultation  with  the  railroad  officials  during  the 
night  there  as  to  any  means — or  try  to  devise  any  means  to  stop  the  burn- 
ing cars? 

A.  There  was  not  any  of  them  there. 

Q.  What  became  of  the  railroad  officials  ? 

A.  I  don't  know,  sir. 

Q.  When  did  you  miss  them  ? 

A.  I  last  saw  Mr.  Cassatt  somewheres  towards  dark.  They  were  down 
stairs.  I  think  Mr.  Cassatt  was  down,  but  I  didn't  see  him.  He  came 
back  again. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Pitcairn  during  the  night? 

A.  I  don't  think  I  ever  saw  Pitcairn  after  I  had  talked  with  him  about 
the  cars. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Mr.  Scott? 

A.  Scott  was  the  first  man  to  tell  me  about  the  collision.  He  came  in 
the  room  and  announced  the  collision,  said  it  was  very  sad,  and  walked 
out.  I  saw  Mr.  Phillips,  another  railroad  man,  I  recollect,  when  the  fire 
was  getting  close  to  the  hotel.  He  and  Russell  threw  cartridges  into  the 
pitcher  full  of  water,  thinking  it  would  destroy  them. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  arrive  at  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  I  estimated  it  at  about  noon. 

Q.  Sunday  ? 

A.  Sunday,  yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  means  did  you  take  Sunday  to  try  to  stop  the  burning  ? 

A.  I  didn't  take  any.  I  had  nothing  to  take  any  means  with.  There 
were  six  gentlemen  in  citizens'  clothes — most  of  them  civilians — all  civilians 
I  think.  The  next  day  when  I  first  heard  that,  Captain  Aull  was  the  first 
party  who  came  in.  He  announced  that  the  troops  had  got  out  of  the 
round-house.  There  were  two  parties  from  East  Liberty  who  had  come 
into  the  room  to  ask  me  to  retain  the  Eighteenth  regiment  there,  and  I 
looked  at  them  in  astonishment  when  I  had  ordered  them  to  come  in  to  the 
relief  of  General  Brinton.  While  I  was  talking  to  those  citizens,  Captain 
Aull  came  in,  and  he  overheard  the  conversation.  He  stepped  up  and  told 
me  he  had  driven  through  Brinton's  troops,  and  they  were  marching  out. 
I  was  relieved  from  a  great  deal  of  anxiety,  so  I  sat  down  and  immediately 
told  Aull — having  no  other,  I  think — sat  down  and  dictated  a  dispatch, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  631 

which  appears  here  on  page  11,  addressed  to  Brinton,  signed  by  me,  dated 
July  22,  1877  : 

Pittsburgh,  July  22,  1877. 
Major  General  R.  M.  Brinton: 

Remain  in  position  at  stock-yards,  or  thereabouts,  securing  yourself, 
and  await  further  orders.  Congratulate  you  on  your  manceuver  of  this 
morning.  Consult  with  Colonel  Guthrie,  and  govern  yourself  accordingly. 
From  information  received  here,  it  appears  Eighteenth  regiment  is  sufficient 
to  protect  stock-yards,  and  will  not  excite  special  prejudices  of  the  mob. 
There  is  an  old  fort  in  the  vicinty,  which  is  suggested  as  a  good  place  to 
hold.     It  can  be  shown  to  you  by  parties  familiar  with  the  neighborhood. 

Keep  your  channels  of  subsistence  well  open,  and  await  further  orders. 
The*-e  ma}r  be  some  developments,  which,  of  course,  will  require  you  to  act 
on  your  own  responsibilit}'.  If  any  troops  arrive  at  East  Liberty,  assume 
command  of  them.  Report  their  arrival  here,  if  possible.  Norris  will  be 
on  the  ground  shortly,  and  explain  the  situation  here.  Act  after  consulta- 
tion with  him. 

James  W.  Latta, 
Adjutant  General. 

At  the  same  time,  Noi'ris  being  a  staff  officer — it  is  not  customary  to  give 
a  staff  officer  written  instructions — I  started  him  off  to  talk  with  Brinton. 
Brinton  appears  to  have  given  this  order  sometime  about  the  31st  of  July, 
seven  or  eight  days  afterwards.  Norris  got  hold  of  me,  and  told  me  the 
purport  of  the  order,  and  told  me  what  the  directions  were,  and  he  moved 
about  a  mile  beyond  Sharpsburg  bridge  and  stayed  there.  I  started  off  to 
try  to  make  a  junction  with  the  troops  at  Walls,  which  I  did  not  know  at 
that  time  had  gone  to  Blairsville. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  consultation  with  the  officers  on  Sunday? 

A.  I  saw  no  citizens  of  Pittsburgh  on  Sunday,  except  Mr.  Bennett. 
Whether  we  called  to  see  him  or  not,  I  don't  know.  I  was  in  the  room 
just  as  Norris  had  returned  to  the  Monongahela  house.  Bennett  and  Cas- 
satt  were  sitting  upon  one  bed,  and  Norris  and  some  other  gentleman  on 
the  other,  and  Norris  was  giving  a  description  of  his  ride  to  Brinton,  and 
I  was  introduced  to  Mr.  Bennett,  and  shook  hands  with  him,  and  over- 
heard part  of  their  conversation,  which  was  to  the  effect  that  Mr.  Bennett 
was  trying  to  persuade  Cassatt  to  make  some  compromise  with  the  men, 
which  Cassatt  refused  to  do. 

Q.  He  was  the  only  one  ? 

A.  I  think  so ;  the  only  one  I  saw.  I  was  going  to  sa}',  I  remained  . 
there  until  nine  o'clock  at  night,  and  then  I  had  got  dispatches  from  every 
part  of  the  country,  that  showed  everything  was  in  a  general  uprising, 
and  I  made  up  my  mind  I  must  get  to  Harrisburg,  and  Phillips  told  me 
there  was  no  way  to  get  over  the  Pennsylvania,  and  we  went  to  Beaver, 
believing  the  Erie  route  to  be  the  most  practicable.  At  Beaver  I  tele- 
graphed to  Scott  to  get  a  special  train.  Scott  intimated  their  road  was 
open,  and  I  hired  a  carriage  and  drove  back  to  Allegheny  City,  and  came 
back  here. 

By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Do  3'ou  know  what  became  of  the  ammunition  in  the  Union  depot? 

A.  Before  I  left  the  Union  depot  I  spent  about  nearly  an  hour  in  arrang- 
ing a  plan  to  get  it  saved.  I  left  it  in  charge  of  Captain  Breck.  The  plan 
we  had  arranged  was  to — that  was  just  about  the  time  the  milkmen  were 
going  back  to  their  places  in  the  country — to  get  empty  milk  cans  and  open 
the  boxes  and  pour  the  ammunition  into  the  cans  and  take  the  ammunition 


632  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

out.  I  am  tokl  that  he  got  five  or  six  cans  loaded,  and  was  on  his  way  to 
hunt  transportation,  when  the  fire  got  hold  of  the  thing,  and  the  ammuni- 
tion was  destroyed. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  the  mayor,  in  that  interview,  express  any  intention  or  desire  to 
suppress  this — making  any  attempt  to  control  it? 

A.  Xo,  sir  ;  simply  said  the  matter  was  beyond  his  control,  and  he  could 
not  do  anything,  and  he  was  tolerably  mad. 

Q.  Did  he  say  he  had  in  the  first  place  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  didn't  ask  him  anything  about  that. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Who  explained  the  movements  of  the  troops,  as  they  advanced  out 
to  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  General  Pearson.     He  showed  his  plans  to  me  before  he  started. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  the  command  was  given  to  fire  that  day,  by 
any  of  the  officers  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  anything  about  it. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  General  Pearson  was  there  at  the  time  the 
firing  took  place  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  General  Pearson  was  dressed  on  that  day  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  he  left  me  with  a  blouse  on.  Major  general's  shoulder- 
straps  and  fatigue  cap,  and  my  impression  is  he  had  one  of  these  old  fash- 
ioned blouses,  with  the  braid  in  front,  and  a  sword  and  belt.  Whether 
the  belt  was  outside  of  the  blouse  or  inside,  I  cannot  recollect.  He  had  a 
fatigue  uniform  of  the  United  States  army,  excepting  that  braid,  if  that 
was  there.     It  is  not  now  a  part  of  the  uniform. 

Q.  What  time  did  he  leave  you  with  that  uniform  on  ? 

A.  He  left  me  with  that  uniform  on,  about  three  o'clock,  and  returned 
again  with  it  on  at  night. 

Q.  Did  he  have  it  on  at  night  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Engelbert: 

Q.  You  saw  him  before  the  firing,  and  after  the  firing  with  the  same 
uniform  on  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  with  the  same  uniform. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  After  you  returned  to  Harrisburg,  who  directed  the  troops  from  that 
time  until  the  arrival  of  the  Governor  in  the  State? 

A.  There  was  very  little  direction  done.  In  the  meantime  he  had  been 
advised  of  my  movements,  and  he  had  in  the  meantime  been  directing  him- 
self. After  the  Pittsburgh  collision,  he  commenced  to  move  the  troops, 
and  we  got  into  the  same  channel.     Pretty  much  all  the  orders  were  alike. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  a  collision  that  occurred  at  Reading, 
with  General  Reeder's  troops  ? 

A.  Only  as  it  is  officially  reported  by  General  Reeder  and  Bolton.  It 
was  reported  here  immediately,  I  saw  it  the  next  day. 

Q.  What  time  did  General  Huidekooper  get  to  Pittsburgh? 

A.  He  got  to  Pittsburgh  from  Chicago,  a  little  before  daylight  on  Sun- 
day morning. 

Q.   Did  you  have  any  consultation  with  him  after  his  arrival  ? 

A.  We  had  a  plan  of  battle  arranged  there.  Huidekooper  started  on  its 
accomplishment.  We  chartered  a  steamboat,  and  we  managed  to  smuggle 
several  boxes  of  ammunition  from  the  hotel,  and  he  went  to  Rochester, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  633 

believing  his  troops  were  coming  down.     He  ought  to  have  been  in  Pitts- 
burgh by  noon,  but  the  troops  were  stopped  by  the  riot. 

Q.  They  were  stopped  by  reports  at  Greenfield  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Who  was  the  colonel  commanding  these  troops  that  were  on  their 

way? 

A.  I  think  they  were  in  charge  of  a  major  on  the  Allegheny  Valley  road. 
They  were  in  charge  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Magee. 

Q.  They  were  not  in  charge  of  Colonel  Carpenter  ? 

A.  Possibly  so.  I  don't  know  that.  Magee — I  bad  communications 
with  him. 

Q.  Do  you  know  why  they  stopped  at  Greenfield  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  try  to  ascertain  the  causes  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  that  matter  was  altogether  in  the  hands  of  General  Huide- 
koper; he  was  division  commander. 

Q.  Did  Huidekoper  report  to  you  any  reasons  for  it? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  unless  there  is  something  in  this  report  here.  I  think 
if  he  had  I  would  have  recollected  it. 

Q.  Was  it  reported  to  you  by  anybody  that  there  was  no  cause  for  the 
stopping  of  the  troops  there,  excepting  that  the  colonel  commanding  the 
troops  was  afraid  to  go  on  ? 

A.  I  never  heard.  I  don't  think  I  ever  heard  that  before.  There  was 
plenty  of  ammunition ;  there  was  five  thousand  rounds  of  ammunition  at 
Greenfield  at  the  time. 

Q.  Plenty  of  ammunition  in  Greenfield? 

A.  I  didn't  know  it  then  because  it  was  in  Huidekoper's  division.  I 
learned  afterwards  it  svas  at  Greenfield. 

Q.  They  should  have  arrived,  you  say,  at  Rochester,  at  what  time  ? 

A.  If  the  trains  had  been  on  time  they  ought  to  have  been  in  Pittsburgh 
at  twelve  o'clock. 

Q.  Sunday  ? 

A.  Sunday,  yes,  sir. 

Q.  They  never  got  any  further  than  Greenfield  ? 

A.  Not  within  fifty  or  sixty  miles.  Huidekoper  left  Rochester  and  went 
out  west  to  meet  the  Governor.  He  gave  up  all  hopes  of  getting  near 
about  noon. 

Q.  Were  any  steps  taken  by  the  commander-in-chief  to  ascertain  the 
cause  of  that  delay  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  we  assumed  it  was  because  they  could  not  get  the  hands  to  run 
them.  That  was  the  report  from  every  place,  and  it  seemed  to  be  gen- 
erally confirmed.  I  was  just  going  to  say,  in  looking  at  this  matter,  it 
ought  to  be  looked  at  in  an  exceptional  light.  It  is  a  thoroughly  new 
thing.  The  soldiers  ought  not  to  be  reflected  on  as  severely  as  the  people 
have.  There  is  as  much  courage  in  the  National  Guard  as  there  is  any- 
where, and  it  ought  not  to  be  judged  of  in  the  light  of  a  i-egular  warfare 
nor  by  such  I'ules. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  found  after  you  had  organized  the  troops,  and  had  them  out  a 
few  times  that  they  were  just  as  good  as  any  soldiers  ? 

A.  Just  as  good  as  any  soldiers  you  bring  from  any  quarter  of  the  globe. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  It  was  reported  that  some  Philadelphia  troops  were  captured  across 
the  Susquehanna  here  by  a  squad  of  rioters  from  Harnsburg,  and  tramps, 


C34  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

and  brought  into  the  city.     I  wish  you  would  state  what  you  know  about 
that,  and  who  the  troops  were  ? 

A.  I  only  know  it  as  you  do.     I  didn't  see  it,  and  know  nothing  of  it. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  But  was  the  tiling  not  officially  reported  ? 

A.  Nothing  official  reported  to  me.  I  believe  the  officer  in  charge  of 
those  troops  is  now  undergoing  trial  by  court  martial  in  Philadelphia. 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  it  is  ? 

A.  I  only  know  from  hearsay. 

Q.  Do  3'ou  know  of  any  troops  that  were  ordered  to  Pittsburgh  re- 
turning without  orders  ? 

A.  I  heard  so,  yes,  sir ;  that  there  were  troops  that  did  return. 

Q.  Do  you  know  it  officially  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Of  your  own  knowledge? 

A.  I  don't  think  any  troops  did  return,  as  bodies,  to  Philadelphia.  Scat- 
tered, straggling  men  did,  but  no  body  of  troops  returned  to  Philadelphia. 
I  do  not  think  that  the  straggling  in  the  National  Guard  was  equal  to  what 
it  is  sometimes. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Do  you  approve  of  General  Brown's  course,  in  disbanding  his  regi- 
ments at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  If  it  be  a  fact  that  General  Brown  did  give  these  troops  directions 
to  leave,  it  was  a  most  outrageous  breach  of  everything  a  good  soldier 
ought  to  have  done.  I  believe  those  troops  there  could  have  held  that 
place  until  now. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  I  understand  you  to  say  that  it  is  your  judgment  that  those  troops 
might  have  held  that  place  ? 

A.  I  think  so. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  as  to  the  reasons  that  induced  General  Brown 
to  disband  those  two  regiments? 

A.  Haven't  the  most  distant  idea.  I  don't  even  know  that  it  is  a  fact, 
except  as  I  have  seen  it  alleged  in  the  newspapers. 

Q.  Are  you  well  acquainted  with  General  Brown  ? 

A.  I  have  known  him  five  or  six  years.  He  has  a  very  fine  record  in 
the  arnry.     He  used  to  be  adjutant  in  our  corps. 

Q.  Stood  well,  up  to  this  time,  in  the  National  Guard  ? 

A.  Excellently  well. 

Q.  Do  you  know  that  he  was  at  that  time  laboring  under  an}7  physical 
or  mental  disability  ? 

A.  No,  I  do  not,  except  that  he  struck  me  as  being  most  terribly  fussy, 

and a  whole  lot  of  information  that  it  was  not  worth  while 

bothering  with. 

Q.  Did  he  strike  }rou  at  that  time  as  laboring  under  any  mental  disa- 
bility ? 

A.  No ;  I  would  not  at  all  have  considered  that. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  he  show  unusual  excitement — nervousness  ? 

A.  Brown  is  a  terribly  talkative  fellow,  and  he  talked  in  his  usual  strain  ; 
I  should  not  have  set  him  down  as  anywise  wrong. 

C.  N.  Farr,  recalled  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  I   wish  you   would  state  whether  you  were  present  when  General 
Latta  received  a  dispatch  from  General  Brinton,  on  Saturday  evening  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  635 

A.  Yes,  sir;  I  was. 

Q.  Of  the  21st.  State  as  nearly  as  you  can  what  the  import  of  that  dis- 
patch was  ? 

A.  I  cannot  remember  it  sufficiently  to  give  an}^  of  the  language,  except 
the  general  impression  left  upon  my  mind  that  General  Pearson  had  left  me, 
and  that  he  had  had  no  communications,  and  didn't  understand  the  situation, 
and  stated  the  condition  of  his  troops,  and  how  particularly  lie  stated  that 
I  can't  remember,  except  that  the  impression  left  upon  my  mind  was  that 
the  troops  were  in  danger  of  demoralization.  There  was  a  certain  amount 
of  unreliability,  and  that  was  intensified  from  the  fact  that  we  knew  or  un- 
derstood, at  that  time,  that  the  Pittsburgh  division  had  gone  to  pieces,  and 
up  to  that  time  we  had  considered  that  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  Gen- 
eral Brinton's  holding  his  position  until  morning;  that  he  had  sufficient 
force,  and  was  well  armed  and  ammunitioned  ;  but  the  dispatch  created  the 
impression  that  his  troops  were  somewhat  infected  witli  that  feeling  of 
S3Tmpathy,  or  disinclined  to  take  vigorous  apperations,  and  I  understood 
that  to  be  the  reason  why  no  more  vigorous  measure  were  taken. 

General  James  W.  Latta,  recalled  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  In  relation  to  General  Brown — whose  dutj'  would  it  be  to  investigate 
the  conduct  of  General  Brown  there  at  that  time  7 

A.  General  Pearson's  duty  first ;  and  if  he  did  not  investigate  it  himself, 
he  ought  to  have  reported  the  fact  officially  here.  There  was  no  official 
report  that  reached  my  department  of  General  Brown's  having,  on  that 
night,  asked  any  troops  to  withdraw. 

Q.  Was  General  Pearson  relieved  of  his  command  for  any  time  after  the 
troubles  on  the  21st  there? 

A.  He  remained  temporarily  withdrawn  from  his  command  until  we 
started  off  to  Scranton.  When  the  Governor  came  into  Pittsburgh  that 
night,  he  found  nobody  but  Brown,  and  placed  Brown  in  temporary  com- 
mand of  the  troops  that  had  been  gotten  together  in  the  city. 

Q.  How  long  did  Brown  keep  that  position  ? 

A.  I  should  think  from  the  24th  or  25th  of  July  until  the  1st  day  of 
August. 

Q.  No  report  has  ever  reached  you  officially  that  he  did  dismiss  his 
troops  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  never  heard  anything  of  it  directly,  except  what  Captain 
Bingham  told  me  that  morning,  and  I  did  not  know  but  that  Captain  Bing- 
ham might  have  been  misinformed — he  might  not  have  been  in  direct  com- 
munication with  his  general.     I  did  not  pay  much  attention. 

Q.  Did  any  report  reach  you  from  Colonel  Gray  or  Colonel  Howard  ? 

A.  I  saw  Colonel  Gray's  report  in  the  newspaper.  Colonel  Howard  I 
don't  think  ever  said  anything  to  me  about  it. 

Q.  Does  Colonel  Gray  or  Colonel  Howard  mention  the  fact  in  their  of- 
ficial report  ? 

A.  Thej-  don't  come  to  me,  sir. 

Q.  To  whom  do  they  report  officially  ? 

A.  To  General  Pearson. 

Q.  Those  don't  come  to  you  at  all  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

At  this  point,  the  committee  adjourned  until  to-morrow  morning,  at  nine 
o'clock. 


G36  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Harrisburg,  March  12,  1878. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  ten  o'clock,  a.  m.,  in 
Senate  committee  room  No.  6.  All  members  present  except  Mr.  Larrabee. 

Honorable  A.  J.  Herr  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  It  is  made  the  duty  of  this  committee,  under  the  resolution  by  which 
they  were  appointed,  to  examine  into  the  conduct  of  the  militia  of  the 
State.  Will  you  please  state  what  knowledge  you  have  of  misbehavior  on 
the  part  of  the  officers  ? 

A.  My  personal  knowledge  is  not  very  extensive,  but  the  information 
that  I  received  from  credible  citizens  of  Harrisburg,  is  clear  and  pointed. 
Shall  I  give  you  what  I  saw  first  ? 

Q.  Yes. 

A.  One  day  during  the  riots — what  day  I  can't  recollect — but  one  day 
during  the  riots,  I  happened  to  be  on  the  pavement  in  front  of  the  court- 
house in  the  city  of  Harrisburg,  and  I  saw  a  large  crowd,  men  and  half 
grown  boys,  coming  up  from  the  depot,  going  towards  the  bridge  that 
spans  the  Susquehanna  river.  The  impression  prevailed  amongst  the  citi- 
zens that  this  crowd  was  going  over  the  bridge  to  make  an  attack  upon 
some  soldiers  that  were  said  to  be  there.  After  a  time — maybe  half  an 
hour  or  thereabouts — the  greater  part  of  that  same  crowd  came  back  from 
the  bridge.  Then  1  saw  in  the  center  as  it  were  of  some  few  men  and  some 
half  grown  boys,  soldiers,  and  these  half  grown  boys,  or  some  of  them, 
were  carrying  the  guns  of  the  soldiers,  and  they  wei'e  fraternizing  with 
the  young  boys  round  about  the  soldiers.  The  soldiers,  themselves,  all 
seemed  to  be  in  good  humor,  seemed  to  know  each  other,  and  passed  along 
very  nicely  and  quietly,  and  the  point  of  the  whole  thing  was,  that  these 
soldiers  had  in  this  way  allowed  these  few  half  grown  boys  either  to  take 
the  guns,  or  they  had  delivered  the  guns  up,  and  so  they  passed  on  down 
the  street,  these  soldiers,  with  these  few  boys  surrounding  them,  and  I 
lost  sight  of  them.  I  was  then  afterwards  told,  that  the  soldiers  had  sent 
word  over  to  some  of  the  people  in  town  that  they  wanted  to  come  to  Har- 
risburg, and  that  they  wanted  these  people  to  come  over  and  escort  them 
into  Harrisburg.  And  then  I  was  told  further,  that  these  parties  had 
provided  accommodations  for  these  soldiers — these  last  two  things  I  do 
not  know,  only  that  the  rumors  were  upon  the  street,  and  at  that  time 
prevailing.  And  the  feeling  in  my  own  breast,  as  well  as  throughout  the 
citizens,  was  one  of  humiliation,  that  these  soldiers  would  either  give  up 
their  arms  to  these  half  grown  boys,  or  send  word  to  them  that  they 
wanted  them  to  come  and  take  them  over  to  Harrisburg,  or  that  they 
allowed  them  to  take  their  arms.     That  is  what  I  saw,  and  all  I  saw. 

Q.  How  many  of  the  soldiers  were  there  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  tell,  because  you  know  how  difficult  it  is  in  a  moving 
crowd  to  tell  just  about  how  many.  I  should  suppose,  maybe,  there  were 
six  or  seven  or  eight,  or  thereabouts.  I  am  not  accurate  in  regard  to  that, 
but  there  was  a  goodly  squad. 

Q.  Were  there  any  officers  among  them  ? 

A.  That  I  can't  tell.  You  know  I  couldn't  see  very  well,  in  the  first 
place. 

Q.  Did  you  notice  whether  they  were  uniformed  or  not  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes. 

Q.  No  officers  then  ? 

A.  That  I  could  not  say.     I  did  hear  that  there  was  either  a  lieutenant 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  637 

or  captain,  but  I  am  not   positive  in  regard  to  that,  but  those  were  the 
general  facts  that  I  witnessed. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  of  half  grown  boys  around  them  ? 

A.  I  should  suppose,  maybe,  there  were  ten  or  twelve,  that  is,  of  the  im- 
mediate crowd,  that  also  was  looking  on,  were  attached  to  the  body  of  men 
that  were  bringing  the  soldiers  over.  You  might  say  that,  perhaps,  there 
were  ten  or  twelve;  but  the  crowd  outside  of  the  immediate  circle  of  young 
fellows  that  had  the  guns  was  larger,  and  for  the  most  part  I  guess  they 
were  spectators. 

Q.  When  they  went  over  the  bridge  in  going  out,  how  large  a  crowd 
was  there  ? 

A.  It  was  a  pretty  large  crowd,  perhaps  it  numbered — I  really  don't 
know,  but  should  suppose  that  that  crowd  may  have  numbered  two  hun- 
dred or  thereabouts,  but  they  didn't  all  go  across  the  bridge,  because  I 
was  told  that  the  bridge-keeper  kept  them  back,  and  would  not  let  them  all 
go,  but  I  suppose  the  van  of  the  crowd  got  over  before  they  closed  the 
gates. 

Q.  What  is  the  bridge-keepers  name — give  it  in  full  if  you  can  ? 

A.  That  I  can't  tell ;  but  I  will  get  it  and  hand  it  to  you,  or  to  one  of 
the  gentlemen.  I  might  get  it  in  the  Senate  chamber.  I  guess,  maybe,  Mr. 
Childs  could  tell  it. 

Q.  Which  bridge  was  it,  the  covered  bridge  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  that  was  about  all  I  saw  then.  Shortly  after,  or  some  time 
after  that,  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Major  Mumma — Major  David 
Mumma 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  those  boys  did  with  that  squad  ? 

A.  I  said  that  I  heard  that  they  took  them  down  to  some  hotel  and  pro- 
vided meals  for  them,  and  furnished  them,  I  was  also  told,  with  means  to 
get  away.     That  I  only  heard. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  hotel  it  was  ? 

A.  My  recollection  is  it  was  some  hotel — Boyer's  hotel,  on  the  railroad. 
I  may  be  mistaken  in  regard  to  that.  Some  of  the  hotels  down  in  that  neigh- 
borhood. I  was  going  to  say  that  Major  David  Mumma,  of  this  cit3r,  told  me, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  it  is  true,  but  he  can  give  it  you  firs.t  hand,  that  he 
had  occasion  to  go  out  to  his  farm,  and  to  reach  that  farm  he  had  to  pass 
a  little  town  by  the  name  of  Progress,  and  there  he  found  a  number  of 
soldiers,  and,  1  understood  him  to  say,  the  officers  with  their  epaulets  torn 
off,  and  their  buttons  cut  off,  and  very  much  excited  and  alaraied  ;  and  that 
they  told  him  they  had  come,  I  don't  know  where,  over  the  mountains  and 
through  the  valleys,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing,  and  there  they  were. 

Q.  These  are  the  ones  you  alluded  to  ? 

A.  Partly. 

Q.  Where  were  they  found  ? 

A.  In  a  little  tavern  in  the  little  town  by  the  name  of  Progress,  near 
here.  I  would  rather  you  would  get  the  full  statement  direct  from  the 
major  in  regard  to  that.  I  can  repeat  what  he  said,  but  you  can  get  it  first 
hand. 

Q.  This  was  the  party  that  was  captured  by  the  boys  ? 

A.  No,  no.  I  just  told  you  what  I  saw.  Now  I  am  only  referring  to 
what  Major  Mumma  and  other  citizens  told  me  about  a  squad  of  soldiers, 
and  they  characterized  them  as  officers,  epaulets  cut  off  and  buttons  cut 
off,  in  a  little  tavern  in  a  little  town  called  Progress,  near  this  city,  and  he 
described  their  alarm,  and  what  he  did  to  get  them  safe  to  the  arsenal. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  it  appear  to  you  that  the  boys  had  taken  these  soldiers  prisoners  ? 
Did  they  treat  them  as  prisoners,  escort  them  in  unarmed  ? 


638  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  20, 

A.  You  could  hardly  use  the  word  prisoners,  because  the  prisoners 
seemed  to  be  so  willing.     They  were  rather  captives. 

Q.  A  prisoner  generally  makes  a  show  to  go  willingly  ? 

A.  It  would  only  be  an  opinion  as  to  whether  the  boys — my  own  opinion 
is,  that  the  boys  did  not  capture  them  in  the  sense  of  these  men  resisting, 
and  finally  conquered  them,  but  rather  think  that  I  believe  what  I  was  told 
afterwards  is  true — that  is,  that  the  soldiers  had,  some  way  or  other,  sent 
word  here,  and  those  fellows  had  gone  over  there. 

Q.  They  wanted  the  boys  to  capture  them  ? 

A.  I  rather  think  so  from  what  I  was  told. 

Q.  Did  the  soldiers  carry  arms  ? 

A.  No  ;  the  boys  were  carrying  the  arms. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  This  crowd,  when  they  started  out — you  could  tell  something  by  the 
way  in  which  they  started,  whether  they  were  moving  toward  an  objective 
point  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes,  sir. 

Q.  That  they  appeared  to  be  moving  towards 

A.  Yes,  sir;  just  for  instance,  as  you  would  stand  by,  and  see  a  large 
crowd  passing,  and  you  would  wonder  where  they  were  going,  and  you 
would  keep  looking  to  see  that  they  were  all  directing  themselves  to  one 
point,  and  you  would  then  say,  well,  they  are  going  there.  Then  I  think 
that  there  is  a  Captain  McAlister,  who  is  living  in  Rockville,  a  few  miles 
over  here  on  the  Susquehanna,  he  can  tell  you  some  very  amusing  things, 
and  I  don't  know  but  a  little  humiliating,  too.  I  could  not  distinctly  recol- 
lect all  it  was  that  he  said,  because  it  was  rather  a  humorous  description  he 
gave  of  their  fright,  &c. 

Q.  Is  he  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  The  old  gentleman  ? 

A.  No ;  it  is  the  old  squire,  Jim — that  is  it,  Captain  James  McAlister. 

Q.  Rockville,  did  you  say  ? 

A.  In  that  neighborhood. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  the  movements  of  the  troops  about  the 
arsenal  or  anywheres  about  this  town  ? 

A.  No;  I  can't  say.  There  was  so  much  said.  I  think  that  Sheriff  Jen- 
nings and  Mayor  Patterson  could  give  you  a  good  deal  of  information 
about  the  movement — the  incipient  movements  of  the  troops  here.  Both 
of  those  gentlemen  could  give  you  a  good  deal  of  information. 

Q.  Was  the  mayor  in  the  city  during  all  the  time  of  the  riots  ? 

A.  I  think  the  mayor  was,  but  the  sheriff  was  not.  The  sheriff  happened 
to  be  away.  I  think,  if  my  recollection  serves  me,  he  was  either  at  Atlantic 
City  or  Philadelphia  at  the  commencement  of  the  matter.  The  mayor, 
though,  I  understand,  was  all  the  time  here,  but  the  sheriff  came,  I  think, 
just  as  soon  as  he  was  telegraphed  for — as  soon  as  he  could  get  here. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  action  the  mayor  or  civil  authorities  took  to  sup- 
press or  disperse  the  mob  or  crowd  that  was  about  the  depot  ? 

A.  I  was  given  to  understand,  and  I  think  it  is  the  truth,  that  he  and  the 
sheriff,  after  the  sheriff  came  here,  in  effect,  said  to  a  large  crowd  that  were 
round  about  the  Lochiel  hotel,  that  all  those  citizens  who  were  in  favor  of 
peace  and  order  should  follow  ;  and  so  the  mayor,  I  understand,  and  the 
sheriff — at  least  one,  if  not  both — led  off,  and  quite  a  number  of  the  citizens 
followed  them  with  the  purpose  of  protecting  any  property  that  might  be 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  639 

threatened  at  the  depot,  and  suppress  any  riot  that  might  be  threatened. 
Then  I  was  told  further  that  the  mayor  and  the  sheriff — either  both  or 
one — addressed  the  crowd  ;  but  what  was  said  exactly  I  don't  know  ;  but 
the  purpose  was  to  preserve  the  peace,  and  that  I  think  was  the  beginning 
of  what  was  called  the  law  and  order  party  here.  Then,  the  law  and  order 
party  was  composed  of  citizens  of  the  different  wards  that  were  organized 
into  companies,  with  their  captains  and  their  lieutenants,  and  met  at  cer- 
tain points  regularly,  and  were  drilled,  and  patrolled  the  city  from  earl}' 
evening  until  late  at  night,  and  in  that  way  order  was  preserved  here.  If 
there  had  been  any  attempt  to  break  the  peace  in  a  violent  way,  outside 
of  simple  murmurings  and  mutterings  on  the  part  of  the  crowd,  these  citi- 
zens were  fully  determined  to  suppress  if,  and  they  had  the  means  to — I 
mean  as  far  as  arms  are  concerned. 

Q.  What  was  the  spirit  of  that  mob  ? 

A.  I  did  not  see  it. 

Q.  When  they  stood  before  the  court-house  ? 

A.  You  mean  when  it  passed  there  ?  As  a  matter  of  course,  there  was 
a  good  dpal  of  talk,  and  now  and  then  you  would  hear  a  shot  and  a  yell, 
and  so  on ;  and  I  remember  this,  that  I  looked  into  the  faces  of  some  of  the 
men  as  they  passed,  and  unless  it  was  the  effect  of  imagination  altogether 
in  my  mind,  I  would  say  that  these  men  had  a  settled,  cold,  determined 
look  in  their  faces,  and  I  apprehended  trouble. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  they  l'ailroad  men,  in  their  appearance? 

A.  No;  I  could  not  say  that.  My  recollection  is,  that  this  man  whose 
countenance  I  looked  at  particularly,  as  he  was  coming  towards  me,  was  a 
railroad  man,  but  that  was  the  only  one  I  could  see,  that  I  believed  to  be 
a  railroad  man,  although  the  probability  is  that  there  were  more  in  it;  but 
that  fact  I  do  not  know. 
By  Mr.  Dewees: 

Q.  Were  there  any  strangers  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  don't  think  there  were  an}'  strangers,  although  I  can't  say  that 
I  recognized  any  of  them.  If  they  were  brought  before  me  now,  I  could 
not  say  you  were  there  or  you  were  not  there,  because  the  fact  of  the  mat- 
ter is,  I  felt  a  little  indignation,  and  so  expressed  myself  to  some  police 
officers,  that  were  standing,  who  happened  to  be  near  me.  A  police  officer 
made  a  remark  that  excited  me,  and  I  turned  upon  him  and  berated  him 
for  what  I  supposed  was  his  neglect  of  duty,  and  in  that  way  my  attention, 
possibly,  was  a  little  distracted  from  what  was  just  passing  at  the  time  be- 
fore me.  If  I  understand  you,  you  would  like  to  get  the  name  of  this  gate- 
keeper at  the  bridge. 

Q.  Can  you  get  any  other  gentlemen  that  could  relate  the  same  fact  that 
Major  Mamma  can  ? 

A.  I  cannot  just  now. 

Q.  About  that  squad  of  officers  ? 

A.  The  major  can.  There  was  some  people  with  him.  McAlister's 
statement  refers  to  a  different  transaction  from  what  Mum  ma's  does. 
Mumma's  will  be  confined,  if  I  remember  rightly,  to  what  he  saw  at  Pro- 
gress. 

John  D.  Patterson,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 
Q.  You  were  mayor  of  the  city  of  Harrisburg,  I  believe,  in  July  last  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 
Q.  At  what  day  did  the  first  disturbance  appear  here  ? 


640  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  On  Saturday  evening,  July  23,  I  think  ;  I  do  not  just  remember  the 
correct  date. 

Q.  The  21st? 

A.  The  21st ;  you  are  right. 

Q.  You  may  state  now  the  character  of  it  and  where  it  first  broke  out  ? 

A.  Do  you  wish  me  just  to — my  attention  was  first  called  to  the  disturb- 
ance on  Saturday  night,  probably  at  ten  o'clock.  I  was  at  the  office,  and 
had  sent  out  the  police  force  or  their  regular  duty,  and  a  report  came  to 
the  office  that  there  was  a  large  gathering  at  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  de- 
pot. There  was  a  prospect  of  some  trouble  there.  The  mob  interfered 
with  the  shipping  of  some  ammunition.  I  immediately  sent  a  special  officer 
to  Independence  island,  where  there  was  a  pic-nic  and  dance  going  on — and 
we  had  anticipated  considerable  trouble  there — to  call  in  the  chief  of  police, 
and  on  his  way  down  he  should  bring  in  the  police  officers  before  he  re- 
turned. The  lieutenant  of  police  I  had  sent  him  to  the  depot.  He,  in  com- 
pany with  special  officer  Roat,  arrested  a  party  for  threatening  to  interfere 
with  the  engineer  of  a  train,  and  had  started  to  bring  him  to  the  mayor's 
office,  and  were  stoned  up  Chestnut  street  and  up  Third  to  the  office.  They 
succeeded  in  getting  the  man  into  the  office,  and  a  large  crowd  gathered 
there,  and  I  went  out  front  and  requested  them  to  disperse.  Quite  a  num- 
ber of  them  left;  probably  three  or  four  hundred  remained  there.  Did  not 
seem  to  be  malicious  or  disposed  to  do  much  damage.  Then  I  sent  this 
man  that  had  been  arrested  to  the  door  to  state  that  he  had  been  arrested 
for  drunk  and  disorderly.  The  crowd  then  dispersed.  On  Sunday  was 
the  first  intimation  we  had  of  the  strike  among  the  employes  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania railroad.  I  was  told  there  was  a  very  large  crowd  at  the  Asylum 
crossing,  and  I  took  a  carriage  and  went  up  there  during  Sunday,  but  found 
no  person  there.  On  Sunday  afternoon  I  was  informed  that  there  was  a 
large  meeting  out  on  the  commons.  I  went  out,  and  there  was  a  man  named 
Torbett  making  a  speech  to  the  crowd  there.  After  he  left  the  top  of  the 
car,  there  was  an  insane  man  got  on  the  top  of  the  car  and  talked  about  or- 
ganizing to  go  and  take  this  arsenal.  About  this  time  there  was  a  pas- 
senger train  passed  down  through  the  yard  to  the  depot,  and  the  crowd 
dispersed  in  the  direction  of  the  depot.  I  walked  to  the  depot  and  found 
they  had  stopped  the  train — interfering  with  it.  A  great  gathering 
there,  nearly  all  of  our  own  citizens — good,  bad,  and  indifferent  were  there. 
Passed  down  the  depot  to  the  coupling  between  the  engine  and  the  first 
car — the  baggage  car — and  found  a  great  many  there  pulling  the  coupling. 
Among  them  were  a  great  many  boys,  ranging  from  fourteen  to  twenty 
years  of  age.  I  seized  two  or  three  of  the  boys,  took  them  off  the  platform, 
and  ordered  them  awa}r,  and  got  up  on  the  steps  of  the  car  and  made  some 
few  remarks  to  the  crowd,  calling  on  the  citizens,  if  they  were  read}7  to 
assist  the  police,  to  step  forward  and  we  would  disperse  this  crowd.  At 
that  time  the  people  did  not  seem  disposed  to  take  much  part,  as  there  was 
no  violence  done  as  yet.  I  motioned  to  the  engineer  to  pull  out — we  then 
had  succeeded  in  coupling  up  the  train.  He  deelined  to  pull  out.  After- 
wards stated  he  was  informed  there  were  obstructions  on  the  track  below 
the  city.  I  came  away  and  the  crowd  dispersed  during  the  evening.  Prob- 
ably two  hours  afterwards  they  sent  the  train  out.  On  Monday  the  par- 
ties became  threatening  ;  great  crowds  gathering  through  the  city,  stopping 
trains.  I  then  called  on  some  of  the  citizens,  told  them  the  status,  and 
whatever  was  to  be  done  must  be  done  for  Monday  night.  We  must  get 
ready,  for  that  night  we  would  probably  have  violence.  After  consulting 
with  many  of  the  prominent  citizens,  I  went  to  the  office,  sent  out  a  police 
force  and  notified  the  better  class  of  citizens  that  their  services  would  likely 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  641 

be  required  on  Monday  night,  at  least  they  should  hold  themselves  in  readi- 
ness to  respond  and  report  at  the  mayor's  office  in  case  of  two  taps  of  the 
court-house  bell,  at  any  time,  day  or  night. 

Q.  Was  it  verbal  notice  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  was  given  verbally  to  the  citizens  by  the  police  officers. 

Q.  In  the  form  of  a  demand  by  you,  or  request  ? 

A.  It  was  a  request.  I  had  instructed  the  police  force  from  the  begin- 
ning to  exercise  great  care  and  discretion  so  as  not  to  precipitate  or  pro- 
voke an  outbreak  ;  that  as  long  as  the  strikers  or  mob  failed  to  do  violence, 
that  we  should  wait  until  the  sentiment  of  the  people  would  change.  I 
would  say  that  when  the  strike  first  came  upon  us,  I  presume  that  the 
great  majority  of  the  people  were  in  sympathy  with  the  strikers — looked 
upon  it  as  a  strike  or  dispute  between  the  employes  and  officers  of  the 
road — and  their  sympathies  were  with  the  employes ;  but  afterwards  the 
sentiment  changed  when  they  found  that  violence  ami  destruction  was  per- 
petrated at  Pittsburgh.  Then  the  sentiment  changed,  and  they  were  ready 
to  take  part  to  put  down  the  outbreak  on  Monday  evening.  I  came  from 
my  house  probably  at  six  o'clock — I  had  been  to  tea — and  coming  down  town 
I  was  informed  that  there  was  a  squad  of  Philadelphia  soldiers  had  gone 
to  Market  street  in  custody  of  the  mob.  I  then  passed  down  Market  street, 
and  found  that  they  had  gone  up  the  railroad.  I  followed  up  the  railroad 
to  Broad  street,  and  there  I  found  probably  three  thousand  people  gath- 
ered— men,  women,  and  children.  The  squad  of  soldiers  were  there,  in 
addition  to  the  squad  that  had  been  brought  in  from  Rockville.  I  found 
out  who  the  soldiers  were,  and  I  requested — ordered  them  to  send  the  guns 
to  the  mayor's  office.     Then  they  had  forty-nine  breech-loaders. 

Q.  The  leaders  of  the  rioters  ? 

A.  The  mob,  yes  sir.  After  talking  to  the  rioters  they  were  entirely 
satisfied  to  send  the  guns  to  the  office,  but  said  a  portion  of  the  crowd 
would  object,  and  requested  me  to  make  a  few  remarks  to  them.  I  then 
mounted  a  shed  that  was  there  and  talked  to  them  a  few  moments, 
and  they  very  cheerfully  then  sent  the  guns  to  the  mayor's  office.  The  guns 
were  afterwards  turned  over  to  the  State,  by  order  of  Governor  Hartranft. 
During  that  night  an  order  came  to  the  office — a  report  came  to  the  office  that 
they  were  breaking  into  a  gun  store  on  South  Second  street.  I  took  a  por- 
tion of  the  police  force,  hurried  to  South  Second  street,  and  we  found 
the  mob  in  possession  of  a  store  belonging  to  a  man  by  the  name  of  Alt- 
meyer.  We  found  that  he  had  opened  the  door.  They  had  gone  there 
in  force  and  demanded  the  opening  of  the  door,  and  he  had  opened  the 
door,  and  struck  the  gas  for  them,  and  they  were  all  in  possession  of 
guns,  and  pistols,  and  knives.  I  formed  the  police  force  on  the  front  and 
went  in  to  them  and  talked  to  them,  and  after  some  little  parley  they  all 
returned  their  guns — took  nothing  out  with  them.  We  came  back  to  the 
office,  and  there  Mr.  Bergner,  editor  of  the  Telegraph,  reported  to  me  that 
they  were  forming  on  Market  street,  preparatory  to  destroying  his  build- 
ing.    I  then  struck  the  signal  for  the  citizens  to  turn  out. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  That  was  probably  eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  Monday  night  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  The  moment  we  struck  the  court-house  bell  the  citizens 
came  to  our  assistance.  The  sheriff,  in  the  meantime,  had  returned  home. 
He  had  got  home  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  I  reported  to  him 
what  we  had  done,  and  if  it  met  his  approval  he  should  carry  it  out,  with 
our  assistance.  He  approved  of  our  course,  and  he  took  charge  of  the 
citizens.  They  formed  them  into  what  he  called  a  law  and  order  posse, 
41  Riots. 


642  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

into  companies  and  into  a  regiment.  We  then,  after,  formed  at  the  corner 
of  Third  and  Market.  The  sheriff  and  one  officer  and  myself  went  down 
street  to  the  mob,  and  attempted  to  speak  to  them  from  the  steps  of  Mr. 
Mnench,  bnt  they  would  not  listen  to  us  at  all.  They  had  broken  into  a 
store  or  two  on  Market  street  in  the  meantime.  We  then  came  back  and 
came  down  Market  street  with  the  police  force  and  the  citizens,  and  the 
mob  dispersed. 

Q.  How  large  a  police  force  do  you  have? 

A.  We  had  seventeen.     We  had  fifteen  officers  in  line  and  two  at  the 
office. 

Q.  How  many  citizens  ? 

A.  I  presume  we  had  over — I  can  scarcely  give  an  estimate,  as  they  were 
formed  in  the  rear  of  the  regular  police  force — probably  three  hundred. 
From  three  hundred  to  five  hundred. 
Q.  Were  the  citizens  armed  ? 
A.  Most  of  them  were  armed. 
Q.  With  what  ? 
A.  Revolvers  and  clubs. 
Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  presume  there  were — it  being  night  we  could  scarcely  tell — the 
street  was  crowded  with  them.     There  may  have  been  from  six  hundred  to 
one  thousand  men  in  the  street  in  front   of  us.     When  we  went  down 
Market  street  the  mob  dispersed,  with  the  exception  of  probably  two  hun- 
dred, with  whom  we  had  a  little  collision  at  the  foot  of  Market  street. 
Then  they  dispersed  and  we  had  no  further  trouble. 
Q.  Was  there  any  firing  ? 
A.  No,  sir ;  not  a  shot  fired. 
Q.  The  police  were  ahead  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  they  dispersed  that  mob  ? 

A.  The  police  would  have  been  unable  to  disperse  the  mob  without  the 
assistance  of  the  citizens. 

Q.  Were  there  any  of  the  mob  arrested  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 
Q.  How  many  ? 

A.  Probably  eight  or  ten  arrested  during  that  night.  Altogether,  there 
were  within  the  week,  a  few  days  following  the  riot,  forty-five  or  forty-seven 
arrested. 

Q.  Were  the  police  officers  obliged  to  use  their  maces  in  order  to  dis- 
perse the  mob  that  night  at  the  foot  of  Market  street  ? 
A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Those  who  were  arrested,  what  class  of  men  were  they  ? 
A.  Most  of  them  followed  no  occupation.  Probably  one  third  of  them 
were  employes  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  and  I  would  say 
that  the  employe's  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  were  only  ar- 
rested for  interfering  with  the  business  of  the  railroad — they  were  not 
arrested  for  breaking  into  the  stores. 

Q.  Those  that  were  arrested  among  the  mob  at  the  foot  of  Market  street 
that  night,  were  there  any  railroad  men  among  them  ? 

A.  Yes ;  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  mob  was  a  railroad  man. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 
Q.  Hid  the  leaders  seem  to  be  railroad  men — that  is,  that  you  came  in 
contact  with  ? 

A.  The  fact  is,  they  did  not  seem  to  have  any  leaders,  except  on  Monday 
night,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Finfrock  seemed  to  be  the  leader.     They 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  643 

looked  upon  him  as  their  leader,  and  they  looked  upon  him  as  their  leader 
on  Monday  night.  That  was  the  only  time  they  seemed  to  have  any  desig- 
nated leader. 

Q.  What  was  done  with  the  parties  arrested  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  were  tried  and  convicted  and  sentenced  to  from  three 
to  eight  months,  with  fines  ranging  from  $20  to  $500,  I  think.  Others 
were  held  over  for  several  terms,  then  their  cases  were  disposed  of.  Most 
of  them  had  families,  and  the  greatest  trouble  we  had  here,  was  with  them 
that  followed  no  occupation — thieves  and  professional  men — crooked  men 
of  all  classes. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Tramps  ? 

A.  A  great  many  tramps.  The  only  man  that  was  wounded  by  a  shot 
during  the  excitement,  was  a  tramp.  He  was  turning  a  switch,  and  one 
of  the  police  officers  approached  him,  and  he  started  to  run,  and  he  ordered 
him  to  halt,  and  the  fellow  would  not  halt,  and  he  shot  him  in  the  leg. 
He  was  about  the  only  man  that  was  shot,  and  he  was  a  tramp.  Quite  a 
number  of  those  that  were  arrested  and  convicted  of  breaking  into  the 
stores  and  taking  the  most  active  part  were  tramps.  We  know  them  as 
professional  tramps. 

Q.  Did  you  ascertain  what  the  purpose  of  the  mob  was  on  Monday  night, 
in  case  you  had  not  succeeded  in  dispersing  them  ? 

A.  I  think  there  was  a  very  small  portion  of  the  mob  that  were  disposed 
to  interfere  with  the  loading  of  ammunition  to  be  sent  to  Pittsburgh.  In 
order  to  draw  the  crowd  away  from  the  depot,  it  appears  that  the  officers 
had  arranged  that  this  man  should  make  a  little  forward  movement,  and 
they  would  arrest  him.  That  drew  the  crowd  up,  and  while  they  were 
drawn  away,  they  loaded  the  ammunition  and  sent  it  off. 

Q.  To  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  continue  up  this  organization  of  citizens  ? 

A.  I  think  we  continued  the  organization  until  the  early  part  of  August. 
It  was  not  fully  disbanded  until  the  10th  of  August. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  trouble  in  raising  it  or  getting  the  citizens  to  aid 
you? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  at  all.  I  presume  we  had  from  a  thousand  to  twelve 
hundred  men  enrolled  as  members  of  the  law  and  order  posse. 

Q.  At  the  depot  on  Sunday  night,  when  you  called  for  the  citizens  to 
assist  the  police  in  protecting  that  train,  did  they  respond  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Was  it  from  lack  of — was  it  because  they  feared  the  result  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  simply  owing  to  the  fact  that  they  did  not  realize  the 
situation  at  all.  They  were  backward — I  merely  put  the  invitation  to  them, 
did  not  urge  them  at  all,  and  I  am  satisfied,  that  if  I  had  made  a  strong 
appeal  to  them,  they  would  have  responded. 

Q.  How  large  a  police  force  have  you  ? 

A.  Seventeen. 

Q.  In  all  ? 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  they  kept  on  duty  both  day  and  night  ? 

A.  Yes;  they  were  on  duty  for  eight  days,  day  and  night. 

Q.  Usually,  how  many  were  kept  on  duty  ? 

A.  At  night  ? 

Q.  Night? 

A.  Twelve. 


644  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  How  many  during  the  day  ? 

A.  Five. 

Q.  This  squad  of  soldiers  that  was  taken  down  Market  street — did  you 
find  where  the  crowd  left  them  ? 

A.  The  soldiers  were  with  the  mob  at  Broad  street  and  Pennsylvania 
avenue.  When  I  got  there  they  were  feeding  them,  and  giving  them  their 
supper. 

Q.  Where  did  they  get  the  food  ? 

A.  At  the  houses  right  there — one  of  the  hotels. 

Q.  Private  houses  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  some  of  the  private  houses. 

Q.  Fed  by  their  captors  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  finally  became  of  them  ? 

A.  They  were  put  on  the  train  here  and  sent  to  Philadelphia. 

Q.  How  man}'  were  there? 

A.  In  this  squad  that  was  brought  from  the  bridge,  I  think  there  were 
about  fifteen.     Probably  sixteen  or  eighteen. 

Q.  A  ny  officers  among  them  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  rank? 

A.  Lieutenant. 

Q.  And  the  other  squad  that  was  brought  from  Rockville,  how  many 
were  there  of  them  ? 

A.  I  can  scarcely  tell  you.  We  received  .forty -nine  guns  altogether, 
that  had  been  captured. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whose  command  the}'  belonged  to  or  what  regiment? 

A.  The  knapsacks  were  mostly  marked  State  Fencibles,  and  some  few 
Weccaco  Legion.  I  would  just  say,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  on  Sunday  we  had 
requested  the  editors  to  publish  no  extras,  it  would  only  inflame  the  pub- 
lic mind  still  further,  and  with  one  exception  they  had  complied  with  the 
request.  On  Sunday  morning  I  had  directed  all  the  gun-stores  and  hard- 
ware stores,  that  were  dealing  in  arms  and  ammunition,  to  put  awa}-  their 
arms  and  ammunition  during  the  day  or  early  in  the  evening,  quietby,  so 
it  would  not  be  noticed,  and  we  would  have  had  no  trouble  and  the 
mob  got  no  guns  at  all  except  that  a  party  on  Market  street  failed  to  com- 
ply with  that  request — or  on  south  Second  street — they  had  removed  their 
guns  and  brought  them  back  on  Monday  evening  to  their  store.  On  Sun- 
day evening  we  had  issued  a  proclamation  calling  upon  citizens  to  re- 
main at  their  homes,  not  to  gather  in  crowds  or  about  the  street  corners, 
and  these  proclamations  were  put  in  the  hands  of  the  public  on  Sunday 
evening.  It  was  late,  probably  six  o'clock  or  after,  when  it  was  printed. 
The  citizens  very  generally  complied  with  the  proclamation.  There  was 
no  trouble.  Our  citizens  here  showed  a  very  willing  disposition  to  do 
anything  that  was  required  of  them,  and  offered  their  services  after  they 
fully  realized  the  situation. 

Q.    On  Sunday,  were  the  saloons  open? 

A.   Js'o,  sir  ;   we  closed  t  he  saloons  in  the  proclamation  of  Sunday  evening. 

Q.   How  long  weie  they  kept  closed  ? 

A  .  We  kept  them  closed  until  Thursday,  1  think — Wednesda}r  or  Thurs- 
day following — when  we  allowed  them  to  open  during  the  day  and  close  at 
six  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Q.  You  controlled  that  yourself,  as  mayor  of  the  city? 

A.  Yes.  The  great  trouble  with  us  here  was  as  to  the  question  of  the 
authority  of  the  mayor.      Whether  the  mayor  under  the  charter  of  1874 — 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  645 

while  it  provides  for  the  mayor  to  have  the  same  powers  as  the  sheriff  in 
case  of  an  outbreak  or  riot,  it  was  a  question  with  some  of  our  attorneys 
here,  whether  it  was  an  outbreak  in  the  sense  of  the  act  until  there  was 
some  violence  committed,  and  the  sheriff  unfortunately  was  absent  until 
Monday.  When  he  returned  Monday  evening  there  was  no  further  trou- 
ble. We,  however,  had  made  arrangements  to  take  the  responsibility  not- 
withstanding the  doubt  about  about  it. 

Q.  If  1  understand  you,  there  was  no  act  of  violence  really  committed 
by  the  railroad  employes  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  It  was  done  by  outsiders  and  strangers  ? 

A.  The  parties  pulling  the  coupling  of  the  passenger  train  on  Sunday 
evening,  I  do  not  think  there  was  a  railroad  employe  amongst  them  at  all. 
Not  so  far  as  my  knowledge  goes. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  They  were  half-grown  boys  ? 

A.  Yes*;  the  great  trouble  was,  they  were  boys  fourteen  to  twenty-one 
years  of  age — boot-blacks  and  all  classes.  On  Sunday  night,  when  they 
talked  about  taking  the  arsenal,  this  man  that  had  made  these  remarks  was 
formerly  an  engineer  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  but,  through  religious 
zeal,  he  lost  his  reason,  and  was  an  inmate  of  an  asylum.  Of  course,  the 
remarks  had  very  little  weight.  Did  not  carry  the  crowd  with  him  at  all. 
On  Saturday  night,  Captain  Maloney,  after  consulting  with  some  of  us, 
had  taken  his  company  to  the  arsenal  with  his  guns.  I  called  there  on  Sun- 
day night  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  he  assured  me  he  was  fully  able  to  hold 
the  arsenal  against  the  mob.  After  requesting  him  to  telegraph  us  in  case 
there  was  any  appearance  of  an  attack,  I  then  came  in,  and  requested  Mr. 
Jenkins  to  unload  Gobin's  regiment  below  what  was  called  the  cut,  as  there 
was  a  great  number  of  what  was  called  the  mob  out  between  here  and  the 
track.  We  were  afraid  they  would  place  obstructions  on  the  track.  Really 
they  had  placed  obstructions  on  the  track.  I  requested  Gobin's  regiment 
to  be  disembarked  above  the  stock-yards,  then  they  would  have  almost  a 
direct  route  to  the  arsenal. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned,  until  four  o'clock  this  afternoon. 


Harrisburg,  March  12,  1878. 

Committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  four  o'clock,  p.  M.,  in  Sen- 
ate committee  room  No.  6.    Mr.  Lindsey  in  the  chair.    All  members  present. 

W.  W.  Jennings : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  You  were  sheriff  of  Dauphin  county  in  July  last  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Still  sherirf? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  at  home  at  the  time  of  the  first  disturbance  that  broke  out 
in  Harrisburg. 

A.  I  arrived  home — I  was  at  Atlantic  City — I  arrived  home  Monday 
evening,  July  23,  about  half-past  six  or  seven  o'clock. 

Q.  Just  state  how  you  found  the  city  as  to  order  and  quietness  when 
you  arrived  home  ? 

A.  I  found  the  city  under  a  great  deal  of  excitement.     The  trains,  I 


646  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

was  informed,  had  been  stopped  from  running,  and  I  immediately  went  to 
my  counsel,  Mr.  Wise,  for  insti'uctions  in  regard  to  my  powers  and  duties, 
and  met  a  number  of  the  prominent  citizens,  and  went  to  work  at  once 
under  advice  of  my  counsel  to  prepare  a  proclamation,  and  I  was  informed 
by  the  mayor  and  other  citizens,  that  the  citizens  had  been  notified  to 
assemble  at  two  strokes  of  the  court-house  bell.  I  went  around  town  and 
endeavored  to  get  parties  together,  until  about  ten  or  eleven  o'clock,  as 
near  as  I  can  recollect,  and  spent  sometime  preparing  a  proclamation  and 
advising  with  the  prominent  citizens,  and  one  came  to  me  at  the  Lochiel 
Hotel  and  said  that  the  rioters  were  breaking  into  the  stores  on  Market 
street.  I  called  upon  the  good  citizens  for  the  preservation  of  law  and 
order  to  go  with  me  and  suppress  the  riot.  I  suppose  about  one  hundred 
or  one  hundred  and  fifty  went  with  me,  and  went  down  Market  street,  and 
we  dispersed  the  mob.  We  arrested  a  couple  of  the  rioters  there.  After- 
wards came  back,  and  I  sent  squads  out.  I  then  organized  the  party  into 
companies,  and  I  sent  squads  out  to  arrest  and  take  these  men  out  of  bed 
who  had  been  prominent  and  active  as  rioters,  who  I  was  informed  had 
been  prominent  and  active  as  rioters,  and  we  put  those  in  jail.  The  next 
morning  I  had  my  proclamation  out,  and  also  orders  organizing  companies. 
The  citizens  responded  promptly.  We  organized  some  ten  or  eleven  com- 
panies, and  we  ran  the  town  on  military  principles  for  about  one  week. 
We  had  an  officer  of  the  day  detailed  to  patrol  the  town  at  night,  and  we 
had  the  fire  department  under  command,  and  everything  in  readiness  if 
there  would  be  any  further  trouble. 

Q.  What  was  the  nature  of  your  proclamation,  was  it  calling  for  citi- 
zens to  join  ? 

A.  The  substance  of  my  proclamation  was,  commanding  the  rioters  to 
disperse,  warning  them  of  the  penalties  of  the  law,  and  summoning  all 
good  and  law-abiding  citizens  to  assist  me  in  putting  down  the  riot. 

Q.  As  a  posse  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  difficulty  in  raising  a  posse  of  citizens  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  cannot  say  that  I  had  any  great  difficulty. 

Q.  They  joined  cheerfull}\ 

A.  They  responded  to  my  call.  I  arrived  here  at  seven  o'clock  on  Mon- 
day evening,  and  on  Tuesday  evening  I  paraded  in  the  streets  about  nine 
or  ten  hundred  men,  organized  as  a  regiment.  My  proclamation  in  the 
morning — that  was  issued  on  Tuesday  morning.  I  had  it  printed  during 
the  night,  and  I  had  it  posted  all  around  town  by  daylight  almost,  and  one 
of  my  proclamations  called  for  them  to  assemble  at  the  court-house,  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  I  supposed  there  were  six  or  eight  hundred 
men  at  two  o'clock  that  afternoon  there  organized  into  companies. 

Q.  In  the  evening,  at  the  Lochiel  hotel,  what  was  the  nature  of  that  call  ? 
Was  it  commanding  the  citizens  to  join  you  as  a  posse,  or  was  it  a  request  ? 

A.  It  was  more  of  the  nature  of  a  request.  Of  course,  the  feeling  in 
town  was  a  matter  I  suppose  would  have  to  be  handled  very  delicately,  and 
I  got  up  on  the  railing  at  the  Lochiel  hotel  and  said,  "  Gentlemen,  I  am  in- 
formed the  rioters  are  breaking  into  the  stores  down  on  Market  street. 
For  the  preservation  of  law  and  order,  how  many  of  you  will  go  with  me 
to  suppress  it?"  and  there  were  a  number  of  voices  responded,  "  We  will 
all  go  with  you." 

Q.  And  then  you  led  off  and  they  followed? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  When  you  reached  the  crowd,  how  large  a  crowd  did  you  find  as- 
sembled ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*77.  647 

A.  Well,  I  could  not  estimate  the  numbers.  The  line  was  drawn  at  the 
foot  of  Market  street  by  the  railroad.  There  was  a  line  of  men  across  the 
railroad  there — standing  there.  I  remember  one  man  who  was  in  front  had 
a  gun  in  his  hand.  I  went  up  to  him  and  took  the  gun  from  him,  and  he 
gave  me  some  impudence  and  I  took  him  by  the  neck  and  tossed  him  into 
the  crowd. 

Q.  Was  his  gun  loaded  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  was  loaded. 

Q.  Who  was  that  man  ? 

A.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Davis.     He  is  now  here  in  our  jail. 

Q.  Was  he  a  railroad  man  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  What  class  of  people  were  these  rioters  composed  of? 

A.  Well,  we  afterwards  arrested  a  number  of  railroaders,  though  we 
arrested  a  number  who  were  not  railroaders,  and  they  who  were  not  rail- 
roaders, I  must  say,  were  the  worst  characters.  The  railroaders  did  not 
want  the  trains  to  run,  that  was  about  the  extent  that  they  wanted  or  de- 
manded. The  other  party,  of  course,  that  broke  in  stores,  behaved  in  a 
riotous  manner. 

Q.  What  did  your  posse — or  what  did  you  find  it  necessary  to  do  to  dis- 
perse the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  think  our  appearance  commanded  respect.  I  could  hardly  put  it 
in  any  other  way.  1  think  they  thought  we  meant  business  when  we  went 
down  there,  and  1  gave  them  to  understand  that  in  as  plain  a  way  as  I 
could. 

Q.  Did  you  disperse  them  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  we  did. 

Q.  Was  it  necessary  to  use  any  violence  in  doing  that,  any  more  than 
to  make  the  arrests  you  have  told  us  ? 

A.  Well,  we  arrested  other  parties  there.  In  other  words,  when  we 
came  down  there  I  told  them  what  we  proposed  to  do.  We  cowed  them, 
and  the  parties  who  replied  and  gave  us  impudence,  we  arrested  them  at 
once. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  soldiers,  any  of  the  militia  at  your  disposal  during 
any  of  them  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  we  did  not  call  for  the  militia  at  all. 

Q.  Did  not  find  it  necessary  ? 

A.  Did  not  find  it  necessary. 

Q.  About  how  large  was  the  crowd  at  that  time  ?  How  many  would  it 
number  in  your  opinion  ? 

A.  It  is  a  hard  matter  to  give  you  an  estimate.  The  crowd  broke  and 
ran  across  the  bridge,  and  parties  who  lived  on  the  other  side  of  the  canal 
have  estimated  them  from  two  to  five  hundred  people.  I  judge  there  were 
two  or  three  hundred  people  there  anyhow. 

Q.  Did  they  re-assemble  at  any  time  after  being  dispersed  that  night  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  Right  after  we  had  dispersed  them,  we  organized  at  once 
into  companies  and  patrolled  the  whole  town,  and  of  course  it  was  known 
that  we  would  arrest  any  assemblies  or  any  crowds  at  any  place.  On 
Tuesday  evening  there  were  a  number  of  parties  who  were  looked  upon 
with  a  good  deal  of  suspicion  at  the  depot — at  the  railroad  ;  but  they  made 
no  demonstration,  and  dispersed  on  our  approach. 

Q.   What  was  done  with  the  parties  that  you  arrested  ? 

A.  Tried  and  convicted  at  court. 

Q.  Do  not  know  how  many  were  tried  and  convicted  ? 


648  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  could  not  tell  you.  We  had  forty  under  indictment,  I 
believe.     Some  of  thera  are  in  jail  now. 

Q.  Were  they  tried  by  the  county  courts  or  police  courts? 

A.  The}'  were  arrested  and  had  a  hearing  before  the  mayor,  and  were 
tried  by  the  county  courts — committed  by  the  mayor,  and  tried  by  the 
county  court. 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  militia  brought  in  at  any  time  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Coming  under  your  own  knowledge. 

A.  No,  sir  ;  not  under  my  own  knowledge. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  I  would  like  to  ask  you  a  question.  I  have  understood  that  there 
was  considerable  grumbling  and  growling  about  the  expense  for  that  thing 
— how  much  was  that  ? 

A.  The  county  paid  in  the  neighborhood  of  $2,000.  They  paid  me 
$1,965.  We  heard  of  a  case  in  North  street  where  a  man  had  some  two  or 
three  hundred  guns  in  his  house,  and  on  Tuesday  we  took  the  guns  from 
him,  and  he  brought  in  a  small  bill  and  the  items  were  made  up.  There 
were  fifty  men  that  were  detailed  as  specials.  They  were  on  duty,  in  con- 
nection with  the  mayor's  police,  as  policemen,  and  we  paid  those  two  dol- 
lars a  night — or  two  dollars  a  day — and  it  amounted  to  something  upwards 
of  $1,200 — between  $1 ,200  and  $1,300 — and  the  balance  of  the  expense  was 
for  providing  rations  for  our  men  at  night.  We  were  organized  as  a  regi- 
ment, and  we  had  regiment  and  company  quartermasters,  and  we  were  pro- 
vided with  rations  at  night.  They  had  quarters  and  all  that  kind  of  thing. 
That  caused  the  expense,  which  was  paid  by  the  county  commissioners. 

Q.  Not  charged  to  the  State  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  charged  to  the  county.     As  it  was  all  done  under  n^  orders, 
the  county  was  liable  for  the  expense — that  part  of  it.     The  mayor  had 
charge  of  these  fifty  men,  to  a  great  extent,  that  acted  with  his  policemen — 
the  mayor's  plicemen  acted  with  me  from  the  very  start. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Both  acted  in  conjunction  harmoniously  ? 

A.  Yes;  the  mayor  and  his  police  were  the  first  to  tender  their  services. 

Q.  Not  itfraid  of  one  superseding  the  other  ? 

A.  We  had  no  trouble  at  all.  We  procured  fifty  revolvers  from  the 
State  for  the  use  of  those  fift}'  men  we  had.  The  other  men  armed  them- 
selves. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Armed  with  muskets,  and  rifles,  and  shot  guns  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  wanted  them  only  to  have  clubs,  but  nearly  every  one  of 
them  had  pistols. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  I  understood  you  to  say  the  mayor  and  police  tendered  their  services 
to  you  ? 

A.  As  soon  as  I  arrived  in  town,  it  was  supposed  by  the  people  that  the 
sheriff  would  take  charge  of  it.    The  mayor  came  to  me,  and  tendered  the 
services  of  himself  and  the  policemen,  and  the  policemen  and  the  mayor 
were  in  front  in  anything  done  where  the  danger  was  supposed  to  be. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Held  the  post  of  honor  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  We  used  the  policemen  as  skirmishers — you  understand 
that. 

By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Of  course,  that  expense  has  been  paid  by  the  county,  and  considered 
finally  settled  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  649 

A.  Yes  ;  the  expense  consisting  of  pay  for  these  fifty  men,  and  there  were 
some  twenty — to  distinguish  them  from  them  the  rioters,  we  had  badges 
printed  and  labeled,  and  all  that  kind  of  thing — did  not  think  it  necessary 
to  get  uniforms — and  that  cost  something.  The  members  of  the  posse 
got  no  pay  at  all. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  In  your  official  duties,  did  you  inquire  into  the  causes  and  origin  of 
the  riots,  to  ascertain  what  were  the  causes  and  grievances  complained  of? 

A.  The  principal  one  was  they  did  not  receive  enough  to  pay  for  the 
labor. 

Q.  These  railroad  men  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  did  the  others  complain  of  ? 

A.  The  others  talked  about  being  in  want,  and  S3^mpathizing  with  them 
on  general  appearance.  I  heard  "  bread  or  blood  "  in  quite  a  number  of 
places. 

Q.  Were  the  mill  men  and  furnace  men  and  the  employes  of  the  manu- 
factories in  and  about  the  cities  engaged  in  this  riot  as  a  general  thing  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  would  say  no.     Not  the   men  that  worked.     The  fact  of 
the  matter  was,  my  idea  was,  that  the  parties  who  were  most  active  and 
violent  were  those  who  did  not  work  at  any  time. 
By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Never  worked  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  they  belong  to  the  city,  mostly  ? 

A.  Oh  a  good  many  of  them  did  ;  yes,  sir.     It  brought  our  worst  char- 
acters to  the  surface,  of  course. 
B3^  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  When  you  found  a  man  who  was  boisterous,  and  rather  of  an  ugly 
disposition,  you  did  not  wait  until  the  next  day  to  arrest  him  ? 

A.  We  went  for  him  at  once. 

Q.  Right  then  and  there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  not  propose  to  do  it  in  a  quiet  way  ? 

A.  We  did  not  want  to  bark  up  a  fight  in  any  way.  Of  course,  our 
whole  course  was  to  suppress  disorder ;  but  when  a  man  was  violent,  we 
would  not  hesitate,  and  we  did  not  run  around  with  a  chip  on  our  shoulders, 
and  ask  some  one  to  knock  it  off,  or  anything  of  that  kind. 

Q.  The  posse  had  pluck  enough  to  arrest  them  at  once  ? 

A.  We  arrested  them  after  we  went  to  work — after  we  got  the  posse 
organized — wherever  they  could  be  found.     The  mayor's  police  made  the 
largest  number  of  arrests. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  the  railroad  men  to  ascertain 
what  their  grievances  were  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  not  to  airy  extent. 

Q.  Did  you,  with  any  of  the  parties  that  you  arrested  ? 

A.  Oh,  I  talked  with  them  after  they  were  in  jail ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  3'ou  find  out  from  the  railroad  strikers,  or  from  anj-  reliable 
source,  whether  there  was  any  pre-arranged  plan  for  a  strike  or  not  among 
the  railroad  men? 

A.  From  what  they  told  me,  they  would  give  me  that  impression — that 
there  was  a  pre-arranged  plan  for  a  strike.  They  complained.  My  under- 
standing of  what  they  told  me  was  that  they  had  been  got  into  this  thing 


650  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

by  the  engineers,  and  then  the  engineers  had  stood  back  and  let  them  stand 
the  trouble.     Their  words  were,  "  Stand  the  racket." 

Q.   What  day  did  they  first  strike  here  in  Harrisbnrg? 

A.  That  I  cannot  tell.     I  was  not  here. 

Q.  Was  there  any  organization  here  known  as  the  Trainmen's  Union  ? 

A.  I  understand  that  they  have  an  organization  here — Locomotive  Engi- 
neers' and  Trainmen's  Union. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  it  from  any  of  the  men  themselves  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  the  objects  of  the  Trainsmen's  Union  ? 

A.  Well,  all  objects — the  idea  that  they  gave  me  was,  it  was  for  bene- 
ficial and  mutual  protection.  The  parties  that  were  arrested — the  larger 
part  of  them  that  were  arrested  by  the  mayor's  police,  they  blamed  it  more 
on  the  locomotive  engineers  than  any  other  society.  That  they  had  got 
them  to  strike,  and  showed  their  hand,  and  got  them  into  trouble,  and  they 
had  stood  back  and  done  nothing.  We  often  find,  when  persons  are  in 
trouble  and  they  are  in  jail,  they  always  have  some  other  parties  to  blame 
it  on. 

Q.  Did  they  say  to  you  what  they  proposed  to  do  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  other  than  they  wanted  their  wages  increased.  They  did 
not  speak  of  the  organization  as  one  of  the  objects  being  for  the  purpose 
of  getting  up  strikes.  They  said  it  was  more  as  a  beneficial  and  mutual 
protection  society ;  but  I  inferred  from  what  they  said  that  they  regarded 
the  society  would  act  together  in  a  strike. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Was  it  a  complaint  they  made  of  the  reduction  of  the  wages — that 
the  wages  had  been  reduced  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  when  that  reduction  had  taken  place  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  Whether  it  was  immediately  preceding  this  strike  or  not? 

A.  That  I  do  not  know,  sir. 

Q.  Did  not  learn  from  them  how  long  their  complaint  had  been  stand- 
ing— how  long  it  had  been  running — whether  recent  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  they  did  not  go  into  the  particulars  at  all  in  their  complaint. 
It  was  on  general  principles  about  the  workingmen  being  oppressed,  and 
the  road  oppressing  them. 

Q.  The  rich  oppressing  the  poor  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  these  men  that  you  talked  with  claim  the  right  to  interfere  with 
other  men  who  were  willing  to  work ;  did  you  have  any  talk  with  them  on 
that  subject  ? 

A.  Well,  I  cannot  say  that  I  could  answer  that  direct.  The}r  said,  in 
substance,  that  those  men  who  did  not  assist  them,  that  were  working  men, 
that  did  not  go  into  the  strike  with  them,  were  blacklegs,  and  all  that  kind 
of  thing ;  appeared  to  have  a  good  deal  of  feeling  against  those  that 
wanted  to  work,  and  did  not  go  in  with  them  to  the  strike. 

Q.  Complaining  against  those  who  would  not  join  them  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 


'i 


Thomas  Reckord,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 
Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  resided,  at  that  time,  at  the  bridge — the  toll  bridge. 
Q.  In  July  last. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18T7.  651 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  was  your  business  then  ? 

A.  Toll-gate  keeper. 

Q.  At  what  bridge  ? 

A.  Harrisburg  bridge — toll  bridge. 

Q.  The  bridge  across  the  Susquehanna? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  On  Monday,  the  23d  day  of  July,  state  whether  there  was  an}r  crowd 
coming  there  to  cross  the  bridge  from  the  city  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  was  sitting  in  the  office,  reading  a  paper.  All  at  once  I  heard 
a  great  noise,  and  I  looked  out  the  window  of  the  house,  and  I  saw  a  large 
crowd  coming  up,  I  suppose  two  or  three  hundred. 

Q.  What  time  of  the  day  was  it? 

A.  I  can  hardly  tell  you  what  time  of  the  day  it  was.  I  think  it  was 
towards  noon,  or  some  place  about  that  time. 

Q.  Go  on  and  tell  us  all  the  facts  about  ? 

A.  Well,  I  jumped  off  my  seat  and  ran  out  of  the  door.  I  saw  they 
were  making  for  the  bridge.  I  run  and  shut  the  gate.  There  was  a  great 
part  of  them  got  over  before  I  got  that  accomplished.  I  shut  the  gates 
and  kept  a  great  many  this  side.  Those  that  got  in  passed  over  the  bridge 
while  I  was  there.  There  was  another  crowd  came  and  insisted  upon  going 
over,  and  I  wouldn't  unlock  the  gates.  They  told  me  they  would  break 
the  gates.  Very  well,  said  I,  you  can  do  so.  There  was  one  man — a  young 
man — he  was  half  grown — a  great  part  of  them  were  young  men — he  went 
and  took  hold  of  the  picket-gate  to  break  it  open.  I  caught  him  by  the 
collar  of  the  neck  and  threw  him  back.  I  said  I  would  throw  him  in  the 
river  if  he  didn't  stop.  He  wanted  to  know  what  I  had  to  do  about  it.  I 
told  him  I  would  show  him.  I  kept  him  at  bay  there  for  a  long  time. 
Finally  there  was  a  man  came  there — I  cannot  recollect  his  name  now — 
and  told  me  the  ma}ror  had  sent  him  up  there  to  tell  me  to  open  the  gate. 
I  used  the  remark  that  the  mayor  had  nothing  to  do  with  that — I  wouldn't 
open  the  gate — this  was  individual  property,  and  it  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  matter  at  all.  I  wouldn't  open  the  gates.  Some  of  them  j  umped  over — 
some  of  them  jumped  over  the  gates,  and  finally  this  man  insisted  that  the 
mayor  had  sent  him.  I  wouldn't  believe  him  at  first.  Fnally  he  said  it 
was  so,  and  thei"e  was  two  or  three  men  stood  at  the  gate  there  and  begged 
me  to  leave  them  over.  Says  I,  if  I  open  the  gates  they  will  crowd  in. 
They  said  they  wanted  to  go  over,  and  would  help  me  to  shut  the  gates. 
These  men  were  standing  there  waiting  to  get  over,  and  they  promised  to 
help.  I  unlocked  the  gate,  and  after  I  unlocked  it  these  men  came  in  and 
tried  to  help  me  shut  it,  but  the  crowd  pressed  so  hard,  by  the  time  I  got 
the  latch  in  they  sprung  the  gate  and  threw  it  off  its  hinges — it  is  just  set 
on  hinges — and  the  gate  fell  over,  then  they  all  rushed  in.  I  had  no  more 
command  over  them  at  all.     They  all  rushed  right  through. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  went  through  ? 

A.  I  suppose  there  was  a  couple  of  hundred  went  over.  I  may  say  so 
by  the  looks  of  them. 

Q.  Did  they  say  what  they  were  going  for  ? 

A.  Yes;  some  of  them. 

Q.  What  did  they  give  as  their  object? 

A.  Their  object  was  to  go  over  there  for  some  soldiers — over  thei'e  to 
bring  them  over  in  safety.  These  soldiers  over  at  Fairview — they  wanted 
to  come  over,  and  they  sent  a  man  over  to  get  some  one  to  protect  them. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  man  the  soldiers  sent  over? 

A.  No  ;  1  didn't.     He  might  have  paid  his  toll,  and  went  over. 


652  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  your  own  knowledge  that  they  sent  a  man  over  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  don't. 

Q.  You  only  get  that  from  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Hearsay. 

Q.  Did  they  come  back  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  State  the  facts  ? 

A.  When  they  came  back  they  had  soldiers  in  the  center,  they  flanked 
all  around,  and  came  in  a  kind  of  square  across  the  bridge. 

Q.  How  many  soldiers  were  there  ? 

A.  There  might  have  been  twenty  or  thirty.  I  really  don't  recollect. 
I  knew  at  the  time.  It  has  passed  my  memory.  Something  near  that. 
They  were  in  the  center  of  these — fetched  them  over  with  music. 

Q.  What  kind  of  music  did  they  have  ? 

A.  Drum  and  fife,  I  think  it  was. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  surrounding  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  There  was  not  so  many  surrounding  them  as  they  came  over.  There 
was  a  kind  of  square  formed,  and  the  balance  was  running  loose  around. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  ? 

A.  Most  of  them  were  half  grown  boys  and  negroes. 

Q.  Who  carried  the  arms  ? 

A.  Some  few  boys  carried  some  of  the  soldier's  arms,  and  the  rest  the 
soldiers  carried  themselves. 

Q.  Did  you  try  to  prevent  them  going  through  the  gates  when  they  came 
back  ? 

A.  Oh  !  no. 

Q.  You  allowed  them  to  pass  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee: 

Q.  No  one  seemed  to  be  commanding  this  crowd  or  to  lead  the  mob — 
no  one  seemed  to  be  leading  the  mob  or  controlling  it  ? 

A.  No  one,  individually.  There  was  some  men  there  that  used  very  hard 
expressions  toward  me,  sitting  on  the  bench,  and  they  threatened  to  mash 
my  head,  and  everything  else. 

Q.  Was  there  any  one  giving  commands  to  the  mob? 

A.  No  ;  I  didn't  see  any  individual  giving  commands.  They  all  seemed 
to  take  part  in  it — no  one  individual  that  I  took  notice. 

Q.  No  one  directed  their  movements  ? 

A.  No;  they  came  up  in  a  crowd. 

Q.  Did  there  seem  to  be  any  officers  among  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  That  is  more  than  I  can  answer. 

Q.  You  didn't  see  any  one  that  from  their  uniform  or  any  other  emblem 
seemed  to  be  officers  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  can  recollect.  I  don't  know  as  there  was  any  officers 
among  them.     I  cannot  recollect  whether  there  was  or  not. 

Q.  The  soldiers  and  the  crowd  were  on  good  terms  ? 

A.  They  came  very  quietly  through,  there  was  nothing 

Q.  Did  the  soldiers  act  as  if  they  were  prisoners  of  war? 

A.  They  walked  very  quietly  surrounded  by  these  men — went  up  Mar- 
ket street. 

Q.  There  didn't  seem  to  be  any  coercion  there  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

i?y  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  How  long  was  the  crowd  gone  before  they  returned  with  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  It  might  have  been  a  couple  of  hours — fully  that,  I  guess.     There 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  653 

was  a  crowd  continued  there  until  they  came  back.  I  had  to  keep  the  gates 
locked  all  the  time — the  crowd  was  still  remaining  there  waiting  for  them 
to  come  back. 

Attorney  General  Lear,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  You  may  state  what  facts  came  under  your  own  observation  in  rela- 
tion to  the  railroad  riots  of  last  July  1 

A.  The  first  knowledge  I  had  of  them  was  on  the  morning  of  Friday, 
which  was  the  20th,  I  guess.  I  received  two  dispatches,  brought  by  the 
same  boy  at  the  same  time,  one  from  Governor  Latta  and  the  other  from 
Adjutant  General  Latta  in  relation  to  these  matters.  The  Governor  told 
me  that  he  had  been  applied  to  by  the  sheriff  of  Allegheny  county  to  as- 
sist in  suppressing  the  riot,  but  he  thought  he  had  no  authority,  and  had 
so  answered  the  application.  I  telegraphed  to  him  I  thought  he  was  right, 
there  was  no  vacancy  in  the  office  of  Governor;  and  the  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral's dispatch  was  from  West  Philadelphia,  that  he  was  then  on  his  way 
in  pursuance  of  the  clause  stating  that  he  had  general  authority  from  the 
Governor  before  he  went  away,  &c. — I  cannot  tell  the  language  of  the  dis- 
patch at  all.  I  telegraphed  to  him  that  I  thought  he  ought  to  go — 
sent  two  dispatches,  one  to  Philadelphia  and  Harrisburg.  I  believed  from 
his  dispatch  that  he  had  gone  to  Harrisburg.  Then  I  was  at  home  in 
Doylestown,  at  that  time.  On  Monday  or  Sunday  I  got  knowledge  of  the 
thing  being  serious.  I  concluded  I  ought  to  be  nearer  to  it  so  that  if  there 
was  anything  for  me  to  do  I  could  do  it ;  and  I  started  to  Philadelphia, 
and  I  got  there  and  found  a  messenger  at  the  hotel  waiting  to  take  me  to 
West  Philadelphia — with  a  carriage— to  see  Colonel  Scott,  who  had  a  dis- 
patch from  the  Governor,  asking  him  to  send  me  to  meet  him  at  the  near- 
est point  I  could  reach  him  in  Pennsylvania.  Colonel  Scott  suggested  that 
the  best  place  would  probably  be  at  Beaver,  where  Quay  was.  That  was 
on  Monday,  the  23d,  at  twelve  o'clock,  and  at  half  past  six,  the  first  train 
that  went,  I  started  to  go  to  Beaver.  I  went  through  Harrisburg  on  the 
evening  the  sheriff  has  testified  to,  the  23d,  and  on  out  to  Pittsburgh.  All 
that  occurred  there  was  that  1  met  the  Governor.  He  came  to  Pittsburgh 
instead  of  stopping  at  Beaver.  I  got  a  dispatch  that  he  was  going  on 
through,  and  1  saw  several  committees  of  citizens  at  Pittsburgh  during  the 
day,  and  asked  for  the  Governor  to  remain.  A  committee  of  printers  and 
newspaper  men,  and  a  committee  of  bankers,  who  said  they  were  in  the 
hands  then  of  people  that  might  go  any  time  into  their  banks  and  compel 
them  to  open  their  vaults,  and  a  committee,  of  business  men,  men  who  had 
large  numbers  of  hands  employed,  wanted  me  to  impress  upon  the  Governor 
the  importance  of  recommending  a  compromise,  which  I  didn't  feel  much 
inclined  to  recommend.  The  Governor  came  there  that  evening  at  seven 
o'clock,  without  having  determined  whether  he  would  remain  or  not.  I 
went  to  the  train  to  go  with  him  east,  but  he  concluded — there  was  a  com- 
mittee of  people  there  to  wait  upon  him — and  he  did  remain.  That  was 
seven  o'clock,  Tuesday  evening.  He  remained  until  three  o'clock  the  next 
morning.  We  didn't  go  to  bed.  We  remained  at  the  Monongahela  house 
and  prepared,  and  Mr.  Quay  and  the  Governor  supervised,  the  proclama- 
tion that  was  issued  from  the  room  there,  and  met  committees  of  citizens, 
&c,  and  remained  up  until  three  o'clock  or  half  past  two,  and  we  started 
down  to  Allegheny  depot.  We  had  to  go  from  there  at  that  time.  We 
found  several  acres  of  people  around  there  in  the  way.  They  didn't  disturb 
us.  Stopped  us  going  across  the  bridge  to  see  what  we  were  and  who  we 
were,  but  went  on  notwithstanding.     We  came  east,  and  at  Altoona,  when 


Report  of  Comxittfe. 


. 


:ook  breakfast,  there  1  suppose,  a  thousand  people  around  there, 

owd  of  that  sort  of  people  that  generally  constitute  a  riot  and  a  mob. 
.  Demonstration  at  Altoon 
A.  >"o.  We  had  to  crowd  our  way  through  to  get  our  breakfast — the 
Colonel  Quay,  and  myself.    Doctor  Reed  was  along.  •   :  in 

".  our  breakfast,  but  we  had  some  difficulty  to  get  there,  because  there 
was  a  crowd  there,  but  they  didn't  disturb  us.     Th  ~mor,  when  they 

came  in,  somebody  said  something  to  him,  and  he  made  some  remarks  on 
the  platform,  and  they  gave  the  Governor  three  cheers — after  breakfast. 
Then  we  returned  to  Philadelphia,  and  made  arrangements  which  took  the 
Governor  back.  We  got  to  Philadelphia  on  Wednesday,  and  on  Thursday 
he  returned  west,  and  went  to  Pittsburgh,  when  he  had  got  his  military  prop- 
erly organized — and  Mr.  Quay  and  myself  remained  there, and  some  ot.\ 

-  staff,  and  communicated  with  parties  in  connection  with 
the  business,  and  to  see  about  organizing  some  others — I  was  not  con- 
cerned in  that — organizing  an  additional  military  organization  for  the  pur- 
pose of  going  out  to  the  scene  of  the  difficulty ;  but  we  remained  there 
•  iturday  morning.  I  received  a  dispatch  from  the  Governor  asking 
me  to  go  and  join  him  at  Pittsburgh.  I  don't  think  be  stated  what  he 
wanted  me  fb/  .hedid.    He  stated  he  wanted  to  see  about  what  to  do 

w . t  u  certain  prisoners  that  had  been  captured  at  Johnstown,  by  a  regiment 
of  regulars,  under  Colonel  Hamilton ;  and  I  went  out  that  afternoon,  and  I 
reached  Pittsburgh  about  twelve  o'clock  at  nigh:  went  over — the 

first  train,  probably,  that  went  in  over  the  route  that  had  been  torn  up  in 
different  places — where  the  old  depot  was,  and  had  it  torn  out,  that  Colonel 
Hamilton's  train,  or  the  train  his  soldiers  were  on,  was  thrown  off  the  track 
by  the  turning  of  tne  switch  at  Johnstown,  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, and  that  he  was  very  much  injured  himself — I  think  he  had  a  rib  or 
broken — he  could  hardly  sit  down ;  but  his  men  got  out  immediately 
and  formed,  and  they  picked  up  everybody  that  came  about  there,  from 
that  on  until  Monday — found  some  of  them  after  daylight — were  picked 
up  and  put  into  a  car  and  taken  to  Pittsburgh,  and  put  in  the  arsenal,  and 
they  had  fifty-five  of  them  there. 

.  Prisoners,  and  the  object  of  my  being  sent  for  was  to  see  what  to  do 

h  them  8  unday  1  went  out  there,  and  was  met  by  Daniel  J.  Worrall 

and  the  chief  of  police  of  Johnstown.    He  was  brought  along  to  see  whether 

he  could  identify  any  of  the  dangerous  or  turbulent  class  of  people  of 

Johnstown,  and  I  went  into  examination — all  1  could  do  was  with  the  aid 

of  eight  of  these  policemen  and  Mr.  WorralL,  and  I  examined  each  one  on 

oath —  f  them,  at  least.     The  other  fifteen  of  them  were  retained, 

becau-  re  a  little  more  suspicious  character-  it  turned  out, 

according  to  any  kind  of  evidence  that  we  could  get— and  I  guess  it  was 

the  fact — that  they  had  been  idlers  that  heard  of  this  train  being  wrecked. 

-    -jae  of  them  w  inocent  people,  who  had  come  there  to  see'  if 

they  could  render  assistan  8    oie  had  come  as  idle  spe  -.  and  there 

was  not  the  slightest  evidence  from  any  source  that  any  of  them  had  been 

guilty  of  having  turned  the  switch.  -e  participants  in  the  stoning 

the  train.     The  train  had  been  stoned  just  before  they  got  there,  but 

none  of  those  people  were  arrested  until  some  little  time  afterwards,  and 

included  from  the  evideree  I  heard  there,  it  seems  most  probable 

that  the  operators  of  the  act  wouldn't  hardly  be  about  looking  on,  just 

after  a  thing  of  that  kind  occurred,  and  they  got  out  of  the  *  And 

these  people,  while  they  might  h  .pathized,  there  was  nothing  at  all 

-how  that  they  had  any  guilty  connection  with  the  turning  of  the  switch. 


Leg.  Doc] 


Railroad  Riots,  July,  1*77. 


655 


On  Monday,  I  waited  again  to  see  about  some  others — we  had  got  reports 
from  Johnstown,  saying  that  they  were  satisfied — parties  who  told  to  me 
that  they  were  satisfied  they  were  not  concerned  in  it.    Finally,  from  time 
to  time  they  were  all  released,  having  no  evidence  against  them  whatever, 
and  that  was  the  principal  part  of  my  business  there.     It  kept  me  there 
several  days — maybe  a  week — on  the  train.     That  is  all  I  know  about  that. 
Then  there  was  a  difficulty  occurred  at  Scranton  and  I  went  up  there,  and 
the  Governor  telegraphed  to  me  while  I  was  there,  and  I  went  to  see  about 
what  to  do  with  some — there  was  an  alderman  up  there  had  issued  a  war- 
rant, in  pursuance  of  the  report  of  the  coroner's  inquest.  I  think,  upon  the 
bodies  of  some  men  who  had  been  shot  in  the  riot,  and  they  had  pro- 
nounced all  the  military.  1  believe,  participants  in  what  they  called  a  mur- 
der, and  1   started  in  obedience  to  the  dispatch  the  same  day.     I  arrived 
there,  but  they  had  done  ju^t  what  I  was  going  to  recommend  ;  they  hai 
delivered  themselves  up  to  the  proper  authorities,  habeas  corpus  had  been 
issued,  and  the  judges  of  the  court — 1  think  Judge  Harding  had  them  to 
apply.     It  turned  out  that   they  were  either  indicted,  or  no  bills  found 
true  against  ihein,  or  something  of  that  kind.     There  was  other  difficul- 
ties of  that  kind  occurred  while  we  were  up  there,  and  occasionally  th( 
same  police  alderman — Mahon,  I  think  his  name  was,  in  the  Sixth  ward  of 
-     iinton — would  issue  out  a  warrant  once  in  awhile  against  certain  of  the 
military,  and  they  would  simply  go  and  give  bail,  and  that  was  the  end  of 
it.     That  was  all  "the  connection  I  had  with  the  riots — the  actual  knowledge 
1  have  about  it.     Something  about  these  prisoners.     We  found  some  little 
difficulty  in   keeping  them  up  there  from  getting  into  the   hands — it  was 
evident,  as  the  people  of  Scranton  said,  that  if  the  warrants  of  this  alder- 
man were  executed,  and  the  soldiers  were  taken  over  into  that  Sixth  ward, 
that  is  made  up — if  any  of  you  know  the  situation  of  Scranton,  there  is  a 
ward  that  is  made   up  of  miner's  houses  a<        -    the  stream — the   Lacka- 
wanna. I  think  likely — and  they  threatened  if  any  soldier  was  taken  over 
there   before  this  alderman  he  would  never  get   back  alive,  and  they  were 
devising  ways  and  means   to   prevent  any  difficulty  of  that   kind.     I   re- 
mained'there  a  few  (lays,  ami  came  back  to  Philadelphia,  and  at  St.  George's 
hotel  I  got  an  honorable  discharge  from  military  service.     That  is  all  the 
duties  L  had,  except  attachments.  &c.,  which  were  not  connected  with  the 
riot. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.   i  wish  to  ask  you  a  question :  You  were  consulted  by  Governor  before 
he  left  the  State,  as  regards  his  absence  for  any  length  of  time,  whether  it 
was  policy  for  him  to  tie  absent  and  the  policy  pursued  in  his  absence? 

A.  He  spoke  to  me  about  it.  There  seemed  to  be,as  1  said  to  him,  and 
as  appeared  to  him,  as  good  a  prospect  of  peace  in  this  State  as  ever  there 
was.  and  he  asked  me  what  I  thought  about  the  propriety  of  his  leaving 
upon  a  trip  of  that  kind,  and  I  told  him  I  could  n  -  any  difficulty 
about  it.  That  no  doubt  the  State  would  go  on  harinomiou-dy  and  all  right, 
that  it  would  not  be  a  vacating  of  the  office  of  the  Governor.  He  didn't 
tell  me  anything  about  that  I  give  more  attention  than  I  otherwise  would 
during  hie  .  rendering  any  aid  I  could  to  the  other  authorities,  to 

see  to  things.  General  Latta  telegraphed  to  me  that  morning  I  speak  of, 
the  20th,  that  he  had  a  general  authority  to  act  in  the  Governor  nee, 

when  the  military  were  required,  and  simply  telegraphed  that  there  was 
tronble  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad.  He  had  acted,  however,  before  that, 
because  he  had  called  out  the  troops.  I  recollect  pretty  nearly  the  second 
dispatch  sent  to  me  to  Harrisburg.  They  were  both  sent  within  half  an 
hour  of  each  other.     That  if  the  civil  authorities  were  insufficient  to  sup- 


G56  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

press  disturbance,  to  maintain  the  peace  and  call  out  the  troops,  and  to 
communicate  to  the  Governor  if  he  could,  and  if  not,  to  suppress  the  riot 
promptly,  and  we  would  look  for  the  authority  afterwards.  That  is  about 
what  he  had  told  him,  and  he  acted  upon  the  general  authorities  which  the 
Governor  had  given  him. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  In  your  conversation  with  the  Governor,  was  there  anything  about 
the  probability  of  a  strike  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  there  was  no  apprehension  of  anything  of  that  kind  at  the 
time  at  all,  although  it  seemed  to  come  pretty  suddenly  after  that.     There 
was  nothing  at  all  to  indicate  it — the  Governor  said  nothing  at  all  about 
that — he  simply  talked  to  me  about  his  going  out  of  the  State  to  remain  a 
length  of  time  he  would  be  gone.     I  forget  now  what  it  was,  whether  it 
would  give  any  authority  to  have  his  office  considered  vacant  or  any  ability 
or  disability  to  act.     I  told   him  I  thought  not,  that  for  the  purpose  of 
managing  the  State  government,  I  thought  it  would  be  perfectly  proper 
for  him  to  go,  that  he  was  entitled  to  have  that  sort  of  recreation.     Of 
course,  none  of  us  apprehended  anything,  except  what  might  arise  at  any 
time,  and  he  had  taken  the  precaution,  it  seems,  although  I  do  not  know 
that,  to  say  to  General  Latta,  that  he  should  act  for  the  purpose  of  sus- 
taining the  civil  authority  as  they  had  done  heretofore,  or  something  of 
that  kind,  as  I  learned  afterwards,  but  the  Governor  did  not  tell  me  that, 
so  far  as  I  remember  now.     I  believe  that  was  what  the  Governor  did  say 

Sheriff  Jennings,  recalled  : 

B}'  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  As  you  are  a  military  man,  I  want  to  ask  you  a  military  question. 
Do  }Tou  know  anything  about  the  movements  of  the  military  about  Harris- 
burg  and  vicinity  and  county  ? 

A.  When  I  came  here,  I  believe  General  Sigfried  was  in  command,  and 
all  that  I  saw  of  the  military  I  thought  they  would  be  first  rate,  and  I  felt 
confident  they  would  be  useful  to  me  in  case  I  should  fail  with  the  posse. 
He  kept  them  in  camp;  there  was  no  straggling,  no  drunkenness  or  anything 
of  that  kind,  and  the  men  acted  and  conducted  themselves  like  soldiers. 

Q.  Good  discipline  ? 

A.  Good  discipline.  I  would  say  that  the  troops  were  under  good  com- 
mand. 

David  Mumma,  affirmed : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Do  you  reside  in  the  city  of  Harrisburg? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

(.£.  What  is  your  profession  ? 

A.  I  am  a  practicing  attorne}^. 

Q.  State,  Mr.  Mumma,  what  knowledge  3*ou  had  of  the  conduct  of  the 
militia  during  the  riots  of  last  July  ? 

A.  We  had  no  militia — no  organized  militia  in  the  city  until  during  the 
riots,  until  after  the  dispersal  of  the  rioters  by  the  sheriff's  posse.  A  few 
men,  two  or  three  in  number,  sometimes  came  here  in  a  train,  evidently  in 
order  to  meet  their  companies,  and  came  for  that  purpose  without  organ- 
ization, not  more  than  five  at  one  time,  and  the  men  who  seemed  to  get  up 
all  the  difficulties  about  the  cars,  immediately  disarmed  them  and  took 
their  arms  from  them,  and  then  there  was  no  further  violence  exhibited  to 
them.     There  were  five,  I  think,  is  the  highest  number  1  saw.     They  had 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187*7.  657 

no  means  of  resistance,  as  there  was  no  organization,  that  was,  of  the  mili- 
tary we  had  in  the  city  before  that. 

Q.  Those  were  men  that  had  gathered  in  obedience  to  the  call  of  their 
officers  ? 

A.  Gathered  to  meet  their  companies, came  from  the  upper  end  of  the 
count}-,  some  few  from  Lebanan  county.  They  came  in  the  trains,  and 
they  were  only  in  squads  of  two  or  three,  sometimes  one  alone. 

Q.  Were  they  overpowered  by  the  mob  ? 

A.  They  did  not  resist  any,  so  far  as  I  saw.  Their  arms  were  demanded, 
and  the\-  gave  them  up. 

Q.  How  man}-  did  you  see  surrender  their  arms  ? 

A.  There  may  have  been  twenty  or  twenty-five,  altogether. 

Q.  At  different  times  ? 

A,   At  different  times. 

Q.  Several  in  small  squads  ? 

A.  Yes;  no  more  than  five.  I  did  not  see  more  than  five  at  one  time. 
They  came  from  the  upper  end  of  this  county.  They  were  coming  here  to 
report. 

Q.  Did  they  surrender,  because  they  were  in  sympathy,  or  would  it  have 
been  folly  for  them  to  have  resisted  ? 

A.  It  would  have  been  folly  to  resist,  if  there  was  any  determination  on 
the  part  of  the  men  who  were  in  the  crowd  to  enforce  the  demand.  I  may 
say  here,  that  at  this  time  there  was  not  much  exhibition  of  violence.  The 
trains  were'running,  that  is  the  commencement  of  it.  They  stopped  none 
but  freight  trains  and  local  passenger  trains  ;  the  other  trains,  more  espe- 
cially the  mail  trains,  were  permitted  to  run  through,  and  there  was  no 
violence  by  anybody.  Everybody  seemed  to  stand  and  look  on,  and  when 
a  train  arrived,  the  engine  and  tender  would  immediately  be  boarded  by 
about  four  fifths  boys,  and  some  two  or  three  men,  and  the  coupling  would 
be  drawn,  and  they  would  take  the  engine  to  the  round-house.  Shifter 
was  allowed  to  run,  and  they  would  move  the  cars  away.  I  may  say,  just 
here,  that  on  inquiry,  many  men  who  were  connected  with  the  railroad 
shops  here,  men  that  I  knew,  that  always  said  they  had  orders  that  there 
was  a  general  strike  pending,  and  they  were  to  stop  any  local  or  freight 
trains,  and  that  other  trains  with  the  mails,  were  to  go  on,  and  that  they 
had  no  disposition  to  give  any  trouble,  and  frequently  I  was  appealed  to, 
that  we  should  use  our  influence  to  keep  the  military  away  ;  that  if  the 
troops  were  brought  on  there  would  be  violence. 

Q.   What  class  of  men  undertook  to  influence  you  in  that  direction  ? 

A.  They  were  men  who  were  employes  of  the  railroad. 

Q.  Railroad  ? 

A.  Railroad  and  other  places.  Our  other  shops  were  not  in  the  matter 
that  I  know  of. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  demanded  the  guns  from  the  gathering  soldiers  ? 

A.  I  know  but  one,  and  he  was  really  the  principal  man  who  took  charge 
of  the  guns.  He  is  now  in  the  penitentiary — was  convicted  at  our  court — 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Riggle,a  loafer,  who  does  not  do  anything  and  never 
did  a  day's  work  when  he  had  it.  I  did  not  see  any  of  our  men  connected 
with  the  railroad,  demand  to  take  any  guns  from  the  soldiers  at  all. 

Q.  It  was  done  by  the  lawless  class  ? 

A.  Lawless  class  of  men,  mostly  strangers.  I  did  not  know  them,  though 
I  know  a  great  many  of  our  citizens,  and  there  was  a  great  many  strangers 
here  that  we  did  not  know  at  all.  In  the  meantime,  General  Sigfried  had 
got  here,  and  some  head  was  put  to  the  military  part  of  it,  and  I  remember 
of  speaking  to  several  officers  not  to  have  the  men  brought  in  the  town, 
42  Riots. 


658  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

for  fear  they  might  be  overpowered.  They  were  all  taken  to  the  arsenal. 
Everybody  was  anxious  to  have  the  arsenal  taken  care  of.  We  were  con- 
stantly assured  by  the  better  class  of  men  that  the  arsenal  would  not  be 
interfered  with  unless  an  attempt  was  made  to  put  the  military  in.  Hence, 
every  citizen  who  had  any  influence  tried  to  prevail  on  the  military  officers 
to  get  the  men  into  the  arsenal  without  bringing  them  into  the  city,  and  it 
was  so  arranged.  Men  coming  in  the  Lebanon  Valley  train  got  off  outside 
of  the  city  and  marched  across.  They  came  from  above,  got  off'  at  Rock- 
ville,  and  marched  across,  until  they  had  sufficient  men  in  the  arsenal  to 
defend  it,  and  that,  I  have  no  doubt,  was  a  very  judicious  method  at  that 
time,  until  there  was  a  force  here  to  stand  up  against  the  mob,  if  there 
was  any  trouble. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  these  soldiers,  after  they  had 
surrendered  their  arms  ? 

A.  I  believe  I  did  speak  to  one  or  two  of  the  men.  There  was  some 
men,  I  just  said  before  you  came,  Mr.  Engelbert,  that  they  came  from  your 
town  to  meet  their  companies,  and  they  found  themselves  immediately  sur- 
rounded by  a  mob,  and  they  had  no  remedy,  they  had  to  give  up  their 
arms. 

Q.  What  reasons  did  they  give  for  surrendering  ? 

A.  They  said  they  did  not  see  how  they  could  make  any  defense  or  hold 
their  arms,  because  they  were  alone,  and  had  not  found  their  officers,  and 
did  not  know  what  to  do. 

Q.  Did  you  find  any  officers  ? 
A.  Military  officers  ? 

Q.  Military  officers  in  this  section  of  the  country — on  the  day 

A.  I  cannot  give  dates  very  well — but  on  the  day  when  these  men  were 
brought  over  from  across  the  river,  I  remember  that,  because  when  I  came 
back  I  was  informed  of  the  fact  that  they  had  brought  some  men  across 
the  river.  I  was  driving  out  to  some  property  I  have  out  here,  and  at  the 
cemetery  I  met  a  couple  of  boys  who  said  there  was  a  whole  lot  of  Light 
Horses,  they  called  them,  in  the  town  of  Progress.  I  left  the  boys  and 
thought  I  had  better  go  and  see.  I  drove  out  and  found  a  portion  of  the 
company  of  about  thirty  men,  cavalry,  without  horses,  and  think  they  had 
infantry. — they  had  muskets,  but  I  think  they  had  their  cavalry  equip- 
ments. These  I  saw  at  a  tavern.  Shall  I  say  how  they  said  they  came  there  ? 
Q.  Yes: 

A.  I  spoke  to  them,  and  they  told  me  they  were  taken  up  to  Altoona. 
They  were,  as  they  called  it,  run  into  and  cut  off  the  road,  and  with  a  large 
number  of  infantry,  and  they  were  immediately  surrounded  there  by  the 
mob  of  about  two  thousand  persons,  hooted,  yelled,  and  used  violent  ex- 
pressions, and  occasionally,  I  think,  throwing  stones  in  a  small  way.    That 
they  were  then  taken  out  of  the  cars,  and,  while  standing  there,  the  in- 
fantry surrendered  their  arms.    Stacked  their  arms,  as  they  called  it.    Thev 
were  kept  standing  quite  a  long  while  in  the  hot  sun,  until  very  much  ex- 
hausted, and  finally  they  were  again  re-loaded  in  a  train,  brought  to  Rock- 
ville,  six  miles  up  the  river  here,  and  then  they  were  advised  or  requested 
to  get  off'  the  train,  that  it  was  not  safe  for  them  to  come  into  Harrisburg 
on  account  of  the  mob,  and  that  they  started  for  a  walk  through  the  coun- 
try, got  some  refreshments  from  the  farmers,  and  crossed  the  countiy,  and 
struck  this  little  town  of  Progress,  two  miles  or  two  and  a  half  miles  east. 
They  said  their  purpose  was  to  strike  the  railroad   below  Harrisburg,  and 
inquired  of  me  whether  the  steel  works  was  a  good  place  to  strike.    I  told 
them  it  was  not  desirable  to  strike  it,  nor  was  it  a  Aery  good  place,  for, 
while  the  men  were  still  doing  their  duty,  and  there  wras  no  riot,  they 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  G59 

might  be  in  sympathy  with  these  men,  and  I  would  not  advise  them  to 
come  there.  I  remonstrated  most  seriously  with  them  not  to  pursue  that 
course ;  but  to  go  back  to  the  arsenal  with  me,  where  there  was  about  six 
hundred  militia  and  infantry,  and  there  really  was  no  danger  of  any  body 
getting  hurt  in  any  way,  and  that  they  would  be  protected  there,  and  it 
would  be  very  unpleasant  and  unfortunate  if  they  were  to  go  back  to  Phil- 
adelphia, where  I  believe  they  were  from.  I  was  asked  a  question  whether 
the  infantry  would  fight.  I  told  them  I  didn't  know  that ;  but  from  the 
way  things  were  going,  and  from  what  they  told  me  of  the  surrender  of 
half  a  brigade  at  Altoona,  I  would  not  swear  that  they  would ;  but  I  then  went 
to  the  arsenal.  The  arsenal  is  about  a  mile  from  this  little  town.  I  drove 
back  and  found  Colonel  Gobin,  of  Lebanon,  was  in  command.  Sigfried 
was  in  command,  and  Gobin  was  in  command  on  the  ground,  and  I  told 
him  what  I  had  done,  and  asked  him  to  get  into  the  wagon,  while  I  rode 
out  to  get  the  men  to  come  in.  We  went  out  and  had  another  interview 
with  the  men,  and  they  partially  promised  to  come  in  ;  but  I  told  them  ] 
would  send  them  a  lot  of  newspapers,  and  so  forth — they  had  seen  nc 
papers,  and  didn't  know  what  was  going  on,  and  to  what  extent.  I  came 
in  to  take  my  supper,  and  then  bought  a  whole  lot  of  newspapers,  and 
started  out  to  take  the  lower  route  instead  of  the  upper  one,  and  missed 
that — they  had  just  started  in.  I  then  came  into  the  arsenal,  and  left  them 
to  read  my  newspapers,  and  congratulated  them. 

Q.  How  many  officers  were  among  them  ? 

A.  I  think  the  officers  were  pretty  much  all  there.  I  would  say  they 
were  pretty  much  all  there — the  officers  of  the  company. 

Q.  Were  the  captains  and  lieutenants  there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  they  in  uniform  ? 

A.  O,  yes ;  they  were  all  in  uniform. 

Q.  Their  uniforms — the  buttons  and  straps  were  not  cut  off? 

A.  O,  no  ;  they  were  all  in  good  trim.  1  was  somewhat  amused  in  find- 
ing them  washing  their  feet  in  a  trough,  when  I  came  out  there,  and,  under 
the  circumstances,  I  thought  it  was  a  little  funny.  It  was  not  so  much  so 
after  all.  They  told  me  the  trouble  they  were  in.  I  want  to  sa}r  just  here, 
there  was  a  good  deal  of  fault  found  with  men  who  didn't  go  through  this 
town  in  a  military  way.  I  am  not  one  of  the  persons  who  find  fault  with 
the  military  in  that  way,  and  a  company  of  soldiers  without  any  orders  is 
a  mob — is  not  very  good  shape — and  I  think  it  is  better  that  they  didn't 
happen  to  come  in  just  at  that  time.  They  said,  however,  they  had  no 
commanding  officer.  Their  general  commanding  was  back;  the  first  di- 
vision of  Pniladelphia ;  and  they  had  nobody  to  give  them  orders,  and 
they  didn't  know  what  to  do,  or  what  right  they  would  have  to  come  at 
all — didn't  want  to  come  without  some  authority,  and  gave  that  as  a  reason 
why  they  didn't. 

Q.  Did  they  have  arms  ? 

A.  They  had  their  cavalry  arms. 

Q.  Sabers  and  carbines  ? 

A.  Sabers  and  carbines — pistols. 

Q.  Did  they  have  ammunition? 

A.  That  I  did  not  inquire  into.  They  had  their  arms  in  the  bar-room 
there.     I  did  not  inquire,  but  I  presume  they  had  ammunition. 

Q.  Did  they  tell  you  they  had  become  separated  from  their  command  ? 

A.  As  I  understood  it,  they  didn't  belong  to  the  command  that  they 
were  with  when  they  got  to  Altoona.  General  Brinton  was  at  Harrisburg, 
and  they  belonged  to  his  division. 


(560  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  They  were  going  on  their  way  to  join  him  ? 

A.  I  suppose  they  were  going  on  to  Harrisburg  ;  but  at  the  time  when 
all  this  was  going  on,  there  was  no  exhibition  of  violence  in  this  city, 
simply  because  there  was  nobody  interrupting  or  interferring  with  the 
men  who  were  stopping  trains  on  Saturday  evening,  I  think.  What  I 
mean  by  that  is,  there  was  no  violence  beyond  that  of  stopping  trains — I 
think  on  Saturday  evening — I  think  that  was  when  the  first  train  was 
stopped  in  the  depot.  Rodgers  had  been  interrupted,  and  they  were  very 
tired,  and  there  was  a  great  number  of  laborers  in  the  cars — immense  num- 
ber of  people  were  in  the  depot,  and  many  of  them  were  ladies  and  citizens 
of  the  State,  and  quite  an  effort  was  made  by  a  number  of  us  citizens  to 
get  that  train  on.  When  these  boys,  as  we  would  call  them — most  of  them 
were  boys — they  jumped  on  the  tender,  and  when  the  train  undertook  to 
move  out,  they  drew  the  pin.  I  may  say,  on  that  occasion,  that  a  num- 
ber of  men  connected  with  the  railroad  shops  hei'e  made  an  appeal  to  me 
and  to  other  citizens  to  g*  t  this  train  on,  that  it  was  not  the  orders  that 
the  passenger  trains  were  to  be  stopped.  These  were  outside  men,  boys 
interfering  with  them.  Had  nothing  to.  do  with  it.  I  remember  that  a 
gentleman  in  Harrisburg  was  named  who  makes  speeches  for  them,  and  I 
was  asked  to  go  and  see  him.  Mr.  McCrea  finally  said  it  was  not  worth 
while — ten  or  twelve  attempts  were  made — an  attempt  to  pull  the  train 
out,  and  some  few  men  were  pulled  off  the  bumpers,  and  I  pulled  a  boy  off 
and  thcj}r  said  I  would  start  a  riot,  and  they  finally  stopped  that  train,  and 
passengers  got  off  that  night  sometime. 

Q.  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question  or  two  about  those  soldiers  you  found 
out  there  at  this  little  village.  I  understand  that  thejr  said  that  their  rea- 
sons for  going  back  were,  that  they  were  not  with  their  commander,  Gen- 
eral Brinton,  and  there  were  no  division  and  no  brigade,  at  Altoona,  of  in- 
fantry ? 

A.  They  did  not  give  that  as  their  reason  for  coming  back — but,  as  a 
reason  why  they  did  not  want  to  engage  in  any  active  service  here,  because 
they  had  nobody  to  take  the  command. 

Q.  What  reasons  did  they  give  for  turning  back  ? 

A.  They  said  the  infantry  surrendered  their  arms. 

Q.  At  Altoona? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  infantry  did  the}r  refer  to.  It  was  not  any  of  their  command 
that  surrendered  ? 

A.  iS'o  ;  as  I  understood — who  commands  the  center  district? 

Q.  General  Beaver's  command  ? 

A.  It  was  one  of  these  middle  divisions  of  the  militia.  It  might  not 
have  been  General  Beaver's,  but  it  was  up  there  somewhere.  They  were 
simply,  as  I  understood  it,  attached  to  the  military  train  to  carry  them 
west,  as  I  understood  it,  and  then  they  were  again  ordered  into  a  car  and 
run  back  without  any  desire  of  their  own,  as  I  understand  that. 

Q.  How  far  were  they  run  back  ? 

A.  To  Roekville,  about  six  miles  to  Harrisburg. 

Q.  And  then  they  left  there  ? 

A.  They  were  asked  to  go  out.  If  they  came  to  Harrisburg  they  would 
be  assaulted.  There  was  another  party  made  a  much  bigger  circuit  and 
came  to  Linglestown.  There  was  a  large  number.  1  didn't  see  them  my- 
self. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  }'ou  know  anything  about  this  party  of  soldiers  that  were  cap- 
tured across  tile  river  here? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  661 

A.  At  that  time  I  was  out  here  in  the  country.  I  only  saw  when  I  came 
back,  that  there  was  a  number  of  people  going  out  Market  street,  and  then 
I  heard  that  they  had  captured  some  soldiers,  and  marched  them  down 
Market  street.     I  didn't  learn  anything  about  them. 

Adjourned  to  meet  at  the  call  of  the  chairman. 


AFTERNOON  SESSION. 

Philadelphia,  Friday,  March  22,  1878. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  met,  at  two  o'clock,  r.  M.,  this 
day,  in  the  St.  Cloud  hotel,  this  city,  and  continued  taking  of  testimony. 
The  first  witness  examined  was  : 

Robert  A.  Ammon,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  where  you  reside  ? 

A.  In  Pittsburgh,  when  I  am  at  home. 

Q.  Where  are  you  doing  business  now  ? 

A.  In  the  city  of  New  York. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  been  there  ? 

A.  Since  the  31st  day  of  December. 

Q.  When  did  you  leave  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  left  Pittsburgh  on  the  30th  day  of  December,  on  the  eight  o'clock 
train. 

Q.  You  mean  December  last  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  business  were  yow.  engaged  in  prior  to  the  19th  dav  of  July, 
1811? 

A.  I  was  railroa  ling. 

Q.  On  what  road  ? 

A.  On  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago. 

Q.  What  position  did  you  occupy  on  that  road  ? 

A.  I  was  a  freight  brakeman  on  through  freight — fast  freight. 

Q.  How  long  had  you  been  acting  as  a  freight  brakeman ? 

A.  Nearly  eleven  months. 

Q.  Where  were  you  on  the  19th  day  of  July,  when  the  first  disturbance 
occurred  at  Pittsburgh  among  the  railroad  emplo3Tes  ? 

A.  I  was  on  the  train  part  of  the  19th,  and  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  part 
of  the  day,  and  in  the  city  of  Allegheny  part  of  the  day. 

Q.  Thursday  the  19th? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  what  you  saw  of  the  strike — when  it  commenced  there,  and 
what  information  you  had  about  it? 

A.  The  first  knowledge  I  had  of  the  strike — I  went  up  to  the  oil  coun- 
try on  the  1 6th  or  11th — I  have  forgotten  the  date — a  few  days  prior  to 
strike — to  take  a  position  with  a  friend  of  mine  there,  who  I  had  worked 
for  formerly.  Before  I  left  Pittsburgh,  I  had  heard  of  the  strike  at  Mar- 
tinsburg,  in  West  Virginia,  but  didn't  pay  much  attention  to  it,  as  I  was 
acquainted  with  the  men  down  there,  and  didn't  think  it  amounted  to  a 
row  of  pins.  I  went  on  up  to  the  oil  country.  It  was  on  the  18th  day  of 
July.     I  believe  I  received  a  telegram  from  a  particular  friend  of  mine 


f)62  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

that  trouble  was  expected  in  Pittsburgh,  and  that  he  would  like  me  to  come 
down. 

Q.  Where  were  you  when  3-011  received  that  telegram  ? 

A.  At  Parker  City,  Armstrong  county. 

Q.  Who  sent  you  the  telegram  ? 

A.  A  railroad  emploj'e. 

Q.  Give  us  his  name  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  would  rather  not. 

Q.  Very  well,  go  on  with  the  history  ? 

A.  He  wanted  me  to  answer  quick,  but  I  didn't  answer  the  telegram,  so 
I  got  another  telegram  to  come  down  that  night,  sure,  and  I  did  so.  I 
came  down. 

Q.  To  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  arrive  there  ? 

A.  Seven-thirteen,  I  think  it  is.     We  got  in  on  time  that  morning. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  The  19th? 

A.  Yes,  I  think  so — the  morning  of  the  strike.  I  have  forgotten  the 
date.  I  met  some  of  the  boys  on  jumping  off  the  train,  and  they  told 
me  what  they  were  going  to  do,  and  asked  me  to  go  along  with  them  ;  but 
I  refused  to  do  that,  and  told  them  I  didn't  think  it  was  any  of  my  affair 
at  all — that,  so  far  as  the  union  men  were  concerned,  I  would  stay  with 
them,  but  I  wouldn't  go  to  the  office  of  the  superintendent  of  the  road 
with  them,  because  I  was  not  an  employe  of  the  road.  I  had  been  dis- 
charged before  that. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  did  they  tell  you  the}-  were  going  to  do  ? 

A.  That  they  were  going  to  strike. 

Q.  How  many  of  them  ? 

A.  That  they  were  all  going  to  strike.  Some  friends  of  mine  met  me 
there,  when  I  came  down  on  the  train. 

Q.  How  many  of  those  men  met  you  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say.  There  may  have  been  half  a  dozen  or  a  dozen  of 
them. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  ?     What  position  did  the}^  hold  on  the  railroad  ? 

A.  They  were  conductors  and  brakemen. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Were  there  any  engineers  ? 

A.  I  think  there  were  two  or  three  engineers  with  them,  from  the  Con- 
nellsville  division  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  road.  I  stayed  there,  and 
talked  with  them  a  while,  and  then  went  over  to  Allegheny.  I  got  m}r 
breakfast  and  fooled  around  the  house  with  my  wife  and  baby  for  about  an 
hour,  and  then  went  to  bed.  I  was  tired,  as  I  had  been  up  talking  with 
the  conductor  of  the  train  all  the  night  before.  After  I  went  to  bed  they 
came  over  and  knocked  at  the  door,  and  asked  my  wife  if  I  was  in.  She 
said  yes,  but  that  I  was  in  bed.  They  then  said  that  they  wanted  to  see 
me,  and  she  said  they  couldn't,  for  I  was  asleep.  So  they  went  away,  but 
came  back  again,  in  the  course  of  an  hour.  I  heard  the  noise  down  stairs, 
and  asked  what  the  matter  was,  and  she  said  that  they  wanted  me  to  come 
out,  that  they  were  going  out  on  a  strike ;  but  I  refused  to  go  with  them, 
and  gave  my  reasons  for  refusing  to  go. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  were  those  reasons  ? 

A.  These  men  at  the  house  were  members  of  the  Trainmen's  Union,  but 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  663 

two  or  three  of  them  I  considered  scabs,  and  didn't  want  to  have  anything 
to  do  with  them.     A  strike  was  to  take  place  on  the  27th  of  June,  when 
some  of  those  men  were  instrumental  in  getting  up  a  rumpus  in  the  Train- 
men's Union,  and  I  didn't  want   to   have  anything  to  do  with  them.     I 
went  back  to  bed  again,  and  I  think  I  must  have  slept  until  quarter  past 
two  o'clock  when  five  brakemen  and  two  conductors  came  up  to  the  house 
and  told  my  wife  that  they  wanted  to  see  me.     She  came  up  and  called 
me,  and  I  said  it  is  all  right,  if  they  are  going  to  strike  I  would  be  there. 
They  went  away,  and  I  turned  over  in  bed,  and  was  just  going  to  take  an- 
other nap,  when  my  wife  called  and  said,  Bob,  they  are  going  to  put  No.  15 
engine  on  the  siding.     I  jumped  up  out  of  bed,  and  looked  out  of  the  win- 
dow, and  I  could  see  them  putting  the  engine  in  on  the  side  track.     So  I 
then  jumped  into  my  clothing  as  quick  as  1  could,  and  just  as  I  got  to  the 
door  five  or  six  of  them  were  there,  and  they  said  they  wanted  me  to  come 
quick,  that  the  mayor  was  coming  with  twenty-five  police.     It  is  just  a 
stone's  throw  from  my  house  to  the  track,  and  my  wife  had  something 
ready  to  eat,  and  I  just  swallowed  a  bite  and  went  out  on  the  track.     I 
saw  the  engine  standing  there,  and  the  chief  of  police  and  about  twent}'- 
five  police.     I  jumped  up  on  the  engine,  when  he  told  me  to  get  off  the 
engine.     I  told  him  I  wouldn't  do  it,  and  I  wanted  to  know  why  I  should, 
I  told  him  he  had  no  authority.     Then  an  order  was  given  to  arrest  me. 
but  Mr.  Ross,  was  a  neighbor  of  mine  and  I  told  him  I  was  a  quiet,  orderly 
citizen,  and  that  I  refused  to  be  arrested  ;  that  I  had  not  been  guilt}'  of 
any  breach  of  the  peace  as  I  saw ;  but  he  said,  Bob,  you  had  better  get  off 
the  engine,  when  I  said  I  wouldn't  be  put  off,  but  as  the  dispatcher  in- 
structed me  to  get  off  the  engine  I  got  off.     I  then  started  down  to  the 
lower  end  of  the  yard.     Before  I  got  down  there  the  dispatcher  asked  me 
what  I  was  going  to  do,  and  I  said  I  was  going  down  to  see  the  fun.     He 
said,  you  are  not,  you  are  going  down  to  countenance  the  strikers.     I 
said,  Mr.  Ross,  I  am  not.     He  said,  you  are  in  sympathy  with  them,  and 
I  said  I  am,  but  I  would  not  say  one  word  to  them.     So  I  went  down 
there,  and  got  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  with  that  the  chief  of  police  and 
twenty-five  policemen  were  told  to  disperse  the  men  there.     They  wanted 
the  men  dispersed.     The  police  commenced  to  circulate  pretty  free  among 
the  boys,  and  I  said  it  was  not  right,  and  jumped  up  on  a  box  car  and 
called  for  them  to  come  over  to  me.     They  all  came.     I  saw  Mayor  Philips, 
of  Allegheny,  there,  and  they  cried  out  to  me  to  tell  him  just  what  they 
were  there  for,  and  who  they  were,  and  I  did  so.     I  explained  to  the  chief 
of  police  and  the  mayor  who  they  were  and  what  they  were  going  to  do. 

Q.  What  time  was  that? 

A.  About  two-twenty. 

Q.  Thursday  or  Friday  afternoon  ? 

A.  That  was  Friday.     I  have  not  got  the  date. 

Q.  You  say  two-twenty  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  All  this  occurred  on  Friday  f 

A.  Yes ;  all  this  occurred  on  Friday. 

Q.  At  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  depot  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Go  on. 

A.  The  police  didn't  disperse  them.     They  couldn't  get  the  train  out, 
and  thev  started  to  run  the  engine  back  into  the  round-house. 

Q.  Who  is  Mr.  Ross  ? 

A.  The  dispatcher  of  the  Fort  Wayne  road,  and  Mr.  Ross  is  the  chief 
of  police. 


664 


Repobt  of  Committee. 


[No.  29, 


By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

<,>.  lb-  is  a  brother  ? 

A.  No;  he  is  no  relation  to  him  at  all.     That  afternoon  two  or  th] 
sections  of  freight  came  in.  and  some  of  us  jumped   up  on  tin-  ears  and 
told  the  boys  what,  we  were  doing,  and  tiny  all  came  right  with  us.     They 
stored  everything  away — put  everything  in  good  shape. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

*,».  What  do  you  mean  by  storing  things  awaj  ' 

A.  Putting  things  away  compactly  on  the  tracks.  To  go  back  now  to 
Mayor  Phillips.  I  read  his  statement  in  the  Pittsburgh  Dispatch.  A  - 
soon  as  I  jumped  down  off  the  box  car,  Mayor  Phillips  sent  one  of  his 
police  officers  over  to  me,  who  said  that  he  would  like  to  see  me.  I  told 
him  it  was  all  right,  and  1  walked  over  to  where  he  was  and  spoke  to  him. 
ll»-  said  that  he  had  heard  everything  I  had  said,  and  1  asked  him  if  In- 
had  any  fault  to  find  with  it,  and  In-  said  no.  I  believe  1  told  him  just 
what  we  intended  to  do.  and  that  he  should  not  be  alarmed  about  our 
destroying  property  or  the  safety  of  the  eity  or  anything  of  that  kind. 
That  we  intended  to  strike  and  were  going  to  strike,  and  thought  that  we 
had  a  right  to  strike.  I  asked  him  if  J  had  been  guilty  of  any  breach  of 
the  peace,  one  way  or  the  other,  and  he  told  me  no,  and  that  as  long  as  I 
did  not  do  anything  worse,  that  no  one  could  arrest  me,  and  that  I  should 
resist  if  any  one  did  attempt  to  arrest  me.  Before  he  went  away  he  told 
me  that  he  would  leave  that  portion  of  Allegheny  in  my  cha  \  Several 
of  the  boys  heard  what  was  said,  and  they  repeated  it  to  the  others,  and 
they  told  the  mayor  that  anything  I  said  would  be  carried  out.  I  never 
saw  Mayor  Phillips  after  that. 

<}.  Who  stood  by  during  that  conversation  with  Mayor  Phillips — any- 
body ? 

\'.   V 

(}.  Can  you  name  any  of  the  parties? 

A.   I  would   rather  not,  fortius  reason,  there  is  an  indictment  hanging 
inst  me  in  Allegheny  county,  and  i  wrote  to  my  attorney  about  this 
matter,  and  he  told  me  that  he  did  not  want  me  to  say  anything  that  would 
have  any  bearing  on  my  trial.     These  men  1  have  subpoenaed  as  witnes 
and  they  are  working  on  the  road  now. 

<}.  <•<>  on  for  the  present? 

A.  We  got  everything  into  as  good  shape  as  possible.  Wherever  we 
could  iff  hold  of  the  wires  we  used  them. 

(,>.   Do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  took  charge  of  the  .     iph 

offh    . 

A.  No:  but  we  telegraphed  wherever  we  could  wire — we  used  the  tele- 
graph. They  had  got  orders  not  to  allow  any  m  'he 
wire^  from  actual  or  intended  strikers  anywheres. 

(}.  Go  on  and  relate  from  that  time-  what  occurred  during  the  progress 
of  the  Btrike  ? 

\.  I  would  sooner  answer  questions  than  tell  you.  I  cannot  give  the 
story  in  full,  and  I  do  not  want,  to  give  it  to  you  half.  So  far  as  I  am  in- 
dividually concerned,  I  would  not  care  ;  but  there  are  other  men  interested, 
and  I  would  not  want  to  implicate  them. 

(,>.   Eow  larg  »wd  on  Friday  afternoon,  when  Mayor  Phillips 

was  at  the  depot  ? 

A.   I  should  judge  there  was  in  the  neighborhood — railroad  men  there — 
a  hundred,  and  two  or  three  times  as  many  citizens. 
By  M  r.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  On  Friday'/ 


Leg.  Doc] 


Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877. 


665 


a.  v 

Q.   Did   any  freight  cars  leave  the  depot  or  arrive  at  the  depot  that 
night — Friday  night  ? 
A.    V 

(}.   Did  you  allow  any  freight  trains  to  go  out  after  that  time? 
A.  We  did. 
Q.   f  Tow  many  ? 

A.  None  went,  hut  we  allowed  them  to  go  if  they  could  get  the  men.     I 
told  Mayor  Phillips  distinctly,  that  if  they  could  get  scabs  enough  to  go 
on  them  that  I  would  guarantee  that  any  man  who  would  scab  it  over  the 
road  would  not  be  hurt. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  a  scab? 

A.   1  consider  a  seal)  when  a  set  of  men  combine  themselves  together  for 
a  certain  purpose — when  a  man  goes  back  on  his  obligations,  or,  in  other 
words,  if  a  man  will  work  for  less  wages  than   his  fellow  men,  and   preach 
before  going  out  on  a  strike  that  he  will  stand  up  for  those  wage-. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
(}.   Von  call  those  scabs  ? 
A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Reyburn: 
<,>.   Do  you  mean  non-union  men  ? 

A.   Yes  ;  but  it  is  not  necessary  that  a  man  should  be  a  non-union  man 
to  be  a  seal).     What  I  call  a  scab  is  a  man  that  will  take  an  oath  and  go 
back  on  that  oath — perjure  himself. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 
<,».  You  mean  belong  to  a  union  and  go  back  on  tin;  order? 
A.   Yes  ;  but  1  >av  it  is  not  necessary  that  a  man  should  belong  to  a 
union.      1  mean  a  man  that  will  turn  around  and  work  for  less  money. 
By  .Mr.  Lindsey: 
Q.   Do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  were  willing  to  let  trains  go  out 
if  they  could  get  the  men  to  run  them? 

A.   Yea  :   1  stated  that  distinctly,  and  others  there  heard  it. 
Was  any  attempt  made  to  start  trains  ? 
They  called  on  every  man  on  the  road,  and  every  man  refused  to  go 


Did  you  or  the  party  with  you  interfere  with  trains  going  out  in  an}- 


<}■ 
A. 

out. 

Q. 

wav  '. 

A.  No. 

().  You  were  the  leader  of  the  party  on  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago 
road  ''. 

A.  1  was  supposed  to  be. 

<<».   Did  you  interfere  with  the  men  who  wanted  to  go  out  in  any  way  1 

A.  Xo. 

(}.    Did  you  try  to  persuade  the  men  not  to  go  out  or  to  run  their  trains  ? 

A.  At  what  time  ? 

(}.  At,  any  time  during  the  progress  of  the  strike  or  previous  to  the 
strike  ? 

A.  Undoubtedly,  I  did.  1  was  a  member  of  the  Trainmen's  Union — I 
wa^>  the  head  of  it — I  mean  the  union.  We  said  that  if  the}'  did  not  give 
us  our  wages  we  would  not  work. 

Q.  On  Friday,  did  you  try  to  persuade  any  men  not  to  go  out? 

A.  Directly: 

(I.    Yes? 

A.   No,  sir ;   1  did  not. 


666  Report  of  Committee.  TNo.  29, 

Q.  Did  any  of  the  strikers? 

A.  I  would  rather  not  answer  that  question. 

Q.  It  is  a  fair  question.  Did  any  of  them  try  to  persuade  men  not  to 
run  their  trains  ? 

A.  They  did  through  moral  suasion.  They  talked  to  them  kindly  and 
pleasantly.     They  did  not  threaten  them  or  anything  of  that  kind. 

Q.  No  threats  were  made  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  And  no  attempt  at  violence  was  made  ? 

A.  We  did  not  try  to  bulldoze  anybody. 

Q.  During  Friday  night  and  during  the  day,  Saturday,  you  were  masters 
of  the  situation  there  in  Allegheny  City  ?  That  part  of  the  city  was  placed 
in  your  care  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  crowd  during  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  It  was  large.  It  would  be  pretty  hard  to  tell.  Sometimes  it  was  a 
pretty  big  crowd,  and  sometimes  it  was  not  so  big. 

Q.  How  many  actual  strikers  were  there  ? 

A.  They  were  all  there.  All  the  brakemen  and  firemen  were  there  any- 
how. 

Q.  How  large  was  the  number  of  actual  strikers  collected  together  there 
during  Friday  and  Saturday  and  Sunday — taking  in  those  days  ? 

A.  From  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  that  troops  were  expected  to  arrive  from  Erie  or  from 
Meadville  ? 
'    A.  Yes. 

Q.  On  Saturday  and  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  what  was  done  to  prevent  those  troops  from  coming  in — what 
measures  the  strikers  adopted,  if  any. 

A.  I  believe  they  let  them  come.  I  do  not  know  why  General  Huide- 
koper  did  not  come. 

Q.  Was  it  arranged  among  yourselves  to  let  them  come  in  ? 

A.  I  believe  they  could  have  come  as  far  as  Allegheny  City. 

Q.  Did  not  the  strikers  send  a  party  down  to  the  lower  end  of  the  yard, 
or  below  the  depot,  to  intercept  any  train  of  troops  that  might  be  coming 
in? 

A.  Some  people  did  go  clown.  I  suppose  they  just  walked  down  that 
way  to  see  how  things  were  going. 

Q.  Was  it  not  agreed  that  no  troops  should  be  allowed  to  arrive  ? 

A.  I  do  not  see  how  they  were  going  to  stop  the  troops  coming  to  Alle- 
gheny City,  unless  they  threw  them  off  the  track. 

Q.  Was  not  that  the  arrangement — to  throw  them  off  the  track  to  pre- 
vent their  arrival  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  not  a  party  come  down  armed  to  prevent  the  troops  from  com- 
ing in  ? 

A.  No  ;  they  did  not.  Men  were  stationed  as  far  as  Sewickley.  I 
suppose  some  had  guns  or  revolvers. 

Q.  Strikers? 

A.  Men  in  sympathy  with  the  strikers. 

Q.  What  were  they  stationed  along  there  for  ? 

A.  I  suppose  they  wanted  to  know  what  was  coming  up  along  the  road, 
or  something  of  that  kind.  We  did  not  know  what  was  going  to  happen. 
They  thought  that  maybe  some  soldiers  might  be  coming  up  along  the 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18TT.  667 

road.     We  would  have  known  it  then  if  the   soldiers  had  come.     They 
could  not  have  got  to  Homewood  unless  we  would  have  known  it. 

Q.  Why? 

A.  We  knew  perfectly  that  No.  18  was  carrying  signals  for  the  south- 
ward.    It  is  the  Erie  night  express,  due  in  .Allegheny  at  eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  Who  stationed  those  men  along  the  road  at  Sewickley  ? 

A.  I  suppose  they  walked  clown  themselves. 

Q.  Who  stationed  them  there  ?  Who  gave  them  orders  to  go  there  and 
occupy  those  positions  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  anybody  gave  them  orders  to  occupy  positions 
along  the  road,  or  to  fire  into  trains,  or  anything  of  that  kind.  Men  were 
sent  down  the  road  to  watch  everything. 

Q.  Sent  by  the  strikers,  were  they  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  were  they  to  watch — what  instructions  were  they  given  ? 

A.  If  the  troops  were  coming  up  we  wanted  to  know  something  about  it. 
We  did  not  have  engines  to  fire  up  and  the  water  had  run  out,  and  so  those 
men  were  stationed  down  there.  Some  had  arms  and  some  had  not.  If 
the  troops  came  up  and  disembarked  at  Sewickley,  or  east  of  Sewickley, 
we  would  know  it,  by  their  discharging  their  pieces,  that  the  troops  had 
disembarked. 

Q.  They  were  to  fire  oil*  their  pieces  as  a  signal  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  to  let  us  know  what  the  troops  were  doing. 

Q.  Was  it  arranged  that  they  should  prevent  the  trains  from  coming  in  ? 

A.  The  calculation  was  to  let  the  trains  come  right  up  to  Strawberry 
lane. 

Q.  Through  the  Fort  Wayne  depot  ? 

A.  It  is  below — at  the  lower  end  of  the  yard. 

Q.  That  is  where  the  larger  portion  of  the  strikers  were  ? 

A.  It  was  head-quarters. 

Q.  Your  intrenchments  were  there  ? 

A.  There  were  intrenchments  there. 

Q.  What  did  you  intend  to  do,  then,  in  case  the  troops  came  up  to  Straw- 
berry lane  ? 

A.  We  proposed  to  interview  them  before  they  got  to  Strawberry  lane. 

Q.  How  interview  them  ? 

A.  We  proposed  to  get  on  the  train  at  Wood  run,  about  two  miles  be- 
low there. 

Q.  How  many  were  to  get  aboard  the  train  there  ? 

A.  About  three. 

Q.  For  what  purpose  ? 

A.  To  see  the  commanding  officer  there  and  have  a  little  talk  with  him 
and  explain  matters  to  him. 

Q.  What  did  you  intend  to  do  in  case  the  troops  arrived  ? 

A.  We  proposed  to  dance  in  case  the  soldiers  played  the  music,  that  is 
all  about  it. 

Q.  Did  you  propose  to  fight  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  we  did  not,  but  we  did  not  propose  to  be  shot  down  like 
dogs  by  any  men. 

Q.  Were  you  armed  ? 

A.  We  were. 

Q.  With  what  kind  of  arms  ? 

A.  There  were  so  many  different  kinds  that  I  cannot  enumerate  them. 

Q.  Enumerate  some  of  them  ? 


668  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Well,  improved  needle  guns,  and  shot  guns,  and  rifles,  and  revolvers 
— things  of  that  kind. 

Q.  Where  did  you  get  your  arms  ? 

A.  At  different  places. 

Q.  Name  some  of  the  places  ? 

A.  Pittsburgh  and  Allegheny. 

Q.  At  what  particular  places  did  you  get  them  ? 

A.  We  got  some  of  them  on  Sixth  street,  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  At  whose  establishment,  or  store  ? 

A.  We  did  not  get  them  out  of  a  store. 

Q.  Where  did  you  get  them  ? 

A.  I  was  not  along  with  them  when  they  got  them. 

Q.  State  if  you  know  where  you  got  them  ? 

A.  I  cannot  state  that,  because  I  did  not  see  them,  I  only  heard  so. 
They  got  them  out  of  a  wagon,  that  is  all  I  know. 

Q.  You  say  from  a  wagon  ? 

A.  Or  bus. 

Q.  Did  you  get  any  anywhere  else  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Where? 

A.  In  Allegheny  city. 

Q.  At  what  point  ? 

A.  Not  far  away  from  the  suspension  bridge. 

Q.  Go  on  and  state  all  the  particulars  ? 

A.  If  it  was  myself  alone  I  would  not  care. 

Q.  You  need  not  name  individuals  ? 

A.  If  I  was  to  tell  you  where  those  men  got  them,  you  could"  find  out 
who  was  there.  I  lay  in  prison  three  months  because  I  would  not  tell  that, 
and  I  do  not  propose  to  tell  it  now. 

Q.  But  you  say  you  had  arms  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  given  to  us  by  citizens. 

Q.  Of  Pittsburgh? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  Allegheny.  I  was  offered  two  hundred  stand  of  arms  more 
than  I  had. 

Q.  By  citizens  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  two  very  prominent  citizens  of  Allegheny.  One  of  them 
has  testified  before  this  honorable  committee.  He  offered  to  furnish  a 
hundred  stand  of  arms,  and  told  me 

Q.  Do  you  mean  Mayor  Phillips  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Have  you  any  objections  to  stating  who  offered  you  the  arms.  It  is 
a  matter  of  importance,  and  you  have  made  an  oath ? 

A.  I  know  that,  but  I  would  rather  not  answer  the  question. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  When  were  those  arms  offered  ? 

A.  Friday,  Saturday,  and  Sunday. 

Q.  But  they  were  offered  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  peace,  were  they 
not  ?     You  had  promised  to  keep  order? 

A.  I  did,  undoubtedly,  promise  that  to  Mayor  Phillips,  and  my  action 
shows  that  I  was  a  quiet  and  peaceable  citizen. 

Q.  But  were  not  those  arms  offered  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  peace  ? 

A.  Nothing  was  said  about  that  at  all,  sir.  Nothing  was  said  about  it 
at  all. 

Q.  But  those  arms  were  not  given  you  to  resist  the  troops  ? 

A.  Yes,  they  were  ;  some  of  them. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  669 

Q.  You  say  that  the  citizens  gave  you  those  arms  to  resist  (he  troops? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  those  two  prominent  citizens  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  they  did  not. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  AVhat  did  they  give  you  the  arms  for  ? 

A.  Nothing  was  said. 

Q.  What  did  these  two  prominent  citizens  offer  you  the  arms  for? 

A.  One  of  them  spoke  for  himself,  and  mentioned  another  prominent 
citizen  who  would  also  furnish  arms. 

Q.  What  day  was  that  ? 

A.  I  won't  be  positive — it  was  either  Saturday  evening  or  Sunday 
evening — no,  I  am  sure  it  was  Sunday  evening. 

Q.  What  was  the  conversation  about — in  what  connection  did  he  offer 
you  those  arms  ? 

A.  The  way  it  came  about  was  this.  He  came  over  to  Alleghen}'  to 
the  telegraph  office,  and  asked  some  man  outside  where  Mr.  Amnion  was, 
and  he  said  inside  the  office.  He  asked  if  I  would  see  him.  I  knew  him 
by  reputation,  and  I  met  him  in  the  private  telegraph  office — he  came  in 
there.  He  told  me  he  would  like  to  have  ten  minutes  of  my  time.  He 
then  sat  down,  and  then  asked  me  to  give  him  the  wages  that  each  man 
was  paid  on  the  road — brakemen,  firemen,  engineers,  and  conductors.  I 
sat  down  and  talked  with  him  awhile,  and  gave  him  those  figures.  Then 
he  asked  me  whether  the  majority  of  the  railroad  men  were  single  men  or 
married  men,  and  I  told  him  they  were  married  men.  And  he  said  he  could 
not  blame  the  men  for  striking,  and  that  he  hoped  and  prayed  they  would 
stand  out  like  men,  but  not  be  guilty  of  any  violence,  and  that  as  long  as 
we  did  that  we  would  have  the  support  of  every  citizen  of  Allegheny  coun- 
ty. And  he  said  that  if  we  wanted  any  assistance  or  any  help,  that  he 
would  give  both  money  and  arms — he  said  I  will  furnish  a  hundred  stand 
of  arms,  and  I  know  another  prominent  citizen  who  told  me  that  he  would 
also  furnish  arms.  I  thanked  him,  and  my  attention  was  called  in  another 
direction. 

Q.  Did  he  mention  the  name  of  the  other  citizen  ? 

A.  He  did. 

Q.  Now  we  would  like  to  have  the  names  of  those  individuals  ? 

A.  I  have  no  objection  to  giving  them  to  the  committee  privately,  but 
I  don't  want  them  to  be  known. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  You  said  if  the  soldiers  fiddled,  3tou  proposed  to  dance? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Then  you  intended,  if  the  soldiers  pretended  to  sustain  good  order, 
to  resist  them  ? 

A.  In  the  first  place,  our  object 

Q.  The  question  is  a  straight  one  ? 

A.  I  will  give  it  to  you  straight.  We  proposed  to  treat  the  command- 
ing officer  with  all  the  respect  in  the  world  due  to  his  position.  We  were 
perfectly  well  aware  that  the  chief  executive  of  the  State  was  out  of  the 
State,  and  we  did  not  think  that  he  could  depute  his  powers  to  any  one  in 
the  State.  So  we  would  want  to  know  where  he  got  his  orders  from,  and 
if  he  got  them  from  a  railroad  magnate,  we  did  not  propose  to  pay  any 
attention  to  him. 

Q.  But  you  said  if  the  soldiers  fiddled,  you  proposed  to  dance? 

A.  Yes. 


670  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Then  if  they  proposed   to   maintain  order,  you  pi-oposed  to  resist 
them — answer  yes  or  no  ? 

A.  I  refuse  to  answer  the  question  in  that  way. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 
Q.  If  the  soldiers  undertook  to  disperse  the  crowd  assembled  there,  did 
the  strikers  intend  to  resist? 

A.  I  did  for  one,  undoubtedly.  I  would  rather  have  died  right  there, 
before  I  would  have  budged  an  inch. 

Q.  Was  it  talked  of — was  it  understood  that  you,  as  a  body,  would  re- 
sist ? 

A.  I  don't  think  there  was  a  man  there  but  what  would  have  gone  to  just 
what  I  led  him  to. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  saying  if  the  commanding  officer  had  his  orders 
from  a  railroad  magnate,  you  intended  to  do  tbus  and  so  ? 

A.  What  do  you  mean  '( 

Q.  To  resist,  I  understood  3^011  to  say  ? 

A.  No ;  we  proposed  if  General  Huidekoper  came  to  Allegheny,  to  go 
and  interview  him  and  explain  the  situation.  We  were  going  to  ask  him 
the  question  as  citizens  of  the  Commonwealth,  for  we  looked  upon  it  we 
had  that  right ;  if  he  had  his  orders  from  the  chief  executive  or  from  Gov- 
ernor Hartranft ;  if  he  had,  we  would  recognize  him,  if  he  had  not,  we  did 
not  propose  to  recognize  him  any  more  than  anybody  else.  We  proposed 
to  treat  him  as  a  rioter,  for  we  did  not  count  ourselves  as  rioters,  for  if  the 
mob  had  come  we  would  have  given  the  mob  the  best  we  had. 

Q.  Then  you  would  have  resisted  in  that  case  ? 

A.  If  he  did  not  have  authority,  undoubtedly. 

Q.  But  suppose  he  had  authority  ? 

A.  Then  we  would  have  recognized  it. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey ; 

Q.  Do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  would  have  resisted  if  the  sol- 
diers had  undertaken  to  disperse  you  ? 

A.  We  looked  at  it  this  way  :  the  Governor  was  out  of  the  State,  and 
we  had  our  reasons  for  thinking  he  had  not  got  his  orders  from  the  Gov- 
ernor, so  we  proposed  to  see  who  he  got  his  orders  from. 

Q.  If  he  had  his  orders  from  the  Governor  or  the  commander-in-chief, 
then  you  would  have  obeyed  his  orders  and  dispersed  ? 

A.  Yes,  if  he  had  his  orders  from  the  Governor.     That  was  the  only  au- 
thority we  recognized,  and  we  knew  he  was  out  of  the  State. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Did  you  take  advantage  of  his  absence  in  this  strike  ? 

A.  No,  we  did  not. 

Q.   But  you  were  well  aware  he  was  out  of  the  State  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  it  your  impression  that  no  other  man  in  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania could  order  out  the  military  ? 

A.  That  was  our  impression  of  it,  yes. 

Q.  It  certainly  would  be  a  bad  lix  if  there  was  nobody  else  that  could 
order  out  the  military  ? 

A.  All  right ;  we  knew  the  Lieutenant  Governor  was  here. 

Q.  You  did  not  take  advantage  of  the  Governor's  absence,  then  ? 

A.  No  ;  we  thought  we  had  some  rights  that  the  railroad  men  were  bound 
to  respect,  but  they  did.  not  seem  to  respect  them.  They  treated  us  like 
mad  dosrs. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187T.  671 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  When  was  the  Trainmen's  Union  organized  ? 
A.  On  Saturday  evening,  June  2,  187*7. 
Q.  Were  you  a  member  of  the  body  ? 
A.  I  was  the  first  man  that  ever  took  an  oath  in  it. 
Q.  What  was  the  purpose — what  were  the  objects  of  that  Union  ? 
A.  The  purpose  and  object  of  the  Trainmen's  Union  was  to  get  the  train- 
men— composing  engineers,  conductors,  brakemen,  and   firemen,  on  the 
three  grand  trunk  lines  of  the  country — into  one  solid  body.     We  knew 
that  a  reduction  over  the  three  grand  trunk  lines  was  going  to  take  place, 
and  we  thought  if  we  could  combine  into  one  body  all  the  men,  at  a  cer- 
tain hour  on  a  certain  day,  if  the  railroad  magnates  did  not  accede  to  our 
demands  we  would  strike,  and  leave  the  trains  standing  just  where  they 
were,  and  go  home.     That  was  the  object  of  the  Trainmen's  Union. 
Q.  Do  you  know  how  far  and  wide  it  extended  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Please  state  ? 

A.  It  extended  over  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  the  road  from  Pittsburg 
to  Baltimore,  the  Fort  Wayne  road  from  Pittsburg  to  Chicago,  and  I  think 
the  last  division  was  organized  at  Valparaiso,  or  Fort  Wayne.  It  was  on 
the  Northern  Central  and  its  leased  lines,  and  all  the  leased  lines  of  the 
Pennsylvania  company  were  in  it. 

Q.  Did  it  extend  on   the   Erie  road,  and  to  the  Atlantic  and   Great 
Western  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Over  the  whole  length  of  the  road  ? 
A.  I  do  not  know. 
Q.  Where  did  it  originate? 
A.  In  Allegheny  City. 

Q.  What  arrangements,  if  any,  were  made  by  your  organization  for  a 
strike  ? 

A.  When  we  thought  we  were  strong  enough  so  we  could  control  at 
least  three-fourths  of  the  men  of  those  roads,  then  we  thought  we  could 
bring  matters  to  a  point — we  could  all  quit.  We  knew  they  could  not  find 
enough  green  men  to  run  the  roads,  and  we  thought  that  the  citizens  would 
look  at  it  in  the  same  light  as  we  did — that  the  citizens  would  not  care  to 
trust  their  lives  to  green  men — that  the  people  traveling  on  the  roads 
would  not  trust  their  lives  to  green  men  ;  and  we  thought  b}r  all  going  off 
and  stopping  the  traffic  on  the  roads  that  they  would  give  us  back  our  ten 
per  cent. 

Q.  It  was  not  organized  until  after  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction  was  made 
on  the  1st  of  June  ? 

A.  No ;  but  it  was  talked  about  before  that. 
Q.  How  long  before  that  was  it  talked  about? 

A.  I  believe  the  notice  was  stuck  up  by  the  Pennsylvania  Company 
about  the  26th  or  27th  day  of  May — somewhere  in  that  neighborhood — 
and  from  that  time  on  it  was  talked  about. 

Q.  What  led  the  men  to  talk  about  it  at  that  time  ? 

A.  The  notice  was  stuck  up,  that  there  would  be  a  reduction. 

Q.  That  was  the  first  that  called  the  attention  of  the  men  to  it  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  there  any  day  set  for  the  strike  by  the  Trainsmen's  Union  ? 

A.  The  27th  day  of  June,  at  twelve  o'clock. 

Q.  State  the  extent  of  this  strike  as  it  was  expected  to  take  place  on 


672  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

the  27th  of  June?     How  many  men  had  you,  who  had  agreed  to  strike  ? 
How  wide  was  it  to  extend  over  the  country  ? 

A.  I  have  just  mentioned  over  the  different  lines. 

Q.  Had  they  all  agreed  to  strike  on  that  day  ? 

A.  Yes.  Tnree  or  four  days  before  the  27th  of  June — the  27th  day  of 
June  was  a  Wednesday — the  Sunday  night  before,  that  is,  the  24th,  forty 
men  were  sent  out  from  Pittsburgh,  so  if  they  shut  off  the  wires  from  us, 
we  could  notify  the  different  divisions  if  we  could  not  get  telegrams  to 
them  in  time,  that  if  anything  turned  up,  that  it  was  ordered,  and  that  that 
was  the  day  set. 

Q.  At  what  hour  ? 

A.  At  twelve  o'clock,  noon,  June  the  27th. 

Q.  To  what  points  were  those  men  sent  ? 

A.  All  over  the  different  trunk  lines. 

Q.  To  notify  all  the  different  lodges  or  divisions  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  they  so  notify  them  ? 

A.  Tney  did,  I  believe,  so  far  as  they  could  get.  But  a  hitch  occurred 
before  the  27th. 

Q.  What  was  it  ? 

A.  That  was  a  Sunday  night.  On  Monday  night,  the  Pan-Handle  divi- 
sion had  a  meeting,  and  most  of  the  members  from  the  other  divisions 
were  there,  and  it  was  decided  on  Monday  night,  when  delegates  from  all 
the  divisions  around  were  there,  that  the  strike  should  take  place  on  the 
27th,  and  on  Tuesday  night,  all  the  members  of  the  divisions  around  there 
were  to  come  to  Allegheny,  to  the  usual  place  of  meeting,  and  have  an- 
other talk  with  the  boys  there.  They  met  there,  when  three  or  four  of 
them  kicked  up  a  rumpus,  and  it  came  near  ending  in  a  row.  Some  of  the 
men  who  were  the  first  to  go  into  the  thing — who  were  the  first  to  propose 
doing  anything,  were  the  very  men  to  kick,  and  two  of  them  that  night, 
went  out  on  JSo.  11,  west,  and  took  the  news  out  west,  that  there  would  be 
no  strike  the  next  day.  We  were  all  ready  on  the  27th,  at  twelve  o'clock, 
noon,  to  go  out  on  a  strike,  but  we  got  telegrams  from  everywhere,  asking 
if  we  were  going  on  a  strike,  or  whether  we  were  not  going  on  a  strike. 
So  the  tiling  got  mixed  up,  and  they  stopped  the  telegraph  wires,  and  we 
couldn't  get  a  word  over.  We  had  some  trains  stopped  at  Pittsburgh,  but 
I  had  them  all  moved  out  on  the  track  again,  as  I  thought  we  had  better 
let  the  thing  go,  than  make  a  failure  of  it,  and  wait  for  some  better  time — 
a  better  organization,  or  some  time  when  we  could  get  things  into  better 
—    shape. 

Q.  What  became  of  those  men,  sent  out  to  notify  the  various  divisions  ? 

A.  They  beat  their  way  back  again,  I  guess,  from  all  over  the  country 
to  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Did  the  Trainmen's  Union  break  up  at  that  time,  or  did  they  con- 
tinue their  organization? 

A.  They  never  had  a  meeting  after  the  27th,  that  I  know  of,  in  Pitts- 
burgh. 

Q.  Did  they  at  any  other  point? 

A.  Yes;  the  Trainmen's  Union  is  still  in  existence. 
Q.  Was  there  any  time  arranged  afterwards  for  a  strike? 
A.  Mo  ;  no  time  was  agreed  upon,  but  all  labored  under  the  impression 
that  the  bubble  had  grown  so  large,  that  it  would  have  to  burst  sooner  or 
later. 

Q.  Was  there  any  pre-arranged  plan,  by  which  any  strike  was  to  take 
place  on  the  l'Jth  of  Jul}7  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  67 


Q 


A.  No,  there  was  not.  There  was  some  little  talk  about  it,  if  the  rail- 
road company  would  do  so  and  so,  that  they  would  kick. 

Q.  Do  what  ? 

A.  Put  on  double-headers. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  kick  ? 

A.  Not  stand  it. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Strike,  do  you  mean  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Then  there  was  no  pre-arranged  plan  for  that  strike  on  the  19th? 

A.  There  was  no  pre-arranged  plan. 

Q.  Was  it  talked  over  ? 

A.  Not  on  that  day;  but  just  as  soon  as  they  put  on  double-headers 
they  didn't  propose  to  submit  to  it,  as  they  thought  seventeen  cars  were 
enough  for  the  men  to  take  care  of. 

Q.  These  double-headers  were  only  confined  to  the  Pennsylvania  Cen- 
tral ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  They  didn't  extend  over  any  other  roads  leading  into  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Was  it  known  to  the  men  on  any  other  roads  that  the  men  on  the 
Pennsylvania  Central  were  going  to  strike  ? 

A.  I  suppose  they  knew  that  they  had  their  sympathy. 

Q.  I  understood  you  to  say  that  you  left  Pittsburgh  the  day  before  the 
strike  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  left  it  about  the  16th. 

Q.  Did  3'ou  know  any  thing  about  it  theu,  or  understand  that  there 
would  be  a  strike  then  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  remarked  after  the  27th  day  of  June  that  I  was  positive 
there  would  be  a  strike,  sooner  or  later — that  the  thing  would  have  to 
come  to  a  head  itself. 

Q.  Did  they  say  to  you,  or  did  you  understand  from  any  employes  on 
the  Pennsylvania  Central  road,  that  there  would  be  a  strike  on  the  19th  ? 

A.  No  one  knew  that  they  were  going  to  strike  on  that  day. 
By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  Then  no  time  was  set  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Was  it  understood  that  when  the  order  was  given  to  run  the  double- 
headers  that  they  would  strike  ? 

A.  It  was  understood  that  just  as  soon  as  they  put  on  double-headers 
they  wouldn't  run  them.     The  men  couldn't  stand  it. 

Q.  Did  you  know  any  thing  about  the  strike  at  Martinsburg  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  heard  of  it. 

Q.  Before  it  took  place  ? 

A.  No  ;  not  before  it  took  place.  I  knew  of  it  as  soon  as  it  did  take 
place. 

Q.  Was  there  any  general  understanding  that  a  strike  would  take  place 
at  the  time  the  strike  broke  out  at  Martinsburg  ? 

A.  No  ;  the  understanding  we  had  of  this  thing — our  object  in  organiz- 
ing the  Trainmen's  Union  was,  that  the  Pennsylvania  Company  would  make 
a  reduction  on  the  first  of  June  of  ten  per  cent.,  and  that,  if  their  employes 
submitted  to  it,  that  the  New  York  Central  would  follow  about  the  1st  of 
July,  and  if  their  employes  submitted  to  it — they  had  two  roads,  and  had 
43  Riots. 


614  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

pooled  their  earnings — they  would  make  a  reduction  on  the  15th  of  July 
on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio.  They  thought  if  they  didn't  get  a  strike  be- 
fore the  15th  day  of  July,  then  the  Pennsylvania  road  and  these  other 
roads  would  get  so  used  to  it,  or  that  they  would  get  us  so  frightened  that 
we  would  have  the  idea  knocked  out  of  us,  if  they  could  run  their  traffic 
over  those  roads.  Thejr  were  not  going  to  make  a  reduction  over  two 
trunk  lines  at  one  time. 

Q.  Did  all  that  happen? 

A.  No ;  there  was  a  reduction  on  the  Pennsylvania  on  the  1st  of  June, 
and  on  Yanderbilt's  road  on  the  1st  of  July,  and  on  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  on  the  15th  or  16th,  and  on  the  15th  was  the  strike. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  communication  with  the  men  at  Martin  sburg  be- 
fore they  struck  ? 

A.  I  had  some  friends  down  there,  and  I  used  to  hear  from  them  once 
in  a  while. 

Q.  About  the  strike — this  particular  strike  that  took  place  at  Martins- 
burg — did  your  union  communicate  with  them  ?  Was  it  understood  or 
arranged  between  you  for  that  strike  on  the  16th  ? 

A.  No;  although  they  said  that  just  as  soon  as  they  got  the  reduction 
they  were  going  to  strike. 

Q.  I  understand  you  to  say  it  was  the  double-headers,  or  the  order  to 
run  them,  that  caused  the  strike  on  the  16th,  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Yes ;  because  it  was  the  wrong  time  to  put  on  the  double-headers, 
just  following  the  strike  at  Martinsburg.  That  just  started  the  whole 
thing. 

Q.  This  Trainmen's  Union  was  organized,  you  say,  for  the  purpose  of 
protecting  yourself  ? 

A.  For  protecting  our  own  interests. 

Q.  What  had  you  to  complain  of  at  the  time  of  organizing  the  union  ? 

A.  The  ten  per  cent,  reduction.  We  thought  we  were  getting  little 
enough  money. 

Q.  Had  you  anything  else  to  complain  of? 

A.  Yes ;  we  had  something  a  little  worse  than  the  reduction.  That  was 
all  right.  If  they  saw  fit  to  reduce,  and  could  get  men  to  work  at  their 
rate,  all  right.  The  officials  of  the  road,  and  Mr.  Scott,  all  treated  us  all 
right.  It  was  only  the  little  under-officials  who  treated  us  like  dogs.  I 
was  told  that  if  I  voted  for  a  certain  man  I  would  get  discharged  off  the 
road.     I  wanted  to  Arote  for  a  neighbor  of  mine. 

Q.  By  whom  were  you  told  that  ? 

A.  By  a  petty  under-official,  the  assistant  day  dispatcher. 

Q.  Had  you  anything  to  complain  of,  except  this  ten  per  cent,  reduction  ? 

A.  Not  on  our  road — not  on  the  Fort  Wayne  road. 

Q.  Had  they  on  the  Pennsylvania  Central,  before  the  order  was  issued 
to  run  the  double-headers  ? 

A.  No;  I  don't  believe  they  had. 

Q.  That  was  the  onty  thing  you  had  to  complain  of? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  negotiations  with  the  magnates  of  the  road  in  re- 
gard to  that  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  we  appointed  a  committee  to  wait  on  them,  and  talk  with  them, 
and  try  to  get  the  thing  settled  up;  but  we  couldn't  reach  them  with  a 
forty-foot  pole.  We  tried  everything  with  reference  to  avoiding  a  strike. 
By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  How  long  were  you  on  the  road  ? 

A.  About  eleven  months,  I  guess. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  675 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  talk  of  striking  before — during  those  eleven 
months  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Were  any  committees  appointed  to  wait  on  the  officials  ? 

A.  That  was  when  we  heard  of  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction. 

Q.  Had  you  any  grievances  before  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  It  was  arranged  then  by  your  union  that  }-ou  would  strike  in  case  of 
a  reduction  ? 

A.  That  was  what  we  organized  for. 

Q.  Do  you  claim  the  right  at  all  times  to  strike  as  a  body  ?  Do  you 
claim  that  it  is  one  of  the  rights  that  you  have  ? 

A.  I  claim  that  eveiy  free  born  American  citizen,  if  necessary,  has  the 
right  to  quit  work  if  he  wants  to.  That  is  what  I  call  striking — quitting 
work. 

Q.  Doing  an3'thing  more  ? 

A.  We  have  no  right  to  destroy  property. 

Q.  Do  you  claim  it  as  a  right  to  interfere  with  those  who  want  to  work  ? 

A.  It  is  a  right  to  use  mere  suasion.  If  I  were  to  see  you  rushing  on 
headlong  on  the  breakers,  and  I  can  stop  you,  I  would  do  so. 

Q.  Do  you  claim  that  you  have  a  right  to  assemble  in  crowds  or  groups 
upon  the  property  of  the  railroad  company  ? 

A.  If  that  is  where  we  are  employed  ;  yes. 

Q.  But  when  you  strike,  you  are  no  longer  in  the  employ  of  the  railroad 
company  ? 

A.  No  ;  not  when  we  have  once  struck. 

Q.  Then  after  you  have  struck  you  don't  claim  that  you  have  the  right 
to  assemble  there? 

A.  Until  we  are  ordered  off? 

Q.  But  when  ordered  off,  have  you  the  right  to  refuse  to  go  ? 

A.  It  depends  greatly  upon  who  orders  you  off. 

Q.  When  ordered  off  by  an  official  of  the  railroad  company? 

A.  If  I  am  there  for  any  unlawful  purpose,  I  ought  to  go,  but  if  I  am 
not  there  for  any  unlawful  purpose,  and  if  I  run  against  a  man  who  wants 
to  show  fight  or  ride  a  big  horse,  I  don't  think  I  have  any  business  to  go, 
if  I  want  to  stay. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  But  do  you  say  that  you  have  the  right  to  go  on  another  man's  prop- 
erty and  stay  there  if  he  wants  you  to  go  away  ? 

A.  I  don't  recognize  any  one  like  a  day  dispatcher.  It  is  not  his  busi- 
ness. 

Q.  But  it  is  his  business  to  keep  the  track  clear  ? 

A.  No  ;  it  is  not. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  did  assemble  at  yard  of  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  road,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  of  you  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  you  ordered  off — ordered  to  leave  or  disperse  ? 

A.  No  ;  directly  we  were  not. 

Q.  By  any  one  belonging  to  the  road  ? 

A.  The  dispatcher  told  the  chief  of  police  to  disperse  this  mob,  that 
they  were  not  employe's  of  the  Fort  Wayne  road,  but  rioters  and  loafers 
from  Pittsburgh,  and  wouldn't  allow  their  men  to  work. 

Q.  You  resisted  this  ?     You  refused  to  go  ? 


676  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  don't  like  a  man  to  call  me  a  liar. 

Q.  Did  you  refuse  to  go  ? 

A.  No  one  told  me  to  go  off  the  property. 

Q.  Didn't  the  policemen  tell  you  to  go  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Didn't  they  undertake  to  disperse  you? 

A.  They  got  in  amongst  us,  but  they  didn't  push  or  tell  us  to  go  off. 

Q.  But  3^ou  refused  to  go  ? 

A.  We  didn't  understand  it  that  way. 

Q.  Was  it  not  your  duty  to  disperse  when  the  policemen  I'equested  you, 
having  been  instructed  so  to  do  by  the  officials  of  the  railroad  company  ? 

A.  The  police  didn't  tell  us  to  disperse. 

Q.  You  knew  what  they  came  among  you  for,  and  what  commands  had 
been  given  to  them  by  the  officers  of  the  railroad  company  ? 

A.  I  heard  the  dispatcher  say,  disperse  this  lot  of  loafers  and  rioters 
from  Pittsburgh.     I  don't  know  that  he  spoke  to  me. 

Q.  Did  he  refer  to  the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  of  any  loafers  or  bummers  in  that  crowd. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  ordered  to  disperse  by  anybody? 

A.  No ;  the  dispatcher  didn't  speak  to  us,  but  to  the  chief  of  police, 
that  these  men  are  a  lot  of  rioters  from  Pittsburgh,  and  he  wanted  them 
off  the  property. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  consider  you  had  the  right  to  take  that  property  and  pack 
it  away  on  the  side  tracks  ? 

A.  I  thought  I  did  perfectly  right. 

Q.  If  it  was  in  danger  of  being  destroyed  ? 

A.  Eveiybody  appeared  to  be  excited,  and  they  had  lost  their  heads,  so 
that  you  couldn't  get  them  to  do  anything.  There  were  some  passenger 
and  freight  cars,  and  a  lot  of  cars  loaded  with  live  stock  standing  on  one 
track,  and  nobody  appeared  to  know  what  to  do  with  them.  People  came 
to  me  and  asked  what  to  do,  from  even  the  dispatcher  himself — he  looked 
to  me. 

Q.  But  after  you  had  refused  to  work,  had  you  any  right  to  interfere 
with  that  property  ? 

A.  We  didn't  interfere  with  the  propertj^. 

Q.  Had  you  any  right  to  do  anything  with  it  ? 

A.  If  we  were  asked  to  do  it  we  had. 

Q.  Had  you  any  right  to  interfere  with  that  property  in  any  way  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  understand  what  I  mean  by  my  question  ?  Do  you  not  think  it 
was  your  duty,  after  having  refused  to  work,  to  leave  the  premises  entirely 
and  go  away  ? 

A.  That  depends  on  circumstances. 

Q.  But  if  you  were  working  for  a  man  and  stopped  work,  or  he  turned 
you  off,  have  you  any  right  to  remain  around  ? 

A.  That  depends  a  great  deal  on  whether  he  wants  me  around  or  not. 
Q.  But  have  you  any  right  to  interfere  with  his  property  in  any  way, 
under  any  circumstances? 

A.  I  would  think  I  was  a-  very  foolish  man.  If  my  property  was  in 
danger  I  would  like  him  to  come  and  lend  a  hand. 

Q.  I  didn't  ask  any  question  about  the  property  being  in  danger? 
A.  We  didn't  interfer  with  the  property  in  any  way  or  manner. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  677 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Had  the  commander  of  the  military  refused  an  interview  with  you, 
or  the  party  you  represent,  what  would  have  been  the  consequences — what 
was  your  determination  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  as  we  figured  that  far  ahead. 

Q.  But  you  must  have  had  some  plan,  sir? 

A.  I  didn't  happen  to  meet  him,  therefore,  I  cannot  tell  }^ou. 

Q.  I  want  to  know  what  was  your  determination  ? 

A.  That  is  something  nobody  knows. 

Q.  I  insist  upon  an  answer  ? 

A.  It  is  a  question  I  cannot  answer. 

Q.  This  is  the  question.  Had  the  commander  of  the  military  refused 
to  have  an  interview  with  you  or  the  party  you  represent,  what  was  your 
determination — what  did  you  intend  to  do  ? 

A.  That  would  have  depended  greatly  on  circumstances.     I  don't  know 
what  we  would  have  done. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  intend  to  resist  the  militia? 

A.  If  3rou  or  any  other  man  or  the  militia  had  raised  a  gun  to  shoot  me, 
I  undoubtedly  would  have  resisted. 

Q.  But  answer  yes  or  no,  then  explain  after  answering  the  question  ? 

A.  What  is  the  question? 

Q.  Did  you  intend  to  resist  the  militia  had  they  attempted  to  disperse 
the  crowd  ? 

A.  I  will  have  to  answer  the  question  yes  and  no.  If  they  had  come 
with  the  requisite  authority  from  the  Governor  of  the  State  and  ordered 
us  to  disperse,  undoubtedly  we  would  have  obeyed  them.  If  they  had 
authority  from  the  Governor  of  the  State,  I,  for  one,  would  have  walked 
away. 

Q.  But  suppose  they  had  authority  from  General  Latta  ? 

A.  I  didn't  recognize  him. 

Q.  You  didn't  recognize  him  ? 

A.  I  didn't  at  that  time. 

Q.  Certainly  you  couldn't  have  been  a  law-abiding  citizen  if  you  didn't  ? 

A.  I  didn't  at  that  time. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Then  you  intended  to  use  your  own  judgment  as  to  whether  the  mili- 
tia were  there  lawfully  or  unlawfully? 

A.  I  look  upon  General  Huidekoper  as  a  gentleman,  and  don't  think  he 
would  lie. 

Q.  Suppose  he  had  said  he  was  there  on  authority  from  the  Governor  ? 

A.  I  told  you  I  would  have  gone  off  the  premises  and  walked  awa}^.  If 
he  had  told  me  it  was  none  of  my  business,  I  would  have  told  him  I  would 
make  it  my  business.  If  he  had  told  me  he  was  there  by  authority  of  some 
railroad  official,  I  would  have  told  him  that  the  best  thing  he  could  do  for 
his  own  and  for  our  sake,  would  be  to  take  the  back  track,  and  go  away. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  daily  papers  of  that  week  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  don't  believe  I  did. 

Q.  Did  you  see  a  published  proclamation  of  the  Governor's  ? 

A.  I  don't  believe  I  did. 

Q.  Did  you  know  a  proclamation  had  been  issued  ? 

A.  I  had  heard  of  it. 

Q.  Commanding  all  citizens  to  disperse  ? 

A.  I  had  heard  of  it,  but  I  didn't  read  it. 


678  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Then  you  and  your  party  were  to  be  the  judges,  whether  or  not  Gen- 
eral Latta  had  authority  or  not  ? 

A.  We  were  open  to  conviction.  We  thought  we  were  endowed  with  a 
little  common  sense. 

Q.  1  don't  doubt  it  for  a  moment — not  at  all.  But  you  were  to  be  the 
judges  whether  General  Latta  had  authority  or  not? 

A.  The  way  I  came  to  get  under  that  impression — an  attorney,  the  first 
day  of  the  strike,  who  was  around  there  when  this  question  came  up  about 
the  Governor  being  out  of  the  State,  said  that  the  troops  or  military  could 
not  be  ordered  out,  because  the  Governor  was  not  here. 

Q.  Give  us  his  name  ? 

A.  I  cannot  give  it. 

Q.  I  insist  upon  it  ? 

A.  I  refuse  to  answer  the  question. 

Q.  If  the  committee  insists  upon  an  answer  you  certainly  will  have  to 
answer,  because  you  have  sworn  to  tell  the  truth  ? 

A.  Well,  I  will  give  the  committee  the  names  of  any  of  these  parties  in 

confidence,  but  I  don't  care  about  telling  their  names  to  the  world.     I  am 

perfectly  willing  to  give  them  to  the  committee  in  confidence.     I  don't 

want  to  keep  anything  back,  but  I  don't  want  to  tell  tales  on  anybody  else. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  your  association  have  an  attorney  employed — the  Trainmen's 
Union  ? 

A.  Two  or  three  were  around  there,  sort  of  acting  as  though  they  were 
employed,  but  we  never  knew  who  employed  them. 

Q.  Did  you  consult  with  them  ? 

A.  No ;  they  came  there  and  gave  us  advice. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Gratuitously? 

A.  That  is  about  it. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  they  ever  paid  any  fees  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 
Q.  Were  they  practicing  attorneys  at  the  bar  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  continued  to  keep  up  the  strike  there,  and  hold  possession  of  the 
railroad  property,  until  the  arrival  of  the  Governor  of  the  State,  did  you 
not? 

A.  I  believe  we  were  on  the  premises  when  the  Governor  arrived. 

Q.  And  had  possession  of  the  property  of  the  railroad  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.  The  property  was  all  lying  there.  No  one  was  hold- 
ing it  ? 

Q.  But  didn't  you  guard  it.  Didn't  you  exercise  care  of  it,  and  didn't 
you  afterwards  deliver  it  over  to  the  railroad  officials  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  we  told  them  that  we  wouldn't  have  anything  more  to  do  with 
it,  that  they  must  get  somebody  else  to  watch  it. 

Q.  Who  did  you  deliver  it  to  ? 

A.  A  man  I  did  not  recognize  came  down  and  took  possession  for  Mayor 
Phillips  or  his  police. 

Q.  You  surrendered  the  property  to  him  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not,  but  to  the  officers  of  the  road. 

Q.  What  day  was  that  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  679 

A.  That  was  the  evening  the  Governor  came  in. 

Q.  The  evening  the  Governor  arrived  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  interview  with  the  Governor  on  his  arrival  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Tell  us  what  that  was  ? 

A.  I  had  a  little  talk  with  him  and  passed  the  compliments  of  the  day, 
and  asked  him  to  come  out  and  say  a  few  words  to  the  boys,  and  he  came 
out  on  the  hack  platform  and  said  something  to  them.  We  then  passed  on 
to  the  round-house,  where  there  was  a  crowd  of  some  live  or  six  hundred, 
and  he  spoke  a  few  words  to  them,  and  then  went  on  to  the  city  of  Alle- 
gheny, where  the  citizens  met  him  with  a  carriage  and  took  him  to  Pitts- 
burgh, by  the  suspension  bridge. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  telegraph  to  him  ? 

A.  I  did. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  was  the  nature  of  those  telegrams  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  are  part  of  history.  I  telegraphed  along  the  line  not 
to  interfere  with  the  train  he  was  on,  so  as  not  to  get  him  angry  with  us, 
and  I  telegraphed  him  guaranteeing  him  a  safe  passage  to  Allegheny  city. 

Q.  You  had  the  power  to  give  him  a  safe  passage  through? 

A .  My  name  was  good  enough  at  that  time. 

Q.  Over  the  length  of  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  road? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  controlled  the  road  at  that  time  ? 

A.  It  appeared  that  they  were  not  going  to  recognize  any  man's  orders 
but  mine. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  But  they  got  obstreperous  at  last  on  your  hands? 

A.  Towards  the  last. 

Q.  Didn't  you  go  to  a  meeting  with  some  citizens  to  a  hall  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  there  they  thought  you  were  taking  too  much  authority  on  you  ? 

A.  They  thought  I  was  going  back  on  them.     At  least  a  scab  did.     He 
supposed  I  was  misrepresenting  things  at  that  time.     At  least  I  think  so 
now.     They  were  starving,  and  wanted  coal,  and   I  ordered  a  provision 
train  and  a  coal  train  out,  and  one  fellow  wanted  to  kill  me  right  off. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  So  they  struck  on  you  ? 

A.  Yes ;  this  was  the  following  Thursday.  I  had  not  been  down  from 
the  Tuesday  night  when  the  Governor  arrived  until  this  afternoon  of 
Thursday. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  means  did  you  take  to  enforce  your  orders  after  they  struck  on 
you? 

A.  They  did  not  strike  on  me. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Didn't  they  refuse  to  obey  your  orders  ? 

A.  I  had  ceased  to  exist  at  that  time.  That  was  on  the  Tuesday  night, 
and  this  meeting  was  on  Thursday  afternoon.  Because  I  would  not  come 
up,  I  suppose  they  felt  sick  and  sore,  and  thought  I  was  trying  to  sell 
them  out. 

By  Senator  Re3'burn : 

Q.  Those  citizens  you  talked  about  who  offered  you  arms,  were  not  those 
men  the  ones  who  went  with  you  to  the  meeting  ? 


680  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Neither  one  of  them  was  there. 

Q.  Didn't  they  ask  you  to  protect  this  property,  and  after  a  conversation 
with  you,  didn't  3*011  agree  to  go  with  them  to  this  meeting  and  talk  to  the 
rioters  ? 

A.  There  were  no  rioters  on  the  Fort  Wayne  road. 

Q.  Or  the  strikers  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Didn't  you  promise  them  to  keep  order,  and  in  consideration  of  that 
didn't  they  agree  to  give  you  the  arms  to  keep  off  the  mob  in  case  any 
party  came  to  burn  the  town  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  this  was  on  the  Thursday  after  the  fire.     I  was  at  no  meet- 
ing from  the  27th  day  of  June  until  this  Thursday. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Was  there  no  understanding  between  you  and  the  strikers  on  the 
Pennsylvania  road  during  this  time,  after  you  got  back  to  Allegheny  City 
and  took  charge  of  things — were  you  acting  in  concert  in  preventing  trains 
from  going  out  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  that  anything  particular  of  that  kind  was  agreed  upon. 
Of  course  we  talked  over  things  of  that  kind. 

Q.  But  you  had  communications  with  the  parties  who  were  striking  on 
the  Pennsylvania  road  ? 

A.  Yes;  men  were  going  back  and  forth  all  the  time. 

Q.  Was  there  anybody  over  there  that  had  control  of  the  strike  there  or 
who  was  looked  up  to  as  a  leader  or  recognized  as  such  ? 

A.  There  were  some  three  or  four  of  them.  The  man  supposed  to  be 
the  leader  showed  the  white  feather. 

Q.  Who  was  that  ? 

A.  Samuel  Muckle,  the  president  of  the  Pan  Handle  division. 

Q.  He  was  supposed  to  be  the  leader  in  the  start  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Who  was  their  leader  after  he  showed  the  white  feather  ? 

A.  I  don't  know,  but  I  think  Hice.     He  was  at  Torrens  station. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  How  did  he  show  the  white  feather  ? 

A.  He  was  a  man  who  didn't  live  up  to  what  he  said  he  would  do. 

Q.  In  what  respect  ? 

A.  He  didn't  live  up  to  what  he  said  he  would  do  at  the  meeting. 

Q.  What  did  he  agree  to  do  in  the  first  place  ? 

A.  He  agreed  to  stand  by  the  boys. 

Q.  What  were  the  boys  to  do  ?  * 

A.  If  the  boys  went  out  on  a  strike,  Muckle  was  to  stand  by  them. 

Q.  And  prevent  the  running  of  trains? 

A.  The  understanding  was  that  every  man  was  to  quit  work  and  go  away, 
but  not  to  prevent  the  running  of  trains.  Muckle  was  discharged,  and  he 
tried  to  get  a  job  in  the  employ  of  the  road.  His  object  in  getting  the 
men  to  strike  was  to  get  them  out  and  then  come  in  and  scab  it. 

Q.  That  is,  come  in  and  offer  his  services  to  the  railroad  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  But  were  communications  going  on  between  you  and  the  leaders  of 
the  Pennsylvania  road — the  leaders  of  the  strike  ?  Was  there  any  con- 
certed movement  or  action  between  you  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  681 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Gh^e  us  a  definition  of  your  idea  of  a  strike.  What  is  generally  un- 
derstood by  railroad  men,  or  what  did  the  Trainmen's  Union  understand 
by  a  strike  ? 

A.  So  far  as  the  Trainmen's  Union  was  concerned,  we  considered  by  a 
strike  that  every  man  on  the  three  grand  trunk  lines  should  go  home  when 
the  hour  came — just  leave  his  train  standing  there. 

Q.  You  mean  refuse  to  work  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Nothing  more  ? 

A.  That  was  our  understanding. 

Q.  But  you  were  not  to  prevent  other  men  from  working? 

A.  We  had  an  understanding  if  a  man  was  not  a  union  man  to  coax  him 
off  if  we  could. 

Q.  But  if  he  would  not  be  coaxed  ? 

A.  Then  to  leave  him  stay.  We  considered  that  his  own  conscience 
would  be  enough  for  him. 

Q.  But  you  were  not  to  try  to  drive  him  off? 

A.  No ;  a  man  who  is  a  scab  has  a  hard  enough  time  of  it.  He  has  a 
hard  time  enough  of  it  to  make  his  life  unbearable  to  him. 

Q.  Was  any  violence  used  that  you  know  of  to  prevent  trains  from  run- 
ning on  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  railroad  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  none  was  used.  I  would  not  have  allowed,  so  far  as  I  was 
concerned. 

Q.  By  what  authority  did  you  assume  charge  of  the  Fort  Wayne  and 
Chicago  railroad  ? 

A.  I  think  I  assumed  authority  of  the  Fort  Wayne  from  telegrams  I 
received  from  Mr.  Layng,  who  is  the  general  manager  from  Pittsburgh  to 
Chicago. 

Q.  What  were  those  telegrams  ? 

A.  I  was  asked  to  take  charge  of  the  trains  and  engines,  and  to  move 
them  to  places  ot  safety. 

Q.  Have  you  those  dispatches? 

A.  I  have. 

Q.  Have  you  them  here  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Can  you  produce  them  ? 

A.  I  can,  sir. 

Q.  Will  you  produce  them  ? 

A.  Not  in  this  city. 

Q.  Where  will  you  produce  them  ? 

A.  I  will  produce  them  anywhere  where  I  can  get  them.     I  asked  to 
have  them  sent  here,  but  could  not  get  them. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Would  this  strike  on  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  road  have  oc- 
curred if  the  strike  on  the  Pennsylvania  road  had  not  occurred  at  that 
time? 

A.  That  is  a  pretty  hard  question  to  answer. 

Q.  From  your  information — from  what  you  know  of  the  circumstances 
and  the  men  engaged  in  it  ? 

A.  I  have  not  thought  over  that,  and  really  I  cannot  give  an  answer. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  the  men  on  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  road 
were  making  any  preparations  for  a  strike  distinct  from  any  strike  upon 
the  Pennsylvania  railroad  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  were  and  some  of  them  were  not. 


682  Report  oe  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  At  this  particular  time  that  the  strike  occui'red  ? 

A.  Really,  I  have  never  thought  the  matter  over,  and  I  cannot  answer 
that  question,  because  I  have  not  thought  it  over  in  that  light  at  all.  They 
may  have  and  they  ma}r  not. 

Q.  You  say  that  the  main  cause  of  the  strike  on  the  Pennsylvania  road 
was  the  running  of  double-headers  ? 

A.  That  is  my  impression. 

Q.  The  cause  of  the  strike  upon  the  Fort  Wayne  road  at  that  time  was 
what  ? 

A.  Several  things  combined.  I  think  it  was  the  abuse  of  power  by  the 
under  officials  more  than  anything  else. 

Q.  That  and  the  ten  per  cent.  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  that  was  pretty  hard  to  swallow. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  I  understood  you  to  say  in  talking  to  some  citizens  you  had  given 
some  figures  as  to  the  wages  that  could  be  earned  after  the  ten  per  cent, 
reduction.     Can  you  give  those  figures  to  the  committee  now  ? 

A.  I  didn't  state  the  amount  that  could  be  earned,  but  the  amount  they 
were  paying — brakeman,  $1  45. 

Q.  Per  day  ? 

A.  Per  trip,  that  is  called  a  day. 
By  Mr.  Englebert : 

Q.   Row  many  hours  ? 

A.  The  shortest  run  on  the  road  was  seven  hours  and  twenty-five  min- 
utes. The  longest  run  was  eight  hours  and  thirty-five  minutes.  Firemen 
the  same  as  brakemen.  Conductors,  first  class,  $2  12;  second  class,  $1  89 
or  $1  91,  I  forget  which.  Engineers — I  don't  remember  the  classified 
pay — first  class,  three  dollars  and  eleven  or  twelve  cents.  That  had  a  great 
deal  to  do  with  the  strike — the  classification — so  far  as  the  engineers  were 
concerned. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  How  many  days  could  you  average  per  week  ? 

A.  The  year  around,  or  at  that  time  ? 

Q.  At  that  time  ? 

A.  I  think  the  month  that  I  was  discharged  I  drew  twenty-nine  dollars 
and  some  cents — I  don't  know  what. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  As  brakeman  ? 

A.  Yes.     I  had  an  income  of  forty  dollars  a  month  besides  that,  and  it 
was  the  only  way  1  could  live. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  make  all  the  time. 

A.  I  believe  I  did.  I  believe  I  lost  only  one  trip.  M}r  impression  is 
I  did  lose  one  trip. 

By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  Was  not  the  amount  you  could  earn  governed  by  the  amount  of  bus- 
iness doing  by  the  road  at  that  time — if  the  freight  shipments  were  large 
you  all  got  work  ? 

A.  We  all  had  work  any  how.     We  all  came  in  our  turn. 

Q.  But  the  amount  of  money  you  made  depended  on  the  amount  of  the 
business  of  the  road  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  put  in  your  six  days  a  week — work  a  week  at  $1  40  ? 

A.  I  undoubtedly  worked  six  days. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187?.  683 

Q.  Every  week  ? 

A.  Not  at  that  time.  We  were  not  averaging  six  clays'  work  at  that 
time. 

Q.  Were  you  prior  to  that  time  ? 

A.  Really  I  have  forgot;  but  the  pay  was  running  very  poor.     I   think 
the  business  was  good  in  January  and  February,  March  and  April,  but  I 
think  after  that  time  it  was  very  slack. 
By  Senator  Yutz}r : 

Q.  How  many  days  did  you  make  in  any  one  month  ? 

A.  In  the  month  of  January  I  made  forty-four  days. 

Q.  By  over  work  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  not  the  officials,  when  you  sent  your  committee  to  them,  didn't 
they  talk  over  this  matter  with  you  ? 

A.  Before  the  strike  ? 

Q.  Yes. 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Didn't  you  send  a  committee  down  to  Philadelphia  to  see  Mr.  Scott  ? 

A.  Of  engineers,  I  believe.     We  heard  what  the  engineers  were  doing, 
and  got  enough  of  the  engineers.     They  generally  patched  things  up  for 
themselves.     Thejr  didn't  look  after  anything  else.     It  was  about  the  time 
of  taking  the  ten  per  cent.  off. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  What  position  did  you  hold  in  Trainmen's  Union  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  that  I  held  any  position.     I  was  appointed  to  organize 
the  unions,  and  had  unlimited  powers. 
B}r  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  By  whom  ? 

A.  B}'  what  we  called — there  were  members  appointed  from  each  division, 
and  they  constituted  a  sort  of  grand  lodge.  The  division  I  belonged  to 
was  first  organized.  That  is  where  I  got  my  power  from.  They  sent  me 
right  out.  It  was  a  Saturday  night,  and  I  left  Pittsburgh  the  following 
Monday,  June  4. 

Q.  Who  organized  the  first  lodge  ? 

A.  I  was  the  first  man  to  take  an  oath.     I  guess  all  took  a  hand  in  it. 

Q.  Were  you  president  of  that  lodge  ? 

A.  There  was  no  president  of  that  lodge  at  that  time. 

Q.  Were  you  chief  of  that  lodge  ? 

A.  I  suppose  I  was  that  night. 

Q.  What  did  they  call  the  chief  of  that  lodge — what  name  ? 

A.  The  grand  organizer. 

Q.  Then  by  delegations  from  other  lodges,  you  were  appointed  to  or- 
ganize lodges  throughout  the  country? 

A.  Our  lodge  gave  me  authority,  and  as  we  formed  lodges,  they  sent  in 
delegations  to  form  a  grand  lodge,  and  they  confirmed  the  action  of  our 
lodge. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Who  paid  your  expenses  going  around  ? 

A.  The  boys. 

Q.  As  a  union  or  a  society,  or  did  the  boys  contribute  what  they  saw 
fit? 

A.  All  the  money  I  ever  got,  I  got  from  the  union  at  that  time. 


684  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  From  the  lodge  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  from  the  treasurer  of  the  lodge. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Was  it  an  oath-bound  association  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  you  go  to  Martinsburg,  Virginia? 

A.  I  was  in  that  neighborhood. 

Q.  Were  you  at  Martinsburg,  Virginia? 

A.  1  was  very  near  to  it. 

Q.  That  is  not  an  answer  to  my  question. 

A.  At  what  time  ? 

Q.  To  organize  a  lodge  there  before  the  strike  ? 

A.  I  did  initiate  men  into  the  organization  called  the  Trainmen's  Union, 
at  Martinsburg. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  organize  lodges  over  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  road  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Was  it  understood  by  your  lodges  that  this  strike  was  to  commence 
at  Martinsburg  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  know,  before  the  strike  commenced  at  Martinsburg,  Vir- 
ginia, that  it  was  going  to  take  place? 

A.  No  ;  of  course  I  heard  all  that  talk.  They  talked  most  loud  at  Mar- 
tinsburg, but  I  thought  it  was  all  wind.  I  didn't  think  they  would  strike 
at  all. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  When  you  were  telegraphed  at  Oil  City,  were  you  there  for  the  pur- 
pose of  organizing  lodges? 

A.  It  was  Parker  City. 

Q.  Were  you  there  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  lodges  ? 

A.  At  that  time  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  I  went  up  there  to  get  work. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  long  had  you  been  railroading  ? 

A.  About  eleven  months  altogether. 

Q.  What  had  been  your  business  before  that  ? 

A.  I  was  in  the  hotel  business. 

Q.  Where? 

A.  At  Collinwood,  eight  miles  from  Cleveland. 

Q.  Were  you  proprietor  of  the  hotel  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  For  how  long  ? 

A.  One  year  and  nine  months. 

Q.  What*was  your  business  before  that? 

A.  I  was  in  the  insurance  business. 

Q.  Where? 

A.  At  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Is  that  your  home  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  is  my  native  place. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  685 

Q.  Were  you  working  for  your  father  or  for  yourself  in  the  insurance 
business  ? 

A.  I  represented  four  Chicago  companies  for  myself. 

Q.  When  you  returned  from  the  oil  country,  you  say  you  met  some  rail- 
road men  who  belonged  to  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  ? 

A.  Of  the  Connellsville  division. 

Q.  Where  did  you  meet  them  ? 

A.  Around  the  Union  depot. 

Q.  How  many  of  them  did  you  meet  there ? 

A.  I  remember  three  engineers  who  were  there. 

Q.  Any  other  trainmen  ? 

A.  0,  yes. 

Q.  Of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  road  ? 

A.  These  three  engineers  are  all  I  can  remember. 

Q.  Were  they  the  ones  who  telegraphed  to  you  to  come  to  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Where  did  those  men  belong  to — the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  or  the  Penn- 
sylvania Central?    Who  telegraphed  you  ? 

A.  To  neither  road. 

Q.  Of  what  road  were  they  employes  ? 

A.  Of  the  Fort  Wayne  road. 
By  Mr.  Dewees : 

Q.  How  many  miles  of  railroad  had  this  trouble  ? 

A.  1  never  figured  it  up.     A  good  many  miles. 
By  Senator  Key  burn  : 

Q.  You  had  a  signal  to  stop  trains  ? 

A.  You  can  stop  any  train  if  you  have  the  signal. 

Q.  But  did  not  your  organization  have  a  particular  signal  by  which  you 
could  stop  the  trains  ? 

A.  The  Trainsmen's  Union  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  Before  the  strike? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Different  from  the  ordinary  signal  ? 

A.  I  don't  comprehend  the  question  exactly. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Was  not  there  an  understood  signal  among  the  trainmen  by  which, 
if  an  engineer  of  a  train  undertook  to  run  it,  they  would  throw  him  this 
signal,  and  he  would  stop  the  train  and  get  off? 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Some  peculiar  signal  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  saw  lots  of  engineers  that  wanted  the  boys  to  do  that. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  You  say  then  that  there  was  no  signal  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  was  this  signal  that  was  used  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  to 
stop  trains?  Was  it  any  peculiar  signal  among  the  strikers  different  from 
other  signals  ? 

A.  I  have  heard  of  it,  but  I  can't  speak  from  my  own  knowledge. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  did  you  hear  ? 

A.  While  in  jail,  McAllister  told  me  that  an  engineer  came  to  him  and 


086  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

said,  "  McAllister,  when  we  come  to  pull  out  from  the  round-house,  you 
just  jump  up  on  the  engine  and  say  there  is  some  danger — j^ou  put  up  your 
hand."  McAllister  is  an  innocent  sort  of  a  fellow,  and  he  did  just  as  the 
engineer  told  him,  and  he  was  convicted  and  sentenced  to  six  months  in 
the  work-house. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Did  the  engineer  get  off  when  McAllister  told  him  he  couldn't  go 
down  to  Twent3^-eighth  street  ? 

A.  He  run  the  engine  back  into  the  house. 

Q.  Who  was  the  engineer  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  his  name. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  hear  that  a  signal  was  agreed  upon  ? 

A.  I  have  heard  so  many  stories  about  that,  I  did  not  pay  any  attention 
to  them. 

Q.  Was  there  any  class  of  men  cooperating  with  your  party,  beside  your 
party  ? 
-  A.  The  mill  men  and  the  glass-house  men. 

Q.  They  all  seemed  to  be  in  sympathy  with  the  strikers  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  came  across  to  the  boys. 

Q.  They  came  voluntarily,  did  they  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  entered  into  the  strike  like  the  railroad  men  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  took  hold  and  assisted  you  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  there  another  class  of  men — tramps  or  strangers — who  came  there 
from  a  distance  ? 

A.  They  crowded  into  Allegheny  City,  but  we  used  to  railroad  them  out 
of  the  town. 

Q.  You  did  not  care  to  have  the  assistance  of  that  class  of  men  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Were  there  any  men  who  came  from  other  roads  and  assisted  you 
there  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  we  had  men  from  other  roads — the  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  the 
Lake  Shore  and  Michigan  Southern. 

Q.  How  many  men  came  from  the  Lake  Shore  and  Michigan  Southern  ? 

A.  Oh,  two  or  three  men. 

Q.  What  did  they  say  their  business  was  ? 

A.  That  they  came  from  such  and  such  a  road,  and  had  a  strike,  and 
just  come  to  see  how  we  fellows  were  doing  it. 

Q.  What  business  did  they  have  to  travel  up  to  Allegheny  City  ? 

A.  It  was  not  very  far. 

Q.  Was  there  any  agreement  or  xinderstanding  between  you  strikers 
and  the  men  who  came  from  distant  places,  that  they  should  concentrate 
at  Allegheny  City  or  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  There  was  some  talk  about  that. 

Q.  Why  did  they  want  to  come  to  that  place  ? 

A.  Oh,  not  to  Pittsburgh,  just  exactly. 

Q.  But  that  was  considered  to  be  the  head-quarters  of  the  strike  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  the  principal  strike  or  trouble  would  be  there  ? 

A.  That  is  about  what  they  thought.  It  was  talked  over  in  the  Train- 
men's Union. 

Q.  If  the  understanding  among  the  strikers  was  that  they  were  merely 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  687 

to  leave  their  work  and  go  home — to  leave  their  trains — why  was  there  an 
understanding  to  congregate  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  didn't  say  that.  It  was  one  of  the  things  that  was  talked  over, 
but  nothing  was  decided  on  definitely.  If  we  had  struck  on  the  27th  of 
June,  there  never  would  have  been  any  trouble  at  all. 

Q.  Would  the  men  have  come  from  the  Lake  Shore  and  Michigan 
Southern  to  Pittsburgh,  if  a  strike  had  taken  place  on  the  27th  of  June  ? 
Was  there  any  understanding,  that  if  a  strike  took  place  then,  that  men 
from  different  points  would  collect  at  some  one  point  ? 

A.  There  was  some  talk  about  it,  but  nothing  of  the  kind  was  decided 
on  definitely.     It  was  all  talked  over. 

Q.  Then  the  men  that  came  came  without  any  understanding  ? 

A.  They  just  wanted  to  see  how  things  were  going. 

Q.  Were  they  discharged  men,  principally,  that  came  from  the  other 
roads  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  that  boat  load  of  men  that  came  down 
the  Monongahela  river  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Was  there  any  understanding  that  that  boat  load  should  come  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  any  other  citizens,  except  the  two  men  you  have  mentioned — 
citizens  of  Pittsburgh  or  Allegheny  City — talk  with  you  or  offer  to  aid  you 
in  any  way  ? 

A.  Lots  of  the  citizens  were  around  there  in  the  crowd,  and  they  gave 
arms  to  the  boys,  and  encouragement.  For  instance,  one  man  would  have 
his  shot  gun,  and  he  brought  it,  and  one  man  had  a  rifle,  and  he  brought  it 
out  and  gave  it  to  the  boys,  and  some  had  revolvers,  and  they  brought 
them  out. 

Q.  And  arms  were  given  to  the  strikers  in  that  way,  by  the  citizens  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  ammunition  given  to  you  in  the  same  way  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  class  of  citizens  were  they  who  gave  the  arms  and  the  ammu- 
nition ? 

A.  They  looked  as  respectable  as  Mr.  Lindsey. 

Q.  Were  they  laboring  men,  or  were  they  professional  men? 

A.  They  looked  like  professional  men. 

Q.  Were  any  business  men  among  them  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  When  was  this  ? 

A.  On  Friday,  Saturday,  and  Sunday. 

Q.  Did  they  furnish  arms  and  ammunition  on  Sunday  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  there  any  other  encouragement  given  to  the  strikers  by  the  citi- 
zens, except  what  you  have  mentioned — the  giving  of  the  arms  ? 

A.  They  furnished  us  food. 

Q.  Was  this  food  given  to  you  because  you  were  protecting  the  prop- 
erty, or  was  it  given  to  you  because  you  were  strikers  ? 

A.  Well,  we  were  strikers. 


688  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Were  arms  furnished  you  for  the  purpose  of  resisting  the  authorities, 
either  the  civil  or  the  militaiy,  or  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  the  railroad 
propert}^  and  other  property  ? 

A.  We  "were  not  resisting  any  authorities  at  all.  We  had  the  arms  to 
keep  off  the  mob.  We  did  not  take  the  arms  to  fight  anybocty  that  had 
authority  over  us. 

Q.  What  did  you  take  the  arms  for  ? 

A.  To  keep  off  the  mob,  or  the  tramps,  or  anybody  else  that  wanted  to 
interfere  with  us. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  ? 

Q.  Was  that  what  the  citizens  gave  3rou  the  arms  for  ? 

A.  I  didn't  ask  them  what  they  gave  us  the  arms  for. 

Q.  What  did  they  say  they  gave  you  the  arms  for? 

A.  Some  of  them  said  this,  and  some  of  them  said  the  other  thing. 

Q.  State  what  any  one  citizen  said  on  the  one  side,  and  then  on  the 
other  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  said,  "  Shoot  the  damned  soldiers  when  they  come," 
and  some  of  them  said,  "  If  anybody  interferes  with  3rou,  or  tries  to  wrong 
you,  kill  them  right  here  " — talk  of  that  kind.  "  You  are  out  on  a  strike 
now,  and  have  got  the  railroad  company  where  you  want  it,  and  you  are 
damned  fools  if  you  don't  keep  them  there." 

Q.  Were  similar  remarks  to  those  made  by  any  of  the  persons  who  fur- 
nished you  arms  and  ammunition  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that,  because  I  would  only  hear  some  of  them  talk  as  I 
mingled  with  the  crowd.  I  would  turn  around  and  look  at  them,  and 
then  pass  on.  Of  course,  everybody  was  excited — everybody  had  lost  their 
brains — everybody  was  wild,  and  people  did  not  know  what  they  were  do- 
ing. 

Q.  Was  anything  said,  prior  to  this  strike,  by  the  citizens  about  furnish- 
ing you  arms  ? 

A.  No ;  I  didn't  hear  anything  of  the  kind  prior  to  the  strike. 

Q.  Did  anybody  offer  to  furnish  you  flour  or  articles  to  live  on  during 
the  strike  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  To  what  extent  ? 

A.  Enough  to  keep  us  until  the  strike  was  over. 

Q.  Were  there  any  business  men  who  offered  to  do  that  ? 

A.  They  were  all  businees  men. 

Q.  Flour  dealers  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  grocery  men. 

Q.  Wholesale  dealers  ? 

A.  Men  we  were  dealing  with  on  the  road  offered  to  keep  us  all  the  time 
we  were  on  the  strike. 

Q.  Offered  to  keep  you  all  the  time  you  were  out  on  the  strike  ? 

A.  Yes. 

B}r  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  Mr.  Jenkins  offer  to  furnish  flour  to  the  strikers  ? 

A.  I  have  heard  it  so  stated,  but  I  cannot  say  so  from  my  own  knowl- 
edge.    I  don't  believe  he  did.     I  don't  believe  he  is  that  kind  of  a  man. 

Q.  Did  any  other  offer  to  furnish  any? 

A.  No  one  except  otir  grocery  men — the  men  we  were  dealing  with — 
they  encouraged  us.     They  knew  their  money  depended  on  us. 

Q.  From  your  intercourse  with  the  citizens,  was  it  your  understanding 
that  you,  as  strikers,  had  the  sympathy  of  the  community  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  689 

A.  Undoubtedly  we  did,  sir. 

Q.  What  led  you  to  understand  that  you  had  their  sympathy  ? 

A.  By  their  actions. 

Q.  But  what  else  ? 

A.  The  way  we  would  hear  them  talk  in  their  daily  conversation  ;  but  I 
think  if  the  strikers  had  turned  in  when  the  mob  commenced  burning  the 
property,  and  if  the  citizens  had  just  turned  in  with  them — and  I  know  if 
I  had  been  in  Pittsburgh,  I  would  have  died  or  I  would  have  stopped  that 
mob — at  any  rate,  I  would  have  attempted  it,  and  I  think  I  would  have 
had  enough  citizens  to  help  me. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  mean  help  you  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  the  property  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  The  sympathy  you  spoke  of — was  it  general  ? 

A.  We  appeared  to  have  the  sympathy  of  the  whole  community. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  you  have  the  sympathy  of  the  citizens  while  destroying  the  prop- 
erty of  the  railroad,  or  while  burning  it  ? 

A.  I  think  if  we  didn't  have  it,  I  think  that  they,  the  citizens,  must 
have  acted  very  funny.     I  didn't  stop  to  ask  them. 

Q.  Did  you  have  the  sympathy  of  the  citizens  in  the  destruction  of  the 
railroad  property  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  that  they  cared  very  much  for  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road Company,  even  if  it  was  burned  up.     They  just  stood  around,  and 
said  it  was  none  of  their  business. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Were  you  over  at  the  fire  during  Sunday  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  kept  decently  away. 

Q.  Then  how  do  you  know  that  they  stood  around  there  ? 

A.  I  lived  in  a  high  house,  and  I  noticed  lots  of  people  up  on  the  hill. 
I  had  a  spy-glass. 

Q.  You  say  that  you,  as  strikers,  had  the  sympathy  of  the  citizens.  Was 
there  any  antipathy  on  the  part  of  the  citizens  against  the  railroad  com- 
pany ? 

A.  So  far  as  I  was  able  to  judge,  I  don't  think  the  citizens  of  Pittsburgh 
ever  had  any  high  opinion  of  the  Pennsylvania  Company. 

Q.  Why? 

A.  On  account  of  the  freight  discriminations,  &c.  I  have  heard  busi- 
ness men  say  repeatedly  that  their  business  had  gone  away  from  them — 
that  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  drove  that  away  from  them,  and 
the  newspapers  have  been  crying  the  Pennsylvania  Company  down  for 
years. 

Q.  Was  that  what  encouraged  the  railroad  emplo}res  to  sti'ike  ? 

A.  No.     We  thought  that  our  cause  was  a  just  one,  and  that  any  one 
with  any  sense  would  be  in  sympathy  with  us. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Were  there  any  citizens  who  condemned  the  strikers — any  of  them 
who  ever  said  a  word  in  rebuke  of  the  strikers  at  any  time  ? 

A.  After  the  fire  ;  yes. 

Q.  But  prior  to  the  fire  ? 

A.  No.     I  never  heard  any  one  say  anything  of  the  kind  before. 

Q.  But  none  of  the  officials  of  Allegheny  condemned  the  action  of  the 
strikers  ? 

A.  At  what  time  ? 
44  Riots. 


690  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  At  anjT  time  prior  to  that  Sunday  ? 

A.  I  never  saw  any  of  the  officials,  except  Mayor  Phillips  one  time  when 
I  spoke  to  him.  He  said  if  we  wanted  to  strike  we  had  a  perfect  right  to 
strike. 

Q.  But  he  made  a  speech  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Didn't  he  tell  the  crowd  to  disperse  and  let  the  railroad  property 
alone  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  remember. 

Q.  What  was  the  tenor  of  his  speech  ? 

A.  My  recollection  of  it  is,  he  said  if  the  men  were  determined  to  strike, 
all  right,  that  they  had  a  perfect  right;  but  as  chief  magistrate  of  the 
city  he  would  ask  them  not  to  interfere  with  any  one  that  wanted  to  work. 

Q.  Didn't  he  also  say  that  you  must  not  interfere  with  the  railroad 
property  ? 

A.  That  is  my  recollection  of  it — that  we  must  not  interfere  with  any- 
body that  wanted  to  work. 

Q.  Don't  you  remember  that  he  said  anything  about  the  railroad  prop- 
erty ? 

A.  I  have  no  recollection  about  his  using  the  word  property. 

Q.  Did  he  tell  them  that  they  must  keep  the  peace  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes. 

Q.  That  he  was  there  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  that  the  peace  was  kept  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  you  told  him  that  you  would  keep  the  peace  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  he  must  have  had  some  respect  for  our  words,  because  he 
withdrew  his  police. 

Q.  You  had  no  trouble  during  the  whole  disturbance  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  There  was  no  interfering  with  the  men  that  wanted  to  work  ? 

A.  No ;  I  said  distinctly  that — in  the  presence  of  the  mayor — that  if 
they  had  scabs  enough  to  work  the  trains  they  could  do  it. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  railroad  men  at  the  time  of  the  disturbance, 
who  were  ready  to  go  out  on  the  trains  ? 

A.  I  didn't  see  a  man.     Every  man  I  saw  said  he  would  not  work. 

A.  J.  Cassatt,  sworn: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  your  residence,  and  official  connection  with  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  Company. 

A.  I  reside  in  Philadelphia,  and  am  the  third  vice  president. 

Q.  Just  give  us  a  statement,  as  to  where  you  were  when  the  first  dis- 
turbance occurred  at  Pittsburgh,  on  the  Pennsylvania  Central  railroad, 
and  what  came  under  your  observation  thereafter. 

A.  I  was  in  the  office  on  Thursday — in  the  office  of  the  company — about 
two  o'clock,  when  I  got  a  dispatch  from  Mr.  Gardner,  at  Altoona,  ad- 
dressed to  Mr.  Frank  Thompson,  at  Philadelphia,  which  was  brought  into 
me,  on  account  of  Mr.  Thompson's  absence  in  New  York,  stating  that  a 
strike  had  taken  place  that  morning  at  Pittsburgh,  among  the  firemen  and 
brakemen,  and  that  no  trains  had  gone  out  that  morning.  I  telegraphed 
to  Pittsburgh,  to  get  extra  conductors  and  engineers,  to  take  the  place  of 
those  who  had  gone  out,  and  1  thought  it  would  be  over  very  soon.  I 
went  up  to  the  country  where  I  lived,  and  I  didn't  hear  anything  further 
until  evening.     On  coming  to  the  West  Philadelphia  office,  I  then  heard 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  691 

that  no  trains  had  moved  up  to  that  time,  and  I  thought  that  my  duty 
ought  to  be  there,  and  I  got  on  a  train  and  went  to  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  arrive  there  ? 

A.  On  Friday  morning.  When  I  got  to  Pittsburgh,  I  found  that  Sheriff 
Fife  had  called  upon  the  State  authorities,  and  that  three  regiments  were 
getting  under  arms  then. 

Q.  State  now,  what  the  civil  authorities  were  doing  at  that  time,  and 
whether  you  had  any  interview  with  the  mayor  of  the  city,  and  if  so,  what 
the  end  of  it  was,  or  whether  you  tried  to  have  an  interview.  ? 

A.  I  was  told  when  I  got  there,  that  Sheriff  Fife  had  gone  out  to  the 
mob,  and  had  undertaken  to  disperse  them  with  some  deputy  sheriffs  who 
were  sworn  in,  but  that  they  hooted  at  him,  and  it  had  no  effect  at  all.  I 
was  told  that  the  city  had  no  police  force  on  in  the  day  time,  or  only  a 
few  men.  I  saw  Mr.  Stewart,  who  was  formerly  connected  with  the  com- 
pany, and  asked  him  to  go  and  see  Mayor  McCarthy,  and  ask  him  to  put 
on  some  of  the  discharged  men,  and  gather  a  posse,  and  send  them  down 
to  disperse  the  crowd,  and  get  back  the  property.  But  Mr.  Stewart  came 
back  in  a  short  time,  and  said  that  the  mayor  would  not  listen  to  it.  So 
I  gave  up  the  attempt  to  have  a  further  communication  with  the  mayor, 
and  wait  for  the  State  to  take  its  course. 

Q.  Who  is  Mr.  Stewart  ? 

A.  He  was  formerly  our  freight  agent  at  Pittsburgh,  and  he  is  very  well 
known  there. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  What  is  his  first  name  ? 

A.  David  Stewart.      What  passed  between  the  mayor  and  Stewart  I 
heard  from  Mr.  Stewart  himself. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  request  the  mayor  to  come  to  the  Union  depot,  or  request 
an  interview  with  him  ? 

A.  No ;  Mr.  Stewart  was  simply  to  ask  him  to  swear  those  people  in ; 
and  upon  the  mayor's  refusing  to  do  so,  he  came  back  and  reported  to  me, 
and  told  me  at  the  same  time  that  McCarthy,  the  mayor,  had  declined. 

Q.  What  time  did  Mr.  Stewart  return  to  you  1 

A.  About  noon,  on  Friday. 

Q.  Did  you  meet  Sheriff  Fife  on  your  arrival  there  ? 

A.  I  saw  Sheriff  Fife  and  exchanged  a  few  words  with  him,  because  I 
learned  from  Mr.  Pitcairn  and  Mr.  Watt  what  powers  he  had  assumed. 

Q.  Did  you  see  General  Brinton  during  the  day  on  Friday  ? 

A.  He  came  on  Saturday. 

Q.  I  mean  General  Pearson. 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  And  learned  what  steps  had  been  taken  by  the  State  officials? 

A.  He  told  me  what  he  had  done.  He  sent  Colonel  Guthrie's  regiment — 
and,  indeed,  I  saw  them  when  they  were  out — to  East  Liberty,  and  ex- 
pected to  go  down  with  two  other  regiments  and  open  the  road.  That  at- 
tempt afterwards  was  abandoned,  because  they  thought  the  force  was  not 
sufficient  to  disperse  the  crowd  who  were  assembled  there.  They  thought 
it  best  to  wait  until  they  could  get  a  larger  force,  when  they  thought  they 
could  overawe  the  crowd,  without  coming  to  actual  hostilities. 

Q.  Was  any  attempt  made  to  move  any  trains  from  that  time  up  to  four 
o'clock  Saturday  afternoon  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  no  freight  trains.  Our  men  declined  to  go  out.  The  engi- 
neers and  conductors  said  they  were  afraid  that  the  road  was  blocked  with 
the  crowd. 


692  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  And  until  the  arrival  of  General  Brinton,  with  his  force,  no  attempt 
was  made  ? 

A.  No  ;  in  fact,  no  attempt  was  made  then. 

Q.  Had  you  no  communication  with  the  citizens  of  Pittsburgh  after 
your  arrival  ? 

A.  Not  as  a  body.  I  saw  a  number  of  the  citizens.  I  think  Mr.  Park 
and  Mr.  Thaw,  and  Mr.  James  Park,  junior.  I  think  I  saw  him  on  that 
da}T,  but  I  don't  remember  the  citizens— ^quite  a  number. 

Q.  During  the  day  Friday  and  Saturday,  state  whether  the  police  officers 
made  any  attempt  to  disperse  the  crowd  that  were  assembled  about  the 
railroad ? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge  ? 

Q.  Had  3'ou  crews  that  were  willing  to  go  out  in  case  they  could  get  out 
without  any  disturbance? 

A.  We  had  a  number  of  crews  to  go  out  after  the  road  was  opened. 

Q.  On  Saturday  had  you  the  crews  ? 

A.  Yes.  On  Saturday  I  walked  down  with  the  troops  as  far  as  the 
round-house  and  went  into  the  round-house  myself,  and  saw  a  number  of 
engineers  that  said  they  would  take  their  trains  out  as  soon  as  the  road 
was  open.  We  might  have  got  up  about  a  half  dozen  crews  if  the  road 
was  opened,  and  if  they  could  go  in  safety.  We  had  the  engines  all  fired 
up  and  backed  out>  and  ready  to  start  at  fifteen  minutes'  notice. 

Q.  Were  the  engineers  and  the  firemen  at  their  posts  at  the  time  the 
troops  arrived  ? 

A.  We  had  men  at  the  round-house — engineers  and  firemen  and  conduct- 
ors and  brakemen,  ready  to  take  the  trains  out,  and  we  were  going  to 
send  out  double-headers,  too. 

Q.  How  many  crews  had  you  ready  then  ? 

A.  They  reported  twelve  or  fourteen  crews — enough  to  take  out  that 
many  trains.  I  saw  a  number  of  men  in  the  round-house,  and  talked  to 
them,  and  they  said  they  would  go  if  they  had  protection. 

Q.  Were  you  at  Twenty-eighth  street  when  the  collision  occurred  with 
the  troops  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  went  down  with  the  troops  as  far  as  the  western  round- 
house, and  went  in  there  with  the  plan  of  starting  the  trains  at  once,  as 
soon  as  the  tracks  were  cleared.  I  went  into  the  round-house  and  made 
arrangements  to  start,  when  the  foreman  of  the  machine  shop  came  to  me, 
and  said  a  riot  was  going  on  outside,  and  I  got  on  the  roof  and  witnessed 
the  collision  between  the  troops  and  the  people.  A  great  number  of  stones 
were  thrown  and  shots  were  fired  by  the  crowd,  and  then  I  saw  the  troops 
fire  in  return. 

Q.  After  the  troops  fired  on  the  crowd,  the  crowd  ran,  and  the  tracks 
were  cleared  for  a  time  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  At  that  time  were  your  crews  ready  to  go  out,  during  the  time  the 
tracks  were  cleared  ? 

A.  They  were.  1  can  state  that  the  only  part  of  the  track  that  was 
clear  was  on  Twenty-eighth  street.  The  crowd  lined  the  road  above  Twen- 
ty-eighth street,  and  there  was  a  crowd  at  East  Liberty. 

0-   Was  that  the  reason  why  the  trains  did  not  start? 

A.  Yes;  the  men  did  not  think  it  would  be  safe  to  go.  The  crowd  dis- 
persed, and  while  I  was  on  the  roof  I  got  a  message  from  General  Pearson — 
for  he  was  in  Mr.  Pitcairn's  office,  three  or  four  hundred  feet  from  where 
1  was — and  that  he  wanted  to  see  me,  and  I  went  there,  and    General 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  693 

Brinton  came  in  at  the  same  time,  and  I  was  present  when  the  discussion 
took  place  between  tae  two  gentlemen  as  to  the  proper  course  to  pursue. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  After  the  firing  ? 

A.  Yes ;  General  Brinton  said  that  he  was  not  satisfied  with  the  orders 
he  had  ;  that  his  orders  were  to  go  down  and  take  possession  of  the  prop- 
erty, but  that  none  had  been  received  about  firing  on  the  mob,  and  that  he 
could  not  order  his  men  to  do  it,  and  he  wanted  orders  to  disperse  the  mob, 
as  it  was  re-assembling,  and  drive  it  away  and  make  an  end  of  it;  or  he 
wanted  orders  to  get  his  command  into  a  different  position ;  that  they  were 
hemmed  in  between  the  shops  and  the  hill,  and  were  very  much  exposed 
to  a  fire  of  stones  and  a  fire  from  the  mob,  and  he  did  not  think  the  place 
tenable,  unless  he  got  orders  to  attack  and  drive  away  the  mob.  General 
Pearson  hesitated  quite  a  while,  and  finally,  after  five  minutes'  discussion, 
or  more,  he  said  he  did  not  think  it  his  duty  to  attack  the  mob  with  that 
small  force.  He  had  no  doubt  that  General  Brinton  could  drive  off  and 
disperse  the  crowd,  but  there  would  be  a  great  loss  of  life,  and  he  thought 
the  best  thing  was  to  retire  the  troops  and  wait  for  reinforcements,  and 
then  overawe  the  crowd  and  prevent  bloodshed.  I  did  not  take  any  part 
in  the  discussion.  I  think  that  General  Pearson  asked  me  one  or  two 
questions,  and  I  said  that  I  was  not  a  military  man  ;  that  all  I  wanted  was 
to  get  possession  of  the  property  again.  I  went  afterwards  to  the  Union 
depot. 

Q.  And  did  you  remain  at  the  Union  depot  all  night  ? 

A.  To  one  o'clock,  and  then  went  to  the  Monongahela  House. 

Q.  Were  you  there  when  General  Pearson  came  in  from  the  round-house  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  Pid  you  hear  what  was  said  by  General  Pearson  to  General  Latta  ? 

A.  No ;  I  came  into  General  Latta's  room  about  seven  o'clock  that 
evening.  My  room  was  on  the  same  floor.  I  saw  General  Pearson  sitting 
down  there,  and  he  said  he  had  come  down  to  communicate  with  General 
Latta.  I  made  some  remark  about  his  getting  there — bow  he  got  there, 
and  he  said  he  had  come  along  the  tracks  and  among  the  cars,  and  was  not 
recognized.  I  went  away,  and  when  I  came  in  afterwards  he  had  gone. 
I  was  not  a  witness  of  anything  that  passed  between  the  two  gentlemen. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  General  Pearson  was  during  the  firing  between 
the  troops  and  the  people  ? 

A.  I  believe  he  was  in  Mr.  Pitcairn's  office.  I  was  so  told  that  he  was 
in  the  office  at  the  time — by  the  clerks. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  how  General  Pearson  was  dressed  when  the  troops 
went  out  to  Twenty-eighth  street? 

A.  He  was  in  a  sort  of  undress  uniform — light  pantaloons  and  ordinary 
fatigue  coat — a  military  coat.     He  was  not  in  full  uniform. 

Q.  In  fatigue  uniform  ? 

A.  Yes ;  a  blue  military  sack  coat,  and,  I  think,  light  or  white  panta- 
loons. 

Q.  Did  he  have  his  sword  ? 

A.  No ;  I  think  he  had  a  little  cane  in  his  hand. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  When  he  went  out  ? 

A.  When  he  went  down  with  the  troops. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  How  was  he  when  he  returned  ? 

A.  In  the  same  way,  except  that  he  had  his  coat  on  his  arms.  He  was 
in  his  shirt  sleeves.     It  was  a  very  hot  evening — a  close  evening. 


694  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  he  wear  his  belt? 

A.  I  think  not ;  but  I  am  not  positive  about  that. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  you  observe  a  belt  he  had  on — a  very  fine  belt  ? 

A.  No  ;  he  may  have  had  it  on,  but  I  don't  recollect  it. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  In  the  conversation  that  you  had  with  James  Park,  junior,  do  you 
remember  which  day  it  was — whether  it  was  Friday  or  Saturday? 

A.  I  think  it  must  have  been  on  Saturday — I  think  it  was. 

Q.  Can  you  state  the  nature  of  the  conversation  ? 

A.  Mr.  Park,  I  think,  was  arguing  against  the  propriety  of  sending  the 
troops  down,  and  said  that  the  mob  was  a  very  violent  one,  and  there  were 
very  large  numbers  of  them,  and  that  we  ought  to  have  eight  or  ten  thou- 
sand troops  to  disperse  them,  and  he  thought  that  the  troops  ought  not  to 
go  down.  I  replied  in  substance  that  was  not  my  business.  That  I  was 
to  open  the  roads  as  soon  as  the  tracks  were  cleared,  and  I  supposed  that 
General  Brinton  had  his  orders,  and  would  obey  them. 

Q.  Did  he  suggest  that  it  was  a  bad  time  to  undertake  to  open  the  road 
that  afternoon  ? 

A.  I  think  he  did,  but  I  gave  him  to  understand  clearly  that  I  had  no 
control  over  the  matter ;  that  I  was  only  anxious  to  get  the  road  open.  He 
wanted  me  to  suggest  to  the  State  authorities,  or  to  ask  them  not  to  go 
down  with  the  troops  that  day,  or  until  we  got  reinforcements,  and  other 
suggestions  were  made  b}T  some  other  gentlemen — by  Mr.  Thaw — but  I 
declined  to  have  anything  to  do  with  them.  In  fact,  Mr.  Thaw  had  written 
out  a  note  urging  that  the  troops  should  not  be  taken  down.  I  said  I 
didn't  think  it  was  our  business;  that  we  were  in  the  hands  of  the  State, 
and  that  they  ought  to  decide.  Mr.  John  Scott,  the  solicitor  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Company,  came  into  the  office  while  the  discussion  was  going  on, 
and  said  I  was  right,  and  Mr.  Thaw  then  tore  up  the  note  ;  but  he  then 
made  a  strong  appeal  to  me,  personally,  not  to  have  the  troops  sent  down ; 
but  I  had  made  up  my  mind  not  to  interfere  in  any  way  with  the  State 
officials,  and  I  did  not.  I  took  the  position  that  we  were  in  their  hands, 
and  it  was  their  problem  to  work  out. 

Q.  Did  General  Pearson  talk  to  you  about  the  propriety  of  undertaking 
to  open  the  road  Saturday  afternoon  ? 

A.  There  was  no  discussion  about  it.  It  was  taken  as  a  matter  of  course 
that  the  troops  would  be  down  there.  On  Friday  it  was  talked  about,  but 
on  Saturday,  when  the  Philadelphia  troops  arrived,  there  was  no  discus- 
sion about  it.  It  was  understood  that  they  were  to  move  down  their  at 
once. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  At  the  time  of  this  conversation  between  General  Brinton  and  Gen- 
eral Pearson  in  the  office,  did  you  hear  General  Brinton  ask  for  permission 
to  attack  the  mob  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  it  was  put  in  that  form,  but  he  said  he  had 
force  enough  to  disperse  the  mob  and  to  keep  them  away,  and  wanted 
positive  orders  to  attack  them.  My  recollection  is,  he  objected  to  the 
form  of  the  orders  he  had — it  throwed  the  responsibility.  He  said  I  have 
got  force  enough,  and  my  men  are  ready  to  obey  orders.  I  have  got  force 
enough  to  disperse  the  mob  if  I  have  orders  to  do  so.  He  stated  to  Gen- 
eral Pearson,  when  he  came  in,  that  he  had  not  given  the  orders  to  fire, 
nor  had  any  of  his  officers,  but  that  the  troops  had  fired  in  self  defense, 
which  I  think  I  can  justify  myself,  as  I  saw  the  stones  and  the  pistol  shots 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  695 

fired  at  them  before  they  turned  and  fired  ;  and,  indeed,  the  way  in  which 
the  fire  was  returned  led  me  to  believe  that  it  was  not  upon  an  order.  It 
was  scattering  at  first,  but  then  became  general. 

Q.  At  the  distance  you  were  off,  what  led  you  to  believe  that  no  order 
was  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  was  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards,  or  perhaps  a  little  less  than 
that  away,  and  I  don't  suppose  the  troops  could  have  heard  a  command, 
if  given,  as  there  was  such  a  shouting  and  yelling.  The  crowd  was  very 
large,  and  they  all  seemed  to  be  shouting  and  hallooing.  There  was  quite 
a  shower  of  stones  before  the  firing  commenced,  and  when  it  did  com- 
mence it  was  scattering,  but  then  became  quite  general.  It  lasted  a  min- 
ute or  two  minutes,  and  I  could  see  the  officers  trying  to  stop  the  firing, 
after  it  commenced. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  remained  at  the  Union  depot  until  one  o'clock  ? 

A.  Until  one  o'clock,  Sunday  morning. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  that  the  mob  had  commenced  firing  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Yes;  we  saw  the  fire  at  that  time.     I  left  the  depot  in  the  first  place 
pretty  thoroughly  worn  out,  and  then  it  was  urged  that  there  was  an  ill  feel- 
ing against  Mr.  Pitcairn,and  General  Pearson,  and  myself,  and  they  thought 
it  might  endanger  the  building  if  I  remained  there,  so  I  went  up  to  the 
Monongahela  house,  and  spent  the  night  there. 

Q.  Did  you  have  an  interview  with  either  General  Latta  or  General 
Pearson,  in  regard  to  preventing  the  mob  from  firing  the  property  ? 

A.  General  Pearson  had  left  at  that  time,  and  General  Latta  had  no 
force  at  all.  There  was  a  mile  of  space  between  the  depot  and  the  round- 
house, where  the  troops  were,  and  there  was  a  crowd  of  people  all  along 
that  distance. 

Q.  Had  General  Pearson  his  coat  off  when  he  came  in  ? 

A.  Yes ;  it  was  a  surprise  to  me  that  General  Pearson  could  get  out  at 
the  time  he  did.  He  must  have  been  disguised.  He  had  his  coat  on  his 
arm.     He  must  have  got  in  among  the  cars. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  ground,  anywhere  in  the  vicinity,  on  Sunday? 

A.  I  was  at  the  Monongahela  house  until  eleven  or  twelve  o'clock  on 
Sunday.  I  then  went  over  the  Point  bridge,  and  took  that  road  because 
there  was  no  crowd  there,  in  company  with  Mr.  Bennett,  who  drove  me 
over.  We  went  to  Mr.  Layng's  office,  and  afterwards  came  back  to  the 
Monongahela  house,  and  stayed  there  until  two  or  three  o'clock,  and  I 
then  went  to  Allegheny  City,  and  stayed  there  until  eight  o'clock,  trying 
to  get  provisions  to  General  Brinton.  I  succeeded  in  getting  two  wagon 
loads  off,  about  eigdit  o'clock  in  the  evening-. 

Q.  Had  you  or  any  of  the  officials  of  the  road  been  able  to  ascertain 
whether  there  was  anjr  arrangement  for  a  strike  of  the  employes  of  the  road? 

A.  We  had  heard  that  the  men  had  organized  the  Trainmen's  Union, 
as  they  call  it,  and  that  a  strike  was  threatened  ;  but  on  looking  at  the 
thing  as  carefully  as  we  could,  we  came  to  the  opinion,  or  we  did  not  be- 
lieve, that  any  strike  would  take  place,  and  we  were  rather  surprised  when 
the  strike  did  take  place.  We  never  had  any  delegations  from  the  men  or 
any  committees  come  to  see  us. 

Q.  Were  there  any  complaints  from  the  men  after  the  issuing  of  the  or- 
der reducing  the  wages  ten  per  cent.  ?  ^ 

A.  There  was  no  formal  complaints.  A  committee  of  engineers  came  to 
see  Mr.  Scott,  and  after  the  interview  with  him,  they  asked  him  to  put  his 
statement  in  writing — what  he  said  to  them — the  necessity  for  the  reduc- 
tion and  the  disposition  of  the  company  to  restore  the  wages  when  the 


C96  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

business  of  the  company  revived  ;  which  he  did.     In  reply,  they  wrote  a 
letter  acquiescing  in  the  reduction,  because  the  company  believed  it  was  a 
necessity,  and  that  they  would  accept  it  as  cheerfully  as  they  could. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  Shortly  after  the  reduction  took  effect  or  after  it  was  announced — a 
couple  of  weeks  before  the  strike.  We  never  had  any  communication  from 
any  brakemen  or  firemen  or  any  one  respecting  that.  This  running  of 
double-headers,  to  which  they  objected,  had  been  practiced  on  the  Pitts- 
burgh division  for  a  number  of  years,  but  not  to  the  same  extent.  Many 
of  the  coal  trains  were  running  with  two  engines,  and,  as  a  matter  of  econ- 
omy, it  was  decided  to  run  all  through  trains  with  two  engines.  On  other 
portions  of  the  road,  we  ran  fifty  or  sixty  cars  to  a  train,  but  at  that  end, 
we  only  ran  seventeen  cars  with  one  engine,  and  in  increasing  the  numbers 
of  cars,  we  reduced  the  number  of  train  hands,  and  saved  expenses  ;  and 
in  order  to  do  this,  we  decided  double-headers.  Some  of  the  men  objected 
to  that.  That  may  have  been  a  pretext  for  the  strike,  but  the  men  were 
not  working  any  more  hours. 

Q.  Did  the  issuing  of  the  order  running  double-headers  necessarily  dis- 
charge any  men  ? 

A.  It  reduced  the  force  of  brakeman. 

Q.  And  of  engineers  ? 

A.  Not  of  engineers  or  firemen. 

Q.  Conductors  ? 

A.  Conductors  also. 

Q.  And  brakemen? 

A.  Yes ;  the  men  at  that  time  were  making  short  time,  because  business 
was  slack.  They  were  not  making  more  than  three,  four,  or  five  days  a 
week — five  trips,  and  the  monthly  wages  were  small.  We  had  discharged 
a  good  many  men — twenty-five  or  thirty  per  cent,  of  the  men,  but  the  re- 
mainder, of  course,  would  have  made  better  wages,  and  we  paid  by  the 
trip  only. 

Q.  How  did  the  business  of  your  company  compare  with  the  business 
done  by  the  company  for  the  three  months  preceding  that  time? 

A.  It  was  much  lighter.  The  business  fluctuated  a  good  deal.  There 
is  sometimes  a  market  for  grain,  in  Europe  for  instance,  when  the  ship- 
ments are  large,  and  then  again  the  shipments  slack  off.  That  very  day 
I  got  a  message  from  Mr.  McCullough,  the  vice  president  of  the  western 
lines,  stating  that  there  was  a  brisk  demand  for  cars,  and  asking  me  to 
send  ears.  If  they  had  only  waited  a  couple  of  weeks,  they  could  all  have 
had  enough  to  do. 

Q.  How  did  the  business  compare  with  the  amount  of  business  done  at 
the  same  time  in  the  previous  year  ? 

A.  We  very  often  hav<»  periods  of  light  business,  quite  as  light  as  that — 
very  often — that  last  a  few  weeks  or  a  month  or  two. 

Q.  Was  that  what  induced  the  company  to  reduce  the  wages — the  falling 
off  of  business  ? 

A.  No;  because  we  did  not  anticipate  that  falling  off  of  business.  In 
fact,  the  tonnage  that  year  showed  an  increase,  but  on  account  of  the  low 
prices  at  which  the  business  had  to  be  hauled,  we  are  forced  to  cut  down 
expenses  or  else  break. 

Q.  Freights  were  lower  than  they  had  been  ? 

A.  Yes;  they  had  been  decreasing  for  a  number  of  years.  We  had  to 
■do  the  work  cheaper- 

Q.  Was  that  in  relation  to  through  and  local  freights,  both  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187*7.  697 

A.  Yes  ;  everything.  Our  local  business  was  formerly  the  much  larger 
portion  of  our  trade,  and  the  rates  at  which  they  were  done  were  lower 
than  they  had  been. 

Q.  Did  that  ten  per  cent,  reduction  apply  to  all  the  officers  and  employes 
of  the  road  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  to  all  the  officers  and  employes  of  the  road,  from  the  president 
down. 

Q.  Did  it  apply  to  the  Pennsylvania  Central  railroad  and  all  its  branches  ? 

A.  Yes;  the  order  was  given  simultaneously  to  reduce  on  all  the  lines 
east  and  west  of  Pittsburgh.  It  was  the  second  reduction  made  since  the 
panic  of  1873.  Our  board  thought  that  the  shrinkage  or  rather  the  reduc- 
tion in  the  wages  of  that  class  of  labor  had  been  much  greater  than  nine- 
teen per  cent.,  and  that  our  men  ought  to  be  able  to  stand  that. 

Q.  When  was  the  first  reduction  made? 

A.  In  the  fall  of  1873. 

Q.  What  was  the  amount  of  that  ? 

A.  Ten  per  cent. ;  and  then  this  reduction  of  ten  per  cent,  made  an  ag- 
gregate reduction  of  nineteen  per  cent,  on  the  original  pay  of  1873.  Nearly 
every  other  class  of  labor  had  come  down  more  than  that. 

Q.  It  was  the  only  reduction  made  since  1873  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  employes  of  the  road  getting  less  than  a  dollar  a 
day  ? 

A.  None  of  the  train  men  were.  I  think  that  some  of  the  apprentices 
in  the  shops  were — the  boys — and  my  impression  is  that  they  and  the  la- 
boring men  on  the  track  were  getting  ten  cents  an  hour,  or  a  dollar  a  day. 
When  the  last  reduction  was  made  it  didn't  apply  to  the  men  getting  a 
dollar  a  day. 

Q.  A  dollar  a  day,  or  less  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  these  men  who  were  working  at  a  dollar  a  day  have  an  oppor- 
tunity to  put  in  full  time  ? 

A.  They  worked  by  the  day — full  time — and  the  only  thing  that  caused 
them  to  lose  any  time  was  bad  weather,  when  they  could  not  work. 
By  Senator  Yntzy : 

Q.  You  mean  the  laboring  men  ? 

A.  Yes ;  laborers  about  the  shops — unskilled  labor — on  the  track. 
By  Mr.  Means: 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  citizens  going  to  Mayor  McCarthy  and 
asking  him  to  swear  in  police  officers  to  maintain  peace  in  the  city  of  Pitts- 
burgh ? 

A.  I  don't  know.  All  I  know  is  what  Mr.  Stewart  told  me — about  the 
mayor's  reply  to  him  when  he  took  a  message  to  him,  that  he  would  not 
swear  in  the  policemen  who  were  discharged — we  offering  to  pa}-  the  wages. 

Q.  The  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  offering  to  pay  the  wages  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  was  told  he  had  discharged  about  a  hundred  men,  and  we 
thought  that  the  hundred  men  who  had  been  on  the  force — accustomed  to 
the  people — could  be  better  handled.     We  made  the  offer  to  pay  them. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  have  any  strike  before  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  any  strike  in  the  last  seventeen  or  eighteen  years 
on  the  Pennsylvania  road. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Had  any  differences  arisen  between  the  employes  and  the  company  at 
any  time  ? 


698  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Oh,  yes ;  differences  have  arisen,  but  none  that  were  not  adjusted  by 
compromise. 

Q.  Was  there  any  difference  existing  between  the  company  and  the  em- 
ployes about  the  time  of  the  strike  on  the  Reading  railroad — you  remember 
there  was  a  strike  a  few  months  before  on  the  Reading  railroad — principally 
the  engineers  ? 

A.  There  was  no  difference,  at  that  time,  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  What  is  the  general  policy  of  your  company  in  such  cases — cases  of 
disagreement  or  dissatisfaction  between  you  and  the  men  ? 

A.  We  hear  the  statement  of  the  men,  and  if  we  think  they  have  any  just 
ground  for  complaint,  we  endeavor  to  remedy  them,  and  after  we  have  said 
so  and  so,  we  stand  by  our  position.  We  looked  upon  this  objection  of  the 
men  to  the  running  of  double-headers  as  an  interference  with  our  own  busi- 
ness. We  thought  that  if  we  would  let  them  say  how  many  engines  or 
cars  should  go  to  a  train,  we  might  as  well  give  up  the  management  into 
their  hands,  so  we  did  not  have  any  discussion  about  it.  But  we  had  no 
formal  complaint.  No  committee  waited  on  us  in  regard  to  that.  We 
simply  knew  that  some  of  the  men  objected,  but  from  no  person  had  we 
any  complaint  in  a  formal  way.  We  did  not  think  it  a  thing  that  affected 
the  men,  personally,  but  thought  it  simply  a  question  of  management. 

Q.  Always,  when  any  difficulty  had  arisen  or  any  complaint  had  been 
made,  you  had  come  to  an  amicable  solution  ? 

A.  It  had  been  the  result  before.  I  don't  think  that  any  strike  on  the 
road  has  taken  place — certainly  not  since  I860,  probably  not  for  two  or 
three  years  before  that.  There  was  a  strike  of  engineers  before  that  which 
was  adjusted  by  conference. 

Q.  You  knew  nothing  of  the  action  of  the  sheriff  at  Pittsburgh,  or  the 
proclamation  of  the  Governor,  until  you  arrived  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Nothing. 

Q.  Then  you  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  proclamation  ? 

A.  Nothing  whatever.     I  never  saw  it  until  it  was  printed  in  the  papers. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  To  whom  did  you  first  make  application  for  protection  to  your 
property  ? 

A.  I  stopped  at  Greensburg,  on  my  way  out,  and  saw  the  Lieutenant 
Governor,  supposing  that,  in  the  absence  of  the  Governor,  he  was  the  pro- 
per one  to  take  action,  and  having  been  advised,  on  my  way  out,  that 
Sheriff  Fife  had  telegraphed  him  for  assistance.  I  stopped  over  one  train, 
the  trains  being  run  close  together,  to  ascertain  what  action  he  was  going 
to  take,  and  I  came  on  the  next  train  to  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  make  any  application  to  the  mayor  of  Pittsburgh  or 
of  Allegheny  for  protection  ? 

A.  I  did  not  make  any  personally,  but  it  was  done  by  the  officers  before 
I  got  there. 

(,>.  Did  you  make  any  direct  application  to  the  State  authorities  for  pro- 
tection ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  made  the  application  to  the  State  for  protection  ? 

A.  I  was  informed  that  Sheriff  Fife  did.  I  was  informed  by  telegraph, 
on  the  way,  on  Friday  night — early  on  Friday  morning,  I  think,  at  Cres- 
son,  that  Sheriff  Fife  had  called  upon  the  Lieutenant  Governor  for  assist- 
ance ;  that  he  had  not  force  enough  to  disperse 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  were  informed  by  your  solicitor,  Mr.  Scott,  what  had  been  done 
in  the  way  of  calling  for  help  on  your  arrival  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  699 

A.  Yes;  I  was  informed  that  he  had  first  called  upon  the  sheriff,  and 
that  the  sheriff  had  made  an  attempt  to  recover  possession  of  the  property, 
and  failed,  and  that  the  sheriff  had  made  a  formal  call  on  the  State  officials. 

Q.  Did  Mr.  Scott  state  that  they  had  called  on  the  mayor  before  calling 
on  the  sheriff? 

A.  I  don't  recollect  that.  I  don't  know.  When  I  got  there,  on  Friday 
morning,  the  Governor's  proclamation  had  been  issued,  and  the  troops 
were  called  out,  and  the  matter  was  then  in  the  hands  of  the  State. 

Q.  Was  any  call  made  by  you,  or  by  any  other  officer  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania railroad,  to  your  knowledge,  upon  the  Governor  directly  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  none  whatever. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  there  any  effort  made  by  the  strikers,  or  the  railroad  employes, 
to  compromise  the  differences  between  the  railroad  company  and  them- 
selves ? 

A.  We  heard  nothing  from  them  at  all  up  to  the  time  of  the  strike.  On 
Friday  afternoon,  a  committee,  representing  the  strikers,  consisting,  I 
think,  of  engineers  and  firemen  and  brakemen,  two  or  three  of  them, 
called  on  Mr.  Pitcairn  in  person,  and  presented  a  written  demand,  stating 
that  unless  these  demands  are  complied  with,  that  they  would  not  run  their 
trains.  This  committee  met  Mr.  Pitcairn  on  the  platform,  and  I  went  out 
there  to  hear  what  they  had  to  say.  He  handed  me  this  paper,  and  I  read 
it,  and  handed  it  back,  and  told  him  to  have  no  further  talk  with  them  ;  that 
they  had  demanded  such  things  that  we  couldn't  grant  them  at  all,  and  it 
wasn't  worth  while  to  discuss  the  matter.  They  demanded  that  their  wages 
should  be  raised,  and  that  double-headers  should  not  be  run  ;  that  no  more 
than  seventeen  cars  should  be  run  to  a  train  ;  that  each  engineer  should 
have  the  privilege  of  selecting  his  own  fireman,  and  that  that  the  firemen 
should  not  be  changed  without  his  consent,  and  a  number  of  other  things 
of  the  same  kind. 

By  Senator  Reybura  : 

Q.  They  also  had  up  the  classification? 

A.  Yes  ;  the  classification  of  engineers  was  to  be  abolished,  and  no  man 
engaged  in  the  strike  was  to  be  discharged.  In  other  words,  they  pro- 
posed taking  the  road  out  of  our  hands. 

Q.  What  was  the  classification  of  engineers  ? 

A.  It  was  introduced  on  our  road,  on  the  lines  west  of  Pittsburgh,  in 
1811  or  1872,1  think.  The  engineers  asked  for  an  advance  of  wages  at 
that  time,  claiming  that  they  were  not  being  paid  as  much  as  other  lines 
were  paying — other  lines  that  competed  with  us.  A  committee,  represent- 
ing each  division  of  the  road,  called  upon  Mr.  Scott  at  that  time  and  asked 
for  an  advance,  which  resulted  in  the  meeting  being  adjourned  to  Pitts- 
burgh, where  I  met  them.  Mr.  Layng  and  I  presented  this  plan,  stating 
that  we  were  willing  to  advance  the  older  men,  but  we  couldn't  advance 
the  younger  men  in  the  service.  I  think  it  advanced  all  men  who  had 
been  in  the  service  over  ten  years  ten  per  cent.,  and  made  no  advance  for 
the  others.  The  understanding  was  that  there  should  be  four  classes  of 
men.  In  the  first  class,  those  who  had  served  three  years  ;  that  they  should 
be  in  the  second  class  two  years  ;  and  be  in  the  third  class  one  year ;  and 
a  man  who  was  promoted  from  a  fireman,  should  be  in  the  fourth  class. 
We  made  an  advance  of  ten  per  cent,  in  the  one  class,  and  the  second  was 
ten  per  cent,  below  the  first,  and  the  third  was  ten  per  cent,  below  the 
second. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  graded  the  men  according  to  their  time  of  service  and  efficiency? 


TOO  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  According  to  their  value  to  the  company. 

Q.  Was  that  one  of  the  things  complained  of  by  the  men  ? 

A.  I  didn't  know  that  there  was  any  complaint  about  that  until  this 
committee  came  on  Friday  afternoon,  and  that  was  one  of  the  things  they 
wanted  to  abolish — the  classification. 

Q.  So  that  they  should  be  all  alike  ? 

A.  All  alike.  I  doubt  very  much  to-day  whether  it  is  the  sentiment  of 
the  road  at  all.  I  don't  think  that  fair  and  sensible.  It  is  the  proper 
thing  to  do,  but  I  don't  think,  however,  that  had  anything  to  do  with  the 
strike,  bnt  they  thought  while  they  were  asking  for  so  many  things,  they 
might  as  well  ask  for  that,  too. 


Scranton,  March  29,  1878. 

The  committee  met  at  the  Wyoming  house,  at  six  o'clock,  p.  M.  Mr. 
Lindsey  in  the  chair. 

All  members  present  except  Mr.  Dewees. 

R.  H.  McKune : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  where  your  residence  is  ? 

A.  City  of  Scranton. 

Q.  Were  you  mayor  of  the  city  in  July  last. 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  had  you  been  mayor  previous  to  that  time? 

A.  I  took  the  office  of  maj^or  in  1875 — 20th  March. 

Q.  When  did  your  term  expire  ? 

A.  It  will  expire  next  Monday,  sir. 

Q.  I  wish  you  would  just  go  on  Mr.  McKune,  in  }-our  own  way,  and 
make  a  statement  of  the  disturbance  that  occurred  in  your  city  here  in 
July  last,  giving  the  date  when  it  commenced? 

A.  Will  I  commence  with  it  at  the  commencement  of  the  suspension  ? 

Q.  I  think  you  had  better  give  us  a  summary  of  it  right  along  ? 

A.  On  Sunday  evening,  July  22,  I  think,  [  received  notice,  or  received 
information,  in  regard  to  the  riot  at  Pittsburg.  I  at  that  time  was  at 
Ocean  Grove.  I  immediately  started  for  home,  taking  the  train  next 
morning,  and  reached  home  Monday  evening.  I  found  the  citizens  here 
very  much  excited  over  a  rumor  of  a  strike  that  was  to  occur. 

Q.  What  day  was  that  ? 

A.  On  Tuesday.  I  attempted  to  get  my  council  together,  but  found 
that  they  were  opposed  to  taking  any  action  for  protection  in  any  way, 
and  gave  it  up.  The  strike  was  fixed  to  occur  the  next  day.  On  Wednes- 
day, I  went  to  the  depot,  and  was  in  the  office  of  the  superintendent, 
when  a  gentleman  connected  with  the  strike  came  in  and  stated  to  Mr. 
Halsted 

Q.  The  superintendent  of  what  road  ? 

A.  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western — that  the  trains  could  go  no 
further.     The  superintendent  asked  me  for  protection  for  the  train. 

Q.  On  the  25th  ? 

A.  On  the  25th  ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  time  of  day  ? 

A.  This  was  at  nine-fifty,  sir.  It  was  on  the  25th,  and  this  young  man 
said  that  they  would  permit  the  engine  and  mail  car  to  go  through,  but 


Leg.  Doc. J  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  701 

none — all  the  other  cars  to  go,  or  the  coaches — none  of  the  coaches  to  go. 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  that  gentleman  was  ? 

A.  Mr.  William  F.  Halsted,  the  superintendent  of  the  road,  will  know. 
I  think  we  will  have  him. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Do  you  know  yourself? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  do  not.  He  was  one  of  the  employes  of  the  road.  He 
was  one  of  the  members  of  the  executive  committee — one  of  the  executive 
committee  of  strikers.  Mr.  Halsted  asked  me  if  we  could  give  him  any 
protection  to  get  the  train  through.  The  crowd  was  dense.  I  told  him 
no.  That  my  advice  was  that  the  engine  be  taken  and  run  into  the  yard. 
I  might  say  right  here,  in  coining  through  New  York,  I  had  had  an  inter- 
view with  Moses  Taylor  and  other  parties  connected  with  the  road,  and  I 
gave  them  to  understand  that  I  had  no  force  here  of  any  moment,  and, 
from  what  I  knew,  that  the  Governor  was  out  of  the  State  ;  that  I,  probably, 
could  not  have  any  to  assist  them  in  getting  a  train  through,  and  that  the 
best  way  was  not  to  attempt  to  push  a  train  through  until  we  could  get 
sufficient  force  to  do  so.  That  was  why  I  advised  Mr.  Halsted  so  to  do. 
Mr.  Halsted  gave  orders  to  have  the  engine  taken  and  placed  in  the  yard — 
not  in  the  round-house,  but  in  the  yard — refused  to  permit  it  to  go  without 
it  went  with  the  train.  Previous  to  that,  I  telegraphed  in  respect  to  the 
difficulty  to  Governor  Hartranft,  and  received  this  telegram  :  "  The  Gov- 
ernor will  be  here  at  one  o'clock.  Let  things  remain  in  statu  quo,  and  do 
not  precipitate  a  collision."  Signed  by  C.  N.  Farr. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  is  it  dated  ? 

A.  Dated  Harrisburg.  Immediately  upon  the  cars  being — upon  the  en- 
gine being  taken  off — I  telegraphed  to  the  Governor  stating  the  fact  that 
the  strikers  had  taken  the  coaches  off.  That  is,  on  the  24th  instant — the 
25th,  we  have  got  the  dates  wrong  there — no,  the  dates  must  be  right,  this 
must  be  wrong,  July  24.  I  telegraphed  to  the  Governor  like  this,  "The 
coaches  have  been  taken  off  the  mail  train."  During  the  afternoon  the 
Governor's  dispatch,  after  arriving,  advising  Mr.  Halstead  to  let  the  mail 
car  go  through,  which  dispatch  was  sent  not  only  to  Mr.  Halstead,  but  to 
the  strikers.  Their  meeting  was  in  the  office  immediately  opposite  to 
mine,  and  we  then  consulted  in  the  evening  or  immediately,  and  from  what 
I  could  gather  as  to  the  wishes  of  the  parties — the  board  of  directors  con- 
cluded not  to  put  the  train  through.  On  July  26,  eve^thing  during  the 
day  was  quiet.  I  would  say  on  the  26th,  the  miners  came  out — the  em- 
ployes of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western  Railroad  Company,  with 
also  the  mining  company — the}-  came  out  from  their  works  to  hold  a  meet- 
ing at  the  Round  woods — a  meeting  probably  of  six  or  eight  thousand. 
Q.  Where  are  the  Round  woods  ? 

A.  The  Round  woods  lie  in  the  Fifth  ward — just  on  the  borders  of  the 
Fifth  ward,  and  the  adjoining  township.     At  this  meeting  a  committee  was 
appointed  for  the  purpose  of  conferring  with  Mr.  Storrs,  asking  for  an  ad- 
vance of  wages,  and  so  on. 
Q.  Who  was  Mr.  Storrs  ? 

A.  He  is  general  manager  of  the  coal  department  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  and  Western  Railroad  Company.  This  is  Thursday.  The 
streets  began  to  be  filled  at  that  time  with  strange  faces,  faces  of  which 
my  officers,  nor  none  of  the  old  citizens,  nor  the  foreman  of  any  of  the 
companies  could  identify  as  citizens  of  our  city.  As  I  said  before,  I  had 
asked  a  member  of  council,  and  tried  to  get  my  council  called  together  to 
see  what  they  would  do  to  assist  me  in  regard  to  the  matter,  and  there  was 


1 


T02 


Report  of  Committee. 


[Xo.  29 , 


nothing  done,  and  I  then  called  together  an  advisory  committee,  consist- 
ing of  seven  of  our  leading  men  of  the  city.  I  selected  gentlemen  who 
were  not  connected  in  any  way,  who  were  all  property  holders,  and  not 
connected  in  any  way  with  any  of  the  corporations.  That  advisory  com- 
mittee met  in  the  morning,  at  nine  o'clock,  and  at  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. 

B}T  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  On  Thursday  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  and  the  whole  time  during  the  strike.  On  Thursday  the 
pumps  in  the  mines  were  vacated — ceased  to  work — and  on  the  27th  of  the 
month  I  received  a  notification  from  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and 
Western  Railroad  Company,  through  their  president,  Sam  Sloan,  like  this: 

Robert  H.  McKune,  Mayor  of  the  City  of  Scranton : 

You  are  hereby  notified  that  by  reason  of  strikes  and  threats  and  un- 
lawful conduct  of  disorderly  and  evil  disposed  persons,  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  and  Western  Railroad  Company  apprehend  that  their  property, 
situated  within  our  city,  is  in  danger  of  damage  and  destruction,  and  that  the 
said  company  is  unable  to  protect  its  rights  and  property,  and  look  to  you 
to  use  such  lawful  measures  as  will  prevent  its  destruction  and  assure  its 
safety. 

Delaware  Lackawana  and  Western  Railroad  Company, 

Per  Sam  Sloan, 

President. 

The  same  day  I  also  received  a  notification  from  Mr.  W.  W. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Who  was  it  signed  by  ? 

A.  The  railroad  company,  per  "  Sam  Sloan,  president1' — not  "  Samuel,1' 
you  will  notice  it  is  "  Sam  Sloan."  I  also  received  from  W.  W.  Scranton, 
superintendent,  on  the  same  clay — W.  W.  Scranton,  general  superintendent 
of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  and  Coal  Company — a  like  notification.  I  should 
state  that  on  the  26th  I  had  received  from  Mr.  Lathrop,  the  receiver  of  the 
Central  Railroad  Company  of  New  Jersey,  a  like  notice.  On  receiving 
this  notice  I  immediately  placed  a  few  special  policemen  out,  and  in  con- 
sulting with  my  advisory  committee,  it  was  thought  best  to  swear  in  a 
number  of  special  policemen  from  among  our  citizens,  who  would  be  will- 
ing to  act  in  case  of  emergency  or  outbreak,  or  the  like  of  that  without 
compensation. 

Q.  Will  you  tell  how  many  policemen  you  had  in  the  city  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  had  in  the  city,  at  that  time,  nine — ten  regular  police  for  da}'  and 
night  service,  and  put  on  eight  specials.  I  had  eighteen  policemen  in  a  eity 
of  thirty-five  thousand  inhabitants.  I  run  the  city  now  with  eleven  police- 
men. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Will  you  please  state  just  here,  if  you  had  any  difficulty  in  getting 
men  to  serve  as  police  officers,  that  •were  citizens  of  this  city? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Let  him  get  through  with  the  history. 

A.  In  the  mean  time,  I  had  continued  my — I  may  say  that  on  the  25th, 
a  committee  from  the  railroad  employes,  a  committee  from  several  of  the 
organizations  of  strikers,  waited  upon  me  to  ask  me  to  issue  a  proclamation 
prohibiting  the  sale  of  liquor.     I  issued  the  following  : 


■ 
■ 
■ 


Leg.  Doc] 


Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817. 


703 


Mayor's  Office,  Scranton,  Pennsylvania. 

July  25,  1877. 

The  general  public  opinion,  as  expressed  to  me.  seems  not  to  apprehend 
any  violence  or  danger,  unless  a  too  free  use  of  liquor  shall  be  indulged  in; 
and,  at  the  request  of  committees  from  the  workingmen's  organizations  and 
others,  who  have  called  upon  me  this  morning,  requesting  me  to  close  all 
places  where  liquor  is  sold,  I,  therefore,  in  compliance  with  said  request, 
ask  of  3'ou  to  close  jour  bars,  and  to  strictly  abstain  from  the  selling  of 
all  kinds  of  liquor  for  the  present. 

R.  H.  McKune,  Mayor. 

I  will  state  that,  as  a  general  thing,  that  request  was  complied  with  up 
to  the  27th  or  28th  ;  in  fact,  all  of  our  eating-houses  sold  no  liquor  during 
the  whole  time  of  the  strike.  Immediately  upon  my  advisory  committee 
coinciding  with  me  in  regard  to  my  special  police — they  were  afterwards 
known  as  vigilants — I  placed  the  matter  in  the  hands  of  Colonel  Hitch- 
cock for  organization,  and  Captain  Ripple  and  Captain  Merrvman.  They 
immediately  commenced  their  organization  of  enrollment,  and  during 
Thursday.  1  think,  some  thirty  enrolled  themselves.  In  the  meantime,  on 
the  27th,  I  had  from  Carney's,  near  Harrisburg — there  stems  to  be  two 
dates  here,  one  of  27th  and  the  other  28th — the  following  telegram  : 


Robert  H.  McKune,  Mayor: 

Can  do  nothing  for  you  at  this  moment, 
few  da3Ts.  I  hope  to  be  able  to  relieve  you. 


If  you  have  patience  for  a 
J.  F.  Hartranft. 


Q.  Dated  where  ? 

A.  That  is  on  the  Pennsylvania  Central,  dated  28th.  This  was  in  an- 
swer to  a  telegram  to  know  if  I  could  have  troops.  He  had  previously 
sent  me  a  message  like  this  : 

"  General  Osborne  and  troops  have  been  ordered  to  aid  civil  authorities. 
His  attention  has  been  called  to  3-our  dispatch.  His  is  all  the  force  now 
at  command." 

I  will  state  that  General  Osborne  has  command  of  forces  of  the  divi- 
sion that  belongs  here  in  this  section,  and  my  committee  were  of  the  opin- 
ion that  that  force  would  be  of  no  benefit  to  us.  Thus  things  remained  in 
a  comparatively  quiet  state  until  the  27th,  when  I  sent  the  following  mes- 
sage to  the  Governor : 

"  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western  Railroad  Company  have 
asked  me  for  aid,  to  prevent  their  mines  from  being  flooded,  and  otherwi-e 
destroyed.  I  am  unable  to  render  the  assistance  required.  Can  you  have 
sent  here  a  body  of  United  States  troops.  The  militia  are  in  sympathy 
with  the  strikers,  and.  in  the  opinion  of  my  advisory  committee, would  be 
of  no  avail.  The  presence  of  United  States  troops,  in  niy  opinion,  would 
secure  the  desired  purpose,  without  a  conflict." 

It  was  in  answer  to  this  dispatch  that  the  Governor  sends  this  of  the 
28th,  marked  Carney's.  On  Friday  evening  was  the  first  evening  that  I 
met  any  portion  of  my  posse,  or  special  police,  as  they  were  called  ;  swore 
in  at  that  time  a  portion,  and  again  on  Saturday  they  were  furnished  with 
arms,  which  we  procured  here — Remington  rifles,  rnosthy.  There  were  some 
muskets  that  had  been  left  by  the  companies,  in  the  armories  of  the  com- 
panies that  had  gone  to  rendezvous  with  General  Osborne,  which  I  took 
possession  of.  and  had  them  sent  to  my  head-quarters.  I  had  established 
my  head-quarters  for  the  posse  at  the  Lackawanna  Coal  Company's  store, 
wheie  the  arms  were  all  kept,  and  where  men  were  on  duty  day  and  night. 


704  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Thus  matters  stood  with  us  until  Sunday,  when,  sending  for  a  committee 
of  the  employes  that  had  been  appointed  at  the  meeting  at  the  Round 
woods,  and  laying  the  state  of  the  case  before  them,  that  a  cessation  of 
the  pumps  in  the  mines  was  only  going  to  destroy  and  injure  them;  that 
as  far  as  the  company  was  concerned,  they  would  be  but  little  injured,  for 
they  didn't  care  anything  about  the  coal  getting  out ;  that  some  of  our 
mines  were  in  such  a  situation  that  if  the  lower  pumps  were  drowned  out, 
which  they  would  be,  it  would  take  six  months,  or  even  a  year,  for  them 
to  get  pumped  out  again.  The  committee,  after  a  couple  of  hours  talk 
with  them,  were  enabled  to  see  the  folly  of  their  course,  and  I  issued 
there,  in  their  presence — framed  the  following  proclamation,  which  I  had 
posted  in  the  many  mines  in  the  disaffected  districts,  during  the  riot : 

Mayor's  Proclamation. 

Whereas,  A  difference  of  opinion  having  occurred  between  the  employ- 
ers and  employes  of  several  corporations  in  this  city,  whereby  labor  at  the 
different  collieries  has  been  suspended,  and  on  account  of  this  suspension, 
serious  injury  has  been  effected,  the  most  serious  of  which  is  the  non- 
working  of  the  mines ; 

And  whereas,  I  have  the  assurance  that  the  men  at  the  collieries  are  will- 
ing to  render  me  their  most  heart}'  cooperation  for  the  protection  of  those 
who  may  desire  to  work  the  pumps,  I  hail  this  as  a  good  omen,  and  trust 
that  no  opposition  may  be  made  to  the  starting  of  the  pumps,  and  I  hereby 
invoke  the  good  offices  of  all  good  citizens  to  aid  the  companies  in  pro- 
tecting their  property  of  every  kind  from  injury  or  destruction,  and  I  do 
also  hereby  warn  all  persons  that  the  property  not  only  of  corporations, 
but  of  individuals,  must  be  protected,  and  that  any  act  of  violence  or  law- 
lessness will  be  by  me  resisted  with  all  the  force  I  can  command,  and  to 
this  end  I  call  upon  all  citizens  of  the  city  to  aid  me. 

Robert  H.  McKune, 

Mayor. 

Mayor's  Office,  City  of  Scranton,  July  29,  1877. 

Immediately  upon  the  adjournment  of  the  committee,  I  notified  Mr. 
Storrs — Henry  R.  Storrs — the  superintendent  of  the  collieries  here,  and  on 
Monday  morning  the  men  were  put  in  at  the  pumps  to  work,  and  the 
pumps  in  the  most  of  the  mines  were  set  to  work.  In  the  meantime,  on 
Saturday,  at  the  meeting  of  the  councils,  the  following  resolution  was 
passed : 

" Resolved  by  the  common  council,  {the  select  council  concurring,)  That 
it  is  the  sense  of  the  councils  that  there  is  no  danger  of  riot  or  disturb- 
ance in  the  city,  and  that  there  is  among  the  workingmen  no  disposition 
to  disturb  the  peace  of  the  community,  and  that  there  is  at  present  no  ne- 
cessity for  any  increase  of  the  special  police,  and  that  any  so-called  police- 
men or  watchmen  or  the  employes  will  not  be  paid  out  of  the  city  funds. 

"  On  motion,  the  clerk  was  instructed  to  notify  the  mayor  of  the  action 
of  the  councils  on  the  above  resolution. 

'•All  of  which  is  hereby  respectfullly  submitted." 

So,  you  see,  I  was  running  this  thing  somewhat  single-handed.  On  Mon- 
day, the  pumps,  as  I  said,  were  going,  and  on  Monday  morning,  at  nine 
o'clock,  1  sent  for  the  executive  committee  of  the  brakemen  and  firemen 
of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western  Railroad  Company,  and,  in 
consultation  with  them,  I  there  gave  them  to  understand  that  the  citizens 
of  the  city  vere  desirous  of  having  their  trains  placed  again  on  the  road, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  705 

so  that  they  could  have  their  mails,  the  banks  could  have  their  money,  so 
that  the  men  who  had  been  at  work  could  receive  their  pay,  and,  after  a 
long  conversation,  lasting  three  hours,  I  gave  them  to  understand  that  I 
should  start  a  train  next  morning,  at  the  regular  schedule  time,  nine-fifty, 
and  that  any  attempt  on  their  part  to  obstruct  it  would  be  met  with  all  the 
force  I  could  command.  The  gentlemen  of  the  committee  wanted  to  know 
when  I  wanted  an  answer  in  regard  to  whether  they  would  run,  and  I  told  them 
I  would  like  an  answer  that  afternoon,  at  four  o'clock.  They  immediately, 
upon  leaving  my  office,  called  for  a  meeting  of  the  men  who  were  here  in 
the  city,  and,  at  three-thirty,  took  a  vote  in  regard  to  the  question  of  re- 
sumption, and,  by  a  vote  of  eighty-two  to  seven,  voted  to  resume  work,  and 
at  six  o'clock  that  evening  the  train  that  had  started  from  Binghamton, 
upon  a  telegraph,  passed  through  here.  So  on  Tuesday  evening,  the  pumps 
at  the  mines  were  working,  the  road  was  open.  There  was  a  general  feel- 
ing of  quietude  among  our  citizens,  and  hopes  that  the  strike  was  passed. 
On  Tuesday  morning,  the  committee  from  the  Round  woods,  as  we  called 
them,  met  at  my  office  for  the  purpose  of  holding  consultation  with  Gen- 
eral Brisbin. 

Q.  You  say  that  was  on  Tuesday  ? 

A.  Yes.  The  legal  adviser  of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western 
Railroad  Company,  in  that  interview,  lasting  some  three  hours,  the  whole 
situation  was  very  thoroughly  gone  over  on  the  part  of  the  men,  by  almost 
each  one  of  them  taking  some  part  in  the  debate,  Mr.  Brisbin,  taking  the 
standing  and  circumstances  of  the  company  and  the  men,  then  made  the 
following  proposition:  That  in  case  hereafter,  any  differences  of  opinion 
arising  between  employer  and  employes,  that  upon  the  appointment  of  the 
committee  from  the  emplo3Tes,  and  notifying  Mr.  Brisbin  of  the  same,  that 
he  would  call  the  board  of  directors  together,  forward  to  this  committee 
transportation,  and  that  they  should  have  the  opportunity  of  telling  their 
grievances,  direct  to  the  board  of  directors.  This  was  one  point  the  men 
tried  to  gain,  in  their  long  strike — the  six  month's  strike — one  they  gained 
at  this  time.  I  never  saw  men  seemingly  more  highly  pleased  with  the  re- 
sult, and  not  only  those,  but  Mr.  Brisbin  himself.  During  the  afternoon 
and  evening,  when  the  information  got  through  the  city — when  the  evening 
papers  came  out,  announcing  the  facts — the  opinion  in  regard  to  the  strike 
was,  that  the  strike  was  about  over,  and  we  had  rumors  in  regard  to  a 
meeting  at  the  silk-works.  We  all  presumed  that  the  reports  of  this  city 
would  be  given  to  that  meeting,  and  that  the  meeting  would,  without  ques- 
tion, resolve  to  go  to  work.  The  question  of  the  advance  of  wages,  had 
been  abandoned,  almost  in  the  first  interview  with  Mr.  Brisbin  and  Mr. 
Storrs.  In  the  evening,  I  met  a  number  of  special  police  posse  at  my  head- 
quarters, stayed  there  probably  half  or  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  talking 
matters  over,  and  we  supposed  that  the  emergency  was  over,  and  we  re- 
laxed, as  it  were,  our  vigilance,  and  most  of  the  men  went  home.  I  had  not 
been  in  bed,  at  the  time  I  reached  home,  from  the  Tuesday  night  previous, 
at  all.  I  stayed  at  home  next  day  and  night.  I  went  home  that  night,  and 
went  to  bed.  I  reached  my  office  that  morning,  at  about  nine  o'clock.  I 
had  relieved  the  officers  that  had  been  on  day  and  night. 

Q.  Do  you  speak  of  Tuesday  or  Wednesday? 

A.  Wednesday,  the  1st  day  of  August.  In  the  meantime,  I  might  say, 
right  here,  that  we  had  established  a  code  of  signals,  to  call  any  posse  to- 
gether, if  it  should  become  necessary.  I  need  not  say  what  it  was — it  was 
a  code  of  signals  to  be  given  through  one  of  the  church  bells.  A  gentle- 
man was  at  my  office,  who  represented  the  posse  to  carry  the  signal,  or 
carry  the  orders  for  the  signal  to  the  men  who  were  at  the  bell,  and  they 
45  Riots. 


706  JReport  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

were  not  to  ring  the  bell  without  orders  so  given  by  the  party.  I  remark 
this,  for  the  purpose  of  showing  in  regard  to  what  occurred  now,  upon  the 
morning  of  the  1st.  I  had  been  hearing  some  cases,  and  was  about  through, 
when  some  parties  came  in,  and  said  there  was  a  large  crowd  coming  up 
from  the  silk-works. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  I  should  think  about  half-past  ten. 

Q.  In  the  morning  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  half-past  ten  or  a  quarter  to  eleven.  One  gentlemen,  young 
Mr.  Logan,  came  in  with  a  request  from  Mr.  Scranton  that  the  signal  bell 
should  be  rung.  About  the  same  time,  Colonel  Hitchcock,  over  the  posse, 
came  in  and  informed  me  that  a  crowd  was  down  round  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  machine-shops,  that  I  showed  you  to-day,  and  he  immediately 
left  the  office.  I  gave,  both  to  him  and  Mr.  Logan,  this  order,  that  the}' 
might  go  to  head-quarters  as  quickly  as  the}T  could,  and  any  of  the  boys 
of  the  posse  that  they  might  see,  to  notify  to  come  immediately  there,  and 
remain  there  till  I  should  send  orders,  or  the  signal  bell  should  be  rung. 
About  the  same  time,  Lieutenant  Brown  came  in,  and  I  then  put  on 
my  hat,  and  we  walked  up  the  street  together.  "We  noticed,  or,  at  least, 
came  across  a  number  of  the  boys,  and  we  ordered  them  immediate!}'  up 
to  head- quarters;  and  when  I  came  to  the  corner  of  Lackawanna  and  Wash- 
ington avenue,  looking  down  the  machine-shops  of  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wana  and  Western  Railroad  Company,  I  saw  the  whole  space  there  cov- 
ered with  a  large  number  of  people. 

Q.  Give  an  estimate  of  the  number,  if  you  can,  Mr.  McKune  ? 

A.  Well,  sir,  from  what  I  could  see — what  came  under  my  observation, 
I  should  say  three  or  four  thousand  people,  sir,  upon  the  railroad,  through 
and  in  that  part  below  the  road.  There  were  but  very  few  people,  we 
passed  but  very  few  people,  comparatively,  upon  the  main  avenue,  as  we 
went  up.  I  went  down  through  the  crowd,  and  as  I  struck  the  outer  edge 
of  the  crowd,  I  said  to  them  something  like  this :  "  Boys  this  Avon't  an- 
swer. You  are  doing  wrong.  You  must  disperse  and  go  home."  Most 
of  them  that  I  first  saw — the  great  majorit}'  of  them — were  of  those  that 
I  knew.  The  way  was  immediately  opened.  Lieutenant  Brown  was  with 
me.  We  walked  side  by  side.  I  went  in  that  way  down  as  far  as  the 
office  of  the  car  shops — the  Mackanny  office,  as  I  call  it — having  learned 
that  Mrs.  Mackanny  and  her  daughter  was  in  there,  and  was  very  much 
terrified,  and  wished  to  be  got  out.  I  found  the  door  locked,  and  in  look- 
ing into  the  window,  saw  that  young  Miss  Mackann}'  was  in  her  father's 
arms,  fainting,  and,  of  course,  I  concluded  it  was  best  that  she  should 
remain  there  up  there.  Turned  and  came  back,  for  the  purpose  of  going 
to  the  company's  store — the  head-quarters.  Having  passed  from  the  office 
probably  thirty  or  thirty-five  feet,  a  party  of  men  came  out  from  the  road- 
way that  leads  in  through  to  the  shops — the  car  shops  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  and  Western  Railroad  Company.  I  should  think  there  was 
one  hundred  or  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  these  men.  They  had  mostly  in 
their  hands,  clubs  of  different  kinds,  handles  of  picks,  and  sticks,  and 
when  the  leader  was  within  probably  thirty  feet  of  me,  he  made  an  inquiry — 
there  was  something  of  a  fuss  or  noise  right  round  where  I  was,  and 
seemed  to  be  the  center  of  attraction — made  an  inquiry,  "  What  was  it  ? 
Who  was  it?"  With  that,  some  person  standing  in  my  vicinity  says, 
"  This  is  the  mayor."  Then,  raising  his  club,  hollered  our,  in  an  extreme 
loud  voice,  "Kill  the  son  of  a  bitch.  He  lias  got  no  business  here." 
With  that,  there  were  two  pistol  shots  fired,  one  upon  ray  right  hand,  and 
one  upon  my  left,  by  my  side,  as  1  judge  from  the  sound,  and  almost  im- 


Leg.  Doc.]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  707 

mediately  with  that,  four  or  five  men,  one  of  them  a  constable  of  the 
Nineteenth  ward,  and  another  by  the  name  of  Duffy,  and  some  thi'ee  or 
four  others,  whom  I  did  not  know  personally,  rushed  immediately  behind 
me,  to  form  a  sort  of  a  barrier  against  this  crowd,  that  was  seeming  to  make 
for  me.  With  that,  I  was  struck  with  a  club — I  judge  it  to  be  a  club — 
right  behind  my  shoulders  very  severely,  so  much  so,  that  it  started  my 
left  lung,  which  has  been  weak  for  some  years,  bleeding  My  mouth  was 
almost  immediately  filled  with  blood,  a  stone  which  was  thrown  hit  me  in 
my  kidneys,  and  before  1  probably  got  ten  steps,  this  crowd  made  towards 
me,  and  I  was  hit  some  numbers  of  times,  but  I  kept  square  upon  my  feet. 
I  dodged  my  head  to  avoid  them  as  well  as  I  could.  In  the  meantime, 
Lieutenant  Brown  was  standing  by  me.  The  very  first  signal,  the  very 
first  exclamation  of  these  men,  1  had  ordered  that  the  posse  be  sent  for 
and  the  bells  would  be  rung,  but  Mr.  Brown  dare  not  move.  But  the  men 
passed  the  cry  on,  and  it  was  taken  up  by  others  standing  back.  I  prob- 
ably went  twenty  steps  before  Father  Dunn,  the  Catholic  priest  of  the 
parish  here,  came  down,  and  as  soon  as  he  saw  me  came  right  up  to  me 
and  first  took  hold  of  my  arm.  He  was  a  smaller  armed  man  than  I  am ; 
I  then  changed  and  took  hold  of  his.  Immediately  upon  his  coming,  this 
party  that  was  behind  trying  to  protect  me  was  increased  considerably, 
numbering  twenty  or  twenty-five.  Some  of  these  men,  who  had  had  sticks 
in  their  hands,  came  up  at  this  time. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  For  your  protection  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  the  men  I  speak  of,  the  constable  of  the  Nineteenth  ward,  and 
William  Duffy  and  others  immediately  upon  the  pistols  being  shot  off,  came 
right  for  my  protection — the  citizens  here.  I  might  say  right  here,  that 
all  that  party  who  had  swept  through  the  shops  and  came  under  my  ob- 
servation, not  one  of  them  I  recognized  as  a  man  whom  I  had  ever  seen 
before.  The  leader,  whom  I  took  very  close  observation  of,  was  a  man 
whom  I  had  never  cast  my  eyes  upon  before  to  my  recollection.  When 
we  got  to  within  twenty-five  or  thirt}'  feet  of  the  causeway  under  the  rail- 
road, the  crowd  behind  broke  through  the  party  that  was  trying  to  protect 
me,  and  carried  off  Father  Dunn.  I  slipped  from  him  to  the  left  of  him, 
so  that  they  rushed  by  me,  and  I  escaped  from  them  and  went  through 
under  the  railway  bridge — under  the  railway  near  there — the  causeway 
under  the  railway,  and  there  met  four  of  my  policemen.  In  the  meantime, 
the  crowd  commenced  to  surge  past,  filling  the  whole  street  almost,  with 
the  cry,  "  Now  for  the  Lackawanna  Iron  and  Coal  Company's  store."  "  Now 
for  Lackawanna  avenue.  Lets  clean  out  the  town."  The  distance  from 
where  I  met  these  policemen  to  Lackawanna  avenue,  is  just  a  hundred  feet, 
the  depth  of  those  lots.  Just  one  hundred  feet.  When  I  reached  Lack- 
awanna avenue  coming  up  Washington,  in  looking  up  the  street.  I  saw  my 
posse  coming  down.  They  were  nearly  opposite  the  Opera  House,  a  dis- 
tance of  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  from  me.  I  stopped 
a  moment,  and  the  crowd  seemed  to  give  way,  and  waved  my  hands  three 
times  for  them  to  come  on.  M}^  idea  was,  if  they  could  come  down  to  my 
office,  there  we  would  make  a  stand,  if  they  attempted  to  go  to  pillaging. 
I  turned  to  go  down  towards  my  office.  Lieutenant  Brown  was  still  with 
me.  When  opposite  the  store  of  Mr.  Hunt,  in  whose  employ  he  was,  about 
twent3'-five  or  thirty  feet  from  the  corner,  he  turned  and  went  into  the 
store.  Just  after  he  had  left  me,  the  crowd  then  commenced  to  surge  dowD 
and  fill  up  the  street.  I  was  struck  with  an  instrument,  whether  it  was  a 
hammer  or  some  heavy  instrument  I  don't  know — here,  just  back  of  the 
ear,  and  I   have  no  memory  from  that  moment  of  receiving  the  stroke — 


708  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

but  I  came  down  here  as  was  testified  to,  at  the  trial,  and  went  into  the 
bank — the  Merchants'  and  Mechanics',  nearly  opposite,  at  the  distance 
from  where  I  was  struck,  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet.  I 
have  no  memory  from  that  time  till  I  found  myself  back  again  up  the 
street,  probably  fifty  feet,  and  just  stepping  off  the  sidewalk,  and  as  I 
stepped  off  the  sidewalk  into  the  roadway,  I  partly  fell  upon  my  hands, 
and  as  I  was  raising  up,  I  heard  a  shot  or  two,  and  a  man  cried  out,  "  Xow 
go  for  them,  damn  them,  they  are  firing  blank  cartridges  ;  now  take  their 
guns  away  from  them  ;  now  kill  them,"  and  upon  looking  round,  I  saw 
two  men  standing  together.  I  gave  the  word  of  command  to  fire,  and 
almost  immediately  upon  the  word,  a  discharge  was  made,  and  upon  the 
word  fire,  one  man  fell  right  in  his  tracks,  right  where  he  stood. 
Q.  One  of  the  rioters  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  It  was  your  posse  that  fired  ? 

A.  The  posse  fired.  You  will  hear  of  the  action  of  the  posse  from  the 
gentlemen  who  were  with  the  posse.  I  cannot  give  that.  And  then  while 
standing — the  two  men  seemed  to  be  standing  together — as  the  one  fell, 
the  other,  who  was  standing  with  him,  thew  a  stick,  or  stone,  or  some- 
thing from  his  hand  and  started  running,  and  ran  probably  ten  or  fifteen 
steps.  He  was  covered  very  thoroughly  by  two  guns,  but  the  parties  who 
were  covering  him  with  their  guns  could  not  apparently  hit  him  without 
hitting  somebody  else.  As  soon  as  he  uncovered  himself  the  guns  were 
immediately  discharged,  and  he  fell  dead.  Almost  in  a  breath  after  this, 
the  whole  crowd  turned  in  all  directions,  and  inside  of  five  minutes  our 
avenues  were  almost  clear  of  people.  I  came  down — I  do  not  know 
whether  I  mentioned  that  before  I  left — while  Father  Dunn  and  me  were 
together,  that  one  of  those  men  in  front  of  me  previous  to  coming  under 
the  bridge  came  in  front  of  me,  and  with  a  blow  from  a  front  as  he  passed 
by  me,  gave  me  a  blow  which  broke  my  jaw  and  fractured  the  whole  roof 
of  my  mouth. 

Q.  The  upper  jaw? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  1  have  no  use,  even  now,  of  my  front  teeth.  The  jaw  is 
not  together  at  all.  I  am  unable  to  use  them  at  all  for  anything,  only  soft 
food.  I  called  upon  the  citizens  to  rally,  or  at  least  took  a  gentleman's 
arm  and  he  made  the  announcement  for  me,  I  was  unable  to  say  much,  my 
mouth  being  so  full  of  blood — calling  upon  them  to  come  to  the  rendezvous 
at  the  company's  store,  as  my  head-quarters  ;  the  posse  and  myself  then 
went  there.  I  immediately  telegraphed  the  Governor  stating  the  case,  and 
issued  a  proclamation  calling  upon  the  citizens  to  rally  and  take  all  pre- 
cautionary measures  possible  for  the  suppression  of  any  further  outbreak. 
In  the  course  of  half  an  hour,  the  whole  of  the  arms  we  had  were  placed 
in  the  hands  of  good  responsible  persons;  our  posse  was  drawn  across  the 
head  of  the  street,  and  orders  were  sent — T  sent  my  police  out  with  orders 
that  all  persons  should  disperse — all  crowds,  and  so  on.  In  the  course  of 
probably  half  an  hour  from  that,  the  report  came  that  they  were  firing  in 
the  residence  of  the  Messrs.  Scranton,  which  was  immediately  above  our 
head-quarters  there.  I  went  with  the  posse  there,  and  placed  some  men 
on  picket,  and  so  on,  taking  precautionary  measures.  By  two  o'clock  the 
crowds  began  to  gather  through  the  streets  again.  1  sent  my  police  offi- 
cers out  again  to  try  to  disperse  the  crowds.  In  the  meantime,  the  dead 
bodies  had  been  taken  from  off  the  streets,  and  taken  home.  Our  acting 
chief  came  back  and  reported  to  me  that  he  was  unable  to  disperse  the 
crowds.  I  immediately  had  Captain  Repple  to  detail  twenty-five  men, 
and  in  company  with  him   marched  down  the  street,  and  as   I  met   the 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  709 

crowds  I  merely  said  this:  Gentlemen  you  must  disperse,  and  go  imme- 
diately home.  I  gave  no  other  orders,  and  the  result  was  that  by  the  time 
I  struck  the  corner  here  below,  the  crowd  in  this  part  had  all  dispersed, 
or  dispersed  immediately  upon  my  giving  orders.  I  sent  the  police  on 
further,  as  I  was  quite  weak  at  this  time,  bleeding  very  thoroughly  from 
all  of  my  wounds.  I  was  unable  to  walk  further,  and  went  back  again  to 
head-quarters,  and  nry  policemen  went  on  below,  and  were  unable  to  dis- 
perse the  crowd.  The  posse  were  kept  on  duty.  I  remained  at  head- 
quarters until  next  morning  at  half-past  five  o'clock,  when  General  Brin- 
tonand  his  command  arrived  here.  I  then  went  home  and  had  my  wounds 
dressed.     That  is  the  history  of  the  matter  as  I  have  it. 

Q.  These  twenty-five  men  that  you  sent  down  in  the  afternoon  at  two 
o'clock — who  were  they  ? 

A.  They  were  the  gentlemen  I  had  sworn  in  as  special  police. 

Q.  Citizens  of  the  city  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  could  give  you  the  names  of  them  if  I  thought  it  was  neces- 
sary, sir.  Colonel  Hitchcock,  and  Mr.  Brown,  and  others  of  our  best  citi- 
zens. 

Q.  What  did  you  learn  about  the  assembling  of  this  crowd,  if  an3'thing, 
as  to  where  they  got  together  ? 

A.  What  I  subsequently  learned  ? 

Q.  What  have  you  learned  since  ? 

A.  The  meeting  was  called  at  the  silk-works — what  we  call  the  silk- 
works — it  is  in  the  Twentieth  ward,  near  the  outskirts  of  our  city — the 
portion  adjoining  Taylorville — in  a  southerly  direction.  The  resolutions 
which  I  got  from  the  arrest  of  the  gentleman  who  was  president  at  the 
meeting — the  chairman  of  the  meeting — he  was  arrested  and  brought  be- 
fore me — and  Mr.  Thomas,  who  will  be  subpoenaed  before  you,  can  give 
you  the  exact  wording  of  that  resolution  and  can  give  you  more  intelli- 
gently the  proceedings  of  that  meeting  than  any  other  gentlemen  that  will 
be  called  upon.     If  you  please,  bear  that  in  mind. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  meeting  at  the  silk-works  held  ? 

A.  I  learned  they  commenced  coming  from  Dunmore  and  the  outer  vicin- 
ity as  early  as  three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Q.  Of  what  day  ? 

A.  Of  the  1st  day  of  August. 

Q.  Had  been  called  by  previous  announcement  ? 

A.  They  called  all  their  meetings  in  their  own  manner  of  calling — by 
runners.  I  might  say  right  here,  at  this  point,  they  had  a  complete  code 
of  signals  on  the  night  of  the  1st  of  August.  While  we  placed  our  senti- 
nels on  the  top  of  the  buildings  we  occupied,  we  could  discern  lights  from 
one  side  of  the  valley  to  the  other — from  point  to  point — a  line  of  different 
colors  and  different  shades.  They  had  a  thorough  code  of  signals  so  all 
the  way  through.  You  are  aware,  undoubtedly,  that  so  far  as  the  engin- 
eers or  the  firemen — the  strikers — were  concerned,  they  used  their  own 
alphabet  in  telegraping  over  the  wires.     They  used  their  alphabet. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  assembly  prior  to  their  reaching  the  silk-works  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  this  was  the  meeting. 

Q.  What  time  did  they  leave  the  silk- works  and  come  to  the  city  ? 

A.  That  the  other  gentlemen,  (Mr.  Manes,)  can  give  you  about  the  hour 
when  they  struck  his  works.  I  judge,  I  left  my  office  somewhere  about 
eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  Were  there  any  railroad  men  among  this  crowd  that  assembled  on  the 
1st  day  of  August  ? 


710  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  There  were  some  railroad  men  that  I  saw  at  the  shops  around  when 
I  struck  the  crowd  ? 

Q.  What  class  of  men  did  they  seem  to  be  principally  ? 

A.  Well,  they  were  mechanics  and  minors  and  laborers. 

Q.  Were  there  any  men  from  the  shops  within  the  city? 

A.  Yes ;  there  were  mechanics  and  laboring  men  from  the  shops.  Among 
the  men  who  were  more  upon  the  outskirts,  were  quite  a  number  of  the 
men  who  were  employes  of  the  shops — men  whom  I  recognized — quite  a 
number  of  them.  As  soon  as  I  made  the  remark  that  they  had  better  dis- 
perse, they  commenced,  upon  the  outer  portion  of  the  crowd,  quite  a  num- 
ber, to  go  through  from  under  the  archway,  apparently  going  up  the  street. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  difficulty  in  getting  extra  police  to  serve  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  paid  specials  I  wanted  to  put  on  for  the  protection  of  the 
company's  property,  whom  I  placed  for  the  purpose  of  relieving  the  city 
from  any  legal  liability,  after  having  received  these  notices,  of  which  I 
have  given  you  a  copy.  It  was  with  difficulty  I  could  find  men  who 
would  accept  the  position.  Quite  a  number  who  came  and  were  sworn  in 
on  the  morning  before  stopped  at  noon,  and  served  half  a  day;  but  in  re- 
gard to  those  that  were  specials — were  paid — those  were  probably  gather- 
ed through  and  by  Colonel  Hitchcock — a  large  number  of  those — quite  n. 
large  number  came  to  me ;  that  is,  volunteered  first,  and  enrolled  them- 
selves. 

Q.  Offered  themselves  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  were  sworn  in  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  any  difficulty  in  getting  men  to  serve  in  that  way  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  not  in  the  least.  Had  all  that  I  deemed  was  necessary,  and 
more,  too. 

Q.  Had  no  difficulty  in  that  respect  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  In  getting  the  paid  police  that  you  spoke  of  first,  what  was  the  reason — 
what  objections  did  they  have  in  serving  that  way  ? 

A.  That  was  on  account  of  the  resolutions  that  had  been  passed  in  some 
of  the  meetings  of  workingmen,  in  which  this  vote  of  censure  against  me 
for  placing  these  special  policemen  on  had  been  passed.  These  resolutions 
had  been  passed  without  the  men  having  any  knowledge — report  had  it 
that  I  was  putting  five  hundred  or  a  thousand  special  policemen  on  the 
city,  and  putting  them  on  pay.  I  didn't  deem  it  to  be  my  duty,  nor  the 
interest  of  the  city,  to  let  everybody  know  what  I  was  doing,  and  this  re- 
port got  it,  and  this  series  of  resolutions  was  afterwards  passed  by  the 
council — first  started  under  a  misapprehension. 

Q.  Then  I  understand  you  to  say,  that  it  was  not  on  account  of  any  un- 
willingness of  the  citizens  of  Scranton  to  serve  and  aid  in  keeping  the  peace 
and  good  order  of  the  city  ? 

A.  There  are  the  facts,  just  as  they  are.  It  was  with  difficulty  that  I 
could  get  them. 

Q.  What  powers  are  given  you  as  mayor  by  the  city  charter  or  organi- 
zation ? 

A.  We  are  acting  under  the  law  of  1874,  the  Wallace  act,  where  the 
mayor  has  the  same  power  as  the  sheriff  to  call  a  posse  comitatus,  and  so 
on.  I  might  state  right  here,  in  regard  to  the  passage  of  that  very  act, 
that  I  was  before  the  committee,  Mr.  Merryfield  and  myself,  asking  that 
very  power  of  the  sheriff  to  be  given  to  a  city.     Or  town,  as  an  instance, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  711 

where  we  were  so  far  from  the  county  seat,  in  the  case  of  outbreak,  under 
the  old  charter  the  mayor  would  be  helpless. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  regular  call  upon  the  citizens  to  serve  as  a  posse  ? 

A.  I  made  this  call,  in  which  I  called  those  enrolled — my  posse.  When 
I  went  up  the  street,  I  might  state  right  here,  that  Mr.  Thomas,  a  gentle- 
man who  will  be  here,  who  was  one  of  the  committee  from  the  working- 
men,  came  and  guaranteed  me  any  aid  I  might  need. 

Q.  How  many  did  that  posse  number  ? 

A.  One  hundred  and  twenty,  sir,  enrolled. 

Q.  Were  ready  to  come  at  the  signal  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  speak  of  legal  liabilit}*.  Is  there  any  law  by  which  your  city  is 
made  liable  for  damages  done  within  your  limits  ? 

A.  Nothing  more,  I  suppose,  than  any  neglect  upon  the  part  of  the  offi- 
cers of  the  city  to  protect  property.     It  is  nothing  further,  sir. 

Q.  Any  act  of  Assembly  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  am  not  a  lawyer,  but  I  presume,  if  the  officers  of  the  city 
should  fail  to  render  abundant  protection  to  property,  when  notified  of  its 
danger,  that  then  the  city  would  be  held  responsible,  in  case  the  propert}^ 
was  destroyed. 

Q.  In  the  interview  that  you  had  with  the  executive  committee  of  the 
railroad  employes,  did  you  learn  what  their  grievances  were,  and  their 
reasons  for  striking  ? 

A.  On  account  of  wages — desired  more  wages. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Were  they  the  first  that  struck  ? 

A.  Yes,  sn\ 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  reduction  of  wages  on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
and  Western,  or  any  of  the  roads  leading  to  your  town  ? 

A.  Well,  sir,  I  cannot  tell  you  that,  sir.  The  superintendent  will  be 
here. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  grievance  did  the  railroad  men  complain  of  when  they  did 
strike  ? 

A.  Only  in  regard  to  reduction  of  wages. 

Q.  Had  no  other  complaint  ? 

A.  I  understand  that  the  miners  themselves  and  the  laborers  in  the  mine 
didn't  strike.  They  were  forced  out  of  the  mines  on  account  of  no  work 
the  very  moment  that  the  railroad  ceased  operating.  That  morning,  or  the 
next  day,  at  least,  mining  had  to  cease,  because  there  was  no  place  to  put 
the  coal  that  they  mined  ;  but,  upon  their  coming  out,  they  then  assembled 
together,  and  asked  for  an  advance  of  wages. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  reduction  of  wages  among  the  miners  prior  to 
that  strike  ? 

A.  The  wages  had  been  under  a  reduction  for  some  length  of  time. 

Q.  For  several  years  past  ? 

A.  Yes,* sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  when  the  last  reduction  was  made  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  don't  know  the  date. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  interview  with  the  miners  ? 

A.  This  committee  of  eighteen  represented  miners,  engineers,  and  labor- 
ers— represented  all  connected  with  the  mines  and  all  of  its  parts. 

Q.  What  did  they  complain  of? 

A.  The  engineers  of  the  pumps  had  some  complaint  to  Mr.  Brisbin  in 
regard  to  not  fulfilling  the  agreement  made  at  the  long  strike. 


712  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  The  lone;  strike  was  in  what  year? 

A.  In  1872^1  think. 

Q.  I  would  like  to  know  whether  they  were  railroad  engineers  or  en- 
gineers at  the  pumps  ? 

A.  Pumps  and  collieries. 

Q.  Any  railroad  men  in  this  delegation  ? 

A.  Not  in  this  delegation  of  eighteen. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  I  understood  you  to  say  they  were  miners,  engineers,  and  brakemen  ? 

A.  No,  sir :  the  committee  on  Monday  was  firemen  and  brakemen,  not 
engineers.     The  engineers  were  not  in  the  strike. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  The  committee  of  eighteen  was  composed  of  who  ? 

A.  Composed  of  miners,  laborers,  engineers,  and  pumpmen  at  the  mines. 
By  Mr.  Yutzy : 

Q.  Not  railroaders  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Did  they  state  in  what  respect  the  agreement  had  not  been  carried 
out  by  the  companies  after  1872  ? 

A.  They  did,  sir  ;  in  the  interview  with  Brisbin  they  did  very  clearly. 
It  was  in  regard  to  the  pro  rata  reduction.  I  didn't  take  interest  enough 
in  it  to  explain  it  to  you  thoroughly,  sir.  It  was  a  matter  between  them 
more. .  While  it  was  at  my  office,  and  the  parties  were  got  together  at  my 
suo-o-estions,  I  was  there  during  the  whole  time,  but  the  matter  was  more 
immediately  for  them  to  discuss,  as  I  didn't  consider  it  my  place  to  take 
any  part  in  the  discussion,  and  did  not. 

Q.  What  did  you  ascertain  subsequent  to  the  conflict  of  the  1st  of 
August  ?  What  did  you  find  out  about  the  cause  that  induced  that  assem- 
blage at  the  silk-works  ? 

A.  They  were  called  together,  as  I  understood,  to  hear  the  report  of 
this  committee  of  eighteen. 

Q.  In  the  interview  with  you,  did  the  committee  of  eighteen  state  what 
their  purposes  or  objects  were  for  the  future? 

A.  On  this  Sunday  interview? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  Nothing  more  than  they  believed  that  the  companies  had  been  cut- 
tins:  down  their  wages  too  much,  that  they  had  been  extravagant  in  the 
management  of  corporations,  that  it  had  come  a  time  for  retrenchment,  and 
the  retrenchment  was  all  coming  over  on  them  as  laborers,  that  they  be- 
lieved they  could,  by  a  proper  way  of  disposing  of  their  coal  and  so  on — 
they  had  some  grievances  in  regard  to  that — that  better  wages  could  be 
paid. 

Q.  Did  they  intimite  about  what  they  intended  to  do? 

A.  Nothing  more  than  they  wouldn't  work  until  there  should  be  an  ad- 


vance in  wages 


Q.  Did  they  give  any  intimation  of  any  intention  to  make  an  attack  upon 
the  city  and  disturb  the  peace  in  any  way  ? 

A.  Directly  the  opposite,  sir;  gave  me  every  assurance  to  aid  and  sup- 
port. This  question  in  regard  to  the  large  number  of  strangers  that  were 
here,  was  brought  up  and  discussed,  and  they  felt  an  anxiety  in  regard  to 
that  very  point,  that  an  overt  act  might  bring  them  into  disgrace. 

Q.  The  miners? 

A.  This  committee  of  eighteen. 


Leg.  Doc.J  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  713 

Q.  What  was  the  object  of  this  delegation  calling  on  the  mayor  and 
making  this  statement  ?     Did  they  make  any  demand  of  3rou  ? 

A.  I  sent  for  them  when  the  companies  asked  of  me.  This  is  a  notice 
I  didn't  read,  and  this  will  more  clearly  show  why  I  sent  for  the  delega- 
tion : 

Scranton,  July  27. 
R.  H.  McKune  : 

The  men  employed  by  this  company  to  fire  and  operate  the  engines  at 
our  mines  for  pumping  the  water  therefrom,  have  by  threats  and  intimida- 
tion been  driven  from  their  works,  and  notice  given,  that  any  person  or 
persons  who  should  attempt  to  perform  such  service  would  do  so  at  the 
peril  of  the  lives.  This  action  involves  the  flooding  of  the  mines,  which 
would  cause  immeasurable  loss  and  damage  to  the  company.  I  therefor 
call  upon  you  for  such  protection  as  employes  are  entitled  to  under  the 
laws  of  this  Commonwealth. 

Signed  by 

William  R.  Stoors, 
General  Goal  Agent. 

It  was  after  receiving  this  from  Mr.  Stoors  that  I  sent  for  this  commit- 
tee. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  know  that  that  committee  was  in  existence  at  that  time  ? 

A.  By  the  papers,  sir.  The  meeting  was  a  public  meeting,  and  the  names 
of  this  committee  were  published  in  the  papers,  sir.  Nothing  seci'et  about 
it  so  far  as  to  the  gentlemen  who  were  going  upon  the  committee.  This 
committee  had  also  called  upon  Mr.  Stoors,  making  a  request  for  more 
wages,  which  my  scrap  book  that  I  have,  if  I  had  it  here,  would  give  you 
still  fuller  than  that. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  did  you  advise  them  in  the  interview,  Mr.  McKune  ? 

A.  I  advised  them — they  disclaimed  of  having  any  knowledge  of  these 
parties  who  were  sending  letters  or  attempting  to  intimidate  these  men  who 
were  at  work  at  the  pumps.  They  disclaimed  any  knowledge  of  that,  and 
at  this  interview  stated  clearly  and  distinctly  that  it  was  against  their  wish 
and  desire,  and  as  I  said  about  the  proclamation  which  I  issued  in  regard 
to  this  ver}r  matter — the  proclamation  was  framed  by  us  there,  jointly. 
The  language,  if  you  will  read  it,  you  would  see  that  it  is  very  careful — 
that  it  is  very  guarded — there  is  no  implication  of  anybody  being  in  the 
wrong — there  is  a  difference  of  opinion.  The  whole  thing  was  carefully 
gone  over.  Our  interview  lasted  from  one  until  between  four  and  five  o'clock. 
The  whole  of  our  interview  was  extremely  pleasant,  and  they  seemed 
just  about  as  anxious  as  I  was  for  the  protection  of  property,  and  in  the 
first  draft  of  the  proclamation  that  I  made,  there  might  have  been  an  in- 
ference drawn  that  they  were  at  fault,  and  we  worked  until  the  proclamation 
which  was  issued  met  their  views. 

Q.  I  understood  you  to  say  that  you  put  persons  at  the  pumps  before 
that  interview  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  putting  them  at  the  pumps.  I 
notified  Mr.  Stoors,  the  general  agent,  in  regard  to  the  interview  that  I 
had.     This  was  on  Sunday,  sir,  and  on  Monday  the  men  went  to  work. 

Q.  To  work  at  the  pumps  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  there  was  more  or  less  intimidation  in  different  parts,  even  after 
this.  I  might  state  that,  sir,  and  Mr.  Stoors  probably  will  be  able  to  give 
you  a  better  account  of  the  reports  that  he  received. 


714  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  I  understand  the  pumps  were  working  at  the  time  of  the  assemblage 
of  this  crowd,  on  the  1st  of  August? 

A.  Yes;  the  pumps  were  working  more  or  less. 

Q.  And  trains  had  been  started  ? 

A.  Yes.  The  pumps  were  not  being  worked  by  the  regular  engineers 
or  regular  pumpmen. 

Q.  By  whom  were  they  worked  ? 

A.  Mostly  by  men — foremen  and  other  men  that  understood  how  to 
work  the  pumps,  but  were  not  the  regular  men — were  not  the  men  who  had 
previously  operated  these  pumps,  in  no  single  instance. 

Q.  By  whom  were  they  sent  there  ? 

A.  By  the  company. 

Q.  The  trains  were  run  on  that  day  also  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  the  freight  trains  run  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes,  sir. 

Q.  All  trains  ? 

A.  Oh,  there  was  no  coal  going  out,  because  there  was  no  coal  mined. 
What  freight  there  was  was  through  freight,  and  passenger  trains  were 
running  on  schedule  time. 

Q.  In  the  crowd  of  men  that  were  assembled  there  when  you  went  down 
to  the  Lackawanna  office — Delaware  and  Lackawanna  was  it  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  men  that  you  knew — railroad  men  or  mechanics — 
about  the  city — the  men  you  were  accustomed  to  see  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes  ;  saw  quite  a  number  standing  about.  A  large  number  even 
upon  the  railway,  and  a  large  number  of  our  business  men  and  prominent 
citizens  drawn  there  to  look  upon  the  crowd. 

Q.  Were  any  of  those  engaged  in  riotous  conduct  that  3'ou  knew  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Railroad  men  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Miners  ? 

A.  No,  sir.     The  first  of  the  parties  who  had  swept  through  the  shops 
and  who  came  out  from  under  the  shops,  there  was  not  a  man  of  them  that 
I  recognized  as  a  man  I  had  ever  seen  before. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  These  men  that  you  knew  were  simply  standing  about  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  they  the  men  that  undertook  to  protect  you  ? 

A.  Some  of  them  probably  did,  sir. 

Q.  Did  any  of  your  mechanics  in  the  city  engage  in  the  riots  when  it 
was  once  precipitated  ? 

A.  Well,  sir,  they  were  among  the  crowd  that  passed  me  as  I  was  coming 
up  Lackawanna  avenue.     There  were  quite  a  number  of  those  that  I  had 
passed  in  going  down,  and  while  the  cry  was  being  made,  "  Now  for  Lack- 
awanna avenue ;  now  for  the  companj^'s  store." 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  They  joined  with  the  rioters  after  you  returned  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  I  wish  you  would  state  whether  the  action  of  the  council  in  refusing 
to  pay  extra  police  was  justifiable.  Whether  at  that  time  the  condition  of 
affairs  here  was  in  a  condition  to  warrant  them  in  taking  that  action  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  it  was  not,  because  I  had,  as  I  said,  but  eight  special  po- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  715 

licemen,  whom  I  had  sent  out  to  the  different  parts  and  to  the  different 
properties  upon  which  I  received  notification,  1  placed  these  special  men. 
You,  gentlemen,  can  judge  whether  a  city  of  thirty-five  thousand  inhabi- 
tants, the  larger  portion,  or  a  larger  percentage  of  that  of  the  laboring  ele- 
ment— whether  a  force  of  twenty  men  is  any  too  great  a  force  as  a  police 
and  protective  force.  I  leave  that  for  you,  gentlemen,  to  judge. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  called  your  council  together 
with  a  view  of  then  taking  some  action  on  this  subject  ? 

A.  On  Wednesday  I  consulted  with  a  number  of  the  council  in  regard 
to  whether  we  had  not  better  call  a  meeting,  and  what  was  best  to  be  done 
in  the  matter;  but  this  meeting  where  these  resolutions  were  passed,  I 
think,  was  a  regular  meeting.     I  am  not  clear  in  regard  to  that. 

Q.  They  declined  to  meet.     Is  that  what  I  understand  you  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  reasons  did  they  give  ? 

A.  They  thought  it  was  not  necessary — the  one  or  two  I  talked  to. 

Q.  Did  they  say  why  they  thought  it  was  not  necessary  ? 

A.  No.     Everything  was  quiet  and  peaceful. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Then,  at  this  regular  meeting,  what  action  did  they  take  in  regard  to 
disturbances  ? 

A.  There  had  been  none  at  that  time. 

Q.  But  afterwards  you  said  there  was  a  regular  meeting  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  This  crowd  that  swept  through  the  shops  was  headed  by  a  man  who 
was  a  stranger  ? 

A.  They  all  were  strangers. 

Q.  Was  that  the  same  crowd  that  was  fired  on  in  the  street  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  that  some  of  them  were  the  same. 

Q.  Were  those  men  that  were  killed  strangers  ? 

A.  Two  of  them  were  not  residents  of  the  city.  I  believe  one  of  them 
was. 

Q.  Were  any  of  your  posse  killed  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  but  two  of  them  were  wounded,  sir,  with  pistol  shots. 

Q.  With  pistol  shots  ? 

A.  With  pistol  shots  and  with  clubs.  Two  were  wounded  with  pistol 
shots,  and  one  with  clubs. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  ascertain  where  those  two  strangers  that  were  killed 
came  from  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  think  one  of  the  killed  was  from  the  Sixth  ward,  and  two 
from  the  adjoining  township — Lackawanna  township. 

Q.  Were  they  railroaders  ? 

A.  Men  emploj'ed  in  the  mines — around  the  mines. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  any  more  of  the  rioters  wounded  ? 

A.  There  was  one  man — a  young  man — was  wounded.  A  one  legged 
Welsh  boy  that  had  formerly  worked  for  the  Lackawanna  Coal  Company, 
and  he  recovered. 

Q.  Did  you,  in  your  first  correspondence  with  the  Governor,  did  you 
think  that  you  were  able  to  control  matters  here  in  the  city,  and  did  you 
so  indicate  to  him,  without  the  aid  of  the  militia  of  the  State  't 

A.  The  following  is  a  copy ;  I  am  not  clear  whether  the  date  is  right : 
"  Governor  Hartranft,  in  consulting  with  my  advisory  committee,  they  do 


716  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

do  not  deem  troops  necessary,  and  advise  against  home  troops,"  and 
further,  on  the  28th  I  telegraphed  to  the  Governor  again,  as  follows  :  "All 
quiet.  I  expect  to  get  the  pumps  in  the  mines  going  to-morrow."  I  tele- 
graphed to  the  Governor,  "The  employes  of  the  railroad  company  have 
just  informed  me  that  their  difficulties  have  been  adjusted,  or  have  been 
settled,"  and  again,  on  the  29th,  I  telegraphed  to  the  Governor,  "Pumps 
will  start  to-morrow.  Send  no  troops  until  you  hear  further  from  me 
Am  in  hopes  of  a  peaceful  settlement." 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  That  was  at  the  time  of  this  agreement. 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  date  was  that  dispatch  ? 

A.  The  29th,  sir. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  date  did  you  call  upon  the  Governor  to  send  you  troops  ? 

A.  The  1st  day  of  August,  sir. 

Q.  After  the  conflict  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  As  part  of  our  duties  is  to  find  out  about  the  conduct  of  the  militia, 
I  wish  the  mayor  would  just  state  what  was  the  conduct  of  the  militia 
during  their  presence  here  ? 

A.  I  can  say,  in  regard  to  the  militia — I  don't  know  much  about  them, 
for  I  have  veiy  little  knowledge  of  General  Brinton's  command  that  was 
here,  for  I  was  quite  severely  unwell,  and  was  not  out  much,  any  further 
than  going  down  in  my  carriage,  and  calling  on  Genei'al  Lyle.  In  refer- 
ence to  those  that  remained,  you  are  aware  some  of  them  remained  here 
for  three  months,  the  Nineteenth,  under  Hartley  Howard,  and  the  First 
Pennsylvania.  Their  conduct  was  most  excellent,  so  much  so  as  to  receive 
the  encomiums,  upon  all  sides,  of  every  person. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  You  say  that  you  were  at  Ocean  Grove  at  the  time  you  heard  of  the 
Pittsburgh  riots  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  had  you  been  there  ? 

A.  I  had  been  down  a  week  previous. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  rumors  of  any  difficulty  here,  prior  to  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Pittsburgh  riots  ? 

A.  I  telegraphed,  on  Saturday,  to  Mr.  Halstead,  superintendent,  like 
this:  "Do  you  apprehend  any  difficulty;  if  so  I  will  return  home."  He 
telegraphed  me,  on  Saturday  :  "  I  apprehend  none ;  if  I  do  so  I  will  wire 
you."     I  have  not  got  a  copy  of  that  telegram  here. 

Q.  Did  you,  from  any  source,  receive  any  intimation  that  there  was  lia- 
bility to  be  any  strike  here,  prior  to  the  outbreak  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  in  the  least. 

Q.  In  your  judgment,  was  this  trouble  here  precipitated  by  the  news  of 
the  rioting  at  other  places  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  think  it  grew  out  of  that  ?  That  the  news  of  what  was  going 
on  at  other  places,  stirred  up  the  workingmen,  and  incited  them  to  do  as 
they  did  ? 

A.  Yes;  permit  me  to  say  that  I  do  not  believe  the  miners  would  ever 
have  come  out  of  the  mines,  had  the  railroad  men  not  suspended,  and  if 
the  coal  had  been  taken  away  from  them  as  they  mined  it,  the  men  would 
not,  in  my  opinion,  have  come  out  of  the  mines. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  717 

Q.  You  think,  then,  it  was  a  sort  of  a  fellow-feeling  that  animated  the 
workingmen  here  ? 

A.  You  might  call  it  an  epidemic. 

Q.  Will  you  state  whether  there  were  any  symptoms  of  any  difficulty 
or  uneasiness  among  the  men  here  prior  to  the  news  having  been  received 
of  trouble  ? 

A.  There  was  none.  Everything  was  the  most  perfect  quiet  when  I  left 
home. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  The  fact  that  the  railroad  was  not  carrying  away  the  coal,  was  not 
that  the  cause  of  the  miners  coming  out  of  the  mines  ? 

A.  That  is  what  I  sa}r,  sir.     I  wish  that  to  be  on  record. 

Q.  Did  you  ascertain  who  these  men  were  that  were  interfering  with 
the  pumps  at  the  mines  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  do  not  know  as  I  did. 

Q.  Were  they  miners  on  a  strike  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  there  were  no  arrests  made  of  those.  There  were  arrests 
made,  afterwards,  for  an  attempt  of  l'iot  somewhere  along  about  the  20th 
August,  I  should  think,  sir,  by  one  of  the  companies  of  Colonel  Howard's 
command — I  think  some  five  or  six — my  record  book  would  tell  the  date, 
and  soon — who  were  tried,  and  afterwards  convicted  at  our  county  court. 

Q.  Men  engaged  in  interfering  with  the  pumps  I 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  it  was  that,  or  an  attempt.  I  think  that  was 
an  attempt  at  riot  about  that  date. 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  rioters  arrested  that  were  engaged  in  this  riot  here, 
on  the  streets,  afterwards  ? 

A.  I  think  there  has  been  some,  sir. 

Q.  Were  any  of  your  posse  arrested  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  thirty-eight  were. 

Q.  Arrested  on  information  of  some  of  the  rioters  ? 

A.  The  finding  of  the  coroner's  jury,  sir.     A  coroner's  inquest  was  held. 

Q.  Were  they  tried  ? 

A.  They  were. 

Q.  By  whom — the  court  ? 

A.  The  court,  Judge  Harding  presiding. 

Q.  On  what  charge  ? 

A.  Upon  a  charge  of  murder — manslaughter. 

Q.  Were  they  acquitted  ? 

A.  They  were. 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  rioters  tried,  that  were  arrested  ? 

A.  I  think  there  has  been,  sir.  There  are  other  gentlemen  here,  who 
had  charge  of  that  matter,  that  will  be  able  to  testify  better  in  regard  to 
that  than  myself. 

Q.  At  the  office  where  you  found  the  young  lady,  state  whether  any  as- 
sault was  made  upon  that  by  the  crowd  or  mob  ? 

A.  None,  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  Was  there  any  made  after  that  time,  or  where  did  the  crowd  go,  and 
what  became  of  the  inmates  of  the  office  ? 

A.  The  attention  of  the  crowd  was  drawn  away  from  that  part  over 
towards  me,  and  the  party  who  came  out  from  the  shops. 

Q.  Had  you  been  informed  they  were  in  danger  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  that  is  the  reason  you  went  down  there? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  after  you  got  there,  and  found  the  young  lad}'  in  a  fainting  con- 


718  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

clition,  you  did  not  consider    it  advisable  to  take  them  away  from  there, 
and  didn't  do  so  ? 

A.  I  did't  consider  it  advisable  to  take  them  away,  and  made  no  effort 
so  to  do. 

Q.  You  did  not  consider  it  advisable  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  they  afterwards  escape  from  the  office,  and  reach  their  homes  ? 

A.  Without  any,  difficulty. 

Q.  Why  didn't  you  consider  it  advisable  to  take  them  away,  if  they 
were  in  danger  ? 

A.  I  did  not  consider  they  were  in  danger. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  I  suppose  you  considered  them  more  safe,  than  taking  them  away  in 
the  street  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Joshua  Thomas,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  State  where  you  reside,  if  you  please  ? 

A .  I  am  residing  at  Hyde  Park. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  am  a  blacksmith. 

Q.  Were  you  here  in  July  last,  when  the  difficulty  occurred  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  On  what  day  was  it  that  the  disturbance  took  place  in  the  streets 
here  ? 

A.  On  the  1st  of  August. 

Q.  Will  you  please  state  whether  you  had  any  previous  'knowledge  of 
the  intention  or  existence  of  any  disturbance,  prior  to  that  date? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  had  none. 

Q.  And  what  was  the  first  thing  that  you  noticed  or  discovered  ? 

A.  At  the  silk-factory  meeting  ? 

Q.  Yes.     State  whether  you  were  at  the  silk  factory  meeting  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  For  what  purpose  was  that  meeting  called  ? 

A.  As  near  as  I  could  learn  on  the  streets,  the  men  anticipated  hearing 
the  reports  of  the  standing  committee  of  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal 
Company,  and  they  all  went  down  there  expecting  to  hear  the  committee 
report  as  to  the  result  of  the  intercourse  with  the  company. 

Q.  That  was  the  committee  that  had  been 

A.  There  was  a  meeting  held  out  in  the  Round  woods,  and  a  committee 
appointed  there  to  confer  with  the  company  with  regard  to  their  wages, 
and  some  time  after  this  meeting  was  called,  by  whom  I  do  not  know,  buD 
the  people  generally  thought  that  this  committee  was  going  to  make  a  re- 
port there  of  the  result  of  their  conference  with  the  company,  and  when  we 
arrived  there  at  the  meeting,  this  committee  was  not  present,  and  after  be- 
ing there  possibly  half  or  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  the  chairman  of  the 
committee  of  the  coal  and  iron  company's  men,  called  the  meeting  to  order, 
and  he  stated  that  it  was  now  time  to  appoint  a  chairman.  There  was  quite  a 
number  of  the  men  present  in  the  meantime,  but  none  of  them  would  serve, 
finally  he  was  told  to  serve  himself  in  that  capacit}-,  and  he  did. 

Q.   What  name  did  you  say  it  was  ? 

A.  It  was  Rudolph  Kreshner,  and  some  one  asked  him  from  the  crowd — 
there  was,  possibly,  from  five  thousand  to  seven  thousand  people  there — 
asked  him  what  the  object  of  the  meeting  was,  and  he  told  them  if  they 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  719 

would  keep  quiet  for  a  few  minutes  they  would  learn.  He  didn't  know. 
He  said  they  would  find  out,  and  he  talked  to  some  of  the  men — I  could 
not  hear  what  he  said,  and  then  he  rose,  and  he  said  he  believed  the  meet- 
ing was  to  take  some  action  with  regard  to  those  men  that  were  working 
in  the  shops  at  that  time,  and  there  was  then  a  party  got  up  and  offered  a 
motion  that  a  committee  of  I  can't  tell  you  how  many — his  motion  was, 
that  a  committee,  however,  be  appointed  to  ask  these  men  to  leave  the 
work  alone  for  the  present,  until  the  difficulty  was  settled.  And  after  some 
little  discussion,  there  was  a  motion  made  to  amend  that  by  making  the 
committee  twenty-five.  Then  that  was  objected  to,  on  the  ground  that  the 
companies  would  discharge  all  that  would  be  appointed  as  a  committee  to 
go  and  ask  these  men  to  leave  their  work,  and  one  man,  I  don't  know  his 
name  now,  he  spoke  there  in  favor  of  a  committee  of  twenty-five,  and  others 
again  spoke  and  objected  to  it,  on  the  ground  that  they  would  be  dis- 
charged— they  had  been  before,  and  have  been  since,  because  they  waited 
on  these  men.  While  this  motion  was  under  discussion,  there  was  a  mo- 
tion made,  that  the  whole  body  adjourn,  and  pass  up  around  by  the  shops 
and  ask  the  men  to  quit  their  work  for  the  present,  until  the  difficulty  was 
settled  with  the  company.  Just  at  this  time  there  was  a  man  offered  a  letter 
to  Kreshner,  and  wanted  him  to  read  it.  He  took  up  the  letter  and  looked 
at  it,  and  passed  it  back  to  the  party  and  shook  his  head.  Then  this  man 
got  up  on  a  little  stand  himself  and  read  the  letter  to  the  body.  Previous 
to  that  there  had  not  been  any  unkind  words,  or  anything  boisterous — 
nothing  out  of  the  way  at  all,  no  abusive  language,  or  anything — but  as 
soon  as  the  letter  was  read  it  was  like  a  spark  in  a  powder  keg. 

Q.  Now,  where  did  that  letter  come  from  ? 

A.  I  don't  know. 

Q.  By  whom  was  it  signed  ? 

A.  It  was  signed  by  "  Working  Man." 

Q.  How  many? 

A.  One  working  man. 

Q.  Just  signed  "  Working  Man  ?  " 

A.  Just  signed  "Working  Man." 

Q.  Can  you  give  the  contents  of  the  letter,  or  the  substance  of  it  ? 

A.  Only  partialty.  It  was  on  note  paper.  He  went  on  to  state — the  writer 
did — to  speak  of  the  grievances  of  the  men,  how  they  had  suffered  short 
wages  and  short  time,  and  the  additional  reductions,  &c,  and  he  said  that 
the  men  could  not  live.  He  said,  that  W.  W.  Scranton  had  said,  that  he 
would  have  the  men  work  for  fifty  cents  a  day — I  don't  remember  how 
soon,  but  for  fifty  cents  a  day — or  he  would  bury  himself  in  a  culm  pile. 
He  went  on  to  state  he  was  sorry  he  could  not  be  present  to-day  as  he  had 
business  elsewhere,  but  he  hoped  the  men  would  do  their  duty,  and  signed 
himself"  Working  Man." 

Q.  After  that  letter  was  read  what  was  done  ? 

A.  After  that  letter  was  read,  there  was  four,  five  or  six  of  us — I  don't 
just  remember  how  many — we  held  a  little  caucus  near  the  stack — near 
one  end  of  the  silk  factory,  and  we  divided  ;  I  was  to  go  one  side,  and  an- 
other man  was  to  go  another  side,  and  try  to  speak  to  allay  the  excite- 
ment, but  the  crowd  was  so  dense  we  could  not  get  up  there.  While  we 
were  trying  to  get  in,  there  was  a  motion  made  at  that  time  again  that  the 
body  adjourn  to  the  shops,  and  ask  the  men  to  leave  the  shops.  Even 
then  there  was  no  threats  of  violence  at  all,  but  of  course  there  was  some 
epithets  used  against  W.  W.  Scranton,  but  no  threats  against  him  at  all, 
nor  no  threats  against  any  person,  or  property,  or  anything. 


720  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  shops  ? 

A.  These  shops  were  the  men  were  working — railroad  shops,  furnaces, 
and  steel-works.  I  didn't  hear  anything  said,  or  any  motion  made,  and 
the  motion  was  not  made  to  turn  them  out,  but  to  ask  the  men  to  leave 
the  shops. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  I  want  to  know  what  you  mean  by  shops  ? 

A.  Railroad  shops,  steel-works,  furnaces,  mills,  &c. 

Q.  All  the  manufactories  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  all  down  on  that  side.  [Indicating.]  Then  there  was  some 
discussion  after  this  by  the  men  backward  and  forward,  and  we  went  back 
again  to  the  silk-works,  and  we  were  talking,  and  we  saw  the  crowd  dis- 
persing. I  saw  no  motion  carried,  I  simply  heard  them  offered  and  sec- 
onded, and  put  to  the  meeting,  and  then  they  were  discussed.  I  heard  the 
ayes  and  noes  while  I  was  back,  but  supposed  they  were  voting  on  the 
motion  ;  the  decision  of  the  chairman  I  could  not  tell  what  it  was.  Then 
the  men  began  to  disperse,  and  we  stood  talking  there.  We  had  no  idea  that 
any  damage  was  being  done.  And  while  we  were  standing  at  the  silk  fac- 
tory, just  on  the  railroad  we  came  over  from  the  iron  and  coal  company's 
factory — we  could  see  the  men  running  towards  Ward  street,  in  that  di- 
rection from  here. 

Q.  You  remained  down  there  when  they  started  from  the  shops  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  when  we  saw  these  men  going  that  way,  we  came  up  the 
L.  and  S.  railroad,  and  I  was  just  at  the  arch  near  the  L.  and  S.  shop  when 
the  firing  occurred.  I  just  heard  it,  and  that  was  all,  and  then  I  walked 
right  up  to  the  corner  here. 

Q.  When  you  got  to  the  corner,  what  did  you  do  ? 

A.  I  saw  the  men  lying  there  dead  in  the  street. 

Q.  Had  the  crowd  dispersed  ? 

A.  Well  yes,  in  the  main.  There  was  a  great  many  standing  around 
down  the  street,  and  up  and  down  the  avenue,  walking  and  talking. 

Q.  Who  notified  you  of  the  meeting  at  the  silk-works? 

A.  Indeed,  I  could  not  tell  you  that.    I  had  it  from  quite  a  large  number. 

Q.  Laboring  men  ? 

A.  Yes — oh  yes.  A  gentleman  that  told  me,  said  that  he  understood 
the  D.  L.  and  W.  committee  was  going  to  make  a  report. 

Q*  Was  it  kept  secret  ? 

A.  Oh,  no,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  know  that  before  the  assemblage  ? 

A.  I  knew  that  was  to  be  three  or  four  days  before  that — two  or  three 
days. 

Q.  Why  was  it  called  at  the  silk-works — to  meet  at  the  silk-works  ? 

A.  Because  there  was  no  room  elsewhere,  unless  they  would  have  it  up 
in  the  Round  woods,  back  of  Hyde  Park,  and  that  was  about  just  as  far 
over  there. 

Q.   What  do  you  mean  by  the  Round  woods  ? 

A.  It  is  a  piece  of  woods  that  lies  west  of  Hyde  Park,  commonly  known 
as  the  Round  woods. 

Q.  Grove  ? 

A.  A  grove. 

Q.  How  many  were  assembled  there  at  the  silk-works? 

A.  Well,  1  should  judge  there  was  between  five  and  seven  thousand? 

Q.  Assembled  in  a  hall  ? 

A.  Oh,  no,  sir ;  out  of  doors. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  721 

Q.  What  class  of  men  were  they  ? 

A.  Workinguien. 

Q.  Railroad  men  any  of  them  ? 

A.  I  do  not  remember  particularly.  I  did  not  know  a  railroad  man 
there.  Doubtless  there  may  have  been  some ;  but  I  don't  remember  of  see- 
ing any.  Miners,  laborers,  carpenters,  blacksmiths,  machinists,  teamsters, 
and  so  forth.     All  classes  of  men — working  people. 

Q.  And  they  were  there  hearing  the  report  of  the  committee  appointed 
by  the  miners  ? 

A.  Of  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western  Company. 

Q.  To  consult  with  the  officers  of  the  company? 

A.  Yes — beg  pardon,  sir — they  wei*e  there ;  believe  that  that  was  the 
object  of  the  meeting. 

Q.  Why  were  the  blacksmiths  and  carpenters  and  other  mechanics  gen- 
erally notified  to  meet  there  ? 

A.  They  were  not  notified ;  but  merely  heard  it  talked  on  the  streets, 
and  I  went  there  for  one.  I  was  very  anxious  to  learn  whether  the  miners 
were  going  to  work,  for,  if  they  went  to  work,  we  stood  a  chance  of  get- 
ting work  in  the  shops. 

Q.  Did  your  work  in  the  blacksmith  shops  depend  upon  the  work  going 
on  in  the  collieries? 

A.  Not  altogether  in  the  collieries  ;  no,  sir. 

Q.  Carpenters'  work  would  not  depend  on  that  at  all  ? 

A.  Curiosity,  as  much  as  anything.  A  great  many  of  them  went  there 
out  of  curiosity. 

Q.  Were  the  men  asked  there  from  the  shops — the  crowd  to  stop  the 
work — that  is,  you  said  the  crowd  went  up  to  the  steel-works,  and  the  fac- 
tory and  machine  shops  here.    Were  any  of  that  class  of  men  at  the  meeting  ? 

A.  I  only  presume  they  were.  I  could  not  say  that  any  one  individual 
was  there,  but  I  presume  there  were,  and  had  good  reason  to  think  so. 
They  were  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western  railroad  men  were  there. 
That  is,  miners,  not  railroad  men,  but  miners.  The  coal  and  iron  com- 
pany's men  were  there — some  of  them — and  some  were  there  from  Munica, 
a  village  below  here,  and  some  from  Taylorville,  and  some  from  Old  Forge, 
and  they  were  anxious  to  know  what  the  report  would  be  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  and  Western  committee,  and  they  came  here,  anticipating  to 
hear  that  report,  because  the  success  or  the  failure  of  the  strike,  in  the  ■ 
main,  was  dependent  upon  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western  men, 
and  if  the  report  of  this  committee  would  be  of  such  a  nature  as  would  ad- 
vise the  men  to  work,  then  the  strike  would  end  immediately,  while  if  they 
held  out,  I  suppose  the  rest  would. 

Q.  Did  you  get  any  report  of  the  committee  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Nothing  of  the  kind  ? 

A.  Nothing  of  the  kind. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  what  action  had  been  taken  by  the  committee  and  the 
officers  of  that  committee  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  not  at  that  time.  I  do  not  know  whether  they  had  taken 
any  action  at  all — whether  they  were  prepared  to  make  a  report. 

Q.  Was  any  motion  made  to  adjourn? 

A.  Down  at  that  meeting  ? 

Q.  Yes  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  That  was  voted  down  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  it  was  carried,  at  least  I  presume  it  Was  carried,  for  this 
4G  Riots. 


722  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

reason.  I  heard  the  motion  made  to  adjourn  where  I  was  in  the  crowd. 
I  could  not  get  any  further  up  towards  the  stand,  but  I  came  up,  and  then 
I  heard  a  vote  taken,  and  I  could  hear  the  "ayes,"  and  they  predominated, 
and  I  presumed  it  was  on  that  question,  for  immediately  afterwards  the 
crowd  dispersed. 

Q.  The  crowd  dispersed  in  the  direction  of  the  machine  shops  ? 

A.  Up  this  way.  Some  went  up  across  the  river,  waded  the  river,  and 
went  to  Hyde  Park,  and  some  walked  the  road,  and  some  came  up  this  way 
and  some  up  the  other  road. 

Q.  How  many  came  towards  the  steel-works  on  the  flat  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  you  how  many. 

Q.  Can  you  judge  ? 

A.  There  was  probably — may  be — fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand 
walking  np  the  street  and  walking  over  that  way.  They  didn't  all  go  to  the 
shops  that  came  up. 

Q.  Did  you  know  that  they  started  to  the  shops  when  they  started  to 
persuade  the  men  to  quit  work  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  there  was  a  motion  made  to  adjourn  to  the  shops  to  request 
the  men  to  stop  work  for  the  present,  until  the  difficulty  was  settled  be- 
tween them  and  the  company  ;  that  was  the  motion. 

Q.  Was  that  motion  carried  ? 

A.  I  presume  it  was,  but  when  it  was  carried  we  were  out  of  the  crowd. 

Q.  And  they  all  went  to  the  shops,  a  large  number  ? 

A.  A  large  number  went  up  this  way,  and  towards  the  shops. 

Q.  Was  there  any  organization — any  secret  organization  here  known  as 
the  Trainmen's  Union,  to  your  knowledge,  of  the  railroad  employes. 

A.  I  do  not  know.    I  presume  there  was. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  such  an  organization  called  the  Trainmen's  Union? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  as  the  Trainmen's  Union. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  organization  among  the  railroad  employe's  ? 

A.  I  have  understood  that  there  is  what  is  known  as  an  Engineers' 
Brotherhood. 

Q.  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers? 

A.  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers ;  but  we  had  nothing  to  do 
with  this  meeting. 

Q.  This  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers,  was  that  the  only  or- 
ganization that  you  knew  of  among  the  railroad  men  ? 

A.  Oh,  I  had  heard  and  understood,  and  it  was  generally  understood, 
that  there  was  what  was  called  a  Firemen's  Brotherhood. 

Q.  And  brakemen? 

A.  And  Brakesmen's  Brotherhood.     Nearly  all  trades  have  some  sort  of 
union — Machinists',  Blacksmiths'  Union,  Coopers'  Union,  and  so  forth. 
By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  Beside  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers,  then,  there  was  an 
organization  of  brakemen  and  firemen? 

A.  AH,  sir,  independent  of  each  other.  ' 

By  Mr.  Engelbert: 

Q.  Do  you  know  that  of  your  own  knowledge,  or  only  by  hearsay  ? 

A.  Hearsay. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

AV;is  there  any  public  call  for  this  meeting  in  the  papers  or  otherwise  ? 

<J.  No,  sir;  I  didn't  see  any  call ;  didn't  hear  of  any  published  call. 

Q.  How  did  the  idea  that  there  would  be  a  meeting  there  get  abroad? 

A.  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  one  that  advised  the  meeting? 

A.  I  do  not. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  723 

By  Senator  Rej'burn : 

Q.  Is  it  the  custom  of  workingmen  to  congregate  in  meetings  and 
crowds,  that  way,  and  hear  the  report,  for  instance,  if  there  is  a  committee 
been  known  as  having  waited  on  the  officials  of  a  railroad  or  coal  com- 
panies ? 

A.  Yes  sir ;  if  there  was  a  committee  pending  between  the  men  and  the 
company,  possibly  the  committee  could  not  afford  to  issue  a  call  through 
the  papers,  and  nine,  ten,  or  fifteen  of  the  committee  would  go  around  and 
tell  some  one,  and  they  would  tell  others  that  the  meeting  would  be  held 
at  such  a  place. 

Q.  Do  you  suppose  that  was  the  way  this  meeting  was  called? 

A.  No,  sir ;   I  have  no  idea  how  it  was  called.     I  have  no  idea  how  it 
was  called,  not  the  slightest. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Except  you  heard  it  talked  among  several  of  the  laboring  men,  that 
there  was  to  be  such  a  meeting  ? 

A.  Yes ;  or  rather  asked  me  if  I  was  going  to  be  at  the  meeting. 
By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  When  the  motion  to  adjourn  was  carried,  and  the  meeting  broke  up, 
did  the  men  that  went  off  to  the  flats,  and  come  towards  the  city,  go  in  a 
body,  or  with  an  organization,  or  was  it  merely  that  portion  that  lived  in 
this  end  of  town,  coming  home  ? 

A.  I  should  judge,  that  out  of  curiosity,  some  was  along  with  them  from 
different  places,  but  there  was  no  organization.  They  didn't  come  in  an 
organized  body.  They  took  in  the  ground  between  two  roads,  between  the 
street  and  the  railroad,  on  tbe  street  and  on  the  railroad,  and  on  the  ground 
between,  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  road.  They  were  scattered  along 
there.  I  should  judge  that  it  is  nearly  or  quite  three  quarters  of  a  mile 
from  the  silk-factory  up  to  the  shops  and  the  head  of  the  body — some  of 
them  went  on  ;  lived  at  the  steel-works,  fifty  yards  or  one  hundred  yards 
this  side  of  the  steel-works.  And  we  looked  towards  the  hill,  and  we  could 
see  the  men  on  the  side  of  tbe  hill;  and  we  could  see  them,  some  of  them 
going  towards  Ward  street.  There  was  nothing  in  the  form  of  a  govern- 
ment at  all. 

Q.  You  considered  the  meeting  broken  up  at  the  time  that  motion  to  ad- 
journ was  carried  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  This  man  who  read  this  letter,  did  he  make  any  remarks  in  regard  to 
it  after  he  had  read  it  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  that  he  did. 

Q.  Don't  think  he  made  any  comments  or  advised  the  crowd  what  to  do? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  he  made  no  comments  whatever. 

Q.  Did  any  one,  after  the  reading  of  the  letter,  make  any  comments  upon 
it,  or  advise  the  crowd  what  to  do  ? 

A.  Not  upon  the  letter. 
By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  he  call  upon  any  of  the  crowd  to  follow  him? 

A.  No,  sir ;  there  was  no  one  that  I  heard  call  upon  the  crowd  to  follow 
him.  No  one.  When  the  motion  was  made  to  adjourn,  that  side  of  the 
crowd  or  of  the  meeting  that  was  this  way,  the  northern  side  of  it — the 
north-east  of  it,  came  first,  some  of  them,  and  some  stayed  back. 

Q.  Did  the  greater  part  of  the  crowd  come  down  through  the  shops  ? 

A.  Well,  I  don't  know  about  that.  I  would  not  like  to  say,  because  I 
took  no  particular  notice. 


y 


724  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Did  the  crowd  appear  to  have  a  head  or  a  leader  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Every  fellow  for  himself,  was  it  ? 

A.  So  it  seemed  to  be  ;  yes,  sir.     There  was  no  leader  at  all. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  They  all  seemed  to  have  an  idea  of  coming  the  same  way  ? 

A.  Not  all. 

Q.  That  is,  they  got  headed  this  way? 

A.  Well,  there  was  a  great  many  that  come  up  this  way ;  lived  that — 
live  over  this  way.     They  live  back  on  this  side — a  great  many  that  came 
up — and  they  came  down  the  avenue. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  From  the  commencement  to  the  end,  in  your  opinion,  you  suppose 
there  was  no  regular  organization  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  there  was  no  regular  organization. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  You  are  pretty  well  acquainted  with  the  laboring  men  in  this  vicinity, 
are  you  not  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  those  six  or  seven  thousand  that  assembled  there  composed  of 
laboring  men  of  this  section — Scranton  and  surroundings — here  princi- 
pally ? 

A.  Oh,  yes,  sir ;  principally. 

Q.  Were  there  any  strangers,  tramps  or  strangers — outside  men  entire- 
ly— outside  of  this  region  ? 

A.  I  could  not  answer  that,  because  I  do  not  know  as  there  was. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  ? 
V    A.  No,  sir ;  I  took  no  notice  of  any. 

Q.  The  faces  of  this  crowd  was  familiar  to  you,  were  the}-,  as  men  that 
you  had  seen  in  the  vicinity  ? 

A.  Yes;  a  large  majority  of  them  were. 

Q.  You  didn't  see  the  conflict  that  occurred  on  the  street? 

A .  No,  sir. 

At  this  point,  the  committee  adjourned  till  to-morrow  morning,  at  nine 
o'clock. 


Scranton,  March  30,  1878. 

The  committee  met  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  Mr.  Lindsey  in  the  chair.  All  members  present  except  Mr. 
Dewees.  - 

W.  W.  Mannis,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside,  Mr.  Mannis  ? 

A.  Scranton. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Superintendent  Lackawanna  Iron  and  Coal  Companj',  building  and 
lumber  department. 

Q.  I  wish  you  would  just  state  the  facts  that  came  under  your  observa- 
tion in  reference  to  the  troubles — the  strike  of  July  last? 

A.  On  the  date  of  the  riot,  the  1st  of  August,  in  the  morning,  about 
eight  o'clock,  I  heard  there  was  a  meeting  called  at  the  silk-works. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1»TT.  725 

Q.  Go  on,  Mr.  Mannis  ? 

A.  I  heard  that  there  was  a  meeting  called  down  at  the  silk-works,  and 
they  were  going  to  clean  ns  all  out.  I  made  my  way  around  among  my 
men,  and  went  down  to  the  foundiy,  supposing  that  would  be  about  the 
first  place  they  would  strike.  I  stayed  there.  There  had  a  man  gone  from 
our  shops  to  attend  the  meeting.  I  asked  of  the  different  foremen  what 
was  best  to  do,  and  we  decided  that  we  would  continue  on.  We  would 
not  close  up  our  shops — that  we  would  see  what  their  intentions  were. 
Ma}r  be  it  was  false.  Pretty  soon  this  man  came  back,  and  said,  "  You 
had  better  shut  up.  They  are  coming  in  a  body  to  clean  you  out.  You 
had  better  get  out  of  the  way."  We  had  another  consultation,  and  decided 
we  would  stand  our  ground  and  protect  our  property.  Pretty  soon  we  saw 
them  coming  up  Washington  avenue,  across  the  track.  There  they  halted 
for  a  few  minutes.  Then  they  filed  off,  a  part  of  them  towards  our  shops, 
and  the  other  part  came  on  directly  up  the  street.  I  should  judge  there 
were  from  fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  that  turned  towards  our  shop  ; 
and  as  they  came  to  the  shops  they  scattered  into  all  the  shops  ;  some 
of  the  men  run  out.  Some  started  to  run  out,  and  they  struck  and 
chased  them.  They  went  into  our  boiler  shop,  where  we  have  a  shaft 
driven  by  water  wheel  and  a  large  belt.  Five  or  six  caught  hold  of  that  to 
stop  it.  Says  I, "  Boys,  don't  destroy  property  now.  You  are  only  injuring 
yourselves.  Don't  come  around  here  and  destroy  property."  They  paid 
no  attention  to  me.  I  got  the  attention  of  one  that  seemed  a  leader,  and  says 
I,  "  If  }Tou  have  any  control  over  these  men,  for  God's  sake  take  them  back. 
You  are  only  injuring  yourselves."  "  Damn  you,"  said  he, "  we  have  got  the 
power."  Says  I,  "  If  you  were  worth  anything  I  would  knock  your  brains 
out."  They  says,  "  Where's  Bill  Scranton,  that  is  going  to  make  us  work 
for  three  shillings  a  day."  Says  I,  "  Listen  to  me.  Go  back  and  attend 
to  your  work."  No ;  they  had  the  power  and  they  were  going  to  use  it. 
"  You  have  got  plenty,"  they  said,  u  and  we  aint.  We  are  going  to  have  / 
our  rights."  They  went  into  our  shop  and  ordered  the  man  to  draw  the 
fire.  He  started  to  do  it,  and  then  some  one  struck  him  with  a  chunk  of 
iron,  and  he  got  up  and  went  through  the  shop,  they  pelting  him  as  he 
went.  His  shirt  was  torn  off  him,  and  his  back  was  bloody.  Another  one 
started  to  run  behind  the  foundry,  and  they  were  after  him,  and  throwing 
stones  and  chunks  of  iron  and  cinder  and  anything  they  could  get.  They 
got  the  shops  all  cleaned  out,  and  they  started  for  the  blast  furnace.  I 
heard  one  man  sing  out.  Says  he,  "  I  know  the  way  ;  follow  me."  With 
that  I  started  on  ahead  of  them.  Before  that,  while  they  were  standing  in 
front  of  the  machine  shop,  there  was  some  one  got  up  on  a  piece  of  casting. 
"  Now,"  says  he,  "  fetch  on  your  Bill  Scranton.  Where  is  he  ?  We'll  gut 
him.  We'll  have  his  heart's  blood."  Says  I,  "Don't  talk  so  loud.  You 
are  crazy.  You  do  not  know  what  you  are  talking  about."  He  turned  to 
me  with  some  abuse  ;  "  that  they  had  the  power  now,  and  they  were  going 
to  use  it — that  they  were  going  to  gut  Scranton."  Says  I,  "  You  had  better 
keep  off  Lackawanna  avenue  or  some  of  you  won't  get  home."  They  started 
to  the  furnace,  but  I  got  ahead  of  them,  and  went  on  ahead  to  notify  the 
men  to  take  off  the  blast  and  fix  the  furnace,  and  met  the  foreman  and  told 
him  they  were  coming.  He  ran  to  the  furnace  and  took  the  blast  off.  Tiie 
most  of  the  men  scattered,  I  don't  think  they  got  hold  of  any  of  them.  I 
passed  through  the  casting-house,  up  the  steps  to  the  engine-house.  There 
was  a  lot  of  them  behind  me  following  me  up.  They  came  in  contact  with 
our  boiler  tender,  an  old  man  sixty  or  seventy  years  old.  They  knocked  him 
down.  I  went  to  the  engine-house.  The  engineer  was  coming  out  of  the  en- 
gine  room — they  had  brought  him  out.     He  had  walked  across  the  street. 


7 36  Report  of  Committee.  [No   29, 

Says  I,  "Come  back,  the  boiler  will  blow  up  in  twenty  minutes  with  the  steam 
you  have  got,  if  you  stop  the  pumps."  The  leader  of  that  gang  came  up 
and  they  surrounded  me,  and  swore  if  they  would  put  that  man  back  in 
there  again  they  would  blow  my  brains  out.  Says  I,  "  Gentlemen,  you  had 
better  go  back  home ;  turn  right  around  and  go,  or  you  will  miss  it." 
Says  I,  u  Don't  come  around  here  and  destroy  property."  They  soon 
passed  off,  and  came  down  toward  the  shops.  I  had  nothing  at  all  with 
me  to  protect  myself.  I  had  a  pistol  at  home.  I  ran  up  home  and  got 
that  and  put  it  in  my  pocket,  and  went  back  to  the  engine-house  again. 
Found  the  engine-house  was  afire  in  two  places.  The  engineer  had  gone 
back  and  put  it  out,  and  drew  the  fire  from  the  boilers.  Then  I  started  up 
to  the  railroad,  toward  the  company's  store  again,  and  as  I  came  right  in 
front  of  the  company's  store  the  men  had  just  filed  out  of  the  store — this 
posse — and  came  down  the  street,  and  as  they  crossed  Washington  avenue, 
the  street  was  literally  filled  up  with  men,  but  they  seemed  to  open  and  let  this 
posse  through,  and  as  they  went  through  the  gap  closed  up  again.  Then 
I  heard  two  or  three  pistol  shots,  and  pretty  soon  I  heard  the  rifle  cracks — 
more  than  two  minutes,  maybe  less — heard  the  rifles  crack,  and  pretty  soon 
they  began  to  scatter.  In  a  very  few  minutes  I  saw  the  posse  come  back, 
and  the  streets  were  pretty  well  cleared.  I  started  down  this  way  to  where 
the  shooting  was  ;  and  I  got  part  of  the  way  down  and  I  met  them  coming, 
one  man  on  a  litter — that  was  near  Mr.  Phillips' — his  father  was  behind. 
I  met  them  walking  back  towards  the  company's  store. 

Q.  Was  this  one  of  the  posse  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  he  was  one  that  was  with  the  rioters.  He  is  a  Welshman, 
a  very  bad  character ;  had  but  one  leg.  He  was  with  them,  and  he  was 
shot  through  the  arm.  The  ball  passed  through  the  fleshy  part  of  the 
arm.  I  thought  he  was  dead,  but  he  recovered  again  and  is  now  at  work. 
Previous  to  the  1st  of  August,  they  had  driven  our  men  and  sent  our  men 
out  of  the  shops.  My  shops  are  on  the  other  side,  the  car  smith  shop  is 
on  the  other  side  of  the  engine-house — part  of  them  went  over  and  took 
them  out.  Before  the  day  of  the  strike  they  had  notified  them  several 
times  that  they  should  stop  work.  In  fact,  they  had  stopped  pretty  near 
all  my  men.  There  was  not  more  than  half  a  dozen  to  work  at  that  time. 
Ordered  them  to  stop  work. 

Q.  Had  you  had  any  difficulty  with  your  men  previous  to  the  1st  of 
August. 

A.  No,  sir;  I  had  not. 

Q.  Did  they  all  continue  to  work  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  Our  men  came  out — I  forget  the  date.  Our  puddlers  were 
the  first  men  to  strike  in  the  city. 

Q.  What  day  did  they  strike  ? 

A.  They  struck  at  noon.  I  think  it  was  Tuesday  night  the  engineers 
and  railroads  all  stopped.  That  was  on  Tuesday  night.  I  do  not  remem- 
ber the  date,  but  the  engineers  and  firemen  stopped.  Our  puddlers  all 
came  out  that  day  at  noon. 

Q.  What  day  do  you  think  that  was? 

A.  That  was  the  day  that  the  engineers  stopped  at  night — at  noon. 

Q.  On  the  railroads  ? 

A.  Yes.     Our  railroad  stopped  here  at  night. 

Q.  Was  it  the  Tuesday  after  the  fire  at  Pittsburg — the  burning  at  Pitts- 
burgh ? 

A.  Reall}',  I  could  not  say,  sir.  It  seems  to  me  it  was  before  that,  but 
I  won't  be  positive  of  that.     I  forget  what  day  our  railroad  stopped. 

Q.  Tuesday,  after  the  trouble  at  Pittsburgh,  your  railroad  stopped  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  727 

A.  Then  it  was  that  Tuesday  noon  our  puddlers  stopped.  The  puddlers 
stopped  at  noon  as  the  men  came  out  at  night. 

Q.  How  many  of  them  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  there  were  near  a  hundred. 

Q.  What  did  they  complain  of? 

A.  They  made  no  complaints.  It  was  like  a  perfect  panic  among  them. 
They  said  the  first  thing  they  knew,  the  whistle  blew  at  the  mill,  and  "  now 
come  on,"  and  they  all  came  down  to  the  steel  mills,  took  the  men  with 
them  there,  and  went  down  to  the  machine  shops  and  foundries  and  stopped 
the  men  there.  They  did  not  succeed  in  stopping  the  foundry.  They 
stopped  the  men  at  the  machine  shops.  They  had  not  asked  for  anything 
prior  to  that  time.  Had  not  asked  for  any  advance.  Mr.  Scranton  went 
down  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  it,  and  asked  them  what  they  wanted,  or  had 
some  talk  with  them.     Maybe  he  could  tell  more  about  it  than  I  could. 

Q.  Had  they  complained  of  low  wages  prior  to  that  time? 

A.  It  has  been  a  complaint  all  through  about  low  wages.  I  had  not 
heard  anything  from  our  men.  I  suppose  I  have  probably  one  hundred 
or  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  under  my  employ. 

Q.  You  had  heard  nothing  from  them  ? 

A.  They  had  made  no  complaints  to  me. 

Q.  In  any  way  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  What  were  you  paying  these  men  ? 

A.  The  puddlers  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  you.  They  work  by  the  ton,  do  not  know  what  it 
was.     It  is  not  in  my  department. 

Q.  Was  this  W.  W.  Scranton  employed  in  the  works  in  which  you  were 
superintendent  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  he  is  general  manager. 

Q.  Were  any  of  those  puddlers  in  the  crowd  that  came  up  from  the  silk- 
works  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know,  sir.  There  was  not  a  single  face  I  knew.  All  the 
crowd  that  I  saw,  that  I  came  in  contact  with,  were  strangers  to  me,  and 
looked  to  me  more  like  miners  than  laborers. 

Q.  What  proportion  of  the  number  of  men  that  you  had  employed,  was 
at  work  on  that  day — the  1st  day  of  August? 

A.  I  should  suppose,  probably  not  more  than — you  mean  in  my  depart- 
ment— probably  one  fourth. 

Q.  Take  it  in  the  whole  shops — what  proportion  were  at  work  ? 

A.  Probably  one  fourth.  The  others  had  been  intimidated  by  threats 
and  some  had  been  assaulted  before  that,  because  they  had  continued  to 
work.     They  had  been  notified  that  they  should  not  work. 

Q.  Had  3-ou  heard  of  any  discontent  among  the  men,  or  had  there  been 
any  discontent  or  any  strike  contemplated,  so  far  as  you  learned,  prior  to 
the  news  of  the  strike  at  Pittsburgh  reaching  here  ? 

A.  There  had  not  anything  positive.  1  knew  there  was  a  very  bad  feel- 
ing among  the  men,  I  knew  the  men  felt  sore  and  uneasy,  didn't  seem  con- 
tented or  happy.     I  had  not  heard  an}^  threats  of  any  strike. 

Q.  What  about  ? 

A.  About  low  wages.  The  companies  had  been  oppressive,  and  they 
ought  to  have  more,  and  there  seemed  to  be  a  general  dissatisfaction  and 
bad  feeling. 

Q.  Had  the  wages  been  reduced  any  last  year,  during  the  summer  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 


728  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  When  were  they  reduced  ? 

A.  I  think  our  reduction  took  effect  the  1st  of  July — a  general  reduction 
among  the  mechanics,  I  think. 

Q.  How  much  did  you  reduce  the  wages  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  ten  per  cent. 

Q.  Was  that  reduction  general  among  the  companies  in  Scranton  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was,  I  would  not  be  positive  about  that,  I  think  it  was.. 

0.  Did  it  extend  to  the  miners — had  there  been  any  reduction  in  miners' 
wages  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  think  not.  I  think  there  had  not  been  any  since  the  15th 
of  last  March. 

Q.  Simply  applied  to  mechanics  ? 

A.  There  had  been  a  reduction  in  March  of  miners'  wages — I  think  it 
it  was  March  there  was  a  general  reduction. 

Q.  How  much  of  a  reduction  was  made  then  ? 

A .  I  could  not  tell.  That  was  something  I  had  not  anything  to  do  with 
attfll. 

Q.  Can  you  tell  what  the  class  of  men  were  getting  in  the  shops  you  had 
charge  of? 

A.  How  much  they  were  getting? 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  About? 

A.  From  $1  50  to  $2  25 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  class  of  men  were  getting  $1  50  ? 

A.  Ordinary  carpenters  and  car-makers? 

Q.  What  class  getting  $2  50  ? 

A.  Our  best  blacksmiths  and  some  of  our  best  carpenters. 

Q.  Some  of  the  best  carpenters  getting  $2  50  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  would  the  wages  average.     Take  it  on  an  average  ? 

A.  Among  mechanics  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  I  think  it  would  average,  probably,  $1  75. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  This  man  that  was  wounded,  is  still  here  in  the  city  working. 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  he  actively  engaged  in  the  riot  ?  , 

A.  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  Never  was  arrested  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  his  father  is  a  very  good  mill  hand,  and  through  the  influence 

of  his  father,  and  the  sympathy  with  his  family 

By  Mr  Means : 

Q.  Had  he  been  in  your  employ  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Is  he  in  your  emplo}"  now  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  he  was  a  short  time  ago,  and  I  think  ho  is.     His  father  is 
a  boss  heater.     It  was  his  father's  influence — we  had  a  good  deal  of  sym- 
pathy for  the  family.     They  are  poor. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  an  estimate — an  approximate  estimate  of  the  amount 
of  loss  sustained,  by  reason  of  the  riot,  in  the  works  of  the  company. 

A.  I  could  not  swear.  The  principal  loss  was  the  furnace.  We  had 
two  furnaces  in  blast.  They  were  filled  up  full.  That  was  a  complete  loss. 
It  is  very  expensive  to  cut  them  out. 


Leg.  Doc.]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  729 

Q.  Chilled,  were  they  ? 
A.  Both  chilled. 

Q.  Who  can  give  us  the  probable  loss  ? 
A.  W.  W.  Scranton. 

Q."  You  said  you  were  notified  that  there  would  be  a  meeting  at  the  silk- 
works,  and  they  were  going  to  clean  your  shops  out.  How  did  you  get  your 
notice  ? 

A.  The  superintendent  of  the  blast  furnace  told  me. 
Q.  Do  you  know  where  he  got  his  information  ? 
A.  I  do  not.     I  presume  he  got  it  from  some  of  his  men  there. 
().  Got  it  from  some  of  the  hands  that  heard  it  talked  ? 
A.  Yes;  how  he  got  it  I  do  not  know.     We  were  doing  some  work  at 
the  old  mine,  and  I  came  through  the  blast  furnace ;  says  he,  "  There  is  a 
big  meeting  this  morning."     Says  I,  "  Where  is  it  ?     I  guess  we  had  better 
go  down."     Says  he,  "  They  have  a  rousing  meeting,  and  they  are  going 
to  clean  us  all  out  to-day,  and  you  had  better  be  on  the  lookout."     Says  I, 
"  I  will  keep  my  eye  open."     That  is  Carl  McKinney,  he  is  superintendent 
of  the  blast  furnace. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  whether  it  was  some  of  the  men  that  wanted  to 
notify  him  so  that  he  would  be  on  his  guard  or  not  who  gave  this  infor- 
mation ? 

A.  I  do  not.     I  rather  mistrust  so,  though,  thought  it  was  some  man  he 
had  put  for  that  purpose.     I  imagine  so,  he  seemed  to  know  pretty  well 
how  it  was  going  to  be  conducted. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  Is  he  still  here,  this  man,  superintendent  of  the  furnace  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 
Q.  What  is  his  name  ? 
A.  Carl  McKinney. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  How  long  was  it  before  your  men  resumed  their  work  after  the 
strike  ? 

A.  When  our  mechanics  went  to  work  after  the  strike  ? 
Q.  Yes? 

A.  There  was  not  any  general  resumption  of  work  until  after  the  miners 
commenced  working  again.  I  do  not  recollect  how  long  they  were  out, 
now. 

Q.  Was  it  a  month  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  was  more  than  a  month,  I  think. 

By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 
Q.  Some  time  in  September  or  October  ? 
A.  I  think  it  was  near  the  1st  of  October. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Before  your  works  started  up  again  ? 

A.  Yes ;  but  I  wouldn't  be  positive  about  that.  I  am  a  poor  hand  to 
remember  dates. 

Q.  Where  were  the  men  during  the  time  the  works  were  standing  ? 
A.  They  were  around  home  scattered.     They  were  some  of  them  that 
wanted  to  work,  who  would  go  out  in  the  countiy  and  get  work.     Some 
of  them  laid  around — loafed  around. 
Q.  Unemployed  ? 

A.  Unemployed  principally.  Our  men — I  could  have  worked  a  good 
many  more  men  if  they  would  have  worked,  but  they  were  afraid  ;  men 
were  actually  afraid,  my  men  told  me.  I  could  not  get  enough  hardly 
to  do  what  work  I  had  to  do.     Tried  to  prevail  on  them  to  work.     They 


130  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

said  they  would  like  to  work  but  were  afraid.  I  had  a  few  at  work,  and 
several  of  them  as  they  were  going  home  they  were  stoned.  They  said  if 
they  didn't  stop  work  they  would  burn  every  building  down. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  were  those  that  made  these  threats  ? 

A.  They  were  German  and  Irish. 

Q.  Were  any  of  them  arrested  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  that  any  of  them  were  arrested.  The  men  were  actu- 
ally afraid  to  work.  There  was  a  great  many  glad  to  work,  but  they  didn't 
dare.     I  know  it  was  the  case  with  my  men. 

Q.  Was  any  effort  made  by  the  civil  authorities  here  to  arrest  the  men 
that  were  threatening  others  and  intimidating  them  ? 

A.  All  that  I  could  hear  of  were  arrested — that  anyone  would  complain 
of.  These  men  that  they  had  made  the  threats  to  daresn't  report  them,  or 
it  would  not  have  been  safe  for  them.  They  would  have  lost  their  property 
and  their  lives,  undoubtedly.  I  had  one  man  working  that  lived  over  in 
the  Twelfth  ward.  He  daresn't  go  to  his  dinner.  He  would  have  his  din- 
ner brought  to  him  in  the  shop.  He  would  go  out  early  in  the  morning. 
Daresn't  carry  a  dinner  can.  I  never  saw  such  a  state  of  things  among 
the  men  in  my  life.  Never  saw  such  a  wild  set  of  men  as  the  men  were 
that  morning. 

Q.  Those  men  that  threatened  to  stone  those  that  wanted  to  work,  were 
they  men  that  had  formerly  been  in  your  employ  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  your  company  take  any  means — adopt  any  plan — to  bring  those 
men  to  justice  ? 

A.  They  did  all  they  could,  but  they  couldn't  get  the  evidence  without 
bringing  these  men  they  had  made  the  threats  to  to  prosecute.  The  ma3^or 
told  me  once  himself  that  any  man  that  he  could  find  out  that  had  made 
any  threats  of  that  kind,  that  could  be  proved,  to  bring  them  right  before 
him.  I  could  get  no  man  willing  to  go  and  swear  to  it. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  your  company  reemploy  any  of  those  men  that  made  threats  ? 

A.  Not  if  they  knew  it.  I  don't  think  they  did.  They  would  send 
squads  around,  half  dozen  in  a  squad,  and  wherever  they  found  a  company 
man  at  work,  they  would  want  to  know  who  they  were  at  work  for.  If 
the^y  were  at  work  for  the  company,  they  must  quit — if  the}r  work  individ- 
ually, they  could  go  on.  I  had  some  men  at  work  about  five  miles  out, 
and  there  were  a  party  of  men  went  out,  and  wanted  to  know  if  they  were 
working  for  the  company.  They  told  them  a  lie,  and  said  they  were  work- 
ing for  men  that  lived  out  there.  They  said,  "  If  you  are  working  for  the 
company  you  have  got  to  stop." 
By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 

Q.  I  would  like  to  ask  the  gentleman  whether  those  were  men  or  boys, 
or  what  aged  men  they  were  ? 

A.  I  think  it  run  from  fifteen  to  forty. 

Q.  They  were  men  most  of  them,  were  they  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Men  of  mature  years  ? 

A.  Yes;  they  were  men.  I  should  judge  the  majority  of  them  were  be- 
tween twenty  and  thirty,  by  their  looks. 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  men  eomposing  the  mayor's  posse  ?  Were  you 
acquainted  with  them  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  character  of  men  were  they  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  131 

A.  They  were  some  of  our  best  men — most  of  them.  They  were  of  good 
standing. 

Q.  And  character  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  I  would  say  nearly  all.  There  might  have  been  one  or 
two  that  wouldn't  bear  sifting ;  but  they  were  composed  of  our  best  men. 
They  were  headed  by  W.  W.  Scranton,  and  Chittenden  up  here,  and  that 
class  of  men.     They  were  all  young  men  of  good  standing. 

James  E.  Brown,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  State  where  you  reside. 

A.  Ninth  ward,  city  of  Scranton. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Hardware. 

Q.  Hardware  merchant  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  If  you  will  just  give  us  a  statement  of  the  facts  that  came  under  your 
observation  of  the  riots  here  ? 

A.  How  far  back  do  3rou  want  I  should  go  ?  I  was  one  of  the  officers  of 
the  posse  before  the  riot,  and  was  with  the  mayor  all  through  the  crowd 
down  there. 

Q.  Commence  with  the  origin  of  it  ? 

A.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  excitement  among  all  the  laboring  classes 
here,  and  a  great  many  threats  and  rumors  were  current  that  property 
was  going  to  be  destroj'ed.  After  they  had  been  current  several  days,  a 
large  number  of  young  men  here  in  the  city,  in  talking  over  matters,  made 
up  our  minds  that  something  ought  to  be  done  to  protect  property,  and  it 
resulted  in  a  meeting  being  called,  and  a  paper  circulated  and  lai'gely 
signed,  and  the  meeting  was  held  at  the  club  room  of  the  Forest  and  Stream 
Club,  to  organize  and  decide  what  course  we  would  take.  We  met  and 
decided  that  we  would  organize  in  a  sort  of  a  military  style,  with  the  ex- 
press intention  of  protecting  property  ;  but  not  interfering  in  any  way  be- 
tween the  laboring  men  and  their  employers.  We  had  nothing  to  do  with 
their  quarrels,  but  we  must  protect  our  own  property  and  the  property  of 
the  citizens. 

Q.  When  was  that  meeting  called  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  you  the  date.  I  could  get  it.  It  was  near  about  the 
time,  I  think — immediately  after  the  Pittsburgh  riots. 

Q.  Had  these  rumors  of  difficulty  and  of  attack  upon  property  and  de- 
struction of  property  existed  here  before  the  Pittshurgh  riots  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  just  the  dates.  I  didn't  pay  much  attention  to  it.  I 
thought,  like  a  good  many  others,  it  was  doubtful  that  there  would  be  any 
trouble.  We  organized  as  fully  as  we  could,  and  were  careful  who  we  al- 
lowed to  belong  to  the  party,  and  after  the  organization,  who  we  elected 
went  down  to  the  mayor.  Of  course,  we  proposed  to  act  through  him  and 
under  his  authority,  and  in  no  other  way.  He  welcomed  us  and  took 
proper  steps  to  give  us  a  legal  standing.  It  was  understood  that  we  were 
to  turn  out  only  at  the  call  of  one  of  the  officers,  and  a  proper  signal  was 
agreed  upon  to  be  given,  and  that  signal  was  only  to  be  given  by  one  of 
the  other  officers,  and  by  no  other  persons  ;  and  as  I  happened  to  live 
nearer  to  the  bell  than  any  one  else,  it  was  understood  that  I  was  the  only 
one  to  go  out  at  night.  A  person  was  on  duty  all  the  time  at  the  mayor's 
office  to  give  me  notice  if  that  signal  was  to  be  rung  if  there  had  been  any 
trouble.  Things  went  on  that  way — rumors  were  constantly  flying  about — 
until,  I  think  it  was,  the  first  Monday  in  August,  when  we  met  as  usual  at 


732  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

night.  There  was  reports  they  were  going  to  make  an  attack  that  night 
on  the  company's  store  I  think,  and  we  met,  when  I  had  a  long  talk  with 
the  mayor,  as  well  as  a  great  many  others  of  the  posse,  and  he  told  us  of 
this  meeting  to  be  held  at  the  silk  factory  on  Wednesday.  That  he  was 
perfectly  certain  there  was  going  to  be  no  more  trouble;  that  everything 
was  in  a  very  satisfactory  condition,  and  the  same  story  again  on  Tuesday. 
That  night  word  came  to  us  they  were  going  to  throw  a  train  off  the  track 
above  the  iron  company's  store,  and  they  wished  us  to  be  on  hand  and  see 
that  if  that  was  done  there  would  be  a  force  there  to  preserve  order.  We 
staj7ed  there  until  a  little  after  twelve,  and  in  view  of  what  the  mayor  told 
us  of  the  train  coming  in  all  right,  peaceable,  and  quiet,  we  made  up  our 
minds  we  had  fooled  with  this  thing  long  enough,  and  I  saw  Captain  Rip- 
ple in  the  morning,  and  we  agreed  it  was  time  to  stop  all  that  performance, 
and  we  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  it  unless  news  came  somewhat  dif- 
ferent from  what  we  had.  I  went  to  the  store  as  usual,  and  was  around 
there.  Knew  of  the  meeting  at  the  silk  factory.  Saw  a  crowd  coming 
down  there — from  the  upper  stories  I  could  see  the  crowd  coming  down 
there.  I  came  down  the  street,  and  was  talking  with  several  members  of 
the  posse.  The  streets  were  very  crowded.  A  great  many  strangers 
here — strange  faces.  Along  towards  eleven  o'clock — between  ten  and 
eleven — members  of  the  posse  commenced  to  come  to  me  and  say  they 
didn't  like  the  looks  of  the  meeting  down  here,  and  they  wanted  me  to 
act — to  do  something.  Captain  Riddle  was  at  his  works,  and  was  not  ex- 
pected to  be  here  all  day,  and  I  was  the  only  one  that  was  here  that  had 
an}'  authority  to  give  the  signal. 

Q.  You  were  one  of  the  three  officers  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  I  laughed  at  the  notion  of  there  being  any  trouble,  and 
was  so  confident  that  the  meeting  with  the  railroad  men  had  been  so  satis- 
factoiy,  that  I  thought  there  was  no  danger  whatever.  Along  just  about 
eleven  o'clock,  near  that,  a  man  came  to  me  and  was  very  excited,  and  told 
me  that  the  meeting  had  broken  up  and  were  coming  up  this  wa}r,  and  it 
was  time  to  act.  I  told  him,  well,  if  you  are  afraid,  go  into  the  company's 
store — tell  everybody  you  see  to  go  to  the  company's  store — I  shall  stay 
here  until  something  more  occurs.  I  went  back  to  the  store,  saw  that  the 
crowd  was  getting  more  excited,  and  I  commenced  telling  every  man  I  saw 
to  go  to  the  company's  store.  I  stayed  in  front  of  the  store  two  or  three 
minutes — the  store  is  on  the  corner  where  the  riot  took  place,  and  one  of 
the  Logan  boys  came  over  and  said  they  wanted  the  signal  given  from  the 
company's  store.  I  told  him  we  must  have  the  mayor's  order  first,  ami 
to  go  down  and  tell  the  mayor  I  was  there  at  the  store,  and  il  he  wanted 
the  signal  given  I  would  give  it  immediately.  He  went  down  and  reported 
to  the  mayor,  and  his  brother,  at  the  time,  standing  there  over  the  bell 
that  nobody  should  ring  it,  and  he  had  not  been  gone  long  before  the  mes- 
senger came  then  at  the  company's  store  who  had  been  sent  down  to  ring 
the  bell,  and  I  could  not  do  it.  I  sent  back  word  I  would  get  the  mayor's 
order  and  ring  it  immediately.  I  met  the  chief  of  police,  and  said  they 
had  sent  down  to  have  the  signal  rung,  and  they  were  driving  the  men  out 
of  the  blast  furnaces,  and  he  said,  don't  give  the  signal.  He  said,  send  every 
man  you  see  to  the  company's  store.  We  went  down  Washington  ave- 
nue, and  went  under  the  arch.  There  was  a  great  many  saw  him  going 
into  the  crowd  where  the  disturbance  was.  They  were  then  driving  the  men 
out  of  the  car  shops — cheering,  and  others  hissing.  He  made  a  remark 
something  like  this  :  "  Boys  you  better  go  home  ;  you  better  get  away  from 
here  ;"  and  went  on  through  the  crowd.  Some  spoke  and  looked,  and  some 
started  as  if  they  were  going  to  leave.     There  was  no  perceptible  ditlerence. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  733 

We  went  as  closely  as  we  could,  until  we  got  to  Mr.  McKinney's  office, 
lie  went  up  about  to  the  door.  Just  as  he  got  to  the  door  the  crowds  were 
coming  out  of  the  shops.  The  crowds  seemed  to  strike  there — the  lookers- 
on  and  the  rioters.  Some  that  came  out  of  the  shops  were  very  much  ex- 
cited, brandishing  their  sticks  around.  The  mayor  started  to  come  back. 
Just  as  he  turned  around  and  got  a  little  back,  I  saw  him  struck  over  the 
head  with  a  club.  He  turned  around  and  went  to  see  who  struck  him,  and 
started  off  again.  There  was  a  movement  made  in  the  crowd  as  if  to  pro- 
tect him,  and  I  was  separate  from  him,  I  believe,  five  or  six  feet.  I  kept 
as  close  to  him  as  I  could.  Neither  of  us  were  armed.  Both  of  us  were 
perfectly  helpless,  that  is,  we  had  not  even  a  stick,  and  he  was  struck  again. 
Meanwhile,  the  crowd  as  they  came  out  of  the  shops,  didn't  seem  to  recog- 
nize him,  and  they  said,  "  Who  is  he  ?"  and  1  guess  a  dozen  voices  answered, 
"  The  mayor.  Protect  him."'  Some  said — a  great  many  said,  "  God  damn 
him,  kill  him.  What  is  he  doing  there?"  Just  then  a  pistol  was  fired. 
I  saw  the  smoke  of  it.  He  evidently  had  it  in  his  hand,  and  in  getting  it 
up  the  crowd  was  so  thick  it  went  off.  Two  or  three  rushed  to  strike  him, 
and  two  or  three  rushed  to  protect  him.  The  crowd  was  very  thick  just 
then.  Father  Dunn  came  along,  and  took  hold  of  the  mayor's  arm,  and 
marched  him  off.  Another  effort  was  made  by  the  crowd  to  protect  Father 
Dunn  and  the  mayor,  but  especially  Father  Dunn.  A  great  many  more 
tried  to  protect  him.  When  I  speak  of  the  crowd,  I  mean  the  men  who 
had  been  driving  the  men  out  of  the  car  shops.  They  says,  "  Who  is  he — 
Father  Dunn — God  damn  him,  kill  him.  What  is  he  doing  here?"  That 
cry  was  repeated.  After  I  got  out  of  the  crowd,  I  would  have  sworn  that 
I  saw  Father  Dunn  struck,  although  he  denies  it,  but  I  still  believe,  in  my 
mind,  that  he  was  struck.  After  we  got  a  little  further,  a  man  jumped 
from  my  side  and  struck  the  mayor  on  the  cheek,  with  either  a  billy  or  a 
slung  shot.  That  was  the  blow  that  broke  his  jaw.  That  man  I  wouldn't 
recognize  again.  I  never  saw  him  before,  but  from  the  view  I  had  of  the 
men  who  were  killed,  1  think  he  was  one  of  the  men  who  were  killed.  As 
we  got  further  along  towards  the  arch — after  we  got  out  under  the  arch — 
towards  Lackawanna  avenue  on  to  Railroai  alley,  the  police  took  hold  of 
the  mayor,  and  helped  him  on  to  the  street.  I  saw  the  rear  of  our  store  was 
open,  and  I  knew  what  threats  had  been  made,  and  I  jumped  into  the  store 
and  told  them  to  close  the  front  up.  I  thought  that  might  be  a  veiy  good 
place  to  start  a  fire.  At  the  same  time,  I  went  to  get  a  pistol.  I  tried  to 
lock  the  front  door,  and  as  I  looked  over  my  shoulder,  I  saw  the  posse  coming 
down  the  street.  I  jumped  for  the  head  of  the  posse.  Stones  were  thrown, 
pistols  were  fired,  and  I  heard  one  shot,  I  think  it  was,  and  I  immediately 
turned  around  and  yelled,  "  Don't  fire  !"  My  impression  was  they  were  not 
in  any  position,  and  they  wanted  to  avoid  a  conflict  with  the  crowd,  if  pos- 
sible ;  but  immediately  after  that,  stones  came  from  the  other  track  parties  by 
us,  and  there  was  another  pistol  shot  or  two — I  couldn't  say  how  many — and  , 
I  saw  a  crowd  throwing  stones,  and  I  turned  around  and  I  said,  "  Give  it 
to  them  boys."  Then  the  volley  was  fired,  and  immediately  from  that  side 
between  Colson's  store  and  the  next — the  crowd  over  there — and  I  told 
them  to  give  it  to  them,  and  they  turned  the  guns  that  way ;  and  by  that 
time  the  crowd  had  got  so  thoroughly  panic  stricken  that  the  riot  was  over. 

Q.  How  many  were  there  in  your  posse  that  were  firing? 

A.  There  was  just  fifty-one  men  with  myself.  As  they  came  down  the 
street  they  counted  thirty-eight.  I  had  the  names  of  the  whole  posse,  and 
from  evidence  I  know — positive  evidence — I  know  there  was  just  fifty-one 
men. 

Q.  They  were  all  present  at  that  time  ? 


734  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Our  whole  posse  was  over  a  hundred. 

Q.  Was  the  signal  given  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  would  not  give  it  without  the  mayor's  order.  He  was 
completely  bewildered  after  this  blow  breaking  his  jaw.  He  was  struck 
three  or  four  other  times,  and  just  as  soon  as  he  could,  got  out  of  the  crowd. 
I  ran  to  give  the  signal,  but  I  wanted  my  pistols  first.  I  thought  we  were 
going  to  fight,  and  I  wanted  to  be  armed.  Before  I  could  get  near  the 
chui'ch  to  give  the  signal,  the  firing  took  place,  and  the  whole  thing  was 
over.  They  ordered  the  men  to  fall  in  on  Washington  avenue,  and  they 
all  fell  right  in  without  any  excitement,  just  like  old  veterans,  and  we  went 
straight  to  the  company's  store,  and  by  the  time  we  got  to  the  company's 
store,  a  great  many  citizens  were  there  to  support  us.  I  had  no  idea  they 
were  whipped.  I  supposed  they  would  merely  go  around  through  the  yard 
and  attack  us  again.  We  went  to  the  company's  store  to  prepare  to  meet 
them. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Who  was  given  command  of  this  posse  ? 

A.  There  was  no  officer  in  command.  W.  W.  Scranton  had  brought 
them  out.  They  had  gone  there  and  got  their  guns,  and  W.  W.  Scranton 
had  as  much  command  as  any  one.  I  had  command  as  soon  as  I  got  with 
them. 

Q.  Were  your  men  sworn  in  as  special  policemen  ? 

A.  These  also  had  written  authority  from  the  mayor. 

Q.  You  said  that  the  intention  of  your  posse  was  to  protect  the  property 
of  private  citizens.  Did  you  intend  to  leave  the  property  of  corporations 
at  the  mercy  of  the  mob  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  that  is,  we  intended  to  protect  common  property  which 
would  damage  the  city  if  it  were  detroyed.  We  did  not  want  to  be  sworn 
in.  We  would  be  sworn  in,  but  we  wished  to  be  placed  in  such  a  position 
that  we  would  not  be  forced  to  go  over  to  breakers  or  outlying  property 
in  any  direction  to  protect  it,  but  property  here  in  the  city,  for  instance, 
the  company's  store  we  would  protect.  We  did  not  wish  to  be  mixed  in 
any  such  way  that  we  would  have  to  take  sides  as  between  strikers  and  the 
man  that  wanted  to  work.  It  was  not  our  business,  we  were  not  serving  for 
pay,  we  were  only  serving  for  our  own  protection. 

Q.  I  understood  that  was  the  case,  but  the  language  might  be  construed 
otherwise? 

A.  We  could  not  draw  the  line  between  private  property  and  corpora- 
tion property. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  You  better  explain  more  fully  the  object  of  the  organization  ? 

A.  The  object  of  the  organization — we  understood  the  cry  had  been 
raised  all  through  in  all  directions  among — I  can't  say  whether  there  were 
miners  or  laborers,  but  among  the  worthless  set  of  men  who  were  in  one 
thing  or  another,  and  hardly  ever  did  a  stroke  of  honest  work,  that  they 
were  going  to  gut  Lackawana  avenue,  that  was  the  cry,  and  we  organized 
to  prevent  any  such  thing  as  that  taking  place.  We  wished  distinctly,  and 
had  it  understood  as  distinctly,  that  the  quarrels  of  men  with  their  em- 
ployers were  nothing  to  us.  We  did  not  wish  to  side  with  the  companies 
or  men. 

Q.  The  question  of  wages  between  the  men  and  the  company? 

A.  That  was  not  for  us  to  decide. 

Q.  You  organized  for  protection  ? 

A.  Merely  for  protection  of  the  property  of  the  city.  We  had  up  to 
the  time  ol  the  riot  the  best  wishes  of  a  large  portion  of  the  laboring  class. 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  735 

Q.  How  was  it  after  the  riot  ? 

A.  Then  came  a  question  of  order.     Three  men  were  killed — whether  in 
killing  these  three  men  we  were  justifiable,  and  under  the  excitement,  a 
great  many  would  privately  tell  us  they  thought  we  were  justifiable,  at  the 
same  time  to  hear  them  talk  in  a  crowd,  you  would  think  they  were  not. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  were  tried,  and  the  court  sustained  you  ? 

A.  Sustained  us. 

Q.  How  many  were  arrested  of  the  posse  and  tried  ? 

A.  We  were  all  tried — no  we  were  not  all  tried.  There  were  two  indict- 
ments brought,  one  was  for  murder,  and  one  was  for  manslaughter.  Those 
they  supposed  had  done  the  shooting  were  tried  for  murder  and  acquitted, 
and  those  that  were  under  indictment  for  manslaughter — the  whole  thing  was 
nolle  prossed.  The  same  evidence  that  failed  to  convict  the  men  of  mur- 
der would  have  to  be  used  on  the  trial  for  manslaughter. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Where  were  you  tried  ? 

A.  Wilkes-Barre. 

Q.  Before  what  judge  ? 

A.  Harding.  I  was  not  tried ;  I  was  indicted  for  manslaughter  only, 
because  at  the  time  the  firing  took  place  I  had  no  weapons  about  me. 

Q.  All  that  were  tried  were  acquitted? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Was  the  case  ever  submitted  to  a  jury? 

A.  Yes  ;  the  murder  case  was  submitted  to  a  jury. 

Q,.   Under  the  instruction  of  the  court  ? 

A.  Yes.  It  was  so  plain  a  case,  we  had  so  many  men  hurt,  and  we  could 
prove  so  many  stones  thrown  and  pistol  shots  fired  at  us.  We  had  four 
men  altogether,  wounded — one  man  shot  in  the  leg,  one  man  a  pistol  ball 
took  him  right  across  the  fingers — it  made  no  wound  to  speak  of,  still  the 
intention  was  to  hit  him,  and  that  same  ball  struck  a  gun  and  left  its  mark 
in  the  wood,  and  on  the  iron.  Another  ball  that  was  fired  whistled  by  my 
head  and  broke  a  plate-glass  window. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Hid  this  all  occur  before  your  men  fired  ? 

A.  The  shooting  of  this  pistol — the  man  man  who  fired  that  pistol  was 
killed.     Two  men  were  struck,  and  badly  hurt  with  stones,  and  the  men 
that  threw  these  stones  were  killed.     All  this  took  place  before  a  single 
shot  was  fired  from  our  side. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  there  any  other  stores  broken  into  and  robbed  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  robbed.  Our  store  was  broken  into,  but  it  was  by  the 
mob,  in  their  efforts  to  get  away  from  the  guns. 

Q.  After  you  were  arrested,  tell  what  took  place  in  regard  to  your  being 
arraigned  before  a  magistrate. 

A.  We  were  not  arrested ;  there  were  no  arrests,  virtually  no  arrests 
made.  We  voluntarially  gave  ourselves  up,  after  this  coroner's  inquest  had 
taken  place,  which  was  a  coroner's  inquest  held  by  an  alderman,  an  illegal 
inquest,  as  decided  by  Judge  Harding.  An  inquest  was  held,  and  myself, 
as  well  as  a  number  of  others,  were  found  guilty  of  murder,  and  warrants 
issued  for  the  arrest. 

Q.  Were  you  charged  with  murder? 

A.  Found  guilty  by  the  coroner's  inquest  of  murder,  so  far  as  a  coroner's 
inquest  could  do  that.     Among  the  number  found  guilty,  were  men,  who — 


736  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

or  accused  of  it — were  men  who  were  not  in  the  posse,  and  had  no  connec- 
tion with  it,  and  it  was  known  to  every  one,  who  were  blocks  away  from 
Lackawanna  avenue.    One  of  them  was  three  blocks  away  from  Lackawanna 
avenue,  at  the  time  the  firing  took  place  ;  another  one  was  in  his  barn,  one 
block  away  from  Lackawanna  avenue ;  and  another  one,  I  doubt  whether 
he  was  in  the  city  ;  another  one  was  inside  the  store — of  our  store.     Both 
the  Messrs.  Hunt  who  were  found  guilty — were  brought  in  by  the  coroner's 
jury,  charged  with  murder,  had  no  connection  in  any  way,  shape  or  man- 
ner with  the  posse,  and  were  not  present  at  it,  the  elder  Mr.  Hunt,  being 
inside  of  the  store,  and  the  younger  one,  being  over  two  blocks  away.    War- 
rants were  issued  for  the  arrest  of  the  elder  Mr.  Hunt,  and  some  others,  and 
Mr.  Hunt  was  arrested.     This  was  done  at  night.     It  was  understood  that 
we  would  be  arrested  at  night,  and  taken  in  carriages  to  Wilkes-Barre,  and 
not  allowed  a  chance  to  consult  counsel,  and  taken  down  through  Taylors- 
ville,  where  a  large  number  of  this  crowd  had  come  from,  and  where  two  of 
this  crowd  that  were  killed  lived,  and  then  probably  ljmched.     As  soon  as 
any  notice  was  given  of  these  arrests,  word  was  carried  immediately  to  Gen- 
eral Huidekoper's  head-quarters,  who  was  then  stationed  at  the  company's 
store,  to  come  along  on  the  track,  and  scattered  where  they  would  do  the 
most  good.     He  immediately  ordered  a  company  clown,  and  took  the  pris- 
oners from  the  constable,  holding  himself  personally  responsible  for  their 
delivery  to  the  proper  authorities.     That  was  done,  because  no  one  had 
any  idea  that  the  coroner's  inquest  was  a  legal  affair,  and  that  the  lives  of 
the  men  arrested  were  not  worth  that,  if  they  were  taken  off  at  night,  be- 
cause any  one  of  them  could  be  arrested  in  the  day  time.     Any  one  of  us 
could  be  arrested  at  any  hour  of  the  day,  if  they  had  seen  fit  to  do  so,  and 
it  was  merely  an  action  of  revenge  on  the  part  of  the  crowd.     The  next 
day,  all  that  were  in  any  danger  of  arrest,  voluntarily  went  to  Wilkes-Barre, 
and  entered  bail. 

Q.  How  many  were  arrested  by  that  constable  ? 

A.  Two. 

Q.  And  they  were  taken  from  the  custody  of  the  constable  by  this  com- 
pany of  Huidekoper's  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  Undoubtedly  other  arrests  would  have  been  made,  but 
they  did  not  care  to  go  under  his  guns  to  do  it.  We  put  ourselves  under 
his  guns,  and  spent  the  night  there. 

Q.  Had  they  warrants  against  all  the  posse  ? 

A.  They  were  not  able  to  find  out.  We  were  not  allowed  any  access  to 
what  they  were  doing.     It  was  all  secret. 

Q.  Coroner's  jury  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Warrants  issued  by  the  coroner  ? 

A.  By  an  alderman,  acting  as  coroner. 

Q.  And  placed  in  the  hands  of  this  constable  ? 

A.  To  arrest.     The  constable  told  me  that  he  had  a  warrant  for  my 
arrest  that  night,  but  refused  to  serve  it. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  ascertain  what  force  accompanied  the  constable  to  make 
these  arrests  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  There  was  quite  a  crowd  apparently  hanging  on,  but  the 
constable  made  the  arrest  alone.  The  idea  was  to  hurry  the  men  off 
quietly,  without  letting  us  know  anything  about  it,  and  get  them  out  of 
the  reach  of  assistance. 

Q.  Who  were  the  two  men  that  were  arrested  ? 

A.  T.  T.  Hunt  and  C.  E.  Chittenden. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  737 

Q.  Were  they  part  of  your  posse  ? 

A.  Hunt  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  it. 

Q.  What  was  Hunt's  business  ? 

A.  Hardware  merchant. 

Q.  Was  Chittenden  a  member  of  the  posse? 

A.  He  was  a  member  of  the  posse. 

Q.  Did  he  participate  in  the  conflict  ? 

A.  I  am  not  certain  whether  he  did  or  not. 

Q.  In  endeavoring  to  suppress  the  riot? 

A.  I  am  not  certain  whether  he  was  in  the  squad  or  not.  I  know  he 
belonged  to  the  general  committee — the  general  posse.  If  he  was  not 
there,  he  probably  would  have  been  if  he  had  had  an  opportunity. 

Q.  What  class  and  character  of  men  was  that  posse  composed  of? 

A.  The  best  men  of  the  town.  Merchants  and  lawyers,  business  men 
generally. 

J.  H.  Powell,  sivorn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  reside  in  Hyde  Park,  this  city. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  At  present  I  am  not  doing  anything.  My  last  business  was  editor  of 
the  {Industrial  Advocate. 

Q.  In  July  last  what  were  you? 

A.  At  that  time  my  occupation  was  a  miner. 

Q.  And  in  August  ? 

A.  At  that  time  my  occupation  was  a  miner. 

Q.  In  whose  employ  were  you  ? 

A.  D.  L.  and  W.  Co. 

Q.  Delaware,  Lackawana  and  Western  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  In  what  capacity  were  you  employed  ? 

A.  Miner. 

Q.  As  foreman,  or  as 

A.  No,  sir ;  miner. 

Q.  How  far  were  you — was  it  from  the  city  of  Scranton  where  you 
worked  in  July? 

A.  We  were  not  at  work  at  the  time.  During  that  time  they  were  on  a 
strike. 

Q.  About  the  20th  of  July — were  you  not  at  work  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  presume  not.     I  presume  we  were  on  a  strike  the  20th  of  July. 

Q.  Did  all  the  miners 

A.  I  am  not  positive  whether  we  commenced  the  strike 

Q.  Did  all  the  miners  employed  by  the  company  strike. 

A.  It  was  a  general  strike.  I  presume  it  was  a  tidal  wave  that  went 
through  the  country.  The  first  commencement  of  the  strike  was  the  rail- 
road men  struck,  and  they  blocked  the  mines  to  a  stand  still,  and  the 
miners  at  the  meeting  joined  hands  with  the  whole  country. 

Q.  The  miners  struck  ? 

A.  They  called  a  meeting,  and  decided  to  make  a  demand  for  higher 
wages. 

Q.  Had  you  stopped  work  before  you  called  that  meeting  ? 

A.  There  was  a  meeting — a  preliminary  meeting — there  was  some  of  the 
mines  idle  for  want  of  cars. 

Q.  Take  the  company  that  you  were  working  for — the  men  that  you 
47  Riots. 


738  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

were  working  with — did  they  strike,  or  were  you  stopped  for  want  of  work 
to  do  ? 

A.  I  could  not  state  positive  with  regard  to  the  whole  mines.     Part  of 
the  mines  stopped  for  want  of  cars. 

Q.  I  am  asking  whether  yours  stopped  for  want  of  cars  ? 

A.  At  that  time  I  was  unable  to  attend  to  my  work  on  account  of  sick- 
ness. 

Q.  Then  you  had  not  been  at  work  for  several  weeks  ? 

A.  I  was  only  working  every  other  week.     I  could  not  work  on  account 
of  sickness  at  the  time. 

Q.  What  day  did  they  hold  that  meeting  and  agree  to  join  hands  with 
the  railroad  employes  ? 

A.  I  am  not  positive  of  the  date  of  that  ? 

Q.  Was  it  before  or  after  the  strike  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  It  was  after  the  strike  at  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Was  anything  done  by  the  miners  here  about  a  strike  before  the 
strike  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Had  you  held  any  meetings  or  contemplated  a  strike  until  after  you 
heard  of  the  strike  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  did  not  know  of  any  meetings. 

Q.  Then  that  was  the  beginning  of  it  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  The  railroad  employes  struck  first,  I  understand  you  to  say  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  they  send  any  word  or  have  any  interviews  with  the  miners  to 
persuade  the  miners  to  strike  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  The  miners  held  a  meeting  and  resolved  to  strike  also.     Is  that  the 
way  of  it  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  after  the  railroad  employes  struck  ? 

A.  I  presume,  if  my  memory  serves  me,  it  was  about  a  week  after  the 
railroad  strike,  so  far  as  I  remember.     I  did  not  take  any  notice  of  it. 

Q.  Did  the  miners  have  any  organization,  any  societies  among  them- 
selves ? 

A.  I  presume  that  they  had  an  organization.     They  used  to  have  organ- 
izations.    What  they  termed  the  W.  B.  A. 

Q.  Had  they  any  in  last  summer — in  1877  ? 

A.  I  presume  they  had. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  existence  ? 

A.  I  may  as  well  say  that  I  knew  of  the  existence  of  the  W.  B.  A. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Workingmen's  Benevolent  Association  ? 

A.  No  ;  it  was  the  old  organization. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  was  the  new  organization  ? 

A.  The  new  organization,  I  presume,  the  title  is  the  Knights  of  Labor? 

Q.  What  were  the  objects  of  the  organization  ? 

A.  The  only  object  of  the  organization  is  men  combined  together  to  ele- 
vate labor? 

Q.  Are  you  a  member  of  the  organization  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  it  secret  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  739 

A.  There  were  secrets  in  it. 

Q.  Was  it  confined  entirely  to  miners  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Other  classes  of  laboring  men — did  it  take  any  ? 

A.  Took  in  mechanics,  and  all  that  earn  their  living  by  the  sweat  of 
their  brow. 

Q.  Took  in  railroad  employes  ? 

A.  An}r  class  in. 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  the  extent  of  that  organization  ? 

A.  I  could  not,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  it  extends  throughout  the  State,  or  whether  it 
is  confined  to  the  coal  region  ? 

A.  I  do  not  believe  it  is  confined.  I  do  not  know  that  it  is  confined  to 
any  place. 

Q.  How  many  lodges  do  you  know  of,  or  did  you,  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  you,  sir.     I  am  not  posted  in  the  organization. 

Q.  Was  there  a  lodge  here  in  Scranton  ? 

A.  There  was. 

Q.  More  than  one  lodge? 

A.  There  were  several  lodges.     I  could  not  state  how  many. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  there  were  any  lodges  in  the  vicinity  of  here, 
around  in  the  townships  ? 

A.  I  presume  there  were  lodges  throughout  the  county. 

Q.  All  through  the  county? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Rejourn  : 

Q.  Are  those  lodges  composed  of  different  trades— different  branches  of 
the  trades  ?    They  are  all  organized — that  is,  for  instance,  miners  into  one 

Mr.  Lindsey  :  No  ;  he  has  just  said,  they  took  in  all  classes  of  laboring 
men,  miners,  and  mechanics. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  1  understand  that.  I  want  to  understand  whether  he  means  a  lodge, 
composed  of  those  men  generally,  or  whether  they  are  lodges  of  each  trade, 
and  these  lodges  compose  the  organization  or  delegates  from  them  ? 

A.  I  presume  that  there  are  lodges  of  different  trades. 
Hy  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Under  the  same  title  ? 

A.  The  same  title. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Take  the  lodge  to  which  you  belonged.  Were  they  composed  en- 
tirely of  miners  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  What  other  classes  of  men  belonged  ? 

A.  Mechanics,  carpenters,  engineers,  miners. 

Q.  Were  there  any  railroad  employe's  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  of  any. 

Q.  In  your  lodge  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  of  any.     There  may  be. 

Q.  Carpenters  ? 

A.  Carpenters. 

Q.  Blacksmiths  ? 

A.  Blacksmiths. 

Q.  Miners  ? 

A.  Miners. 


140  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  class  of  engineers  ? 

A.  Stationary  engineers  ;  not  railroad. 
fty  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  You  only  include  those  employed  in  colleries  and  about  colleries  in 
your  organization  ? 

A.  All  employed  around  colleries. 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  the  extent  of  the  organization  in  the  city  ? 

A.  I  could  not. 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  many  members  it  has  throughout  the  State  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Approximate  about  ? 

A.  I  have  no  "  about  "  about  it. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Have  you  not  heard  an  estimate  of  the  number  in  this  vicinity  or  this 
county  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  have  not  see  anything  official,  more  than  it  is  stated  some- 
where, from  thirteen  thousand  to  fifteen  thousand. 

Q.  In  this  vicinity  ? 

A.  In  this  county.  That  was  the  estimate.  I  have  nothing  official 
about  it. 

Q.  The  object  is  for  the  elevation  of  labor? 

A.  The  object  is  the  elevation  of  labor  by  honorable  means  and  legal 
means.  . 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Is  it  beneficial  ? 

A .  No,  sir ;  only  so  far  as  helping  a  brother  when  he  is  in  necessity. 

Q.  That  is  what  I  mean  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  beneficial. 

Q.  If  a  man  is  sick  or  out  of  work  or  in  distress,  then  he  is  helped  ? 

A.  Out  of  employment.     In  distress. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Is  it  not  more  for  assistance  in  case  of  a  strike  in  distress  than  in 
case  of  sickness  ? 

A.  This  labor  organization,  it  is  on  account  of  distress;  for  instance,  a 
man  out  of  labor  and  in  distress — a  family  in  need  ;  it  is  a  matter  of 
charity. 

Q.  You  do  not  understand  me,  or  if  you  do,  you  do  not  take  it  right.  If 
a  man  strikes,  he  is  helped  quicker  than  if  he  is  taken  sick ;  was  he  not  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  of  any  proviso  with  regard  to  men  that  strike.  If  a 
man  is  thrown  out  of  employment,  or  deprived  of  employment,  and  in  dis- 
tress, and  wants  help  to  go  somewhere  where  he  can  get  employment,  the 
object  is  to  help  him  along,  in  order  to  sustain  his  family. 

Q.  Do  they  ever  assist  the  miners  of  a  colliery  that  are  on  a  strike  ? 

A.  There  is  no  proviso  for  strikes.    Their  funds  would  not  afford  them  to. 
By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  If  a  man  loses  his  employment  from  any  cause,  he  receives  assistance  ? 

A.  Not  any  amount.     A  man,  for  instance,  is  deprived  of  employment, 
and  wants  to  go  somewhere  in  search  of  employment — just  help  him  a  few 
dollars  to  get  employment  elsewhere. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Is  it  a  part  of  the  objects  of  the  association  to  organize  in  strikes 
case  they  think  it  is  best  in  order  to  get  their  wages  raised  ?     If  they  are 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  741 

dissatisfied  with  regard  to  wages,  is  it  a  part  of  the  intent  of  the  society 
to  organize  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Or  to  help  them  on  to  arrange  the  machinery  for  a  strike,  so  that  it 
will  all  come  off  together  ? 

A.  There  is  nothing  connected  with  that  organization,  only  to  elevate 
labor  tty  legal  means. 

Q.  I  suppose  they  would  not  call  striking,  quitting  work,  illegal  means  ? 

A.  No ;  my  view  of  the  question,  a  man  has  just  as  much  right  to  quit 
work,  and  that  is  legal. 

Q.  But  that  is  a  question,  whether  this  is  a  part  of  the  objects  of  the 
association.  Whether  in  case  the  men  felt  that  they  have  been  aggrieved 
by  the  reduction  of  wages — whether  the  association  acts  as  a  unit  in  for- 
warding a  strike,  in  assisting  the  men,  to  all  quit  work  simultaneously  ? 

A.  Oh,  no  ;  nothing  of  the  kind. 

Q.  Nothing  of  the  kind  in  the  bj'-laws  and  constitution  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  do  not  know  of  anything  that  I  could  draw  such  an  inference 
from. 

Q.  Is  this  association  in  existence  now  ? 

A.  Yes,  it  is. 

By  Mr.  Euglebert : 

Q.  Were  you  working  in  the  mines  in  1876  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  wages  were  you  getting  then — average — you  being  a  practical 
man  of  intelligence,  of  course,  you  know  about  the  average  price  of  miners 
and  laborers  in  1876  ? 

A.  To  be  able  to  answer  that  question  intelligently 

Q.  As  near  as  you  can  remember  ? 

A.  I  ought  to  have  prepared  myself,  by  looking  up  the  price  of  coal.  I 
could  not  remember  exactly  what  would  be  the  price  of  a  car  in  1876.  If 
I  could  remember  that,  I  could  find  out  about  what  it  would  be — the  amount 
of  money. 

Q.  What  was  the  difference  about  in  wages  between  1875  and  1876,  caus- 
ing this  dissatisfaction  ? 

A.  There  was  no  difference. 

Q.  The  same  wages  ? 

A.  The  price  was  the  same  in  1876  and  1877. 

Q.  Do  you  mean  the  pay  for  mining  ? 

A.  I  do  not  remember  of  any  reduction  taking  place. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Was  there  any  reduction  in  March,  1877,  of  ten  per  cent.  ? 

A.  I  believe  there  was  ten  per  cent,  in  March. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Did  that  take  effect  in  the  mines,  or  only  in  the  machine  shops  ? 

A.  There  was  one  reduction  that  didn't  take  effect  in  the  mines,  but  in 
the  shops  and  among  the  mechanics. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Not  among  the  miners  ? 

A.  There  was  one  reduction  the  mechanics  had  that  didn't  reach  the 
miners. 

Q.  And  are  the  wages  of  miners  fixed  by  the  price  of  coal  at  entirely 
the  same  scale  ? 

A.  They  got  so  much  a  car.  There  is  one  grand  mistake  been  made  in 
the  assessment  of  the  car.  It  leaves  the  impression  that  the  men  get  so 
much  a  ton  instead  of  so  much  a  car.     When  a  man  gets  sixty-four  cents 


742  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

a  car,  it  is  not  sixty-four  cents  a  ton,  but  sixty-four  cents  for  two  tons  of 
clean  coal. 

Q.  That  would  be  thirty-one  cents  a  ton  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  for  loading  and  mining  and  all  the  expenses  in  connection  with 
it.     The  price  of  a  car  contained  the  price  of  mining  coal,  loading  the  coal, 
and  all  necessary  expenses. 
By  Mr.  Engelbert : 

Q.  Did  not  your  mine  wagons  average  more  than  two  tons  of  clean  coal  ? 

A.  I  believe  they  average  it  so  that  a  car  carries  about  two  and  a  half 
tons.  There  is  half  a  ton  allowed  for  breakage  and  culm,  so  it  makes  it 
abont  two  tons  of  clean  coal. 

Q.  Is  that  not  a  big  average  of  loss  ? 

A.  It  appears  to  me  that  it  is,  but  it  appears  on  the  other  side  that  it 
don't  satisfy  the  corporation. 

Q.  About  what  I  am  speaking  about  is  ordinary  mining  ? 

A.  In  my  estimation,  half  a  ton  would  be  sufficient. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  How  did  this  price  range  in  1871,  as  compared  with  1873,  at  the  time 
of  the  panic  ? 

A.  I  could  give  you  an  estimate  of  what  a  miner  would  make  in  1877 
and  1876  as  well. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Just  state  whether  the  wages  were  any  lower  in  May,  June,  or  July, 
of  1877,  than  they  were  in  the  same  months  of  1876  ?  Make  your  own  es- 
timates to  yourself. 

A.  I  do  not  want  to  state  anything  but  what  I  am  positive  of,  and  I 
cannot  bring  to  memory  with  regard  to  the  dates  of  this  reduction. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  reductions  in  1877  ? 

A.  Up  to  that  date  I  cannot  remember  whether  there  was  a  ten  per  cent, 
or  not.     There  may  be  others  that  can  remember  these  things. 

Q.  You  cannot  state  whether  there  was  any  reduction  in  1877  or  not  ? 

A.  I  am  not  positive.     I  am  under  the  impression  that  there  was  a  re- 
duction ;  but  I  could  not  state  positively — in  the  early  part  of  1877. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Will  you  please  define  the  term  strike  ? 

A.  The  only  definition  I  can  give  you  is  that  it  means  suspension  of 
work. 

Q.  You  mean  if  just  one  man  quits  work,  he  is  on  a  strike,  or  when  there 
is  a  combination  of  men  all  quit  at  once  ? 

A.  Oh,  no  ;  a  man  may  suspend  work  himself,  but  the  term  strike  means 
a  general  suspension  of  work. 

Q.  Of  all  the  men — then  you  call  it  a  strike  ? 

A.  Yes;  although  the  proper  term  is  suspension. 

Q.  You  know  it  is  generally  termed  a  strike  ? 

A.  So  the  railroad  and  everything  of  that  kind  call  it  a  strike  ;  but  it 
is  not  termed  a  strike  unless  there  is  an  arrangement  or  understanding  that 
they  all  quit.  A  meeting  is  called,  there  is  a  delegation  appointed  to  in- 
form the  officials  of  the  corporations  of  the  demand  of  the  men,  and  that 
committee  returns  back  and  reports;  and  if  that  is  accepted — sometimes 
it  is  decided  by  ballot — if  they  agree  to  suspend  work  until  their  demand 
is  complied  with — they  go  under  the  term  strike. 

Q.  What  is  the  object  of  the  men,  and  what  means  would  be  resorted  to, 
to  prevent  other  men  from  working  ? 

A.  There  is  no  provision  to  prevent  anybody.  I  never  knew  of  any 
proviso  to  prevent  anybody  from  working. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  743 

Q.  Then  when  there  is  any  interference,  it  is  unauthorized  by  your  or- 
ganization ? 

A.  Oh,  yes. 

Q.  When  men  go  on  a  strike,  and  others  will  undertake  to  work  in  their 
stead,  and  they  are  interrupted  by  violence  and  threats  of  violence  ? 

A.  No  organization  could  be  accountable  for  that,  and  I  wish  to  state 
here  that  the  late  strike  was  not  under  the  auspices  of  that  organization. 

Q.  That  strike  at  that  time  was  not  under  their  auspices  ? 

A.  The  strike  was  not  inaugurated  by  the  organization. 

Q.  Did  the  organization  approve  of  it? 

A.  There  was  a  meeting  called.  There  was  a  mass  meeting,  and  when 
that  meeting — that  meeting  adjourned  to  meet  at  a  mass  meeting  and  take 
a  vote  of  the  committee,  and  in  that  second  mass  meeting  they  decided  to 
suspend  work  and  join  hands. 

Q.  The  second  mass  meeting  was  at  the  silk-works  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Where  was  it  ? 

A.  Held  in  the  Round  woods. 

Q.  Where  was  the  first  one  held  ? 

A.  "  Fellows'  Hall." 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  this  organization — "  Rights  of  Labor  " — did  they  by  any  reso- 
lution or  by-law  discountenance  any  interference  with  men  that  wished  to 
work. 

A.  There  is  no  combination  to  resort  to  any  violence  whatever. 

Q.  Was  there  anything  condemning  anything  by  the  men  ? 

A.  There  was  nothing  under  the  organization.  The  constitution  and 
by-laws  is  the  one  safe  basis  of  any  society,  and  from  their  constitution 
and  by-laws  there  is  nothing  whatever  but  that  it  is  a  law-abiding  organiza- 
tion. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  resolutions  being  passed  by  any  of  those  lodges 
and  by  this  association,  condemning' interference  with  men  who  wished  to 
work  ? 

A.  I  do  not,  neither  do  I  know  of  any  resolution  that  urged  anything 
of  that  kind. 

Q.  Were  you  present  at  this  meeting  out  here  at  the  silk-works  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  resolutions  were  passed  there  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  but  very  little  about  the  resolutions.  I  went  there 
in  company — at  the  time,  I  held  the  position  of  chairman  of  the  county 
and  central  committee,  and  was  secretary  of  the  Hyde  park  executive 
committee,  and  we  went  there  in  company  with  others  of  that  executive 
committee — over  to  the  silk-works  meeting,  with  the  understanding  ihat 
there  were  delegations  there  from  all  over  the  county. 

Q.  You  are  secretary  of  the  executive  committee  of  what  ? 

A.  Of  the  miners. 

Q.  Of  those  Knights  of  Labor? 

A.  Oh,  no,  sir ;  it  was  a  committee  appointed  in  this  mass  meeting  of 
members  and  non-members.  I  went  over  there  to  that  meeting,  with  the 
understanding  that  there  were  delegates  to  be  there  from  all  over  the 
county.  I  do  not  know  that  our  committee  was  notified  officially  of  this 
meeting,  only  it  was  spoken  all  over  the  street,  and  I  presume  there  was 
notice  in  the  local  press,  that  there  was  to  be  a  meeting  held.  When  I 
went  there,  there  was  a  few  thousand  people  there,  and  after  a  while  the 
meeting  was  called  to  order  by  some  gentleman,  a  stranger  to  me,  and  some 


// 


744  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

gentleman,  I  forget  his  name,  was  elected  chairman.  He  was  also  a  stranger 
to  me,  and  the  meeting  was  orderly — there  was  a  few  disorderly  men  there, 
but  the  average  of  the  meeting  was  an  orderly  meeting,  with  the  exception 
of  those  few  that  may  have  been  aggravated  by  seeing  these  men  they 
termed  blacklegs  working  in  their  places  in  the  shops.  I  was  told  that 
the  meeting  was  called  by  the  Lackawanna  Coal  Company,  to  receive  the 
report  of  some  committee,  but  I  never  heard  of  any  committee  reporting. 
I  did  not  take  any  part  there,  more  so  than  going  round,  and  when  I 
would  hear  some  one  making  remarks  there,  to  try  to  quash  him  of  all 
such  remarks,  until  a  letter  was  brought  there  by  somebod}*-  and  read — a 
letter  purporting  to  be  written,  as  I  understood  at  the  time,  by  W.  W. 
Scranton,  and  in  that  letter,  it  was  read  there,  that  Scranton  stated  some- 
thing, that  the  men  should  live  on  mush  and  milk,  or  something  to  that 
effect.  I  was  so  far  off  I  could  not  hear  the  letter,  and  that  drove  these 
men  around  there  to  a  rage. 

Q.  Did  you  understand  that  this  letter  had  been  written  by  Scranton  ? 

A.  I  never  thought  that  was  the  letter.  That  was  my  impression.  The 
impression  it  left  on  me  was  that  it  was  written  by  some  men  to  accom- 
plish their  object — to  inspire  the  men  to  violate  the  laws. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  resolutions  passed  at  that  meeting  ?  Do  you 
know  the  purport  of  those  resolutions  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  of  any  resolutions. 

Q.  When  this  meeting  adjourned,  what  was  the  general  understanding  of 
what  was  to  be  done  ? 

A.  The  meeting  adjourned.  There  were  a  few  that  got  up  a  cry  to  go 
and  drive  all  the  blacklegs  out ;  and  the  meeting  adjourned,  and  the  men 
started  and  went  up  in  the  direction  of  the  shops. 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  the  shops  ? 

A.  The  manufactories,  you  know. 

Q.  Different  manufactories  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  that  is  the  last  I  saw  of  the  meeting.  I  could  see  these 
men  running.  I  saw  these  men  running  up  the  hill.  I  didn't  follow  them. 
I  took  the  railroad  up. 

Q.  You  did  not  go  up  with  the  crowd  to  the  shops  ? 

A.  No;  I  didn't  see  anything. 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  ran  in  that  direction,  about? 

A.  I  think,  maybe,  those  that  went  up  there  might  have  been  three 
or  four  thousand  people  there  in  the  meeting,  more  or  less.  I  could  not 
make  an  estimate.     There  was  a  large  crowd. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  were  those  that  talked  about  driving  the  black- 
legs out  of  the  shops  and  mills  ?  Were  they  men  from  these  shops,  for- 
merly ? 

A.  The}'  were  strangers  to  me.  I  was  not  much  acquainted  with  this 
city. 

Q.  Did  the  miners  join  in  with  that  crowd  ? 

A.  It  was  not  a  meeting  of  miners  ;  it  was  a  public  meeting.  You  could 
not  say  it  was  miners  or  mechanics. 

Q.  You  could  not  tell  whether  there  was  any  miners  joined  that  crowd 
or  not  ? 

A.  Oh,  no. 

Q.  A  mass  meeting  of  all  classes  of  laboring  men  ? 

A.  A  general  meeting. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Was  there  any  liquor  there,  or  anything  to  inflame — any  drinking 
going  on? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  745 

A.  Oh.  no  ;  not  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  You  didn't  see  anything  of  that  kind  ? 

A    Didn't  see  any  man  there  under  the  influence  of  drink. 

Q.  Do  I  understand  you  to  say  you  are  a  member  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  miners  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  go  there  in  your  official  capacity  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  we  just  met,  and  agreed  to  go  there  together. 

Q.  To  hear  some  report  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  we  went  over  there  as  a  matter  of  curiosity,  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Hyde  Park  miners. 

Q.  What  did  you  expect  this  report  from  ? 

A.  We  were  informed  there  would  be  delegates  from  different  places? 

Q.  They  were  to  make  a  report  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  to  know  the  general  situation  of  the  men  all  over  the  different 
parts  of  the  county. 

Q.  What  were  they  to  report  about  ? 

A.  With  regard  to  what  was  the  condition  of  the  standing  of  men  in 
different  places.     That  is  what  we  expected  they  would  report. 

Q.  The  condition  in  what  respect  ? 

A.  In  regard  to  what  was  the  condition  of  the  lines  that  were  striking, 
or  any  sign  of  a  break,  or  anything  of  that  kind. 

Q.  That  is,  whether  they  were  all  standing  solid  in  the  strike  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  exactly. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  your  committee  intend  to  make  a  report  at  that  meeting,  also? 

A.  No,  sir;  but  we  could  have  made  a  report  in  behalf  of  the  Hyde 
Park  men,  the  men  that  we  represented  in  committee.  If  there  was  any 
difficult}',  we  could  see  that  the  men  at  our  side  were  all  solid.  That  is 
the  general  phrase  of  a  report,  if  the  men  are  all  solid — all  solid. 

Q.  All  stand  united  ? 

A.  That  meant  united. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  wages  did  you  get  the  last  month  that  you  worked  ? 

A.  I  presume  that  the  men 

Q.  I  just  asked  you  the  question,  how  much  did  you  get  the  last  month 
that  you  worked  ?     How  much  did  you  make  ? 

A.  The  last  month  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  We  generally  work  there 

Q.  I  aint  asking  you  that  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  you  how  much  I  made  in  the  last  month. 

Q.  How  much  could  you  make  a  day  ? 

A.  In  the  Diamond  vein  a  man  could  make  about  $1  89  a  day,  figuring 
down  the  price  Of  a  car,  and  allowing  for  expenses,  and  the  price  for  labor, 
loading  the  coal. 

J.  F.  McNally,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 
A.  Sixth  ward,  city  of  Scranton. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ?     What  was  it  in  July  last  ? 
A.  Boiler  tender  for  the  iron  and  coal  company. 
Q.  Where  is  that  located — the  works  of  the  company  ? 
A.  Down  this  side  of  Shanty  hill  a  little  ways. 


746  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Were  you  at  work  on  the  1st  day  of  August  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Go  on  and  state  why  you  were  not,  and  give  us  the  facts  connected 
with  the  strike  here,  and  all  that  you  are  acquainted  with  ? 

A.  On  the  8th  day  of  July,  I  think  it  was,  there  was  a  reduction — it 
didn't  say  how  much. 

Q.  A  reduction  of  wages  ? 

A.  A  notice  put  up  to  that  effect. 

Q.  By  that  company  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  We  didn't  like  it  very  well,  and  we  appointed  a  committee 
to  wait  on  Mr.  Piatt — he  was  outside  foreman  there — and  see  what  the  re- 
duction was,  and  the  committee  went  to  Mr.  Piatt,  and  he  was  to  go  to 
Mr.  Scranton.  The  answer  was,  that  when  we  got  paid  we  would  find  out 
what  the  reduction  was.  Mr.  Piatt  stated  that  Mr.  Scranton  told  him  he 
didn't  know  it  was  any  of  his  business  to  go  there — something  to  that 
effect.  So  we  worked  along,  and  on  the  20th  they  struck.  I  was  on  the 
night  turn,  and  I  worked  Monday  night,  and  Tuesday  afternoon  they 
struck. 

Q.  On  the  20th  of  July  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  about  twelve  o'clock.     They  stated  here  it  was  a  puddlers' 

Q.  It  was  either  the  17th  or  the  24th — which  was  it  now?  Do  you 
think  Tuesday,  24th  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say  positively  which  it  was.  I  know  it  was  summer. 
The  latter  part  of  the  month,  or  getting  that  way. 

Q.  Go  on,  then. 

A.  I  was  on  the  night  turn,  and  I  just  got  up  about  two  o'clock,  and  I 
came  over  that  afternoon  a  little  early,  and  had  a  little  work  to  do,  and 
when  I  was  going  out  mother  said  to  me,  "  Where  are  you  going  ?  Going 
to  work? ':  She  said  she  heard  they  had  struck.  There  was  a  meeting 
that  night  up  on  the  hill.  1  left  the  dinner-pail  in  the  house,  and  went  up 
to  the  meeting,  to  see  what  was  going  on  there.  When  I  got  there,  Mr. 
Scranton  came  about  the  same  time,  and  he  asked  what  was  the  matter, 
and  they  told  him.  He  said  he  could  not  do  anything,  and  he  drove  away, 
and  that  is  all  there  was  about  it  until  the  1st  of  August  there  was  a  meet- 
ing called  to  be  held  at  the  silk-works.  So  we  went  there  to  hear  what  it 
was.  We  understood  it  was  a  report  from  the  miners  and  other  different 
trades,  in  regard  to  what  they  were  going  to  do,  whether  they  were  going 
to  stay  out  or  resume  work,  or  what.  After  the  meeting  was  called  to 
order,  before  any  committee  had  a  chance  to  report,  or  anything  of  the 
kind,  this  letter  was  produced,  and  read  there. 

Q.  That  was  at  the  silk-works  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  how  the  letter  read.  What  the  subject  of  it  was.  The  subject 
matter,  as  near  as  jtou  can  remember. 

A.  The  substance  of  the  letter  was,  Mr.  Scranton  said  he  would  have 
the  men  working  if,  I  think,  it  was  thirty-five  cents  a  day  and  living  on 
mush  and  molasses,  or  he  would  bury  himself  in  a  culm-dump.  That  was 
the  statement  of  the  letter. 

Q.  How  was  the  letter  signed  ? 

A.  Workingmen. 

Q.  These  workingmen  stated  in  the  letter  that  that  was  what  Mr.  Scran- 
ton had  said  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  the  letter  state  when  and  where  Mr.  Scranton  had  made  that 
declaration  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  747 

A.  No,  sir  ;  not  to  my  recollection. 

Q.  What  did  the  letter  advise  the  meeting  to  do  ? 

A.  It  didn't  state.     That  was  about  the  substance  of  the  letter. 

Q.  Who  read  tbe  letter? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  you  what  his  name  is.  I  wouldn't  know  him  if  I 
would  see  him. 

Q.  Did  you  come  up,  then,  with  the  crowd  that  came  up  to  the  shop  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  After  the  meeting  adjourned,  part  of  us  came  up  the  rail- 
road towards  the  L.  S.  crossing,  and  I  stood  there  conversing  about  fifteen 
or  twenty  minutes.  The  crowd  had  gone  towards  Lackawanna  avenue. 
After  they  had  dispersed  from  there,  1  thought  I  would  walk  to  town,  and 
I  went  up,  and  when  I  got  up  to  the  top  of  the  hill  the  crowd  and  I  walked 
through  the  crowd,  and  I  met  the  mayor  coming  down.  He  seemed  to  be 
quite  excited.  He  was  going  to  McKinney's  office.  I  met  him  a  little 
this  side  of  there.     I  passed  on  to  Lackawanna  avenue,  and  stood  there. 

Q.  Your  recollection  of  it  is  the  same  as  that  given  by  Mr.  Brown  this 
morning  as  to  what  occurred  there  on  Lackawanna  avenue  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Go  on  and  state,  then,  how  it  was  ? 

A.  I  walked  first  towards  Lackawanna  avenue  and  then  I  walked  back 
again  to  Washington  avenue  and  stood  down  there.  The  mayor  came  up, 
supported  by  two  men,  one  on  each  side  of  him,  and  the  crowd  following 
up.  A  party  says,  What  is  this  coming  down  the  avenue  ?  I  stood  up 
and  I  saw  it  was  vigilantes,  as  they  call  them,  coming  down  with  rifles. 
They  had  just  about  passed  about  the  time  the  crowd  came  there.  The 
crowd  filed  in  right  behind  them.  Mr.  Boltry  stepped  back  and  told  them 
to  keep  back.  With  that  they  turned  around  again,  and  with  that  the  first 
I  heard  was  "  crack,"  "  crack,"  "  crack  "  of  the  vigilants.  They  fired 
right  into  them. 

Q.  Was  the  crowd  throwing  stones  ? 

A.  I  had  not  seen  any. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  pistol  shot  from  the  crowd  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  there,  nor  anywhere  in  that  section. 

Q.  Whereabouts  was  the  crowd  when  the  vigilantes  fired  ? 

A.  They  were  right  on  Washington  avenue,  from  Lackawanna  avenue. 

Q.  Going  which  direction  ? 

A.  They  seemed  to  be  facing  down  Lackawanna  avenue. 

Q.  In  this  direction  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  When  the  firing  took  place  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  were  right  abreast  there. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  was  that  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  from  five  to  six  hundred. 

Q.  What  wages  were  you  getting  at  the  time  of  the  strike  ? 

A.  One  dollar  and  twelve  cents. 

Q.  As  boiler  tender  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  looked  after  boilers  there. 

Q.  Was  that  what  your  wages  were  about  the  time  of  the  reduction  or 
before  ? 

A.  After  the  reduction. 

Q.  How  was  it  before  the  reduction  ? 

A.  Before  the  reduction  it  was  one  dollar  and  a  half. 

Q.  When  was  the  first  reduction  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  in  March.  P 


748  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29 , 

Q.  How  much  was  it  after  the  reduction  in  March  ? 

A.  One  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents. 

Q.  Then  after  the  last  reduction  it  was  one  dollar  and  twelve  cents  ? 

A.  One  dollar  and  twelve  and  a  half  cents. 

Q.  What  were  engineers  getting  in  the  works  where  you  were  at  that 
time? 

A.  One  dollar  and  a  half  they  were  getting  before  the  last  reduction. 
One  dollar  and  thirty-five  cents,  then,  after  the  last  reduction.  There  is 
one  of  the  engineers  here,  who  can  state  that. 

Q.  What  were  the  men,  generally,  getting  ?     What  wages  in  the  shops  ? 

A.  Laboring  men  were  getting  eighty  cents  a  day. 

Q.  What  kind  of  work  were  the}'  doing? 

A.  All  kinds  of  work  round  there — that  is,  laborers. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  mean  repairing  men — truckmen  ? 

A.  Truckmen,  such  as  that. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Gret  eighty  cents  a  day  after  the  first  reduction  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  much  were  they  getting  before  the  last  reduction  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  either  ninety  cents  or  one  dollar,  or  one  dollar  and 
five  cents. 

Q.  How  much  were  they  getting  before  the  reduction  in  March  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say  what  they  were  getting.  Puddlers  were  getting  three 
dollars  a  ton. 

Q.  Three  dollars  a  ton  before  the  reduction  ? 

A.  Before  the  reduction. 

Q.  How  much  were  the}'  getting  before  the  reduction  ? 

A.  Two  dollars  and  seventy  cents  I  think  it  was,  and  that  had  to  be 
divided  between  two. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  They  had  a  helper? 

A.  At  this  time  two  puddlermen  were  in  together. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  How  much  would  they  puddle  per  day,  on  an  average  ? 

A.  A  ton  was  about  all  they  were  allowed  to  puddle.  Twenty-two  hun- 
dred, about  that — twenty-two  hundred  I  think  was  allowed  for  a  ton. 

Q.  What  then  did  they  make  per  day,  on  an  average  ? 

A.  Between  one  dollar  and  thirty-five  cents  and  one  dollar  and  fifty 
cents. 

Q.  Was  this  reduction  of  wages  that  was  made  in  July  general  ? 

A.  Yes ;  it  was  a  general  reduction — stated  so. 

Q.  Among  all  the  men  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  it  apply  to  you  ? 

A.  The  notice  read  that  it  would  be  a  sreneral  reduction. 

Q.  Did  the  reduction  apply  to  officers  of  the  company — book-keepers 
and  so  forth  ? 

A.  That  is  something  I  could  not  state. 

Q.  Is  a  ton  a  day  all  that  two  men  can  puddle  ? 

A.  Yes — about  that. 

Q.  Don't  they  puddle  more  than  that  some  days  ? 

A.  They  may  perhaps — two  hundred  over  that. 

Q.  Two  hundred  over  ?  They  are  paid  for  all  they  make  over,  are  they 
not  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  749 

A.  That  is  something  I  cannot  state.     They  are  only  allowed  a  ton. 

Q.  Did  other  companies  here  reduce  their  wages  also  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  At  the  same  time  ? 

A.  Well,  somewhere  around  there.  This  company  was  the  first  that 
struck  here. 

Q.  In  the  meetings  that  you  attended  among  the  men  who  struck,  was 
there  anything  said  about  interfering  with  those  parties  of  men  who  were 
willing  to  work  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  they  were  committees  appointed  to  go  and  wait  on  them, 
and  ask  them  civilly  whether  they  could  work.  There  was  no  violence  of 
any  kind. 

Q.  Committees  appointed  to  visit  them,  and  ask  them  to  quit  work  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Until  they  got  the  wages  they  want  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  they  fix  upon  any  definite  price  per  day  that  you  would  demand  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  we  asked  them  twenty-five  per  cent. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Twenty-five  per  cent,  advance  ? 

A.  Yes ;  there  was  a  committee  appointed  between  boiler  tenders  and 
engineers  of  the  company,  to  wait  on  the  former  and  demand  it. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Were  you  on  that  committee  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Well,  now  do  you  know 

A.  I  was  on  after.  We  could  not  get  no  one  over  there  after  we  met  al- 
together.    There  was  a  committee  appointed  to  wait  on  Mr.  Scranton,  and 
I  was  on  that  committee  to  ask  Mr.  Scranton. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.   What  reason  did  Mr.  Scranton  give  ? 

A.  Die  said  he  could  not  do  it.  He  was  not  getting  price  enough  for 
his  iron,  and  could  not  afford  to  give  it.  He  said  these  were  just  as  big  a 
price  as  any  other  company.  There  was  one  witness  stated  here  to-day, 
in  regard  to  after  the  coroner's  inquest  was  held,  that  they  were  to  take 
them  in  carriages  to  Wilkes-Barre  after  the  arrest.  There  was  no  such 
proposition  made. 

Q.  Were  you  at  the  coroner's  inquest  ? 

A.  Yes,  I  was  there — a  witness  there.     They  were  to  make  these  arrests 
and  put  them  in  the  lockup  here,  and  take  them  to  Wilkes-Barre.     They 
were  not  to  take  them  by  night. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  How  do  you  know  ? 

A.  Because  I  was  there  all  the  time. 

Q.  Have  any  conversation  with  the  officers  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  it  was  somewhere  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  or 
seven  o'clock,  when  the  verdict  was  given,  and  all  the  evidence  was  taken. 
Then  the  arrest  was  to  be  made  immediately  after  that.  He  stated  then, 
that  there  was  an  indictment  in  Wilkes-Barre,  one  for  murder  and  one  for 
manslaughter.  There  was  not.  There  was  only  one  indictment  fetched 
against  them.     It  was  for  manslaughter. 

Q.  Against  whom  ? 

A.  Against  the  vigilants. 


750  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  much  the  miners  made  per  day  during  May,  June, 
and  July,  1877  ? 

A.  The  miners  stated  to  me  that  they  could  make  on  an  average  about 
one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  a  day. 

Q.  During  May,  June,  and  July? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  they  were  not  working  on  full  time.  Some  days  they  would 
make  half  of  that.  They  were  paid  by  the  car,  and  they  would  not  get 
the  cars. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  was  your  object  in  coming  up  Lackawanna  avenue  at  that  time  ? 
You  saj-  you  came  up  and  stood  on  the  corner  ? 

A.  I  most  generally  come  up  every  day  two  or  three  times. 

Q.  You  had  no  particular  mission  to  go  up  there  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Expect  to  see  any  fun  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Did  you  expect  there  was  anything  going  on  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  never  dreamed  of  anything. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  know  there  was  a  crowd  of  men  driving  the  men  out  of  the 
works. 

A.  No,  sir  ;  had  not  seen  any. 

Q.  Did  not  know  anything  about  that  at  all  ? 

A.  Did  not  see  that  at  all.  The  men  came  out  peaceably.  I  did  not  see 
any  men  around. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  crowd  going  up  to  the  works  ? 

A.  The  place  was  on  the  road  coming  up. 

Q.  You  were  at  the  meeting  at  the  silk-works,  and  came  up  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  took  the  railroad. 

Q.  Did  the  railroad  lead  you  by  the  shops  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  about  the  shops  when  the  men  were  driving  the  workmen 
out — when  the  crowd  was  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  just  came  there  about  the  time  the  workmen  were  coming 
out.     I  did  not  see  them  driven  out. 

Q.  Did  you  go  inside  the  shops  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  You  were  along  there  just  as  the  workmen  were  coming  out  1 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  the  crowd  chasing  any  of  them  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw. 

Q.  The  workmen  came  out  peaceably  and  quiet  ?  There  seemed  to  be  no 
trouble  ? 

A.  There  did  not  seem  to  be  any  trouble. 

Q.  At  what  shops  ? 

A.  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western. 

Q.  At  the  lower  shops  ? 

A.  At  the  first  shops  as  you  go  down  the  hill. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  men  coming  out  of  the  lower  works  immediately  in 
the  vicinity  of  where  the  stables  are  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not.     I  met  them  after  the  crowd  had  passed. 

Q.  Passed  them  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  I  asked  them  what  the  difficulty  was.     They  told  me  the 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  751 

men  came  there  and  ordered  them  out,  so  they  went  out.     They  stood  all 
around  the  streets  there. 

Q.  Have  you  any  knowledge  of  some  men  being  clubbed  and  beaten  and 
injured  ? 

A.  No,  sir.     Did  not  see   any  clubbed,  injured,  or  beaten  in  any  way, 
shape,  or  manner. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Do  you  not  know  that  such  things  did  take  place — that  some  were 
beaten  and  driven  out  violently  ? 

A.  It  was  talked  so.     I  never  heard  a  man  say  he  was  hit. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  mayor  hit  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  mayor  bleeding  as  if  he  had  been  struck  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  yon  see  that  crowd  that  came  out  of  the  shops  with  clubs  in  their 
hands  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  men 

A.  When  the  mayor  got  there  I  passed  right  on  Lackawanna  avenue. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anybody  in  this  crowd  that  came  up  Washington  avenue 
with  clubs  ? 

A.  I  saw  some  boys  had  sticks — or  laths,  rather. 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  boys  ? 

A.  Boys  from  twelve  to  fourteen. 

Q.  You  did  not  see  any  attack  made  on  the  mayor  at  all  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not.     Not  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Father  Dunn  ? 

A.  I  think  I  did  see  the  mayor  struck.  I  would  not  be  positive  though. 
I  think  I  saw  the  mayor  struck.     I  would  not  be  positive. 

Q.  Who  struck  him  ?     A  boy  ? 

A.  No,  sir.     I  think  it  was  a  man. 

Q.  What  did  he  sti'ike  him  with  ? 

A.  I   could  not  see  what  he  struck  him  with.     I  was  quite  a  distance 
away.     I  was  up  on  Washington  avenue. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  At  what  point  was  it  you  saw  the  mayor  struck  ? 

A.  Right  below  the  culvert. 

Q.  The  causeway  under  the  railroad  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  did  the  crowd  say  when  they  came  up  Washington  avenue  ? 
Did  you  hear  any  expressions  from  the  crowd  what  they  were  going  to  do  ? 

A.  When  I  passed  by  I  heard  them  ask  who  it  was  that  was  going  to- 
wards McKinney's  office.  They  said  it  was  the  mayor.  Those  were  the 
only  words  I  heard  spoken. 

Q.  You  say  you  came  up  Washington  avenue,  and  sat  down  ? 

A.  I  sat  down  on  the  corner  of  Hunt's  store,  on  Washington  avenue. 

Q.  When  the  crowd  came  up — after  the  vigilants  came  up  the  street — 
did  the  crowd  say  what  they  were  going  to  do  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  they  walked  right  along  up  the  streets. 

Q.  What  did  those  boys  say  ? 

A.  The  boys  were  ahead  of  the  men.  I  did  not  pay  much  attention  to 
what  was  going  on.     I  saw  the  crowd  pass  up. 

Q.  Was  there  much  noise  ? 


752  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Walking  quietly,  were  they  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  were  walking  at  a  fair  gait. 

Q.  Now,  was  there  not  some  kind  of  a  row  when  the  mayor  was  struck ; 
were  they  walking  quietly  then  ? 

A.  They  were  standing — the  majortiy  of  the  crowd  were  standing  down 
around  the  shops  at  that  time. 

Q.  Where  did  this  man  come  from  that  struck  the  mayor — that  you 
think  struck  the  mayor  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say  where  he  came  from. 

Q.  Did  he  not  come  out  of  the  crowd  ? 

A.  That  is  something  I  could  not  say,  either. 

Q.  You  must,  certainly,  if  you  got  an  impression  on  your  mind  that  }tou 
saw  him  struck — you  must  certainly  know  where  the  man  came  from — you 
say  it  was  a  man  ? 

A.  I  think  the  first  I  saw  of  the  man,  was  right  in  front  of  the  mayor. 
Where  he  came  from,  I  could  not  say  anything  of  the  kind. 

Q.  Was  the  crowd  about  the  mayor  trying  to  protect  him  ? 

A.  Yes ;  some  of  tbem  were. 

Q.  You  did  not  see  anything  of  this  crowd  that  came  out  with  clubs — 
out  of  the  shops  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  You  say  you  heard  somebody  asking  who  it  was  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  that  passed  through  the  crowd. 

Q.  Where  did  the  reply,  "  the  mayor,"  come  from  ? 

A.  From  the  crowd.     About  the  center  of  the  crowd. 

Q.  Did  you  not  hear  some  expression  from  these  men  that  came  out  of 
the  shops  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Such  as,  "  go  for  him,"  or  "  kill  him,"  or  something  of  that  kind. 
Did  you  hear  a,ny  expression  of  that  kind  in  the  crowd  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not  stand  there  at  all.     I  passed  right  through. 

Q.  After  the  crowd  got  to  Lackawanna  avenue,  where  did  you  go  ? 

A.  I  stood  right  there. 

Q.  On  the  coiner? 

A.  Yes ;  about  a  couple  of  yards  back.  I  stood  about  four  or  five  feet 
away  from  where  one  of  the  men  was  struck. 

Q.  Where  were  the  vigilant,  placed '( 

A.  The  last  one  stood  about  the  corner  of  Mr.  Hunt's  store. 

Q.  Were  they  drawn  up  in  line  across  the  street? 

A.  No,  sir ;  they  were  in  twos,  going  down  the  street. 

Q.  Not  this  way  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  they  halt  or  march  off  down  the  street  ? 

A.  They  halted  right  there. 

Q.  And  faced  about  and  faced  the  crowd  ? 

A.  They  turned  towards — facing  the  crowd  ;  yes,  sir. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.   When  the  firing  took  place,  were  they  facing  ? 

A.  Facing  towards  the  crowd. 

Q.  Facing  down  this  way  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  facing  that  way. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  they  drawn  across  the  street  in  a  line,  or  how  were  they  placed  ? 

A.  As  near  as  I  can  recollect  it,  they  turned,  and  faced  around.     Sup- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  753 

pose  tUey  were  going  down  this  way,  [illustrating,]  and  they  faced  that 
way.  [Illustrating.] 

Q.  Were  they  faced  in  a  straight  line  across  this  avenue  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw. 

Q.  Were  they  up  and  down  the  street — I  mean,  for  instance,  facing  that 
side — lengthwise  ? 

A.  Yes ;  that  is  about  the  position  they  stood. 

Q.  Lengthwise,  down  this  street? 

A.  Yes ;  and  then  they  turned  right  around,  as  near  as  I  can  recollect 
it.  When  I  saw  them  facing,  each  man  stood  right  behind  the  other,  and 
they  turned  right  around  and  faced. 

Q.  In  what  direction  ? 

A.  Towards  Washington  avenue,  where  the  crowd  was  coming  up. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee: 

Q.  Faced  towards  you  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  They  fired  pretty  close  to  you  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  I  did  not  know  what  was  going  on,  for  about  a  minute,  until 
I  heard  one  buzz  pass  my  ear,  and  I  thought  it  was  time  for  me  to  get  out. 
I  ran  back  into-  Mr.  Hunt's  building  after  the  fire  was  over,  and  they  began 
to  form  a  line  across  Washington — right  on  Washington  avenue — began  to 
form  in  line;  then  I  came  out. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  The  position  you  describe  is,  that  they  formed  across  Washington 
avenue,  facing  towards  the  shop  ? 

A.  After  the  firing  was  done,  they  formed  to  go  towards  the  company's 
store. 

Q.  When  the  firing  was  done,  where  were  they  formed  ? 

A.  Right  about  the  center  of  the  street,  on  the  street  car  track,  coming 
down  this  way. 

Q.  Did  not  reach  Washington  avenue  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  was  past  it. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  say  there  was  a  man  shot  within  four  or  five  feet  of  you.  What 
was  he  doing  ? 

A.  1  could  not  say  what  he  was  doing.     I  saw  him  fall. 

Q.  You  did  not  see  what  he  was  doing,  before  the  shot  was  fired  1 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  turned  round  just  as  he  was  falling,  and  one  buzzed  along- 
side of  me,  and  I  got. 

Q.  Was  there  any  demonstration  made  by  the  crowd  at  all,  before  this 
firing  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  that  I  heard. 

Q.  Did  not  see  any  stones  thrown  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  the  majority  of  the  crowd  was  up  past  me,  when  the  shots 
began  to  fire.  There  was  one  man  came  up,  and  he  was  talking  with  me, 
and  he  says,  "  What  is  this  coming  down  the  street  ?"  and  I  looked  around, 
and  saw  what  was  called  the  vigilants. 

Q.  Were  you  in  position  to  see  the  stones  when  they  were  thrown  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  think  I  would,  if  thei*e  were  any  thrown.  I  stood  right  on  a 
level  with  Lackawanna  avenue. 

Q.  Had  the  crowd  got  across  Lackawanna  avenue  ? 

A.  There  were  some ;  I  could  not  say  exactly  whether  they  crossed  to 
the  other  side  of  the  street  or  not. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  killed  there  ? 

A.  Three. 

48  Riots. 


754  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Whereabouts  were  they  standing  when  they  were  killed  ? 

A.  One  of  them  stood  right  at  Hunt's  corner,  where  I  was  standing,  and 
as  to  where  the  otners  were,  I  could  not  say  where  they  were,  but  after  the 
firing  was  over  one  of  them  lay  right  in  front  of  Monie  &  Pugh's  bakery, 
and  the  other  one  lay  right  across  from  Hunt's. 

Q.  On  this  side  of  the  street  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  on  the  other  side.  One  of  them  lay  on  the  street  and  one 
lay  on  the  sidewalk  on  Washington  avenue. 

Q.  Were  they  both  on  the  right  hand  side  of  the  street  going  up  from 
here  to  Lackawanna  avenue  ? 

A.  One  of  them  was,  and  the  other  one  was  just  outside  of  the  side-walk. 

Q.  On  the  left  hand  side  as  you  go  up? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  If  the  firing  was  done  in  the  other  direction  how  could  this  man  be 
shot  upon  that  ?  You  say  they  were  facing  down  Washington  avenue  or 
in  that  direction — facing  to  the  right  up  Lackawanna  avenue? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  when  the  shots  began  to  fire. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  whether  this  other  man  on  the  left  or  rear  was  shot  at 
the  same  time  or  not  ? 

A.  He  was  shot  with  that  volley. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  command  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  Yes ;  as  near  as  I  can  recollect,  there  was  some  one  gave  a  command 
to  fire,  but  who  it  was,  I  could  not  say. 

Q.  Give  us  the  exact  words  if  you  can  ? 

A.  They  said,  "fire." 

Q.  They  were  all  facing  in  the  one  direction  when  that  command  was 
given  ? 

A.  The  men  that  were  back,  I  could  not  say  which  way  they  were  facing. 
The  front  were  facing  towards  Washington  avenue. 

Q.  And  in  one  line  ? 

A.  Yes ;  all  but  Mr.  Bolser.  He  was  behind  the  crowd.  I  do  not  know 
whether  he  got  as  far  as  the  crowd  when  the  shots  were  fired.  He  stood 
somewhere  about  two  or  three  yards  back  of  the  crowd. 

Q.  Was  the  volley  fired  by  the  whole  command  ? 

A.  There  were  three  or  four  shots  fired,  then  there  was  a  couple  of  sec- 
onds between,  and  then  there  was,  "crack,  crack,  crack,"  right  along. 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  after  that  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  not  that  I  know  of. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  You  said,  awhile  ago,  that  you  were  a  member  of  that  committee 
that  waited  upon  Mr.  Scranton  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  chairman  of  the  committee  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  was  secretary  of  that  committee. 

Q.  How  did  Mr.  Scranton  treat  you.     Gentlemanly? 

A.  Yes ;  he  did. 

Q.  Treated  you  gentlemanly  and  kindly  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Just  merely  stated  that  he  could  not  advance  that  twenty-five  per 
cent. 

A.  Said  he  could  not  afford  to  advance  a  cent  the  way  they  were  getting 
paid  for  what  they  sold. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  755 

F.  L.  Hitchcock,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  your  residence  and  business  ? 

A.  Residence  Scranton  ;  practicing  law. 

Q.  Please  give  us  a  statement  of  the  difficulty  as  it  occurred  in  the  city — 
as  it  came  under  your  observation — in  July  last  and  the  1st  day  of  August  ? 

A.  You  want  the  transaction  of  the  1st  of  August? 

Q.  We  would  like  to  have  the  origin  of  it — as  much  as  you  can  give 
us — the  origin  and  causes  that  produced  it  ? 

A.  You  have  had  that  all  in  detail  in  regard  to  the  causes.  I  have 
nothing  in  addition  to  that.  The  only  thing  I  can  give  you  additional 
would  be  what  I  know  of  the  organization  of  this  posse  and  its  work. 
While  this  strike  was  in  progress  and  trouble  became  apprehended,  the 
mayor  called  together  an  advisory  committee,  of  which  I  was  a  member. 
This  committee  were  devising  ways  and  means  for  protection,  and  it  was 
deemed  best  to  organize  this  posse.  I  suggested,  among  other  things — 
and  we  immediately  proceeded  to  organize — this  force  comprising  a  good 
many  of  the  old  soldiers  of  the  town,  and  got  together  a  force  of  some 
one  hundred  and  twenty  or  one  hundred  and  thirty  men,  I  think.  We 
gathered  together  what  arms  we  could  find,  and  we  commenced  to  drill. 
In  the  meantime  we  were  sworn  in  as  special  policemen  by  the  mayor,  and 
we  held  ourselves  in  readiness  constantly  to  protect  the  city  and  preserve 
the  peace.  Our  head-quarters  were  established  at  the  iron  company's  store, 
and  for  several  evenings  prior  to  the  1st  of  August  we  had  been  there — 
most  of  us — during  the  evening  until  twelve  o'clock,  and  a  large  force  all 
night,  apprehending  trouble.  On  the  evening  before  the  1st  of  August 
we  had  resolved  not  to  stay  up  there  any  longer,  considering  it  unneces- 
sary. I  was  sitting  in  my  office,  about  ten  o'clock,  when  the  superintend- 
ent came  down  and  told  me  he  apprehended  further  trouble  tUat  night, 
and  he  wished  us  to  get  our  posse  together  and  go  there  that  night.  1  im- 
mediately went  up  to  Doud's  store,  where  Captain  Ripple  said  he  would 
be,  to  communicate  with  him. 

Q.  Where  is  Doud's  store? 

A.  Just  above  the  corner  of  Washington  avenue. 

Q.  State  where  the  iron-works  store  is. 

A.  Still  further  up — at  the  corner — clear  up.  The  iron  company's  store 
is  at  the  corner  of  Jefferson  avenue  and  Lackawanna.  On  my  way  up 
there,  crossing  Washington  avenue,  I  noticed  a  number  of  persons  looking 
down  the  avenue,  and  1  stopped  to  see  what  they  were  looking  at,  and 
then  for  the  first  time  saw  this  crowd  approaching.  I  knew  nothing  of 
the  meeting  at  the  silk-works,  and  I  was  very  apprehensive  at  the  appear- 
ance of  things.  I  went  to  the  mayor's  office  and  asked  him  if  he  could 
explain  the  meaning  of  that  vast  crowd  coming  towards  the  city.  He  said 
he  did  not  know.  He  thought  a  moment,  and  said  it  was  the  meeting  at 
the  silk-works  breaking  up,  and  I  said  it  does  not  look  like  breaking  up ; 
it  is  coming  to  town.  ,l  Very  well,"  he  says,  "you  get  the  posse  together 
at  the  head-quarters,  and  await  my  orders."  1  immediately  gathered  to- 
gether as  many  of  the  men  as  I  could,  and  there  we  remained  until  we  saw 
them  driving  the  men  out  of  the  shops,  clubbing  and  stoning  people. 
They  drove  the  men  out  of  the  furnaces,  and  they  came  out  on  to  the  track, 
frightened  like  a  flock  of  sheep,  fleeing  for  their  fives.  Mr.  Scranton  came 
up  and  said  u  What  will  we  do?"  1  suggested  we  go  down  and  protect 
them  ;  we  had  a  right  to  protect  people  in  their  work.  "  Very  well,"  he 
said,  "I  would  do  that;"  and  he  immediately  communicated  to  Superin- 
tendent McKinney,  and  he  said,  the  men  had  gone  home,  and  were  afraid 


<? 


756  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

to  work  ;  there  was  no  use.  I  said  our  duty  was  to  wait  until  we  were 
called  upon  by  the  mayor.  Very  soon  afterwards  we  received  a  summons 
that  there  was  trouble  below.  We  immediately  formed  in  line  and  marched 
down  the  avenue  two  and  two.  We  had,  I  suppose — we  counted  off  be- 
fore we  started — thirty-eight  men  ;  but  our  force  received  some  additions, 
so  we  must  have  had  in  the  neighborhood  of  fifty. 

Q.  When  you  got  to  Washington  avenue  ? 

A.  When  we  got  to  Lackawanna  avenue,  coming  down.  I  was  unable 
to  find  any  one  of  the  officers  of  the  posse,  when  I  notified  the  men,  and 
acting  First  Sergeant  Bartholomew  was  in  command.  He  came  to  me  and 
said  I  must  act  as  second  lieutenant.  I  was  acting  then  as  second  lieu- 
tenant near  the  rear  of  the  column.  As  we  approached  Washington  avenue, 
we  noticed  there  was  a  large  crowd  there,  whooping  and  yelling.  There 
was  some  stones  thrown  as  we  approached,  and  quite  a  number  of  those 
missiles  came  in  behind  us  very  thick.  The  crowd  parted  and  let  us  through. 
We  came  down  on  the  street  car  track.  As  we  passed  the  avenue — the 
rear  of  the  line  passed  the  avenue — these  missiles  became  thicker,  and  some 
pistol  shots  were  fired,  and  a  number  of  our  guns,  I  noticed,  were  leveled. 
I  turned  around,  and  two  or  three  of  the  men  had  their  guns  down  to  shoot. 
I  yelled  to  them  not  to  shoot,  and  they  raised  their  guns  again.  This  at- 
tack became  much  more  furious,  and  we  appeared  to  be  in  danger  of  being 
swallowed  up,  destroyed,  and  the  whole  line  fired.  I  supposed  three  or 
four  shots  fired  first,  and  then  the  whole  line  fired.  A  number  of  the 
guns — two  of  the  guns,  I  think — were  seized  by  the  rioters  and  attempted 
to  be  wrested  from  the  men  before  any  firing  took* place — tried  to  be 
taken  from  the  men.  Several  of  the  men  were  hit — several  pistol  shots 
were  fired.  This  was  all  done  before  our  men  fired  a  gun.  Then,  I  sup- 
pose, there  were  about  fifty  or  sixt}'  shots  fired.  Immediately  the  whole 
field  was  clear,  and  everything  was  stopped.  We  marched  back  to  head- 
quarters, and  after  we  marched  back  there,  our  force  was  gathered  in  until 
we  had  about  two  hundred  men  on  duty — two  hundred  men  altogether. 
We  formed  a  line  across  the  avenue,  picketed  the  streets  at  the  head-quar- 
ters, and  remained  in  that  position  all  day  and  all  night.  Three  men  were 
killed  by  the  volleys.  Two  of  the  men  fell  near  that  corner  on  the  right 
side,  and  one  on  the  left. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  In  the  first  place,  where  did  the  stones  appear  to  come  from  and  the 
pistol  shots,  before  your  men  fired  ? 

A.  Came  from  the  crowd.     Came  from  both  sides. 

Q.  From  Washington  street? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  and  some  from  the  other  side  also. 

Q.  Both  sides  of  Lackawanna? 

A.  They  were  at  the  junction  of  Washington  avenue  and  Lackawanna. 
These  men  came  up  Washington  avenue,  and  they  divided  and  let  us 
through,  so  that  there  was  a  large  force  back  of  us  on  Washington  avenue. 
As  we  came  down  we  went  right  through  them,  and  they  attacked  us  on 
both  sides. 

Q.  What  position  were  the  men  in  when  the  firing  took  place? 

A.  They  were  faced  this  way,  in  column  of  twos — facing  this  way,  and 
they  simply  faced  about  and  fired  both  ways  in  the  crowd. 

Q.  Faced  outwards,  both  ranks  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  position  did  you  take  next? 

A.   After  the  fire? 

Q.  Yes? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  757 

A.  After  the  firing — after  a  few  moments — we  marched  back  to  head- 
quarters, and  formed  a  line  right  across  Lackawanna  avenue,  at  the  com- 
pany's store. 

Q.  Had  you,  at  any  time,  formed  across  Lackawanna  avenue  during  the 
time  you  were  at  Washington  avenue  ? 

A.  No  ;  we  just  remained  along  the  line  of  the  street  car  track. 

Q.  Parallel  with  Lackawanna  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  We  were  on  our  way  down  to  the  mayor's  office,  and  the 
attack  stopped  us,  and  compelled  us  to  fire. 

Q.   About  how  many  pistol  shots  did  you  hear  before  your  men  fired? 

A.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  noise  and  disturbance,  and  I  could  not  tell 
how — exactly  how  many.  There  was  one  or  two  reports  heard.  How 
many  I  could  not  tell.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  stones  thrown,  and  a 
very  excited  time. 

Q.  Was  the  mob  very  demonstrative  ? 

A.  Yes ;  fearfully  so — most  terrible  sight  I  ever  saw.  They  seemed  to 
be  perfectly  infuriated.     I  never  saw  men  more  like  devils  in  my  life. 

Q.  Hear  any  expressions  from  any  of  them  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes ;  all  kinds  of  expressions.  "  Kill  the  sons  of  bitches," 
"  Take  their  guns,"  and  all  that  kind  of  thing. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  mayor  in  the  vicinity  of  the  firing  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  did  not  see  the  mayor  until  after  the  firing  was  over.  Just 
as  the  firing  ceased  the  mayor  came  to  us  on  the  pavement. 

Q.  The  man  that  was  killed  on  the  south  side  of  Lackawanna  avenue, 
was  he  near  the  corner  ? 

A.  I  think  there  was  one  right  near  the  corner. 

Q.  Did  you  see  him  shot  ? 

A.  I  recollect  seeing  the  two  men  fall — yes,  I  saw  them  as  they  fell,  drop 
on  to  the  ground. 

Q.  Was  he  making  any  demonstration  towards  the  posse  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  as  to  any  individual,  nor  I  could  not  pick  out  any  in- 
dividual. A  large  man  there  swung  a  club  and  was  very  demonstrative. 
Whether  he  was  shot  or  not,  I  do  not  know.  The  man  I  did  not  know  at 
all  personally. 

Q.  On  what  day  was  this  posse  organized  ? 

A.  That  I  am  not  able  to  give  you — the  exact  date  from  memory.  We 
have  got  a  record. 

Q.  Was  it  before  or  after  the  Pittsburgh  riots  ? 

A.  I  am  unable  to  say.     I  judge  it  was — perhaps  it  was  a  little  after 
that — what  was  the  date  of  that  ? 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  It  commenced  the  19th,  but  the  destruction  of  property  was  on  the  22d  ? 

A.  This  was  after  that,  I  think.  I  think  it  was  one  of  the  reasons  why 
we  were  supposed  to  take  care  of  ourselves  if  we  could.  1  think  that  was 
one  of  the  reasons  that  actuated  the  advisory  board.  The  idea  was  that 
we  were  isolated  from  all,  and  that  we  either  had  to  take  care  of  ourselves 
or  take  the  chances  of  being  stamped  out. 

Q.  And  this  vigilance  committee  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
tecting property  ? 

A.  Nothing  else,  sir.  Preserving  peace  and  protecting  property,  and 
for  no  special  property.  Protecting  the  public  peace.  I  might  say  the 
reason  why  we  had  our  head -quarters  at  the  company's  store,  was  simply 
because  we  were  unable  to  get  any  other  place.  We  were  unable  to  get 
the  Second  National  Bank  and  other  halls — the  board  of  directors  refused 
us  admission.     Said  that  would  bring  the  fury  of  the  mob  down  upon 


758  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

them.  Mr.  Scranton  came  forward  and  said  we  could  occupy  their  store. 
We  offered  to  pay  for  these  other  places.  We  were  some  three  days  try- 
ing to  get  a  place. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Could  you  see  the  men  being  driven  out  of  the  shops  or  any  of  the 
works  from  this  store  ? 

A.  Yes.  We  could  see  them.  I  saw  them  before  I  got  to  the  store.  I 
saw  them  driving  them  out  of  the  railroad  shop  and  the  furnaces  before  I 
went  into  the  store. 

Q.  The  mob  following  the  men  ? 

A.  I  saw  men  following  them.  Stones  thrown  at  them.  Following  them 
with  clubs,  and  the  men  fleeing  for  their  lives.  I  saw  them  at  all  these 
places. 

Q.  The  mob  following  these  men.     What  was  it  composed  of — boys  ? 

A.  I  suppose  boys  sixteen  to  eighteen  years  old.  Some  of  them  were 
men.  I  noticed  quite  a  number  of  those  were  young  fellows — eighteen, 
twenty,  to  twenty-five  years  old. 

Q.  Was  information  made  against  you,  as  one  of  the  posse,  for  murder? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  For  manslaughter  ? 

A.  I  think  the  indictment  was  murder. 

Q.  Were  you  arrested  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  By  whom  ? 

A.  We  went  down  and  gave  ourselves  up.  I  was  not  one  of  those  ar- 
rested by  the  constable. 

Q.  Not  formally? 

A.  I  went  down  before  the  court,  and  entered  bail  before  the  court — the 
whole  of  our  posse — some  fifty  altogether. 

Q.  How  many  of  your  posse  were  tried  ? 

A.  The  whole  number,  I  think.  Of  those,  there  were  some  three  or  four 
that  were  proven  not  to  have  been  present ;  that  were  arraigned  as  part  of 
our  posse. 

Q.  At  the  preliminary  hearing  were  dismissed  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.     Dismissed  by  the  court. 

Q.  Had  you  a  preliminary  hearing  before  the  court  ? 

A.  We  gave  bail,  and  on  the  trial  a  number  of  those  persons  were  proven 
not  to  have  been  present.  They  were  all  tried.  The  judge  directed  a  ver- 
dict of  acquittal  before  it  went  to  the  jury. 

Q.  Then  you  had  no  preliminary  hearing  at  all  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q,.  How  many  were  indicted  for  murder  ? 

A.  Some  fifty. 

Q.  Some  for  murder,  and  some  for  manslaughter  ? 

A.  I  think  they  were  all  on  the  same  indictment  of  murder — all  in  one 
indictment,  sir. 

Q.  And  all  tried  ? 

A.  Yes ;  all  tried.  There  were  three  cases,  but  we  were  all  on  them. 
There  were  three  different  indictments.  One  case  was  made  a  test  case 
for  them  all,  and  the  other  two  the  verdict  was  taken  without  any  evidence 
at  all,  following  the  first  one. 

Q.  One  case  was  made  a  test  case  ? 

A.  There  were  indictments  in  each  of  the  three  cases  of  Mr.  Langon, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  759 

Lane,  and  Dunledin.  I  think  the  case  that  was  tried  was  for  the  murder 
of  Langon.     That  was  the  one  that  was  actually  contested. 

Q.  The  case  that  was  contested — was  that  submitted  to  a  jury? 

A.  Oh,  yes;  with  the  exception  of  those  parties  who  were  proved  not 
present. 

Carlos  W.  McKinney,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  where  you  reside  ? 

A.  The  corner  of  Adams  avenue  and  Spruce  street,  Ninth  ward. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Superintendent  blast  furnace,  Lackawanna  Iron  Company. 

Q.  On  the  1st  day  of  August,  state  where  you  were  ? 

A.  The  morning  of  the  first  day  of  August,  I  went  to  the  furnaces  as 
usual.     The  furnaces  had  been  idle  for  sometime  before ;  that  they  had 
banked  them  up,  and  I  got  the  men  to  go  out  and  commence  operations 
again.     After  working  two  or  three  days,  on  the  1st  day  of  August  there 
was  a  party  assembled  at  the  silk-works,  while  my  men  were  at  work  at 
the  furnaces.     I  was  notified  that  there  was  a  party  down  there,  and  there 
would  probably  be  trouble.     I  went  up  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
at  the  top  of  the  iron  company's  store,  took  a  field  glass  and  saw  a  large 
crowd  at  the  silk-works.     I  saw  the  party  start  up  Washington  avenue 
from  the  silk-works,  and  I  then  went  down  near  the  steel-works,  on  an  em- 
bankment, so  that  I  could  have  a  good  view.     I  didn't  know  but  that  they 
were  just  going  to  make  a  parade  through  the  streets,  but  when  they  ar- 
rived up  as  far  as  the  iron  company's  machine  shops — boiler  shops — a  large 
party  of  them  left  the  main  line,  and  passed  off  into  the  machine  shops 
and  drove  the  machine  shop  hands  out.     I  saw  them  stoning  them,  and 
thowing  clubs  at  them,  from  where  I  stood.     After  that  a  large  number  of 
them  came  up  towards  the  blast  furnaces.     A  small  track  led  in  down  to 
the  machine  shops.     I  then  went  down  to  the  blast  furnaces,  and  made  ar- 
rangements to  cast.     I  told  the  men  it  looked  like  trouble,  and  I  thought 
we  better  get  out  what  iron  there  was  in  the  furnace,  and  in  case  the  men 
came  upon  us  we  would  throw  the  blast  out.     I  looked  around,  and  saw  the 
crowd  coming  up,  right  at  the  foot  of  the  furnace,  probably  a  thousand  of 
them  ;  we  were  just  then  about  done  casting.     I  saw  the  men  could  not 
stop  long  enough  to  stop  the  furnace,  and  told  them  to  run,  and  I  threw 
the  blast  off  myself.     I  passed  then,  off  to  the  engine-house,  told  the  en- 
gineer to  stop  the  engine  and  take  the  blast  off,  which  he  did.     By  this 
time  the  crowd  had  followed  me,  and  I  went  up  to  the  iron  company's 
store,  and  met  the  general  manager  there,  Mr.  Scranton,and  told  him  what 
had  occurred  at  the  furnace,  and  asked  him  what  should  be  done.     He  said, 
we  would  wait  and  see.     At  that  time  nearly  all  the  superintendents  and 
foremen  had  come  to  the  office,  and  reported  that  they  had  been  stopped, 
and  their  men  had  been  driven  off.     Then  we  had  collected  citizens  and 
people  working  for  the  iron  company,  some  forty-four  men,  that  were  up 
in  the  store.     Mr.  Scranton,  after  waiting  awhile,  said  we  had  better  fall 
in  and  go  down  and  offer  our  services  to  the  mayor,  as  we  had  already  been 
appointed  special  policemen  for  the  protection  of  iron  property,  and  the 
property  in  general.     And  he  headed  the  line — got  them  in  column  of  two, 
and  made  the  remark  that  we  might  as  well  die  as  any  other  time,  and  told 
them  to  follow.     We  marched  out  of  the  company's  stoi'e,  came  down  Lack- 
awanna avenue  to  the  corner  of  Washington  here,  and  we  met  the  crowd 
which  had  left  the  blast  furnace,  and  passed  to  the  shops  of  the  D.,  L.  and 
W.     Quite  a  number  were  already  on  Lackawanna  avenue,  probably  half  a 


760  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

block  up.  We  passed  them,  and  they  said  nothing  particular  until  we  got 
past  Washington  avenue.  I  was  on  the  rear  end  of  the  line  with  Bartry, 
and  Mr.  Scranton  was  at  the  head.  After  passing  Washington  avenue, 
the  main  body  of  the  mob  that  came  from  below,  came  around  rushing  into 
Lackawanna  avenue,  and  there  was  one  man,  I  don't  know  who  he  was — 
they  said  his  name  was  Langon — who  came  up  to  the  line  on  the  side  where 
I  was,  and  he  had  a  stick  about  that  long,  [indicating,]  and  as  I  came  by 
he  shook  his  fist.  I  made  no  reply  or  anything.  Then  he  turned  to  the 
crowd  and  says,  "  Fall  in,  boys,  fall  in,  boys."  They  were  rushing  up. 
Then  somebody  hollered  out,  Take  the  guns  away  from  them,  they  have 
blank  cartridges.  They  were  probably  twenty-five  feet  from  us,  and  Bartry 
and  myself  motioned  them  to  stay  back.  At  that  time  somebody  fired  a  gun 
down  the  line,  and  when  the  first  gun  was  fired  a  general  fire  commenced. 
After  the  crowd  dispersed,  we  formed  up  in  column  of  twos  again,  faced 
the  other  way,  and  marched  back  to  the  store. 

Q.  How  many  persons  were  killed  ? 

A.  There  were  three  killed. 

Q.  How  many  wounded  ? 

A.  I  don't  know,  sir ;  we  have  never  been  able  to  find  out. 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  posse  wounded  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  was  wounded.  A  pistol  ball  in  my  knee,  shot  by  a  man  who 
was  on  the  corner,  next  to  Jack  Slagle. 

Q.  On  the  left  hand  side  going  up  Lackawanna  ? 

A.  At  the  corner  of  Lackawanna  and  Washington.  The  first  time  these 
men  shot,  he  hit  my  gun,  and  knocked  a  piece  of  the  wood  off.  I  have  the 
gun  yet.  The  next  time  he  took  me  about  four  or  five  feet  from  the  cor- 
ner. I  felt  the  ball  strike  by  my  knee.  I  felt  down,  and  saw  I  was  shot ; 
felt  the  blood  running  down  my  leg,  and  right  after  that  there  was  firing. 
Just  at  that  time  there  was  a  man,  probably  about  a  head  taller  than  the 
other  man,  who  shot  two  men  at  the  rear  end  of  the  column.  I  heard  those 
balls  come  by,  and  I  saw  both  shots. 

Q.  Were  those  shots  fired  before  there  was  any  firing? 

A.  Yes  ;  they  were  firing  before  any  shots  were  fired. 

Q.  Were  you  struck  before  any  firing  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  was  struck  after  the  general  engagement  commenced. 

Q.  Any  stones  thrown  at  the  posse  by  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Yes ;  there  were  stones  thrown.  I  dodged  one  stone  that  struck  a 
man  by  the  name  of  John  Stanton  in  the  back. 

Q.  Was  that  before  any  firing  ? 

A.  That  was  before  any  firing. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  I  understood  you  to  say  that  the  first  pistol  shot  fired  at  you  was  be- 
fore your  posse  fired  ? 

A.  I  was  not  shot  until  after. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  I  understood  you  there  was  a  shot  that  hit  your  gun  I 

A.  My  gun  and  myself  was  shot  after  the  firing. 

Q.  You  say  that  the  two  shots  fired  by  the  tall  man  was  before  any  fir- 
ing done  by  the  posse  ? 

A.  Before  any  firing  in  the  line. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Yon  don't  know  who  that  was  that  fired,  do  you? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Ever  know  what  became  of  him  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  761 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Were  you  one  of  the  men  that  were  indicted  for  murder  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  arrested  ? 

A.  I  was  arrested. 

Q.  By  the  constable  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  went  to  Wilkes-Barre,  and  gave  myself  up  with  the 
posse. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  information  that  this  crowd  were  about  to  drive 
your  men  out  of  these  furnaces  ? 

A.  My  men  told  me  at  the  blast  furnace  that  some  men  had  told  them 
they  had  better  get  out.  My  foreman,  as  well  as  the  men  who  were  at 
work  there,  told  me.  That  is  the  reason  I  went  up  on  to  the  store  so  as 
to  get  a  good  view  of  the  crowd,  and  be  in  readiness. 

Q.  Were  you  up  in  the  store  when  you  saw  the  crowd  coming  up  ? 

A.  I  was  on  top  of  the  store. 

Q.  Could  you  see  any  demonstrations  they  made  in  the  furnace  and 
work-shops  below  ? 

A.  After  we  commenced  moving,  I  left  that  position,  and  passed  down 
to  the  steel-mill,  which  is  on  a  high  embankment.  I  did  not  see  what  the 
crowd  were  going  to  do  for  certain.  I  supposed  they  were  going  to  just 
have  a  parade.  When  I  saw  them  make  this  demonstration  at  the  lower 
shops,  then  I  immediately  went  to  the  furnaces,  and  got  out  whatever  iron 
there  was  in  the  furnaces,  because  I  supposed  that  would  be  the  next  point 
of  attack. 

Q.  You  were  close  enough  to  those  shops  below  the  steel-works  to  see 
distinctly  that  the  men  were  being  driven  out  ? 

A.  Yes.  Saw  them  throwing  stones  at  them.  Saw  the  men  who  fired 
the  boiler-house,  and  they  threw  stones  at  them  at  the  same  time.  Saw 
two  or  three  men  running  up  the  embankment  on  the  opposite  side  they 
were  stoning  them. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  them  hurt  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  whether  the  stones  hit  them  or  not. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  else  that  would  be  of  interest  to  our  commit- 
tee, any  information  that  you  have  not  already  stated  ? 

A.  These  are  just  about  the  facts,  so  far  as  the  riot  is  concerned. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  to  meet  at  four  o'clock,  this  after- 
noon. 


AFTERNOON  SESSION. 

Scranton,  March  30,  1878. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  four,  p.  M.     All  mem- 
bers present  except  Mr.  Dewees. 

John  Mucklow,  sworn : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 
A.  Down  at  Greenwood. 
Q.  How  far  from  here  ? 
A.  They  call  it  three  miles. 


762  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Working  in  the  mines. 

Q.  Were  you  at  home  on  the  1st  day  of  August  last. 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Had  the  miners  been  at  work  up  to  that  time  ? 

A.  I  believe  not,  sir. 

Q.  What  time  did  they  quit  work  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  exactly.  They  had  not  worked  for  a  week  or  so — 
nearly  a  couple  of  weeks,  for  all  I  know. 

Q.  Were  they  on  a  strike? 

A.  Our  men  did  not  strike  at  all.  Our  men  were  all  working,  and 
stopped  for  want  of  cars. 

Q.  Stopped  because  there  were  no  cars  to  carry  the  coal  away  'I 

A.  Yes.  Our  men  did  not  strike  at  all.  Did  not  hear  a  word  about 
striking  among  our  men. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  Isaac  B.  Felts  lives  ? 

A.  I  guess  he  lives  over  in  Taylorsville. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  his  store  is  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  his  store  is  right  opposite  my  house. 

Q.  Opposite  your  house  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  its  being  broken  into  on  the  morning 
of  the  1st  of  August — some  time  after  midnight,  or  before  daylight  ? 

A.  Broken  open  between  twelve  and  one  o'clock  that  night — that  morn- 
ing. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  the  disturbance  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  saw  it,  too. 

Q.  Wei-e  you  up  ? 

A.  I  was  up  laying  on  my  porch. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  there  that  broke  into  the  store  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell.  There  might  have  been  some  tweuty  ;  may  be 
thirty,  more  or  less.     I  could  not  say.     It  was  moonlight. 

Q.  How  did  they  get  in.  How  did  they  break  in.  Give  us  a  descrip- 
tion ? 

A.  I  heard  the  first  noise  in  the  store.  There  was  a  crowd  outside,  and 
the  first  noise  I  heard  in  the  store,  and  then  they  opened  the  front  door 
to  the  store-room,  and  they  went  in  there.  There  were  some  in  the  store 
before  that,  because  they  opened  the  door. 

Q.  Did  they  break  in  the  door  or  unlock  it  ? 

A.  The  door  was  broke  in — shoved  in. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  them  when  they  first  came  there  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  was  lying  on  the  porch. 

Q.  What  class  of  men  were  they  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  anything  about  that. 

Q.  Where  did  they  come  from  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell.  They  came  up  the  road.  That  is,  going  down 
towards  Pittston.     They  came  up  that  way. 

Q.  Towards  Scranton  ? 

A.  Came  from  towards  Scranton.  Towards  Taylorville,  the  opposite 
side. 

Q.  What  did  they  say  ? 

A.  Did  not  hear  anything  said,  sir. 

Q.  Were  they  noisy  ? 

A.  No  noise  at  all. 

Q.  Done  quietly,  was  it  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  763 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  damage  did  they  do  ? 

A.  I  could  not  state.     I  know  they  took  goods  away.     I  saw  them  carry- 
ing goods  away.     Could  not  tell  how  much  or  how  little. 
By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  What  kind  of  goods  ? 

A.  I  saw  them  carry  boxes  away,  blue  boxes,  and  other  things. 

Q.  Was  it  store  goods,  groceries,  or  was  it  iron  ? 

A.  Carried  every  sort  away.  I  guess  we  found  everything  of  every  kind 
lying  along  through  the  woods  and  places  afterwards. 

Q.  In  what  direction  ? 

A.  Eight  down  towards  the  Lackawanna. 

Q.  In  this  direction,  [indicating?] 

A.  No  ;  more  towards  north. 

Q.  Would  it  be  on  the  road  toward  the  silk-works  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  it  was  down  kind  of  katty-cornered  from  that ;  north-west. 

Q.  Did  you  go  over  to  the  store  to  see  who  it  was  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not.  I  knew  better  than  that.  Did  not  want  to  get 
my  head  broke. 

Q.  Did  you  consider  it  dangerous  to  have  gone  there  ? 

A.  I  would  consider  it,  and  I  had  a  pair  of  revolvers  with  me,  too. 

Q.  Pair  of  revolvers  ? 

A.  I  had  a  pair. 

Q.  And  you  would  not  want  to  risk  it  ? 

A.  Xo ;  I  would  not  want  to  risk  it  at  all. 

Q.  Did  you  know  any  of  the  men  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not  know  a  man — had  no  knowledge  of  any  man  that 
was  there. 

Q.  No  knowledge  ? 

A.  No  knowledge. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  those  men  came  from  the  silk-works  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Was  there  a  meeting  at  the  silk-works  that  same  morning  ? 

A.  I  heard  there  was  afterwards,  but  I  did  not  hear  nothing  of  that  until 
it  was  over.  The  first  I  heard  of  that  was  Langon  and  Dunledin  was  shot 
at  Scranton.  We  heard  out  there,  there  was  four  men  shot.  That  was  all 
I  know  about  it.     The  news  was  carried  up  there  in  the  afternoon. 

Q.  Did  you  know  those  two  men,  Langon  and  Dunledin? 

A.  I  knew  Dunledin  when  he  was  a  boy,  and  I  knew  Langon  because  he 
worked  in  our  works. 

Q.  Last  summer  ? 

A.  Yes.     He  worked  there  when  he  was  killed. 

Q.  What  kind  of  a  man  was  this  Langon  ? 

A.  I  never  saw  anything  wrong  about  him.  He  was  assessor  of  our 
township. 

Q.  Assessor  of  the  township  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Had  he  been  instrumental  in  instigating  the  strike  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  How  was  the  other  man — what  kind  of  a  character  or  reputation  had 
he? 

A.  I  do  not  know  anything  about  him  from  the  time  he  was  a  young 
boy. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  How  old  a  man  was  he  ? 


164  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Langon  ?     I  could  not  state. 

Q.  The  other  one. 

A.  He  might  have  been,  may  be  twenty — from  twenty  to  twenty-five. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  Langon  say  anything  to  you  about  going  to  the  silk-works  ? 

A.  Not  a  word. 

Q.  Did  you  know  anything  about  the  meeting  before. 

A.  Not  a  word.     Did  not  know  until  about  three  o'clock,  in  the  after- 
noon. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  talk  among  the  men  where  you  work  about  strik- 
ing? 

A.  Not  that  I  ever  heard.     Our  men  were  all  at  work. 

Q.  What  company  were  you  working  for  ? 

A.  Messrs.  Correy  &  Co. 

Q.  Had  your  wages  been  reduced  any  during  the  spring? 

A.  Not  from  the  fifteen  cent  drop,  or  whatever  time  the  drop  was. 

Q.  When  was  that  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  exactly  what  month  it  was  in. 

Q.  What  year  ? 

A.  I  guess  it  must  have  been  1856  or  1857. 

Q.  1876,  vou  mean  ? 

A.  1876  or  1877. 

Q.  How  much  were  you  making  per  day  at  the  time  you  had  to  quit 
work  ? 

A.  We  had  to  work  pretty  hard  long  hours  if  we  could  make  one  dollar 
and  ninety  cents  a  day  as  a  miner. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee: 

Q.  One  dollar  and  ninety  cents  ? 

A.  That  was  all  we  made  that  month. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  paid  by  the  ton  ? 

A.  We  were  paid  by  the  car. 

Q.  How  much  were  you  paid  by  the  car  ? 

A.  Sixty-six  cents.     I  think  our  vein  is  small — three  foot  thick  and  about 
three  or  four  inches 

Q.  How  many  cars  can  you  put  out  to-day  ? 

A.  Six  are  our  day's  work.     We  had  too  much  work.     We  could  not  do 
it. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  For  how  many  men  ? 

A.  Two. 

Q.  You  don't  know  of  any  reduction  in  the  price  for  mining  than  that  of 
last  year  ? 

A.  Not  from  the  fifteen  cent  drop. 

Q.  What  was  the  grievance  of  the  miners  then  ? 

A.  Didn't  seem  to  be  any  grievance  at  our  place  at  all.     I  didn't  hear 
them  say  anything,  only  they  couldn't  get  cars  enough  to  load  the  coal. 

Q.  Was  there  any  demand  for  coal  ? 

A.  The  cars  didn't  come  for  taking  away. 

Q.  It  was  not  so  much  then  the  price  that  was  paid  per  ton  as  it  was  as 
to  the  number  of  cars  furnished  ? 

A.  They  had  the  same  price,  but  they  could  not  get  as  much  as  they 
could  do. 

Q.  It  was  the  want  of  work  ? 

A.  It  was  the  want  of  work. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877-  T65 

Q.  Not  the  amount  paid  ? 

A.  The  amount  of  work,  that  was  what  it  was  for. 

Q.  What  was  the  cause  of  this  want  of  cars  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell  that.  It  seems  like  this  :  we  did  not  get  the  cars  be- 
cause the  engineers  and  firemen  stopped  for  wages.  That  was  what  I  un- 
derstood it  was  for. 

Q.  What? 

A.  The  firemen  and  the  engineers  struck.  That  was  the  reason  we  could 
not  get  cars. 

Q.  For  how  long  did  this  last,  that  you  didn't  have  cars  enough  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say  how  long  it  was  we  could  not  get  cars  enough  ;  and 
we  don't  get  enough  yet. 

Q.  Was  there  any  plan  before  that  time  that  the  engineers  should  refuse 
to  work  and  run  the  cars  ? 

A.  I  did  not  hear  anything  before  that. 

Q.  Was  these  grievances  complained  of? 

A.  No,  sir ;  but  there  was  not  enough  cars  then. 

Q.  Have  there  been  cars  enough  since  ? 

A.  in  our  place  I  only  make  six  days  a  month  now. 

Q.  What  is  the  cause  of  the  want  of  cars  now  ? 

A.  Can't' tell  anything  about  it. 

Q.  Is  it  the  want  of  demand  for  coal  ? 

A.  They  say  so.     I  don't  know  what  it  was. 

Q.  Was  there  a  general  understanding  of  the  miners  throughout  this  re- 
gion, before  the  strike  took  place,  that  there  would  be  a  strike  ? 

A.  I  never  heard  anything  about  it. 

Q.  Was  there  a  strike  among  the  other  miners  for  higher  pay  ? 

A.  Not  as  I  know  of. 

Q.  How  much  damage  was  done  to  Mr.  Felt's  store  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say. 

Q.  You  don't  know  the  value  of  the  goods  they  took  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

John  Jones,  sworn. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  Greenwood. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Stationary  engineer. 

Q.  Were  you  at  home  in  July  last,  or  August  the  1st? 

A.  I  was  at  home  on  the  day  of  August  1st. 

Q.  How  far  from  Mr.  Felt's  store  do  you  live  ? 

A.  About  fifty  feet,  or  seventy-five  feet.  Just  opposite  the  store — nearly 
opposite. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  anybody  breaking  into  the  store  during  the  night,  and 
if  so,  at  what  time  ? 

A.  I  was  not  home  that  night.     I  was  working. 

Q.  Where  were  you  working? 

A.  At  the  Greenwood  slope. 

Q.  Running  an  engine  ? 

A.  Running  an  engine. 

Q.  At  what  time  did  you  come  off? 

A.  Seven  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Q.  You  heard  nothing  of  what  took  place  at  the  store  during  the  night? 

A.  No. 


166  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Do  you  know  who  the  parties  were  that  were  at  the  store  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  do  not. 

Q.  Do  you  know  from  where  they  came  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Or  what  class  of  men  they  were  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  When  did  you  learn  of  the  store  being  broken  open  ? 

A.  Learned  of  it  when  I  came  home  in  the  morning — when  I  reached 
home. 

Q.  Who  told  you  ? 

A.  My  wife. 

Q.  Did  she  hear  any  of  the  parties  ? 

A.  She  did  not  say  she  heard  any  of  the  parties  that  were  at  the  store. 
She  heard  from  the  neighbors.     The  neighbors  told  her  of  it. 

Q.  Did  you  know  anything  about  the  meeting  at  the  silk-works? 

A.  Not  until  the  day  they  had  the  meeting. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  learn  of  that  ? 

A.  I  learned  of  it  after  the  shooting. 

Q.  Where  were  you  when  you  heard  of  it  ? 

A.  Sitting  on  the  store  porch. 

Q.  At  Greenwood  ? 

A.  At  my  home;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  For  what  company  were  you  working  at  the  time  ? 

A.  The  Pennsylvania  Anthracite  Coal  Company. 

Q.  What  wages  were  you  getting,  running  the  engine? 

A.  One  dollar  and  eighty-live  cents  a  day. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  reduction  made  ? 

A.  Not  for  six  months  previous  to  that,  there  had  not  been  from  that 
time  on.     There  had  not  been,  not  very  lately. 

Q.  When  was  the  last  reduction  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  in  December. 

Q.  Of  1876? 

A.  Of  1876. 

Q.  How  much  was  that  reduction  ? 

A.  Fifteen  cents. 

Q.  There  had  been  none  since  ? 

A.  None  since  that. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Fifteen  cents  a  day  ? 

A.  Fifteen  cents  on  a  dollar — fifteen  per  cent. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  you  working  for  the  same  company  that  John  Mucklow  was  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  any  strike  of  the  men  that  were  working  for  that  company  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  that  1  know  of.     Would  not  call  it  a  strike,  anyhow. 

Q.  What  do  you  call  a  strike  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  what  to  call  it.     When  men  turn  out  for  wages,  for  their 
rights,  that  is  what  they  term  a  strike — stick  out  for  their  rights. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Tell  what  they  propose  to  do  when  they  go  out  for  their  rights — pro- 
pose to  simply  quit  ? 

A.  Simply  quit,  and  stand  out  until  they  get  their  rights. 

Q.  And  prevent  others  from  working,  at  the  same  time  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.     I  should  not  prevent  any  man,  if  I  was  striking.     I 
should  not  prevent  any  man  from  work. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  Jluy,  18TT.  767 

Q.  Is  not  that  generally  done  ? 
A.  It  seems  so. 
Q.  Is  not  that  the  rule  7 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  that  is  the  rule  or  not.     I  could  not  say. 
Q.  What  has  been  the  custom,  generally,  when  they  went  out  on   a 
strike  ?     Would  they  permit  anybody  to  work  ? 
A.  It  has  been  a  custom  not  to  let  them  work. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 
Q.  Were  you  one  of  the  strikers  ? 
A.  No,  sir ;  I  was  not. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  You  had  charge  of  an  engine  ? 
A.  Pumping  engine  and  hoist. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  Were  you  interfered  with  in  your  pumping  ? 
A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Not  asked  to  quit  pumping  ? 
A.  Not  asked  to  quit  pumping. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  other  places  where  they  were  requested  to  quit 
pumping? 
A.  No,  sir. 
Q.  Did  you  quit  ? 
A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Tended  your  engine  ? 
A.  Worked  right  along. 

Q.  Is  there  anything  else  you  wish  to  state  to  this  committee  ? 
A.  No,  sir ;  nothing  at  all. 
Q.  We  want  to  give  a  full  hearing  to  all  sides  ? 

A.  I  am  one  of  those  kind  of  men  that  I  don't  go  around  much,  and  I 
don't  know  much ;. therefore,  I  can't  tell  you  much  of  anything. 

By  Mr.  Means : 
0.  You  are  taking  care  of  No.  1  ? 


'o 


A.  I  am  taking  care  of  No.  1. 


r> 


W.  W.  Scranton,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  where  you  reside  and  your  business,  if  you  please  ? 

A.  I  live  here  in  Scranton.  General  manager  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron 
and  Coal  Company. 

Q.  I  wish  you  would  give  us  a  statement  of  what  took  place  prior  to 
the  1st  of  August,  in  the  way  of  organization  for  protection,  and  what  you 
learned  about  the  strike,  and  causes  that  induced  it,  &c,  in  brief? 

A.  It  was  Tuesday,  July  24, 1  think,  that  our  iron  company  men  struck. 
The  strike  started  in  the  old  mill.  A  few  men  run  out  and  shouted,  "  We 
have  struck!"  and  blew  the  big  whistle,  and  as  the  men  came  out  to  hear 
what  was  the  matter,  they  said,  "  We  have  struck — all  turn  out !"  and  they 
all  turned  out.  That  was  about  noon  time — between  twelve  and  one  o'clock. 
Those  that  had  gone  home,  and  who  knew  nothing  about  it,  came  back, 
and  were  told  that  the  men  had  struck,  and  that  they  must  not  go  back. 
Whereupon  the  leaders  of  them  marched  the  men  in  a  body  down  to  our 
new  mill,  where  we  had  some  puddlers  at  work,  and  got  them  out  there, 
and  from  there  down  to  the  machine  shop.  I  heard  of  it  then,  and  drove 
down  and  asked  them  what  was  the  matter.  I  reproached  them  for  strik- 
ing without  saying  anything  to  me  or  making  any  complaint.  Inquired 
what  reasons  they  had,  &c,  and  they  said  they  struck  because  they  were 


T68  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

not  getting  pay  enough  ;  and  I  asked  them  what  they  wanted,  and  they 
said  they  wanted  thirty-five  per  cent,  advance.  Of  course  I  pooh-poohed 
it ;  it  was  ridiculous — such  an  advance  as  that  in  such  times  as  these. 
Told  them  that  was  out  of  the  question.  Of  course,  we  could  not  afford 
it.  I  would  be  glad  to  pay  them  better  wages  if  we  could ;  there  was  noth- 
ing to  warrant  it.  They  separated,  and  I  went  back.  Our  shop  hands 
still  stayed  in — the  machine  shop  men,  and  foundry  men,  and  our  furnace 
men.  Of  course  we  did  not  want  to  have  our  furnace  go  out,  if  possible, 
and  I  went  out  and  talked  to  these  men  in  the  afternoon  and  evening  both. 
They  said  that  they  were  perfectly  willing  to  work — were  satisfied  with 
their  pay,  but  that  they  were  afraid,  that  there  had  been  so  many  threats 
made  that  they  had  not  dare  stay.  They  would  stay  that  night,  but  they 
must  go  out  the  next  morning,  because  their  lives  were  not  safe.  They 
said  people  had  been  to  their  wives  and  children,  and  they  had  been  told 
that  if  their  fathers,  and  brothers,  &c,  would  not  stop  they  would  be 
killed.  The  long  and  short  of  the  matter  is,  our  furnace  men  were  afraid. 
They  said  they  were  willing  to  work,  and  were  satisfied  to  work,  but  they 
did  not  dare.  Of  course,  judging  from  the  temper  of  the  times,  I  thought 
there  might  possibly  be  trouble,  and  I  at  once  proceeded  to  organize  a 
body  of  men  to  protect  our  property.  I  called  in  all  our  foremen,  and  a 
number  of  men  I  had  confidence  in — about  thirty — armed  them  with  rifles, 
kept  them  in  the  store  that  night,  ready  for  anything  that  might  happen. 
There  was  a  good  deal  of  talk  about  fire,  &c.  The  next  morning  the  fur- 
nace men  went  out.  They  said  they  could  not  stay.  I  went  down  and  talked 
to  them.  They  said  they  were  willing  to  stay,  but  were  afraid.  Our  team- 
sters— I  did  not  think  anybody  would  touch  them — they- were  satisfied — 
and  word  came  up  while  I  was  at  breakfast  that  they  had  been  scared  away, 
and  even  our  store  teamster  was  notified  that  he  would  be  shot  if  he  went 
out.  I  went  down,  and  got  him  out,  and  got  some  others  out.  That  day 
the  police  sent  us  word,  notifying  us  that  without  doubt  our  store  was  to 
be  sacked  that  night,  and  that  they  knew  of  two  wagons  or  one  wagon 
which  had  been  hired  to  carry  off  anything  that  might  be  taken  out. 
Of  course  I  listened  to  it,  and  got  ready  for  it.  That  same  day — I  think 
it  was  that  day  or  the  next — the  mayor  sent  word  that  the  general  of  the 
division  here  was  afraid  of  his  own  men  with  guns,  and  wanted  me  to  take 
them  and  put  them  in  our  vaults.  We  took  in  about  all  the  guns  there 
were  around  there — probably  five  hundred  or  six  hundred,  and  had  them 
stored  in  our  vaults,  because  these  officers  were  afraid  to  trust  their  people. 
There  was  a  sort  of  general  panic.  The  next  day  I  got  our  teamsters  out. 
Our  farm  hands  had  been  frightened  away,  but  I  talked  with  them,  and 
reasoned  with  them,  and  finally  went  along  with  them  myself.  We  took  a 
few  rifles  along,  and  cheered  them  up,  and  they  went  to  work,  and  worked 
on.  About  Saturday  word  came  round  from  all  quarters  that  our  iron 
company  men,  with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of  a  few — that  there  was  no 
dissatisfaction — the  feeling  of  fear  was  passing  away ;  they  were  willing 
to  come  back.  They  said  they  wanted  to  be  sure  of  protection — that  was 
the  first  thing — they  must  be  sure  of  protection,  and  they  had  been  threat- 
ened, and  all  that  kind  of  thing.  I  told  them  we  would  protect  them  from 
all  that  danger,  so  far  as  I  could.  I  told  them  that  we  would  protect  them — 
that  the  government  was  bound  to  protect  them,  and  if  they  wanted  to 
work  they  could  work,  and  the  government  must  protect  them,  and  we 
would  protect  them — do  what  we  could.  They  asked  me  to  put  some  such 
notice  as  that  in  the  paper.  I  told  them  I  would  do  so.  Previous  to  that, 
on  Saturday  night,  it  looked  as  if  the  Pennsylvania  coal  companies  might 
go  to  work.     The  head-house,  at  No.  5,  was  burned.    Of  course  that  blocked 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  769 

all  the  transportation  on  that  side.  The  head-house  was  repaired,  and  on 
Monday  I  was  satisfied  our  men  were  willing  to  go  to  work — only  a  few 
that  wanted  to  stay  out.  I  put  a  notice  in  the  evening  paper — the  Star  I 
think  it  was,  and  I  stated  that  anybody  that  was  willing  to  go  to  work  for 
us,  we  would  protect — the  government  was  bound  to  protect  them,  and 
they  should  be  protected  if  the  whole  power  of  the  United  States  came 
there ;  otherwise  law  would  amount  to  nothing,  and  I  re-assured  them  the 
best  way  I  could.  The  next  morning,  Tuesday  morning,  they  went  to 
work — our  machinists  and  founders.  Our  farm  hands  had  gone  to  work, 
and  our  furnace  men  went  to  work.  We  had  banked  our  furnaces  ;  we 
thought  we  could  save  them  both,  so  our  furnace  men  went  to  work  again. 
We  took  only  enough  for  one  furnace,  so  as  to  make  sure  of  one  ;  thought 
we  might  have  to  let  the  other  slide  until  we  saved  the  first,  and  they  went 
to  work,  day  turn  and  night  turn  both.  There  had  been  a  great  deal  of 
talk  of  trouble,  and  all  that  kind  of  thing,  but  of  course  you  hear  all 
kinds  of  rumors  at  a  time  like  that.  I  did  not  take  any  too  much 
stock  in  them.  Still,  we  kept  our  forces  in  the  store  all  the  time. 
By  that  time  a  number  of  citizens  had  come  in — Colonel  Hitchcock,  Mr. 
Ripple,  and  a  number  of  other  gentlemen — and  we  had  signals  arranged, 
and  all  that  kind  of  thing,  in  case  of  trouble,  to  come  out  immediately. 
We  had  notified  the  mayor,  in  case  of  anything  happening  to  our  property, 
that  we  should  hold  the  city  responsible  for  damages.  Wednesday  morn- 
ing I  was  down  town  on  some  business,  and  I  heard  of  this  meeting  at  the 
silk-works.  I  did  not  think  it  would  amount  to  very  much  more,  but  while 
I  was  down  town  I  heard  on  all  sides  that  the  men  had  heard  that  the  ma- 
chine shops  were  being  driven  out.  I  hurried  right  back  to  the  office,  and 
got  there  just  as  the  men  from  the  tops  of  our  furnaces  were  being  driven 
out.  I  saw  the  men  running.  I  saw  a  very  large  crowd,  with  sticks  and 
stones,  and  gesticulation,  and  those  men  running  and  others  chasing  them, 
and  I  knew  then  it  meant  business.  We  had  not  many  men  in  the  store 
then.  Our  foremen  came  in  one  after  another,  and  stated  that  the  machine 
shops  men  there  had  been  driven  away  and  beaten.  They  came  in  from 
the  blast  furnaces  and  stated  the  same  thins:.  Came  from  the  engine-house 
and  stated  that  it  had  been  set  fire  to  in  three  places.  And  I  might  say, 
by  the  way,  before  this — the  very  first  night  I  got  my  foremen  together — 
I  took  the  precaution  to  have  them  sworn  in  as  special  police,  and  while 
we  were  there  my  own  people  came  in — probably  about  thirty  or  so — and 
a  number  of  citizens.  At  that  time  the  mob  had  got  to  the  railroad  shops, 
and  a  message  came  from  the  mayor  stating,  for  God's  sake  come  down 
and  help  him.  He  was  in  a  sore  pass.  So  1  made  these  men  a  little  speech, 
that  we  might  as  well  die  now  as  any  other  time.  Come  down  and  do 
what  we  could  for  the  mayor.  I  told  them  I  did  not  want  any  fooling.  I 
did  not  want  any  man  who  was  not  willing  to  be  killed  if  it  was  necessary, 
and  did  not  want  any  man  who  was  not  willing  to  shoot  to  kill,  and  said 
if  there  was  any  man  wdio  fired,  I  wanted  him  to  shoot  to  kill,  that  we 
meant  no  nonsense.  There  was  only  thirty  or  forty  of  us.  There  were 
three  or  four  thousand  of  the  others,  and  we  wanted  no  fooling-.  We 
wanted  them  to  obey  orders  to  the  last  degree,  and  when  they  received 
orders  to  fire,  to  fire  to  kill.  Nothing  else  would  stop  the  thing.  The 
thing  must  be  squelched,  and  the  only  way  to  squelch  it,  when  they  fired 
they  must  fire  to  kill.  That  was  the  only  way  to  save  the  town.  While 
we  were  getting  ready  to  go  more  messages  came  up,  and  stated  that 
those  men  were  going  from  the  railroad  shops  for  Pine  Grove  breaker. 
I  might  say  that  our  miners  have  got  an  agreement  with  us.  It  has 
been  so  for  some  years.  They  agree  to  work  on,  in  case  of  a  strike, 
49  Riots. 


170  Repoet  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

and  we  agreed,  on  our  part,  to  give  them,  dating  frcm  the  commence- 
ment of  the  strike,  any  advance  of  wages  which  the  railroad  compan}- 
might  give  their  men  whenever  they  settled.  If  the  railroad  company 
gave  them  ten  or  fifteen  or  any  per  cent,  advance,  we  agreed  to  give 
our  men  the  same  advance,  dating  from  the  start.  Our  Pine  Brook  men 
went  in  that  morning.  Understand  that  our  entire  force,  so  far  as  we  had 
workmen,  with  the  exception  of  two  of  our  iron  rolling  men — and  we  had 
every  reason  to  believe  they  would  be  in  the  next  morning — our  miners 
were  at  work,  and  were  at  work  by  virtue  of  agreement  with  us  to  work 
on  in  case  of  a  strike.  I  have  one  of  the  agreements  now  in  my  pocket — 
a  new  one,  similar  to  the  old  one.  By  that  time,  we  started  out.  I  went  to 
the  head  of  them.  I  did  not  myself  know  anything  about  military  mat- 
ters, beyond  keeping  the  men  in  line,  and  that  kind  of  thing,  and  I  gave 
charge  of  it  to  young  Bartholomew,  who  knew  something  of  that  sort  of 
thing,  and  kept  them  in  line  and  went  down.  I  had  seen  some  riots  before, 
and  knew  pretty  well  about  how  that  sort  of  thing  was.  We  got  down 
street,  pretty  near  the  corner  of  Washington  avenue,  and  this  crowd  were 
coining  up  Washington  avenue,  and  closed  in  behind  our  men,  and  I  felt 
that  the  time  was  coming  very  close,  and  that  it  would  be  necessaiy  to  act 
very  quick.  They  closed  in  behind  us,  coming  up  on  each  side  of  the  ave- 
nue, leaving  only  the  front  clear.  There  were  some  in  front.  Not  many. 
They  were  hooting  and  yelling,  and  finally  I  saw  a  movement  of  one  or 
two,  apparently  leaders, looking  at  me  as  though  there  were  getting  ready 
for. a  rush.  I  had  no  doubt  of  it,  and  I  was  just  waiting.  I  heard  shouts  : 
"  Now,  then,  come  along  boys.  They  won't  fire.  They  have  blank  cart- 
ridges," or  something  of  that  sort.  There  were  sticks  thrown,  and  just 
about  as  I  was  going  to  give  the  order  to  fire,  I  heard  a  shot  fired,  and  al- 
most simultaneously  with  that,  every  man  stopped  and  fired. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Where  did  the  shot  come  from — this  first  shot  you  heard  ? 

A.  Seemed  to  be  a  pistol  shot. 

Q.  From  the  crowd  or  mob  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  the  crowd  rushed  up  and  kind  of  fell  back,  and  the  shoot- 
ing commenced.     The  shooting  first  was  wild. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Before  that  shot  was  fired,  were  there  any  stones  or  missiles  thrown? 

A.  Many  stones  and  sticks.  I  was  at  the  head,  and  the  line  was  a  long 
one — about  forty,  marching  two  by  two. 

Q.  Were  any  stones  or  missiles  thrown  at  the  party  to  which  you  be- 
longed ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  At  the  rear  of  the  line  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  on  the  side  also.  It  looked  to  me  as  though  they  were 
going  to  rush.  I  happened  to  see  the  riots  in  1863,  and  I  saw  the  same 
swing  of  the  crowd — the  fellows  behind  push  up  those  in  front.  When 
these  things  were  thrown,  the  firing  commenced.  They  fell  back  once  or 
twice — little  shoit  rallies — and  run,  and  we  went  back  to  the  store.  The 
next  day  the  troops  came.  I  might  say  when  we  left  the  store,  we  heard 
the  men  were  going  to  Pine  Brook,  and  that  they  were  calculating  to  drive 
out  the  men  that  were  in  there,  and  burn  the  breaker. 

Q.  Were  those  your  mines  ? 

A.  Yes,  our  mines.  And  also  that  they  were  going  to  stop  at  Dixon's 
works  on  the  way. 

Q.  Were  they  also  your  mines  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  171 

A.  No,  sir ;  they  were  Dixon  Manufacturing  Company's  works  and 
machine  shops.  I  might  say,  also,  previous  to  this — the  Sunday  before 
this  thing — our  pump  engineers,  &c.  had  been  visited,  and  it  was  said  they 
were  afraid  to  work,  and  left  us.  Of  course  I  put  people  there  in  whom  I 
had  confidence,  to  run  the  pumps  and  keep  them  going. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Will  you  give  us  a  statement  of  what  you  were  paying  your  men  at 
that  time  ? 

A.  We  pay — most  of  our  work  is  done  by  the  ton.  There  is  very  little 
day-work  with  us,  except  shop  hands  and  furnace  men.  Our  rolling-mill 
men  and  steel-works  men  are  working  now  under  the  same  wages  under 
which  they  struck.  Our  rolling-mill  heaters  are  making  from  ninety  to 
one  hundred  dollars  a  month.  I  can  bring  you  the  pay-rolls.  I  have  got 
them  at  the  office.  The  most  of  our  men  in  the  mills  worked  by  the  ton 
and  by  the  roll — that  is  permanent  men.  All  except  the  commoner  class 
of  laborers  are  making  now  anywhere  from  forty-five  to  sixty  and  sev- 
enty-five dollars — along  there.  The  men  in  the  steel-works  are  making 
about — well  I  should  think  anywhere  from  forty-five  to  sixty  dollars — 
along  there — it  depends  entirely  on  the  product.  We  pay  them  according 
to  the  ton,  and  if  they  do  small  work  they  get  small  pay. 

Q.  Pay  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  work  done  ? 

A.  Yes,  sii  ;  so  much  a  ton.  We  pay  a  heater  ten  cents  a  ton.  If  he 
heats  forty  tons,  he  gets  four  dollars.  Our  mining  wages  are  regulated 
entirely  by  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  Western.  We  pay  whatever 
wages  they  do.     We  tried  to  keep  them  working  as  full  as  possible. 

Q.  Can  you  give  an  estimate  of  what  a  man  can  make  a  day,  should 
they  work  in  the  mines  all  day  ? 

A.  I  am  not  so  conversant  with  the  special  details  of  the  mines.  I  can 
bring  the  pay-rolls,  if  you  would  like.  I  think  that  a  miner — with  our 
miners  in  Briggs  shaft,  I  should  think  the  average  now  depends  a  good 
deal  on  the  men  themselves — how  smart  they  are — and  I  should  think  any- 
where from  thirty-eight  to  foiiy,  along  to  fifty-five  and  sixty  dollars  a 
month.     That  is,  a  miner.     Of  course,  a  laborer  don't  make  so  much. 

Q.  Laborers  in  the  mines  work  by  the  day  or  by  the  ton  ? 

A.  I  think  they  are  paid  by  the  car.  I  don't  remember  how  that  is.  A 
miner  hires  his  own  laborer,  I  believe. 

Q.  You  haven't  any  particular  charge  of  the  details  ? 

A.  We  pay  it,  that  is  all.  I  don't  remember  all  this.  Our  Mr.  Mattes 
could  tell  you  better  than  I  can.  Our  mining  wages  are  virtually  out  of 
our  hands.  Whatever  the  D.  L.  W.  pay,  we  pay,  and  the  men,  on  their 
part,  agree  to  work  through,  in  case  of  a  strike,  and  we  agree  to  pay  in 
advance,  dating  from  the  commencement  of  the  strike,  that  the  railroad 
may  settle  with  their  men  to  pay. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  reduction  prior  to  the  1st  of  August? 

A.  Our  men,  all  excepting  miners,  had  been  reduced  on  the  1st  of  July. 
The  reduction  was  ten  per  cent.,  some  not  that  much,  some  more — averag- 
ing, probably,  ten  or  twelve  per  cent.,  I  suppose. 

Q.  Were  there  any  men,  under  that  reduction,  that  would  make  less 
than  a  dollar  a  day  ? 

A.  Our  laborers  were  making  less  than  eighty  cents  a  day.  The  number 
of  common  laborers  we  have  is  very  small.  We  don't  have  very  many.  I 
don't  know  how  many  we  have,  exactly.  Our  work  is  by  the  ton,  as  far 
as  possible.     Of  course,  it  is  better  to  nave  things  by  the  ton. 

Q.  When  was  the  reduction  before  the  1st  of  July  ? 


772  Keport  of  Committee.  [Xo.  20, 

A.  I  don't  remember  when  we  did  last  reduce.  I  could  tell  you  this 
evening.     Perhaps  Mr.  Mattes  could  tell  you. 

Q.  Something  has  been  said  about  a  letter  being  read  at  the  silk-factory — 
did  you  ever  try  to  ascertain  how  that  originated  ? — purporting  to  give 
some  statement  that  you  had  made  ? 

A.  I  hear  of  the  letter,  of  course,  that  was  all.  No  truth  in  that  letter. 
The  letter  was  forged.  I  don't  know  who  wrote  it.  Perhaps  1  might  give 
a  very  good  guess,  and  also,  about  other  things.  You  have  a  great  deal 
of  knowledge  that  you  cannot  give  legal  force  to. 

Q.  You  have  never  been  able  to  ascertain  who  it  was,  so  as  to  prove  it, 
who  wrote  the  letter  ? 

A.  I  was  perfectly  satisfied  in  m}r  mind — no,  I  have  never  been  able  to 
prove  it,  but  the  time  will  come,  undoubtedly,  that  I  shall,  and  a  good 
many  other  things,  too. 

Q.  Did  you  find  out  what  motive  induced  or  actuated  the  man  to  send  it  ? 

A.  It  was,  undoubtedly,  a  desire  at  the  time — the  men  knew,  and  were 
perfectly  well  aware  that  our  men  were,  for  the  time  being,  just  terrorized. 
They  knew,  as  well  as  I  did,  that  if  I  could  get  our  iron  company  men  to 
work,  the  thing  would  stop,  therefore  it  was  necessary  to  drive  them  out 
to  prolong  the  strike.  For  the  same  reason  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Com- 
pany's head-house  was  burnt. 

Q.  How  many  men  did  your  company  employ  ? 

A.  I  think  we  have  got  about  eighteen  hundred  or  two  thousand.  I 
think  there  is  about  sixteen  or  seventeen  hundred  signatures  on  the  pay- 
roll, and  a  great  many  of  them  draw  pay  for  their  children — two  or  three — 
sometimes.  I  suppose  we  have  probably  employed  somewhere  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  seventeen  or  eighteen  hundred. 

Q.  Boys  employed  ? 

A.  To  a  very  large  extent,  boys  who  are  under  eighteen  or  twenty  give 
their  pay  to  their  parents.  Their  parents  draw  it  for  them.  My  impres- 
sion is,  there  is  a  law  by  which  a  parent  can  take  the  child's  pay  under 
age.  I  think  they  do  draw  it,  though  in  many  cases  they  do  not  do  it. 
Their  parents  are  paid. 

Q.  That  includes  the  miners  ? 

A.  Yes ;  we  have  three  mines.  One  of  our  mines  is  flooded — filled  en- 
tirely 

Q.  On  account  of  the  strike  ? 

A.  No;  I  flooded  it  myself,  long  ago,  so  as  to  run  two  mines,  to  give  as 
steady  work  as  possible  to  those  that  did  work. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  I  would  like  you  tell  what  passed  between  you  and  the  chairman  of 
the  committee  that  waited  upon  you  ? 

A.  The  men  waited. 

Q.  First  and  foremost,  do  you  know  the  chairman  ? 

A.  I  really  don't  know  who  was  chairman  of  that  committee.  The  men 
can  tell  you  that  better  themselves.  There  were  a  number  of  spokesmen. 
Mr.  Duffy  spoke,  and  I  don't  know  but  McNally  did. 

Q.  Did  you  know  the  spokesmen  yourself? 

A.  Yes ;  I  knew  the  spokesmen. 

Q.  Who  were  they  ? 

A.  I  think  that  John  Evans  was  one.  I  am  not  sure;  but  McXally  was 
another.     I  think  Dully  said  something. 

O.  State  what  passed  between  you  and  the  chairman  of  that  committee? 

A.  They  came  out  after  the  strike — after  they  had  got  the  furnacemen 
od'_ came  to  the  office  to  see  me.     I  am  not  sure  whether  it  was  Wednes- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  773 

day  or  Thursday.  I  had  sent  around  word,  and  a  good  many  that  I  felt 
were  not  treating  the  corupan}'  right  to  strike  and  stop  their  works,  with- 
out letting  us  know  what  ground  of  complaint  the}T  had,  and  I  sent  word 
around  there,  so  that  a  committee  came,  and  the}^  stated  they  wanted  more 
pay.     They  said  thirty-five  per  cent. 

Q.  Thirty-five? 

A.  Thirty-five  ;  yes,  sir.  Of  course,  no  one  in  the  iron  business  now  could 
do  that.  Such  an  advance  as  that  was  out  of  the  question.  I  told  them 
that  was  out  of  the  question,  we  couldn't  pay  them  any  more.  It  was  out 
of  the  question.  We  couldn't  clear  ourselves.  I  asked  them  whether  it  was 
not  better  to  take  what  they  could  get,  and  work  steady  until  times  grew 
better,  than  to  stop  and  get  nothing.  Well,  they  said,  the  long  and  short 
of  the  matter  was  the}*-  wouldn't  work  unless  they  got  thirty-five  per  cent., 
and  they  went  away. 

Q.  Did  }tou  say  to  those  men — this  committee — when  the  times  got  better 
3rou  were  willing  to  advance  their  wages  ? 

A.  I  believe  I  did  say  something  of  that  kind  in  reply.  If  we  could 
afford  it  we  would  be  glad  to  do  so. 

Q.  Did  they  make  any  reply  to  that  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  that  they  did. 

Q.  They  said  they  wouldn't  work  unless  you  did  advance  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  but,  at  that  same  time,  I  was  receiving  information  all  the 
time  from  many  sources,  that  the  most  of  them  were  perfectly  willing  to 
work.  All  they  wanted  was  protection,  and  that  they  would  go  to  work, 
which  they  did  do  on  the  following  Tuesday. 

Q.  The}^  did  go  to  work  on  the  following  Tuesday? 

A.  All  of  our  men  went  to  work  on  the  following  Tuesday,  except  our 
iron  rolling  men.     We  had  no  work  for  the  steel  mill. 

Q.  When  that  committee  waited  upon  you,  did  they  say  to  you,  or  did 
they  intimate  to  3Tou,  that  they  would  force  y ou  into  measures  ? 

A.  We  had  quite  a  long  talk.  I  don't  remember  anything  of  that  kind. 
They  said  they  wouldn't  work  until  they  got  an  advance;  of  course  that  is 
equivalent  to  forcing  a  way. 

Q.  They  didn't  make  any  threats? 

A.  I  don't  remember  of  that  ? 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  In  consequence  of  that  strike,  did  you  blow  out  your  furnaces  ? 

A.  Lost  two  furnaces. 

Q.  What  was  the  damage  ? 

A.  It  cost  us  about  ten  thousand  dollars.  We  made  up  an  itemized  list 
of  it  soon  afterwards.  It  amounted  to  about  ten  thousand  dollars — a  trifle 
over.  It  was  a  direct  damage — it  took  as  much  to  blast  out  our  scaffold 
and  re-line  it,  and  there  was  some  other  incidental  damage. 

Q.  Ten  thousand  dollars  about  covers  the  damage  ? 

A.  That  is  the  strike  damages — actual  loss. 

Q.  To  say  nothing  of  incidental  losses  ? 

A.  Yes ;  we  paid  that  out  afterwards  to  fix  it. 

Q.  Was  there  any  loss  in  the  vicinity  ? 

A.  The  Pennsylvania  Company's  head-house  was  burnt ;  their  tressel- 
ing  was  burnt,  not  on  the  actual  day  of  the  riots — it  was  during  that  time. 

Q.  Can  30U  give  an  estimate  account  of  that  ? 

A.  Our  Point  Brook  stable  was  burnt — that  was  after  we  started  our 
works  again. 

Q.  Can  you  estimate  the  damage  to  the  Pennsylvania  Company  ? 

A.  No  ;  other  people  could  tell  you  better  about  that. 


774  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  there  any  disposition  manifested  on  the  part  of  your  men,  to  go 
in  to  the  furnaces  and  run  them,  if  3^011  would  permit  them  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  of  an y  such  ;  no  sir.  Of  course,  we  would  only  have 
been  glad  to  have  them  run.  If  they  run  them  at  all,  they  must  run  under 
our  protection. 

Q.  Was  there  any  disposition,  any  offers  made  on  the  part  of  your  men 
to  go  in  and  work  ? 

A.  If  we  would  protect  them.  Oh,  yes  ;  if  we  would  protect  them  after 
two  or  three  days.  The  first  day,  they  stated,  they  were  afraid  of  men 
striking  outside.  We  labored  with  the  furnace  men  by  night,  talking  with 
them,  trying  to  get  them  to  stay.  They  said  they  were  afraid.  The  follow- 
ing Tuesday,  they  got  more  or  less  over  the  fear,  and  they  did  go  back,  if 
that  is  what  3^011  mean. 

Q.  Did  your  men  say  who  made  the  threats' against  them — of  who  they 
were  afraid  ? 

A.  No ;  it  was  that  some  men  would  come  to  their  houses  and  tell  them 
so  and  so — tell  their  wives  so  and  so,  some  men  either  told  their  little 
girls,  and  that  kind  of  thing.  We  could  get  very  little  information  from 
them. 

Q.  The  threats  were  not  open  and  above  board  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  may  have  been  open,  but  they  didn't  give  their  names  to  us — 
were  afraid  we  would  act  on  them. 

Q.  In  your  opinion,  were  those  men  that  made  these  threats  in  3rour  em- 
ploy ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  some  were.  You  see,  Mr.  McGowan  cleaned  out  the  Mollies 
in  Schuylkill.  A  great  many  of  them  who  had  not  been  apprehended  have 
come  up  here  and  they  now  lie  partly  between  here  and  Pittston,  and  Carbon- 
dale,  and  a  good  many  in  Olipbantand  Carr's  Patch;  and  the  men  who  had 
been  at  Minica,  were  very  largely  men  who  were  prominent  in  the  riot. 
These  Mollies  are  now  re-organizing  here  more  or  less.  We  have  got  ac- 
curate information.  Our  information"nowada3rs  is  very  accurate.  We  know 
precisely  where  we  stand. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  have  stated  the  substance  of  the  agreement  ? 

A.  I  have  stated  the  substance  of  it,  that  is,  with  our  miners  alone. 
When  we  took  our  men  back,  we  made  an  agreement  with  all  our  men,  that 
hereafter  they  should  give  us  thirt3T  days'  notice  or  forfeit  their  pa3T  at  the 
time  of  strike.  That  agreement  was  signed  b3r  every  man  who  was  of  any 
consequence  at  all.  Of  course,  there  is  a  number  of  small  fry  that  we  don't 
care  anything  about. 

Q.  Signed  by  the  men  who  carried  on  your  works  ? 

A.  It  is  signed  by  three  fourths  of  the  men  in  our  employ — miners,  la- 
borers, driver  boys,  &c.     Our  orders  are  strict  in  the  matter. 

Q.  Did  they  enter  into  this  article  of  agreement  with  a  perfect  under- 
standing of  what  the3r  were  doing  ? 

A.  They  received  a  printed  copy.  They  agreed  to  give  us  thirty  days' 
notice.  They  all  agreed  to  work  on  in  case  of  a  strike,  in  case  of  any  com- 
motion elsewhere,  they  agreed  to  give  us  thirty  days'  notice.  If  they 
struck  after  thirty  days'  notice,  they  forfeited  all  pay  due  them  at  the  time 
of  the  strike.  That  our  miners,  in  case  of  a  general  strike,  they  agreed  to 
work  on  through  it  and  we  agreed  to  pay  them  back  pay  when  the  railroad 
company  pa3rs. 

Q.  The  railroad  also  engages  in  mining? 

A.  Yes;  the  D.,  L.  and  "w.,  and  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  are  also  min- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1ST7.  175 

ing.  We  mine  no  coal  except  for  our  own  purposes — for  our  mills  and 
steel-works — and  we  necessarily  make  a  good  deal  of  fine  coal  that  is  not 
convenient  to  use  ourselves,  and  we  sell  what  little  fine  coal  we  make  that 
we  don't  want  ourselves.     We  send  nothing  to  New  York. 

Q.  Did  j'ou  notice  any  uneasiness  among  the  men,  or  disposition  to 
strike,  prior  to  the  strike  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  Of  course,  the  great  depression  of  business,  and  all  that 
kind  of  thing  contributed  to  make  things  very  hard.  There  was  a  great 
many  men  out  of  work — that  made  it  somewhat  hard.  Of  course,  a  reduc- 
tion of  wages  is  a  thing  you  never  take  until  a  necessity  comes  on,  and 
you  cannot  help  yourself. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  talk  or  organization  among  the  men  about  a 
strike  prior  to  the  strike  at  Pittsburgh  ?    . 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of,  sir.  It  went  like  wild-fire  everywhere,  and  took 
these  men  like  everybody  else. 

.    .    .  Powell,  re-called : 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Are  you  prepared  to  give  the  figures  as  to  the  pay  for  mining  per 
ton  or  per  car  ? 

A.  You  referred  back,  while  I  was  on  the  stand  before,  to  1873.  I  have 
some  figures  for  the  price  of  mining  coal  from  1871  to  1878.  The  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  and  Western  Railroad  Company  in  '71,  2,  3,  and  4,  the  G 
vein  would  return  per  car,  $1  17^,  the  E  vein,  what  they  call  the  Diamond 
vein 

Q.  One  dollar  seventeen  and  a  half  cents  per  car  ? 

A.  That  was  in  1874. 

Q.  The  E  vein,  how  much  ? 

A.  Ninety-three  and  a  half  cents.  Six  cars  constitute  a  full  shift  be- 
tween the  miner  and  laborer. 

Q.  That  makes  what  you  would  call  a  day's  work  ? 

A.  A  full  shift ;  that  is  in  the  G  vein.  In  the  E  vein,  it  is  seven  cars. 
The  laborer  draws  one  third  of  the  total  mined,  then  what  remains  after 
deducting  expenses,  on  an  average,  amounts  to  about  $1   10  at  that  time. 

Q.  One  dollar  and  ten  cents  for  a  day  for  the  six  or  seven  cars  ? 

A.  Expense.  That  is  the  wear  and  tear  that  has  got  to  come  out  of  the 
miners.  The  miner  at  that  wages,  would  get  $3  50,  and  the  laborer  about 
$2  35. 

Q.  The  miner  how  much  ? 

A.  Three  dollars  and  fifty  cents.  That  is,  taking  now  the  highest  rates 
ever  given.  In  Januaiy,  1875,  I  was  getting  ten  per  cent,  reduction,  and 
G  vein  was  then  reduced  to  $1  0G  per  car. 

Q.  Just  give  us  the  reduction  '! 

A.  March  15,  in  1876,  the  Diamond  G  vein  per  car,  ninety-five  and  one 
half. 

Q.  Was  there  reduction  there  ? 

A.  Ten  per  cent. 

Q.  In  addition  to  what  you  have  stated  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  March  15,  fifteen  per  cent,  reduction. 

Q.  When  was  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction  ? 

A.  March,  1877. 

Q.  Now  there  is  ten  per  cent,  more  ? 

A.  Fifteen  per  cent. 

Q.  On  July  1,  was  there  any  reduction  ? 


776  Report  of  Committee.  .    [No.  29, 

A.  June,  1875,  ten  per  cent.;  March  15,  1876,  ten  per  cent.;  January, 
1876,  ten  per  cent. ;  March  15,  1877,  fifteen  per  cent. 

Q.  Was  there  any  reduction  after  that  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  for  the  miners.  There  is  one  thing,  we  have  another 
vein  here  which  we  call  the  G  vein,  top  and  bottom,  that  is  seventj^-two 
cents  per  car. 

Q.  Has  this  reduction  been  general  in  all  the  mines,  the  same  per  centage  ? 

A.  The  same  per  centage. 

Q.  Is  there  anything  else  1 

A.  You  refer  to  the  number  of  days  worked.     I  can  give  you  that. 

Q.  Your  own  days  ? 

A.  Through  the  courtesy  of  the  superintendent  of  the  Delaware,  Laek- 
awana  and  Western  I  got  the  number  of  days  from  their  books.  The 
number  of  days  worked  in  1876,  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  and  three 
quarters.  That  was  the  breaker  work  in  a  year,  making  an  average  of  $14 
per  month,  that  is  the  whole  breaker  work.  You  take  the  mines  there, 
and  all  they  make  is  an  average  of  $12  per  month — of  the  miners.  In 
1877  it  averaged  about — the  breaker  work — about  $16;  that  would  give 
the  miners  about  $13  per  month.  In  1878  it  lacks  an  average  of  $12, 
which  would  give  the  miners  nearly  $10. 

Q.  How  many  days  did  you  make  in  any  month  ? 

A.  I  took  the  whole  average  of  the  mines. 

Q.  Got  that  from  what  ? 

A.  The  books  of  the  company 

Q.  Of  the  company  you  are  working  for  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Isaac  Felts,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  State  whether  your  store  was  broken  open  on  the  1st  day  of  August 
last  ? 

A.  The  1st  day  of  August  I  found  it  was  broken  open.  They  said  it 
was  broken  open  in  the  morning. 

Q.  Done  in  the  night  or  during  the  morning  ? 

A.  After  midnight. 

Q.  How  far  from  Scranton  is  it  ? 

A.  It  is  about  three  miles,  or  three  and  one  half,  I  should  judge. 

Q.  In  which  direction  ? 

A.  It  is  south  from  here — pretty  nearly  south. 

Q.  How  far  beyond  the  silk-factory  ? 

A.  It  must  be  two  and  one  half  miles,  probably. 

Q.  Is  it  near  the  church  that  stands  out  at  Greenwood  ? 

A.  It  is  beyond  the  church;  it  is  about  half  a  mile  or  so  beyond  the 
church. 

Q.  State  what  your  damage  was  ? 

A.  As  near  as  I  can  judge,  I  think  it  is  between  $3,000  and  $4,000. 

Q.  Goods  that  were  carried  off? 

A.  Goods  carried  off. 

Q.  What  kind  of  goods? 

A.  All  kinds  of  merchandise.  Goods  pretty  much  that  belong  to  a 
country  store.     We  had  to  keep  a  little  of  most  everything  there. 

Q.  Was  anything  in  the  shape  of  ammunition  or  arms  taken  away  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  not  that  I  know  of.  I  had  mining  supplies.  I  had  some 
little  powder  there,  and  one  tiling  or  other  that  was  not  taken.  There  was 
no  ammunition  that  1  knew  of. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  777 

Joe  Shoemaker,  sworn : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  do  you  live  ? 

A.  Over  in  the  Eleventh  ward,  Sixth  street. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  '( 

A.  Blacksmith. 

Q.  Where  were  you  on  the  1st  day  of  August  last? 

A.  The  1st  day  of  August  I  went  to  work  in  the  morning  at  the  Lacka- 
wanna Iron  and  Coal  Company's — down  here  at  the  flats. 

Q.  Go  on  and  tell  us  what  you  did  that  day  ? 

A.  I  worked  there,  and  about  between  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock — the 
miners  had  a  meeting  at  the  silk-factory,  and  the  men  came  down  and 
called  us  out.  My  woman  was  down  there.  "  Joe,"  she  says,  "  Come  out, 
the  miners  will  kill  you  ;"  says  I,  "  I  guess  they  won't  do  that."  I  went 
out  and  came  up  near  the  boiler-shop — and  went  out — I  was  the  last  man 
that  went  out  of  that  shop.  I  didn'.t  want  to  go  out,  I  was  satisfied  with 
the  wages  Scranton  offered  me.  I  didn't  want  to  go  out,  but  they  all  went 
out,  and  so  I  went  out — I  closed  the  door  of  the  shop,  and  I  went  out  when 
everybody  was  done.  I  wanted  to  see  what  was  going  on,  and  I  seen 
them — they  went  in  the  boiler-shop.  There  was  a  man  working  in  there 
b\r  the  name  of  Hilton,  and  there  was  hollering  inside,  and  I  didn't  know 
what  was  the  matter,  and  I  saw  a  man  jump  nut  and  some  fellow  standing 
outside  the  door,  he  was  jumping  against  the  door.  The  door  fly  open  and 
knocked  them  fellows  back,  and  they  run  right  in.  They  picked  up  stones 
and  fired  at  them.  They  seen  me,  I  had  my  sleeves  rolled  up.  They 
thought  that  is  a  working  man,  and  they  fired  at  me.  I  got  four  stones, 
one  on  that  shoulder,  and  one  on  that,  and  one  right  here,  [indicating.] 
I  sat  down,  I  could  not  move  myself  any  more.  I  hopped  up,  and  when  I 
got  there  he  said,  "Joe  that  blow  I  would  not  have  for  fifty  dollars."  I 
didn't  want  to  tell  them  I  got  hurt.  The  engineer  was  getting  out,  he 
was  half  ways  in  the  window  and  half  ways  out  when  they  got  at  him. 

Q.  Do  you  know  any  of  those  men  that  were  hammering  your  engineer  ? 

A.  I  was  too  far  away.  I  was  up  at  Robinson's  brewery.  I  was  too  far 
off.  I  didn't  go  near  them  any  more.  He  run  around  the  building,  and 
when  he  got  to  the  foundry  there  was  a  pile  of  pig  iron  of  about  three 
foot  high,  and  he  run  down,  and  some  people  stopped  there  by  the  foundry, 
and  they  picked  up  stones  and  fired  at  him.  When  he  was  behind  that 
pig  iron,  he  was  gone  from  my  eyes.  That  was  all  I  could  see  of  him. 
If  it  was  not  for  the  stopping  work,  I  would  have  had  about  $120  in  my 
pocket,  where  I  didn't  have  a  cent.  I  was  willing  to  work  on,  but  they 
didn't  let  me. 

Q.  How  long  was  yon  idle  ? 

A.  Three  months  idle.  Had  a  family  with  three  children,  and  was  will- 
ing to  work,  but  I  couldn't  work. 

Q.  Because  they  would  not  let  you  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  How  much  did  you  get  a  day  when  they  drove  you  out  of  the  shop  ? 

A.  I  had  $1  53.  My  wages  is  $40  any  how,  and  then  the  three  months 
makes  me  $120  lost.  Whose  fault  is  it?  Not  mine.  I  was  willing  to 
work.     It  was  not  the  company's  fault  either. 

Q.  The  fault  of  strikers,  was  not  it  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  then  they  hit  me,  and  I  had  to  lay  two  weeks  in  the  bed, 
and  the  society  to  where  I  belong  had  to  pay  me  benefits. 

Q.  What  society  do  you  belong  to  ? 


778  REroRT  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

A.  To  a  Dutch  society — to  two  of  them.  I  belong  now  twenty  years — ■ 
to  one  of  them  twenty-five  years. 

Q.  What  is  the  name  of  that  society  ? 

A.  St.  Joseph's  Verein  and  Lackawanna  Mutual  Association. 

Q.  What  is  that  society  for  ? 

A.  For  to  pay  benefits,  same  as  Odd  Fellows.  Pay  benefit  if  a  man  is 
sick.  If  you  die,  the  woman  gets  $50.  If  you  are  sick,  you  have  $4  a 
week.  The  society  paid  that  at  the  time  they  hit  me,  and  they  had  to  pay 
me  for  it  because  it  was  not  my  fault.  They  didn't  want  to  do  it,  but  they 
had  to  do  it.  I  said  it  was  not  my  fault.  I  went  to  work  for  my  family, 
and  I  got  hurt.    It  was  not  my  fault,  and  they  had  to  pay  me,  so  they  did. 

Charles  F.  Mattes,  stvorn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  your  residence  and  your  business,  if  you  please? 

A  My  residence  is  here  in  Scranton.  I  have  general  charge  of  the  coal 
mines,  and  real  estate  agent  of  the  Lackawanna  Iron  and  Coal  Company. 
In  reference  to  this  matter,  I  will  state  just  here  that  I  was  not  an  eye 
witness  of  those  riots.  When  this  suit  was  brought  against  the  parties 
who  were  engaged  in  the  shooting,  I  was  charged  with  the  gathering  of 
evidence  in  the  case  on  the  part  of  the  defendants,  and  it  brought  me  in 
communication  with  a  great  many  persons  who  were  witnesses  who  were 
directly  concerned,  and  I  presume  it  is  supposed  for  that  reason  that  I 
could  give  more  information  than,  perhaps,  anjr  other  person  in  reference 
to  it ;  but  what  I  would  have  to  say  would  not  be  from  observation,  but 
from  other  parties. 

Q.  We  don't  care  to  have  you  describe  the  riot  as  it  occurred  here  that 
day.  That  has  been  described  by  so  many  gentlemen.  I  wish  you  would 
give  us  what  information  you  have  as  to  the  cause  of  the  riots,  and  what 
your  information  is  as  to  what  produced  them,  based  upon  information 
that  you  collected  in  making  these  defenses  ? 

A.  In  the  first  place,  the  strike  originated  here  with  the  railroad  em- 
ployes— firemen  and  brakemen  ostensibly.  Minei's  and  mechanics,  gener- 
ally, and  workmen  generally  were  working  on  quietly,  and  with  no  demon- 
stration of  any  sort,  apparently  reasonably  well  satisfied.  There  had  been, 
from  time  to  time,  reductions  in  the  wages,  which  are  always  accompanied, 
as  every  one  knows,  with  more  or  less  feeling  of  dissatisfaction  on  the  part 
of  those  whose  pay  is  reduced  ;  but  this  strike  here,  it  occurred  to,  me  was 
a  sympathetic  movement  in  accord  with  the  strike  of  the  firemen.  B}T  that 
strike  all  transportation  ceased.  Of  course  the  mines  could  not  be  carried 
on.  The  men  were  thrown  out  of  employment ;  they  could  not  work  if 
they  desired  to,  because  there  were  no  cars  and  no  means  of  carrying  away 
the  product  of  the  mines.  The  consequence  was,  they  would  meet  together, 
and  these  matters  were  discussed.  Agitators  would  go  among  them.  The 
better  class  of  men  were  overruled,  and  the  more  violent  agitators  carried 
the  day,  and  it  resulted  in  a  strike  and  demand  of  an  increase  of  twenty- 
five  per  cent,  in  the  rate  of  wages,  at  a  time  when  everything  was  de- 
pressed, and  it  was  so  preposterous.  They  were  assured  by  a  good  many 
that  it  was  a  foolish  demand,  and  one  they  could  not  expect  to  have  acceded 
to,  and  must  result  in  a  prolongation  of  their  idleness  if  they  insisted  upon 
that  demand.  I  don't  know  as  1  could  add  anything  to  what  has  already 
been  said  here  as  to  the  cause.  The  strike  on  the  railroad,  in  my  view,  was 
the  primary  cause,  and  it  threw  the  men  idle,  and  as  is  pretty  nearly  always 
the  case,  there  was  more  or  less  trouble. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  779 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  You  think  the  strike  at  Pittsburgh  was  the  cause  of  the  strike  at 
Scranton  ? 

A.    .    .    . 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Why  was  it  ? 

A.  Because  this  movement  was  carried  through  on  the  railroads.  The 
railroads  were  all  stopped.  MamT  other  classes  of  men  were  working  along 
contentedly,  satisfied  that  they  were  doing  the  best  thing  they  could  do, 
if  they  were  not  satisfied  with  their  wages.  We  all  know  they  were  feel- 
ing as  though  they  were  working  for  low  wages,  and  those  men  who  came 
among  them  did  their  utmost  to  create  this  spirit  of  dissatisfaction,  and 
induce  the  strike. 

Q.  What  combination,  if  any,  was  there  between  railroad  men  and  other 
laborers  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  that  there  was  any  direct  combination.  There  was  said 
to  be  a  general  labor  union  organized  at  the  time.  We  heard  a  great  deal 
of  unions  of  various  occupations,  and  of  a  general  union  of  laboring  and 
workingmen. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  succeed  in  tracing  that  thing  to  a  reliable  source  to  find 
whether  there  was  a  union  organized  here  ? 

A.  I  was  perfectly  satisfied  in  my  own  mind  that  there  was  a  union.  As 
to  the  existence  of  it,  I  couldn't  definitely  say. 

Q.  Was  there  any  riot  organized  in  the  city  of  Scranton  ? 

A.  I  think  so. 

Q.  Composed  of  what  class  of  men  ? 

A.  Composed  of  all  classes  of  workingmen,  so  far  as  I  could  get  at  it. 
I  was  satisfied  it  was  so.     I  couldn't  state  that  positively,  nor  I  couldn't 
point  to  men  as  directly  connected  with  it. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Were  the  railroad  employes  the  prime  movers  in  this  strike? 

A.  It  occurred  to  me  they  were.    They  took  the  initiative  at  any  rate  in 
striking.     They  spoke  first. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  The  railroad  employe's  did. 

A.  Yes.     I  mean  by  the  railroad  men,  the  men  operating  their  trains. 
There  was  a  large  mass  of  miners — much  the  larger  mass  of  miners  are 
employes  of  the  railroad  company  in  this  vicinity. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  From  the  information  you  got,  do  you  think  there  was  an  organiza- 
tion, and  it  was  understood  that  the  railroad  men  were  the  first  to  strike? 

A.  No,  sir;   I  don't  know  that  that  is  so. 

Q.  From  your  own  knowledge  of  the  state  of  the  case  then,  as  I  under- 
stand it,  you  think  the  railroad  men  struck  first  of  their  own  accord  ? 

A.  It  appeared  so  to  me,  and,  from  any  knowledge  I  have,  I  should 
judge  it  was  so. 

Bjr  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  And  the  rest  followed  from  a  general  sympathy  of  all  laboring 
classes  with  them  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  I  want  to  know  whether  the  railroad  men  struck  before  or  after  the 
strike  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  directly  after — just  about  that  same  time,  and  just 


Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

about  the  same  time  the  thing  followed  around  all  over  in  quick  succes- 
sion. 

Q.  Po  you  recollect  the  day  when  they  struck  ? 

A.  No,  sir :   I  don't. 

Q.  Do  you  recollect  the  day  the  trains  stopped  running  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  could  easily  have  ascertained  this  point,  only  I  didn't 
suppose  I  would  be  called  upon  for  anything  of  the  kind,  and  made  no 
preparations. 

Q.  You  think  it  was  not  until  after  the  strike  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  It  was  just  about  that  time.     I  think  it  was  just  after. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Have  you  learned  whether  it  was  by  a  pre-concerted  arrangement  that 
they  should  strike  here  ? 

A.  No,  sir  :  but  it  appeared  as  if  they  did  so.  We  knew  very  well  there 
were  labor  organizations  among  the  railroad  men.  They  had  their  brother- 
hoods of  engineers,  and  of  firemen,  and  of  brakemen,  Are. 

.   Was  there  such  an  organization  here  as  the  Trainmen's  Union  that 
you  knew  of? 

A.  I  iiever  heard  of  it  by  that  name.     I  had  nothing  particularly-  to  do 
with  the  railroad,  and,  of  course,  wouldn't  be  as  well  posted  in  that  as  in 
t  matters. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  From  the  investigation  you  made,  and  from  your  knowledge  of  the 
strike  here,  do  you  think  there  would  have  been  any  strike  here  had  you 
heard  nothing  of  the  strike  at  Pittsburgh  and  other  parts  of  the  country  ? 

A.  I  think  there  would  have  been. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Why  do  you  think  there  would  not  have  been  ? 

A.  The  men  were  working  on  peaceably,  and  apparently  contented,  and 
there  were  no  demonstrations  made,  whatever,  and  they  were  getting  reason- 
able pay. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  of  those  strikers  say  it  was  because  the  men  struck 
at  Pittsburgh  and  in  Virginia  or  any  other  plae*  ' 

A.  You  could  get  no  reason  out  of  thern.  I  conversed  with  many  men, 
but  there  was  scarcely  an  instance  in  which  he-  would  acknowledge  that  he 
was  a  striker.     He  stopped  simply  because  the  rest  of  the  men  stopped. 

Q.   P.  was  apparently  ii 

A.  I  don't  think  I  met  with  a  dozen  men  who  would  acknowledge  that 
they  were  interested  in  the  strike. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

(l.  fte  proposed  that  if  he  was  in  Rome  he  would  do  as  Rome  doc-  7 

A.  There  was  another  reason  assigned,  something  in  substance  to  that. 
By  Mr.  Lindsc-v  : 
\  They  wouldn't  ackno*'.       _     that  they  were  engaged  in  striking,  in 
the  conversations  you  had  with  them  ? 

A.   No.  -ir. 

Q.  Was  there  any  fear,  you  think,  operating  on  the  minds  of  those  men 
with  whom  you  conversed  that  if  they  did  acknowledge  they  were  engaged 
in  a  strike  they  might  be  discharged  by  their  several  empli 

A.  There  may  have  been,     I  have  no  doubt  some  were  affected  in  that 
way — no  doubt  of  that,  whate\ 
jator  Yutzy  : 

Q.    I  understood  the  witness  to  say  that  the  railroad  men  struck  fir* 

A.   Ye-,  sir. 


Leg.  D  Railroad  R:  re,  July,  18T1 

Q.  Was  there  not  a  strike  among  other  ck  men — iron  men  and  roll- 

ing-mill men  ? 

_ 

A.  Not  until  after  the  railroad  strike  occurred. 

.  Another  strike  preceding  that? 
A.  I  have  no  recollection  of  any  ;  no.  sir.     Not  a  matter  of  recent  date. 
There  may  h^  >me  lot  -  .me  local  diffi 

-  frequently  the  ca-         -  .metimes  there  would 
mine  because  of  some  local  difficulty.     That  won't  affect  the  general  region, 
whatever.     That  is  frequently  the  case. 

What  is  1       _  m  of  the  men  that  strike?     Is  it  their  cus- 

tom, when  they  quit  work,  to  prevent  other  men  from  workir.  ; 
A.  Almost  universally  - 
Q.  And  by  what  mean - 

A.  By  intimidation  of  various  sorts.     Doing  it  at  their  houses  mainly  ? 
Q.  Threatening  them  ? 

A.  While  the  miners  were  idle,  it  has  been  the  practice,  hereto  for 
this  valley,  for  pump  men  to  continue  at  work  throug. 
never  known  a  case  but  where  they  were  stopped.     In  this  case — I  can 
speak  positively  to  this  one  fact — that  at  one  of  the  collieries  that  I  h 
charge  of.  the  pump  men  were  visited  by  a  crowd  of  men  at  night  and  threat- 
ened, and  or  stop.     This  I  have  from  the  men  them- 
--tned  with  what  ? 
A.  Threatened  with  violence — to  be  beaten — forced  out,  if  they  didn't 
p.     The  men,  in  this  particular  case,  reque-  remain  until  morn- 
ing, and                      p  everything,  and  leave  it  unprotected.     In  the  morn- 
ing they  wer    -                     _       aed  that  ".                -  ontinue  a" 
Then  there  was  no  recourse  but  either  to  let  the  mines  fill,  or  to  get  other 
parties  to  work  in  their  pia 

Q.  What  means  were  resorted  to  to  prevent  men  from  working  that 
wished  to  work  ? 

A.   Bv  beating  them,  _■       z  to  -   -    and  threa:         .         .:,  some- 

times,  sending  communications — sometimes   are  ornamented  with  cr    --- 
bones,  and  coffins,  and  pistols,  and  skulls. 
_  -  >n  par 
A.  Enough  to  frighten  them.     Sometimes  men  desire  to  be  intimidated 
that  way,  as  an  excuse.     I  think  so,  many  tim 

Have  any  of  those  threats  ever  been  carried  out  ? 
A.  Y   -      Men  have  frequentlv  been  beaten. 
And  kflle 

I  cannot  re-call  of  any  cases  here,  where  men  have  been  killed. 
Q.  Driven  away  by  force  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  In  this  case  of  our  colliery,  the  house  of  the  man  who 
was  working  as  a  pump-man — he  had  been  working  in  the  mines  for  y  ■  is — 
been  foreman  at  one  time — his  house — his  house  was 

-   .hrown  at  it,  he  was  stoned  and  forced  from  his 
work  :    and  another  man,  who  was  working  with  m  i  ed,  his  house 

was   stoned  several  times  by  parties,  in  the  night.     Who  they  were,  we 
cannot  tell,  of  cour- 

Q.  Where  men  didn't  obey  the  advice  of  those  men  that  threatened 
them,  v-    -       .-rnerally  followed  by  violence  ? 
A.  It  very  frequently  has  been. 

generally  followed  by  violence,  so  far     -  -  _-rva- 

~d  kno         _    extend  - 
A.  No,  -:.r;    I  wouldn't  say  generally,  because   threats  have  been  so 


/ 


782  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

common.     I  could  hardly  say  it  was  general ;  but,  as  a  rule,  men  have 
been  intimidated  by  the  threats. 

Q.  I  want  to  know  whether,  where  they  didn't  obey  the  commands  of 
these  men  that  made  the  threats,  and  didn't  cease  work,  whether  that  was 
generally  followed  by  violence  ? 

A.  That  is  a  very  general  question. 

Q.  So  far  as  your  observation  extends  ? 

A.  I  wouldn't  say  generally ;  no,  sir ;  I  would  say  that  it  has  been  fre- 
quently followed  by  violence. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Have  you  seen  any  of  the  threatening  letters — letters  with  coffins, 
&c,  on  them  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes. 

Q.  Been  shown  you  by  the  men  ? 

A.  Yes.     I  have  sometimes  taken  them  off  the  works. 

Q.  Taken  them  off — how? 

A.  Found  them  posted  up ;  because  where  they  had  been  posted  up, 
they  had  been  so  frightened  by  them,  that  they  wouldn't  go  in — wouldn't 
go  to  work  for  a  day  or  two,  until  they  got  over  the  strike.  I  have  some 
of  them.     I  think  I  could  scare  up  a  few. 

Q.  In  our  examination  we  have  had  a  good  many  terms  we  are  not  fa- 
miliar with,  and  I  don't  know  but  what  we  ought  to  have  some  definition 
of  them.     For  instance,  blacklegs  ? 

A.  A  blackleg,  as  I  understand  it,  is  generally  applied  to  a  man  who 
takes  another  man's  place.  This  I  understand  to  apply  to  a  man  who, 
when  one  man  strikes,  another  goes  in  and  takes  his  place  ;  but  it  is  just 
as  commonly  applied  to  those  who  continue  at  work,  and  will  not  go  on  a 
strike — they  are  denominated  blacklegs.     That  was  so  in  this  case. 

Q.  Have  you  an}r  scabs  in  this  county  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  that  is  used  much  about  the  mines.  I  have  heard  that 
applied  to  shoe-makers  more  than  any  one  else.  That  is,  fellows  who  were 
wandering  about,  without  any  settled  place. 

L.  C.  Bortree,  sworn  : 

B37  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  where  yon  reside,  Mr.  Bortree  ? 

A.  I  reside  in  the  Ninth  ward  of  the  city  of  Scranton. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  I  am  going  to  be  a  farmer  on  Tuesday  next.  I  am  not  doing  any- 
thing now. 

Q.  What  were  you  doing  on  the  1st  August  last? 

A.  Special  policeman. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Of  the  city  of  Scranton — of  the  mayor  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  under  the  mayor. 

Q.  State  where  you  were  on  the  morning  of  the  1st  August,  when  the 
men  came  from  the  silk-works  into  the  shops,  driving  the  employe's  out  of 
the  shops  ? 

A.  Allow  me  to  state  it  as  it  was. 

Q.  In  brief? 

A.  I  was  here  on  duty  on  the  upper  end  of  this  avenue  during  the  night 
of  the  last  of  July  or  the  1st  of  August.  I  had  permission  of  the  chief  of 
police  to  leave  here  at  five  o'clock.  Well,  I  did.  During  this  time  there 
was  a  tire  at  what  was  said  to  be  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  No.  5.  I  went 
out  and  returned  about  ten  o'clock.     I  called  in  to  the  coal  and  iron  com- 


Leg.  Doc]  "Railroad  Riots,  July,  18T7.  783 

pany's  store  up  here,  to  get  a  rubber  overcoat,  with  the  intention  of  going 
home.  While  I  was  there,  Mr.  W.  W.  Scranton,  says  to  me — I  used  to  be 
deputy  sheriff,  was  deputy  sheriff  for  the  past  twelve  years,  off  and  on,  at 
this  end  of  the  county.  I  had  nothing  else  from  the  24th  of  November, 
1871,  till  the  12th  April,  1878. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  .Just  come  to  the  facts  ? 

A.  I  stopped  there  and  I  went  up  and  looked  through  a  field-piece,  and 
saw  a  large  quantity  of  men. 

Q.  Field-glass  ? 

A.  Field-glass.  I  came  down,  just  at  the  time  I  came  from  the  build- 
ing, some  one  said,  that  the  mayor  had  sent  for  his  posse.  I  supposed  I 
was  one,  as  I  was  a  special  police.  W.  W.  Scranton  gives  me  a  gun,  and 
he  said,  kt  Let's  form  this  line."  Well,  I  did.  I  said  to  him,  "  Scranton, 
I  am  as  well  known  in  this  city  as  you  are,  and  you  take  one  end  of  the  line 
and  I  will  take  the  other."  I  fell  back  in  the  rear  of  the  line,  and  Mr.  Carl 
McKinney  was  my  comrade.  We  started  out  of  that  store  and  came  down, 
probably,  two  or  three  hundred  feet,  and  I  saw  a  man  whom  I  thought  I 
knew,  on  the  opposite  side. 

Q.  Come  down  where  ? 

A.  Come  down  this  way. 

Q.  Lackawanna  avenue  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  from  the  company's  store.  I  was  in  the  street  railroad  that 
passes  here,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  track  from  here,  and  I  saw  this  man 
drawing  a  revolver,  and,  I  think,  it  was  a  four-barreled  revolver,  and  he 
emptied  that  at  me,  at  least  I  think  he  did.  I  carried  m}r  gun  in  that  hand — 
my  left  hand — and  taking  this  right  hand  I  says,  "  For  God's  sake  keep 
quiet."  I  came  on  a  little  further,  about  a  hundred  feet.  Before  we  struck 
Washington  avenue,  &tones  and  clubs  were  thrown.  Bear  in  mind,  I  was 
in  the  rear  end,  and  when  we  passed  that  there  was  some 

Q.  Passed  what  ? 

A.  Passed  the  aveuue,  on  the  edge  of  it — the  upper  edge.  Say  for  in- 
stance, that  was  the  first  edge  of  Washington  avenue,  [illustrating.]  this 
man  McKinney  was  close  by  me.  Sometimes  I  was  ten  feet  from  him,  some- 
times twelve.  Just  as  I  struck  Washington  avenue,  there  was  a  man  asked 
me — came  up  to  me  and  he  says,  "  You  son  of  a  bitch,  give  me  that  gun." 
I  says,  "  You  can't  have  my  gun."  He  fell  back  in  the  crowd  and  I  heard 
some  one — who  it  was  I  don't  know — say,  "  Let's  rally  on  them,"  or  some- 
thing to  that  effect.  "  They  have  nothing  but  blank  cartridges."  Another 
man,  whom  I  knew,  came  up  within  ten  or  twelve  feet  of  me,  and  he  called 
me,  "  Sheriff,  you  son  of  a  bitch,  give  me  that  gun."  I  says,  "  No,  you 
can't  have  my  gun  ;  for  God's  sake  get  your  people  off  these  streets." 
Previous  to  this  there  was  three  or  four  shots  from  these  men,  who  was  a 
hundred  feet  before  you  strike  Washington  avenue.  When  we  struck 
Washington  avenue,  there  was  one,  two,  or  three — anyway  that  I  know — I 
am  sure  of  one  that  was  shot. 

Q.  One  man  shot  ? 

A.  Not  any  one  from  us,  sir 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  That  was  before  you  passed  Washington  street  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  there  was  from  three  to  four  before  we  struck  Washington  ave- 
nue, and  I  saw  a  man  when  he  shot — from  three  to  four  shots — just  above 
Monie  &  Pugh's  store,  on  the  right  hand  side  of  this  avenue.  We  came 
down  on  the  center  of  the  avenue.  Of  course,  I  do  not  know  how  the 
front  end  of  our  squad  was.  Of  course,  we  were  two  by  two.  As  soon 
as  we  passed  through,  they  closed  up  like  this. 


784  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Behind  you  ? 

A.  Yes,  behind  me. 

Q.  Behind  the  end,  as  they  were  marching  along  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  I  saw  parties  there  whom  I  knew,  and  I  says  to  them, "  For 
God's  sake,  boys,  get  off  the  street."  I  crossed  over  the  avenue.  I  was 
struck  in  the  left  arm,  struck  in  the  shoulder,  and  struck  in  the  back  of  the 
neck. 

Q.  What  with  ? 

A.  One  was,  I  am  sure,  a  piece  of  a  shovel  handle.  I  saw  it  coming. 
There  was  a  stone  thrown  which  struck  a  man  right  behind  me  by  the  name 
of — I  can't  tell  you  his  name — he  was  up  here  at  the  company's  store. 
When  I  saw  it  coming,  I  dodged  it,  and  it  went  over  me. 

Q.  Many  stones  thrown  ? 

A.  Stones,  clubs,  sticks,  and  everything  that  you  might  think  of. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  You  have  stated,  I  believe,  that  you  did  advise  a  crowd  there  and 
then  to  go  to  their  respective  homes  ? 

A.  I  says,  to  leave  the  streets.  There  ain't  a  man  in  this  room  but  what 
knows  me.  Then  we  came  down  after  we  crossed  the  avenue,  and  this  man, 
McKinney,  he  was  next  to  me — I  saw  a  man  on  the  left  hand  side,  at 
what  is  called  Slager's  building,  have  a  revolver  at  the  corner  of  the  build- 
ing, and  he  shot,  and  about  tae  time  he  shot,  some  of  our  vigilants,  as  they 
call  them,  shot,  and  it  lasted  for  probably,  about  a  minute,  I  do  not  think 
it  lasted  two  minutes. 

Q.  What  was  the  effect  of  the  firing  ? 

A.  The  effect  of  the  firing,  I  saw  three  men  lying  dead  then  and  there — 
I  suppose  they  were  dead.  One  on  the  right  hand  side,  as  you  go  up  this 
way,  his  name  was  Dunlevy. 

Q.  Were  there  any  other  ones  wounded  ? 

A.  I  could  not  swear  to  that,  an}'  further  than  seeing  a  man  carried  up 
the  avenue  on  a  stretcher  of  some  kind. 

Q.  Did  the  crowd  disperse  ? 

A.  They  did.  They  dispersed  right  away,  as  soon  as  the  first  volley.  I 
think  there  was  somebody  fell. 

Q.  Did  you  fire  ? 

A.  I  did,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  the  man  fall  that  you  shot  at  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  I  suppose  you  didn't  shoot  to  waste  your  fire  ? 

A.  You  heard  what  Mr.  Scranton  swore  to. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  after  the  crowd  started  to  run  ? 

A.  Yes;  there  was.  I  saw  a  gentleman  in  this  crowd  that  came  near 
blowing  mjr  ear  off,  and  while  going — we  had  breach  loaders. 

Q.  After  the  crowd  started  to  run,  did  they  fire  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  he  with  the  crowd  7 

A.  No ;  he  belonged  to  the  posse. 

(I.  He  fired  after  the  crowd  started. 

A.  Yes  ;  and  then  he  loaded  again,  and  it  went  off  again,  and  I  then  told 
him  not  to  put  any  more  in  that  gun.  It  was  accidental  shooting.  It  was 
done  all  within  a  half  second  from  the  time  that  the  first  shot  was  fired. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  785 

I  do  not  think  the  shooting  from  the  vigilants,  as  they  term  us,  and  I 
was  the  last  man  in  the  crowd — and  I  don't  think  it  lasted  one  minute. 

Q.  All  the  firing  ? 

A.  From  the  time  the  vigilants  opened  fire  until  it  had  ceased. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  you  know  the  leader  of  this  crowd  ? 

A.  I  know  two  gentleman  in  that  crowd,  two  that  I  supposed 

Q.  Did  you  know  them  to  be  the  leaders  of  that  crowd  or  mob  ? 

A.  I  know  there  was  men  in  that  crowd  that  said,  "  Boys,  come  on." 

Q.  I  want  to  know  this :  if  }rou  know  the  leader  of  that  crowd  ? 

A.  I  should  say  I  did. 

Q.  Were  they  railroad  employes,  were  they  colliers,  or  what  were  they? 

A.  I  could  not  say  the  position  they  held  in  life. 

Q.  You  have  stated  in  your  evidence,  that  you  had  told  this  crowd  to 
disperse  and  go  to  their  homes — what  was  their  reply  ? 

A.  They  said,  "  You  sons  of  bitches,  we  will  take  your  guns  from  you 
and  we  will  clean  the  avenue."  Whether  the  man  I  spoke  to  said  it  or  some 
one  else,  I  cannot  say.  There  was  lots  of  clubs  thrown  about  this  time, 
and  stones.     I  was  struck  two  or  three  times  myself. 

Q.  In  your  evidence,  you  have  said  that  they  attempted  or  asked  you  to 
take  your  gun — who  was  the  party  that  done  that  ? 

A.  That  question  I  don't  propose  to  answer. 

Q.  I  insist  on  it? 

A.  I  will  not  answer  that  question. 

Q.  Did  they  belong  to  the  rioters  ? 

A.  I  object  to  answering  to  that. 

Q.  The  man  was  one  of  the  rioters — this  party  that  tried  to  take  your 
gun? 

A.  He  is  a  man  that  asked  me  to  take  my  gun. 

Q.  Did  he  belong  to  the  rioter  party  ? 

A.  He  did. 

A.t  this  point  the  committee  adjourned,  to  meet  at  the  call  of  the  chair. 


Pittsburgh,  April  6,  1878. 

The  sub-committee  on  railroad  riot  met  at  the  Orphans'  court  room  at 
ten  o'clock,  a.  m.  Mr.  Reyburn  in  the  chair.  Present,  Messrs.  Reyburn, 
Torbert,  Yutzy,  Englebert,  and  Means. 

David  A.  Stewart,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Rejourn : 

Q.  Where  do  you  live,  Mr.  Stewart  ? 

A.  I  live  on  Homewood  avenue,  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  am  president  of  the  Pittsburgh  Locomotive  Woi'ks  and  Columbia 
Oil  Company. 

Q.  Were  you  present  on  the  19th  of  July,  the  breaking  out  or  first  com- 
mencement of  the  riot  ? 

A.  The  19th.     That  was  Thursday,  was  not  it? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  I  was  in  the  city  on  Thursday. 

Q.  Will  3rou  be  kind  enough  just  to  make  a  statement,  in  your  own  way, 
of  what  you  know  of  the  occurrences  of  that  day  ? 
50  Riots. 


786  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  The  only  excitement  that  I  saw  was  on  the  street,  but  on  Friday 
morning  when  I  came  into  the  city — I  live  six  miles  out — in  the  city  limits 
— but  six  miles  from  the  neighborhood — I  understood  Mr.  Cassatt  was 
there,  and  I  went  to  see  him,  and  say  to  him  that  the  cit}T  of  Pittsburgh 
was  very  poorly  off  for  police — one  hundred  odd  men  having  been  dis- 
charged— and  suggested  that  he  would  get  the  mayor  to  employ  those  that 
had  been  discharged,  and  guarantee  the  payment  of  their  wages,  to  protect 
the  property  of  the  company  and  the  peace  of  the  city,  which  he  agreed  to 
do.  He  said  he  did  not  know  Mayor  McCarthy,  and  I  offered  to  take  him 
down  and  introduce  him.  He  started  to  go,  and  then  was  called  back  on 
some  other  business,  and  could  not  go,  and  requested  me  to  take  a  carriage 
and  go  down  and  see  the  mayor,  and  bring  him  up  if  I  could.  I  took  a  car- 
riage and  went  down,  and  met  the  mayor  on  the  steps  of  the  city  hall ; 
went  up  to  him  and  said  to  him  I  had  been  sent  down  Iry  Mr.  Cassatt,  who 
would  like  very  much  to  see  him,  and  I  offered  a  carriage,  and  asked  him 
if  he  would  come  along  up  and  see  Mr.  Cassatt.  He  said  he  would  not ;  he 
would  not  have  anything  to  do  with  it,  the  whole  matter  had  been  taken 
out  of  his  hands.  That  there  was  no  necessity,  he  said,  of  bringing  the 
military  here,  that  he  could  have  allayed  this  whole  thing  if  it  had  been 
left  in  his  hands.  I  asked  him  if  he  would  see  Mr.  Cassatt,  if  I  would 
bring  him  down.  He  says,  "  No  ;  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  him,"  and 
he  turned  on  his  heel  and  left,  and  did  not  wait  to  hear  the  proposition.  I 
did  not  make  the  proposition,  because  he  would  not  wait  to  hear  anything. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  mayor  himself? 

A.  The  mayor  himself,  on  the  steps  of  the  city  hall,  and  he  saw  the  car- 
riage there  readjr,  right  in  front  of  him,  to  take  him  to  the  depot,  if  he 
had  gone.     This  was  on  Friday  morning. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  you  go  back  and  report  to  Mr.  Cassatt  ? 

A.  I  went  back  and  reported  to  Mr.  Cassatt  that  he  had  declined  to  see 
me — to  come  to  see  him,  or  to  see  him. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Were  you  acquainted  with  the  Mayor  ? 

A.  Oh,  I  know  him.  Not  intimately.  Have  been  in  his  office  frequently 
before.     I  think  he  knew  me,  too. 

Q.  Have  }tou  any  knowledge  of  any  steps  taken  by  the  mayor  to  preserve 
the  peace  ? 

A.  Not  at  that  time.  He  declined  then.  He  said  the  matter  had  been 
taken  out  of  his  hands,  and  he  would  not  do  anything. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  his  having  taken  any  step  at  any  time  ? 

A.  Well,  after  that — after  the  fire  on  Sunday,  I  saw  him  then  with  a  lot 
of  police,  bringing  some  men  from  the  Brownsville  boat,  or  Connellsville 
road,  or  somewhere  along  there — after  the  fire  on  Sunday.  I  was  not  in 
town  on  Sunday,  owing  to  an  article  in  the  Globe  that  Thomas  A.  Scott 
was  at  my  house  directing  affairs  from  there.  Having  1113-  family  over 
there,  I  expected  a  lot  of  those  men  out  there.  I  was  al  m\  house  in  East 
Liberty,  around  about  the  stock-yards,  all  day  on  Sunday. 

Q.  You  say  there  wa*  an  article  in  the  Globe  newspaper  published  here  ? 

A.  On  Sunday  morning. 

<v).  That  Thomas  A.  Scott  was  at  your  house  ? 

A.  Directing  affairs  from  there. 

Q.  Was  Mr.  Scott  there  ? 

A.  He  was  not  there  at  an}r  time  during  the  riot.  Was  not  there  before 
the  riot,  nor  has  he  been  there  since. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  787 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  the  mayor  say  to  you  who  had  taken  this  matter  out  of  his  hands — 
what  authority  had  taken  it  out  of  his  hands  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  he  said  what  authority.  He  said  the  whole  matter 
had  been  taken  out  of  his  hands. 

Q.  Did  not  say  who  did  it  ? 

A.  No ;  he  may  have  stated  the  sheriff,  but  I  am  not  sure  about  that — 
stated  he  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  it. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Where  were  you  on  Saturday  ?     Where  are  your  works  located  ? 

A.  Our  works  are  located  in  Allegheny,  but  my  office  is  on  Sixth  street. 
I  was  not  up  about  on  Saturday.  I  was  at  the  Union  depot  about  the  time 
the  firing  commenced  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  I  went  out  on  the  first 
train  to  home ;  but  after  the  train  could  get  through,  and  come  up  as  far 
as  the  yard,  it  was  stopped  at  the  yard,  owing  to  the  troubles  at  TwenDy- 
eighth  street,  and  I  suppose  we  were  there  half  an  hour.  I  was  not  at 
Twenty-eighth  street  at  the  time  of  the  firing.  I  saw  great  crowds  of 
people  around  the  ti'acks  as  our  train  got  through. 

Q.  Did  the  crowd  seem  excited  ? 

A.  Oh,  yes  ;  close  up  to  the  tracks  abng  on  both  sides.    That  was  after 
the  first  volley  had  been  fired.     There  was  no  firing  at  the  time  I  went 
through  there.     That  was  about  five  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  about  the  Fort  Wayne  depot  during  Saturday  or  Sunday  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Don't  you  know  anything  about  the  doings  of  the  mob  down  there  ? 

A.  I  w%s  not  in  town  on  Sunday  at  all.  I  saw  the  troops  there  at  the 
passenger  depot  at  one  o'clock  that  day,  when  the  Philadelphia  troops  ar- 
rived there,  when  they  were  taking  their  lunch  at  the  Union  depot. 

Q.  Were  you  over  in  Allegheny  at  any  time  during  the  trouble  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  at  all  during  the  trouble. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  you  apply  to  any  of  the  other  officials — sheriff  or  any  other  au- 
thorities ? 

A.  No ;  I  did  not.  I  am  not  connected  with  the  railroad  in  any  way, 
except  I  am  director  in  the  Allegheny  Valley  road.  I  talked  to  Mr.  Mc- 
Cargo  about  him  applying,  but  he  thought  it  was  not  any  use,  after  the 
refusal  to  Mr.  Cassatt. 

Q.  After  the  mayor  refused  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  What  was  the  nature  of  that  editorial  in  the  Globe — was  it  inflam- 
matory ? 

A.  It  was  not  an  editorial ;  it  was  a  local  notice,  stating  that  Thomas 
A.  Scott  was  at  the  house  of  his  nephew,  D.  A.  Stewart,  on  Penn  avenue, 
and  directing  affairs  from  there.  That  was  to  create  excitement.  There 
was  more  inflammatory  articles  in  the  extra  of  the  Critic  issued  on  Sunday. 

Q.  The  Globe  was  a  Sunday  paper  also  ? 

A.  The  Globe  was  a  Sunday  paper  also. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  What  was  the  tenor  of  that  article  in  the  Critic — to  excite  ? 

A.  To  excite  the  populace. 

Q.  Or  to  allay  the  excitement  '■ 

A.  I  think  it  was  signed  "  Thirty  Thousand  Citizens,"  calling  for  a 
meeting  at  city  hall,  on  Sunday,  at  one  o'clock.  If  I  remember,  the  tenor 
was  to  put  down  the  railroad  men,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing. 


788  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Put  down  the  strikers  ? 

A.  Tom  Scott  and  the  balance  of  them. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  The  railroad  officials  ? 

A.  The  better  plan  is  to  get  the  article  itself,  instead  of  letting  me  de- 
scribe it. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  this  in  the  Critic  or  Globe  ? 

A.  In  the  extra  of  the  Critic,  on  Sunday.  The  Critic  had  a  regular 
edition,  and  afterwards  issued  an  extra  that  was  distributed  about  noon, 
or  during  the  forenoon. 

Q.  Is  there  anything  else  that  you  know  in  regard  to  the  riots  that  would 
be  of  interest  to  us  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  anj'thing  directly.  You  know,  I  was  about  East  Lib- 
erty on  Sunday,  and  there  is  nothing  that  would  be  evidence.  I  saw  the 
troops  there,  and  I  went  to  the  general,  and  got  him  to  distribute  a  guard 
around  the  stock-yards  and  Penn  avenue,  and  made  suggestions  of  that 
kind. 

Q.  Did  the  troops  preserve  order  there? 

A.  Everything  was  very  quiet  there  on  Sunday,  about  East  Liberty. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  Tom  Scott  or  Mr.  Cassatt  in 
regard  to  this  matter,  except  what  you  have  stated  about  the  mayor  fur- 
nishing police,  or  anything  that  would  have  any  tendency  to  put  down  this 
riot  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  now  of  any.     I  heard  rumors  that  were  aurrent,  of 
one  kind  and  another,  which  I  would  not  consider  as  evidence.     I  heard 
Mayor  McCarthy  made  such  and  such  speeches,  but  I  don't  know  who 
from.     That  would  not  be  evidence. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  was  the  conduct  of  the  troops  out  at  East  Liberty,  those  that 
come  under  your  observation  ? 

A.  They  were  very  orderly  and  behaved.  They  had  nothing  to  do, 
specially,  there.  I  saw  them  have  their  drill  there  on  Sunday  evening. 
General  White's  troops  were  up  above  Torrens,  and  I  applied  to  him  first 
about  having  this  guard  placed  along  Penn  avenue.  At  first  there  was  no 
guard  there,  and  there  was  danger  of  men  coming  out  and  setting  fire  to 
the  stock-yards  ;  and  I  applied  to  him,  and  he  said  General  Gallagher  was 
the  officer  in  command,  and  I  applied  to  General  Gallagher,  and  he  said 
he  would  have  it  attended  to.  I  went  back  in  a  couple  of  hours,  and  it 
still  was  not  done,  but  he  did  have  it  done  that  afternoon.  I  saw  there 
was  danger,  and  it  might  create  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  but  they  had  a 
guard  placed  all  along  Penn  avenue,  and  also  requested  that  there  should 
be  a  guard  put  at  the  lower  end  of  the  yard,  the  upper  end  of  the  tracks, 
to  keep  persons  from  going  there,  except  what  was  necessary  on  business, 
which  they  did.  I  was  in  the  telegraph  office,  and  heard  the  reports  about 
the  wreck  of  that  stock  train. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  The  disposition  of  the  troops  was  to  maintain  order  ? 

A.  There  was  no  difficulty,  particularly.  I  think  everything  was  quiet 
about  East  Liberty  and  about  the  stock-yards  on  that  day — on  Sunday. 

(,>.  They  were  ready  to  do  their  duty  ? 

A.  Ready  to  do  their  duty. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  789 

Joseph  Thomas,  sworn : 

By  Mr.  Reyburn : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside,  Mr.  Thomas  ? 

A.  Reside  at  No.  117,  Bluff  street,  Sixth  ward,  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Were  you  the  coroner  at  the  time  of  the  riots  in  July  last  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  state  to  the  committee  the  number  of 
persons  killed  during  those  riots  that  came  within  your  official  knowledge  ? 

A.  There  was  twenty-two  that  was  killed,  and  there  was  two  that  died 
from  wounds.  One  was  Lieutenant  Ash,  of  Philadelphia,  and  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Evans,  that  was  wounded  on  Sunday  morning,  and  died  after- 
wards. They  had  amputated  his  limbs,  and  he  died.  I  took  his  deposi- 
tion. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Was  he  a  soldier  ? 

A.  No  ;  a  citizen  shot  in  the  neighborhood  of  Thirty-seventy  street  on 
that  Sunday  morning.     That  is  all  I  have  any  account  of  altogether. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  were  those — citizens  ? 

A.  There  was  four  soldiers — four  Philadelphia  soldiers,  altogether, 
counting  Ash.  One  of  our  soldiers  that  belongs  around  here,  and  the 
others  were  all  citizens.  That  would  be  five,  counting  Ash,  that  I  held  an 
inquest  on. 

Q.  What  were  the  occupations  of  those  men  that  were  killed  ?  Do  you 
remember  ? 

A.  I  think  that  I  have  got  a  list  down  there,  if  it  has  not  been  mislaid, 
There  was  some  of  all  kinds,  painters — some  railroad  men  among  them, 
there  was  some  rolling-mill  men,  I  think — yes,  I  know  of  one.  I  did  have 
a  list  of  them. 

Q.  Could  you  give  the  committee  a  list  of  the  killed,  with  a  statement 

A.  Statement  on  my  docket?  I  could.  I  had  a  list  made  out,  which  I 
gave  the  grand  jury.     I  don't  know  what  they  did  with  it. 

Q  We  would  like  to  have  the  list  of  killed  from  your  docket  ? 

A.  Yes,  and  the  place  they  were  killed  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  And  their  occupation  ? 

Q.  Yes;  just  a  description  of  them,  so  that  the  committee  can  file  them 
in  their  report.     Where  were  those  men  killed  ? 

A.  The  majority  of  them  were  killed  in  the  neighborhood  of  Twenty- 
eighth  street,  and  some  were  killed  about  the  corner  of  Twenty-sixth  or 
Twenty-seventh.     That  was  during  Sunday  morning — Saturday  night. 

Q.  During  the  time  the  troops  were  in  the  round-house? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  This  one  soldier  that  belongs  here,  he  was  shot  up  on  the 
hill.  I  had  been  out  in  Sharpsburg  that  afternoon,  and  was  within  a  couple 
of  squares  at  the  time  of  the  firing.  I  could  see  him  laying  up  on  the  hill 
from  Liberty  street. 

Q.  You  speak  of  this  man  Evans  having  made  a  deposition? 

A.  He  was  shot  right  in  the  neighborhood  of  Thirty-seventh  street. 

Q.  He  was  further  out  on  Penn  avenue  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  that  was  on  the  road  that  the  troops  retreated  on.  Butler 
street  there  was  another — a  saloon-keeper  shot  pretty  near  the  same  place. 
This  man  Evans'  deposition,  as  near  as  I  can  remember,  was,  that  he  was 
engaged  in  the  Valley  round-house,  taking  charge  of  the  engines,  and  run- 
ning them  in,  and  he  had  got  done  work,  and  went  down  to  see  about  some 
relatives  of  his — went  down  street  apiece,  and  saw  the  troops  coming,  and 


790  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

he  turned  off  and  went  around  the  corner  and  waited  until  they  passed,  he 
said  that  after  the}^  went  apiece,  he  followed  them  up  on  his  way  home. 
He  was  shot  in  the  ankle. 

Q.  That  was  on  Sunday  morning  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  that  saloon-keeper — he  was  shot  at  his  own  door,  and  there 
was  a  man  that  was  carried  in  Doctor  Robinson's — I  don't  remember  his 
name,  but  I  can  give  it  to  you — was  shot  just  about  a  square  above  that. 
He  was  a  plasterer. 

Q.  Did  you  have  a  physician  to  make  a  post  mortem  examination  of  the 
dead  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  What  appeared  to  be  the  nature  of  the  injuries  of  the  soldiers  that 
were  killed  ?  Did  they  appear  to  be  wounded  from  rifle  bullets  or  pistol 
bullets  ? 

A.  They  appeared  to  be  mostly  gun-shot  wounds.  There  was  one  of 
them  had  a  hole  you  could  pretty  near  put  your  fist  through.  It  was  where 
a  ball  came  out.  It  appeared  like  a  minie-ball.  There  were  two  soldiers. 
They  were  laid  out  by  Mr.  Devore.  By  the  time  I  got  there,  he  had  them 
fixed  up  to  be  shipped,  and  he  could  give  you  a  description  of  their  wounds. 

Q.  Joseph? 

A.  Mr.  Devore,  the  undertaker;  he  got  them  in  Lawrenceville.  He  had 
them  fixed  up  at  the  time  I  got  to  see  them,  and  he  could  give  you  a  die- 
scription  of  them. 

Q.  Did  you  think  they  were  all  gun-shot  wounds  ? 

A.  All  gun-shot  wounds,  except  one. 

Q.  Rifle  of  large  caliber  ? 

A.  Yes.     Well,  these  minie-ball  are  not  a  very  big  ball,  but  they  make 
an  ugly  wound  sometimes. 
By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 

Q.  I  suppose  the  Senator  means  that  they  were  not  pistol  shots  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  feel  confident  they  were  gun-shot  wounds. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  The  wounds  of  how  many  men  did  you  examine — of  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  These  two  in  Devores.  I  don't  know  whether  I  examined  the  wounds 
or  not.  Mr.  Devore  would  know.  The  other  one  up  here  I  did.  It  was 
a  veiy  big  wound.     He  was  killed  about  Thii^-third  street. 

Q.  A  citizen  ? 

A.  No  ;  he  was  a  soldier.     I  think  he  had  two  wounds  in  him. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Was  he  a  Philadelphia  soldier  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Were  there  any  women  and  children  killed  ? 

A.  I  didn't  see  any.     There  were  rumors  around  the  streets  Saturday 
afternoon  that  there  was,  but  I  didn't  see  any. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  You  held  no  inquest  upon  any  children  or  women  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  there  were  places  pointed  out  to  me  Saturday  where  there 
had  been  women  or  children  shot,  but  I  didn't  hear  anything  of  it  after- 
wards. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Have  no  knowledge  of  any  being  killed — children  or  women? 

A.   No,  sir. 

By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  Have  you  any  information,  or  did  you  see  any  of  the  occurrences  on 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18TT.  191 

Saturday — Sunday  that  would  be  ?  You  are  county  officer — are  you  a 
county  officer  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  I  was  about  two  squares  from  the  firing  at  the  time  it  com- 
menced, coming  down  Liberty  street.  I  think  I  was  up  about  Thirty-first 
street,  about  three  squares. 

Q.  Coming  this  way  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  coming  this  way.  I  went  up  along  Liberty  street  in  the 
afternoon  about  two  o'clock,  and  I  was  in  a  buggy  when  the  firing  com- 
menced, about  three  squares  up  Liberty  street  from  Twenty-eighth  street. 
I  could  see  the  people  up  on  the  hill  from  where  I  was,  the  dust  rising 
when  the  balls  would  strike.  I  was  not  near  enough  to  recognize  any- 
body. 

Q.  State  how  many  you  know  of  having  been  wounded  ? 

A.  Three. 

Q.  What  were  they  ? 

A.  One  was  a  Philadelphia  soldier. 

Q.  Where  was  he  wounded  ? 

A.  He  was  wounded,  I  think,  in  this  side,  [indicating  left  side.] 

Q.  Which  Bide  ? 

A.  I  think  on  the  left  side. 

Q.  Where — what  part  of  the  city  ? 

A.  He  was  wounded  out  in  the  neighborhood  of  Thirty-seventh  or 
Thirty- eighth  streets. 

Q.  Was  his  a  gun-shot  wound  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  a  pistol  shot. 

Q.  What  were  the  others  ? 

A.  The  others  appeared  to  me  like  a  pistol  shot.  This  boy  Jones,  he 
was  there  in  the  hospital.  He  was  shot  in  that  place.  His  wound  ap- 
peared like  a  pistol-shot  wound.  He  was  shot  about  the  forks  of  the  road. 
That  would  be,  I  suppose,  Thirty-fifth  street,  maybe.  Then  there  was 
another  man  by  the  name  of  Scott  that  was  wounded  in  the  leg.  I  didn't 
see  his  wound. 

Mayor  Phillips,  sworn : 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  I  would  like  to  ask  you  one  question.  The  committee  would  like  to 
know,  or  I  would,  at  least,  if  you  put  Allegheny  City  into  the  hands  of 
this  man  Ammon,  and  if  so,  what  you  told  him  ? 

A.  Put  Allegheny  city  into  the  hands  of  Ammon  ? 

Q.  Yes,  sir. 

A.  Emphatically,  no  !     I  never  put  anything  into  the  hands  of  Amnion. 

Q.  Did  you  tell  him  to  take  charge  of  the  lower  part  of  Allegheny  City  ? 

A.  I  did  not,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  tell  him  to  resist  any  arrest  that  might  be  attempted  to  be 
made  upon  him  ? 

A.  Positively,  no  !  I  will  tell  you  what  I  did  say.  When  I  went,  I  found 
there  were  five  or  six  hundred  men,  and  my  force  was  veiy  small  and  I  cau- 
tioned them  to  be  careful  what  they  are  doing,  that  they  would  get  them- 
selves into  trouble,  there  is  danger  ahead,  and  says  I,  "  Be  careful  what 
you  are  doing."  That  was  the  sum  and  substance  of  what  I  said.  I  cau- 
tioned Ammon,  and  it  turns  out  there  were  three  or  four  of  my  officers 
heard  me  say  so.  The  chief  of  police  is  here  now,  if  you  would  like  to 
have  him  corroborate  it. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  official  communication  that  Ammon  had  with 
the  railroad  officials  ? 


792  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  do  not,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  communication  at  all  that  he  had  with  them  ? 

A.  Hearsay,  sir.  I  know  nothing  of  my  own  knowledge — only  heard  it 
indirectly, from  some  person  to  me,  that  he  had  something  from  J.  D.  Layng. 

Q.  He  did  not  tell  you  himself? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Saw  no  telegram  from  Mr.  Layng  to  him  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  Mr.  Robert  Ammon  during  the 
time  he  had  charge  of  that  railroad — the  Fort  Wayne  railroad  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  I  had  conversation — at  the  time  he  had  charge  ? 

Q.  Yes,  sir. 

A.  I  did  not  know  that  he  had  charge.     He  was  there. 

Q.  Did  he  tell  you  at  any  time  that  one  of  your  police  officers  attempted 
to  arrest  him,  and  he  refused  to  be  arrested  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  the  fact  that  one  of  3'our  police  officers  attempted 
to  arrest  him  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  you,  at  any  time,  attempt  to  arrest  Ammon — any  of  3rour  offi- 
cers ? 

A.  Afterwards.  Will  I  give  you  the  particulars  of  that,  sir — the  time 
that  I  went  down  with  the  policemen  to  protect  that  ten  miles  of  freight, 
and  again  to  bring  up  the  first  lot. 

Q.  What  day  was  that  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  you. 

Q.  That  was  after  the  riot  ? 

A.  Several  days. 

Q.  I  mean  the  Friday  morning  when  the  trouble  first  commenced  in 
Allegheny  ? 

A.  It  was  Thursday  or  Friday  before  the  troubles  over  here — Thursday 
or  Friday.     You  asked  me  about  something  on  Friday  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  No.  I  only  went  down  there  at  that  time.  I  think  that  is  the  only 
time  I  ever  saw  him,  except  after  that,  the  day  he  was  arrested.' 

Q.  Did  he  tell  you  that  one  of  }rour  officers  had  attempted  to  arrest  him, 
and  he  refused  to  submit,  because  he  had  not  a  warrant  ? 

A.  No;  I  don't  remember  that — because  he  hadn't  a  warrant.  No,  sir. 
I  never  heard  of  this  thing,  either  through  Ammon  or  the  policeman.  I 
know  nothing  of  it  at  all.     I  don't  believe  it. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  Ammon  telling  3rou  this  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  do  not. 

Q.  That  you  said  in  reply  that  that  was  right,  and  for  him  to  go  ahead  ? 

A.  That's  stuff.     That  aint  my  style. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Allow  no  man  to  arrest  him  ? 

A.  Oh,  no,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  At  any  time  sent  policemen  to  arrest  Mr.  Ammon,  in  preserving  the 
peace  ? 

A.  I  sent  police  down.  I  sent  a  note  over  to — I  am  not  sure  whether  I 
sent  the  note  over  to  see  John  MeCauley,  and  he  needed  protection  away 
down  the  road.     I  understood  that  the  men  would  protect  the  property  as 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots.  July,  1877. 

long  a?  they  could,  and  when  they  were  worn  out  and  weary,  they  would 
send  me  word,  and  I  would  put  out  a  police  force  to  protect  the  city.  This 
was  several  days  after  that.  I  did  so.  I  sent  them  ten  or  twelve  miles 
down  the  road.  I  had  no  authority  to  do  it  with  the  city  police,  but  they 
agreed  to  par,  and  have  since  paid,  an  improvised  police  force. 

Q.  The  railroad  men.  although  they  were  on  a  strike,  did  they  show  any 
disposition  to  be  riotous  or  lawless,  and  destroy  property  '.' 

A.  Not  at  all.  sir.  They  told  me  at  this  Sunday  meeting,  that  they 
would  do  all  they  could  to  protect  the  property  until  the  matters  were  set- 
tled in  regard  to  wages,  or  something,  with  the  company. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  information,  or  make  any  arrests  of  them — inter- 
fere with  them  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  They  said  some  of  the  trains  were  going  through  which 
were  stopped.  I  didn't  make  any  arrest  before.  I  cautioned  |them  pru- 
dence and  carefulness,  and  the  danger  and  the  risk  they  were  running.  The 
men  pledged  me  what  they  would  do  to  protect  the  property,  and  they  did 
it  manfully.  One  night  they  came  up  and  said  they  were  worn  out.  and  I 
had  the  promise  of  a  hundred  men  to  come  down  from  otf  the  hill,  and  the 
men  didn't  come,  and  one  of  the  messengers  came  from  the  railroad  men. 
and  I  told  him  I  was  very  sony,  I  had  been  promised  one  hundred  men. 
and  they  didn't  come,  and  1  would  have  to  ask  them  to  go  back  again  that 
night,  and  they  did  it.  though  worn  out.  with  a  positive  assurance  from  me 
that  I  would  see  that  they  were  relieved  the  next  day. 

Q.  Those  were  railroad  men? 

A.  Those  were  railroad  men. 

Q.  Ammon  applied  to  you  foi     ssisl 

A.  I  never  saw  Ammon.  but  that  one  day. 

Q.   Never  applied  to  you  for  assistance  at  all  ? 

A.  No,  ^ir  ;  I  don't  believe  he  did. 

W.  D.  Ross,  -       '•??  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  resile  ? 

A.  Allegheny  City. 

Q.  What  was  your  occupation  in  July  last  ? 

A.  I  was  chief  of  police. 

Q.   Of  Allegheny  City? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  present  during  the  conversation  between  Mayor  Phillips  and 
Robert  Ammon.  or  Boss  Ammon.  or  Bob  Ammon,  or  whatever  his  name  is  ? 

A.   I  was  present  a  part  of  the  time.     I  was  not  there  all  of  the  time. 

i,;.   Be  kind  enough  to  state  what  your  recollection  of  the  occurs 

A.  Well.  I  was  on  the  scene  of  action  down  there  before  Mayor  Phillips 
came — had  been  called  down.  I  think  I  was  in  Pittsburgh  when  the  word 
came  to  the  office  that  they  wanted  some  men  down  to  help  a  -  ".his 
riot — preventing  cars  from  going  out.  and,  I  think,  took  fourteen  or  fifteen 
men  down,  and  found  a  large  crowd.  I  suppose  there  was  two  hundred  or 
two  hundred  and  fifty  pers  a  ..ere.  with  an  apparent  determination  to 
prevent  the  cars  from  going  out.  and  showing  the  lis]  ait  >n  manife- 
by  them.  They  were  armed  with  links  and  coupling  pins,  and  a  great  many 
of  them  had  clinkers.     I  saw  that  they  were  detern.  - 

and  I  talk-  .  B    — .  -     :cher.  and  told  him  to  -  .a  car.  and 

if  they  co      I  get  1  _  ..     I  told  Ammon  we  had  come  there  for  the  pur- 

_  i  ny  violence  that  might  be  a  t o  the  railroad  employ  - . 

and  we  were  informed  -  sistanee,       m  this  side 


794  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

of  the  river — from  Pittsburgh.  His  answerwas,  "  Not  a  God  damn  bit  of  it." 
He  says,  "  We  are  all  employes  of  the  Fort  Wayne  road.  We  have  been 
discharged  from  the  employment,  and  there  are  no  Pittsbnrghers  here, 
and  we  don't  intend  to  let  one  pound  of  freight  go  out  of  this  yard  until 
our  terms  were  complied  with."  And  when  I  told  him  it  was  a  pi*etty  high- 
handed measure,  or  something  like  that,  to  take  possession  of  the  railroad 
and  its  property,  and  they  would  get  into  trouble,  "  Well,"  he  said,  "  we 
might  just  as  well  die  here  as  be  starved  to  death,"  and  he  told  me  that 
they  had  this  thing  organized  all  over  the  country.  It  was  not  confined  to 
Pittsburgh.  It  was  North,  South,  East  and  West,  and  he  had  been  in 
possession  of  the  facts ;  and,  says  he,  "  I  could  stop  it  as  quick  as 
that,"  snapping  his  fingers,  "  by  telegraphic  dispatch  that  our  terms  are 
complied  with."  I  had  instructed  a  dispatch  man  to  send  down  a  loco- 
motive and  cars,  and  see  if  they  could  pass  us,  and  when  the  cars  came 
down  Ammon  stopped  it,  says,  "  Now  is  our  time  to  strike,"  and  he  stepped 
up  in  front.  The  whole  crowd  rushed  with  him.  They  stopped  the  cars 
and  mounted  the  locomotive,  about  two  or  three  with  him,  and  ordered 
them  to  return  to  the  yard.  They  had  no  business  coming  out,  and  they 
reversed  their  engine  and  went  back,  and  I  saw  there  was  no  use  in  attempt- 
ing to  make  an  arrest.  There  was  ten  to  one  against  us,  and  as  deter- 
mined to  not  be  arrested  as  we  would  be  to  arrest  them.  When  the  cars 
ran  back,  I  says,  "  Now,  Ammon,  you  have  taken  possession  of  the  road 
by  violence,  and  we  don't  want  to  offer  any  resistance.  The  question  will 
be  determined  by  law  whether  you  are  going  to  hold  it,  or  whether  the 
railroad  company  is  entitled  to  it."  I  thought  the  best  way  was  to  act  with 
persuasion,  and,  says  I,  "You  will  be  held  i-esponsible.  If  you  have  any 
right  to  do  this,  it  will  be  a  matter  to  be  determined  by  law.  We  don't 
want  to  see  any  violence  offered."  I  told  Ross  that  I  did  not  think  it  was 
worth  our  while  to  attempt  to  arrest  them. 

Q.  Told  whom  ? 

A.  Ross,  the  dispatcher  in  the  yard.  While  we  were  talking  about  it, 
Mayor  Phillips  came  down,  and  I  went  over  to  talk  to  the  mayor.  I  left 
Ammon,  and  I  think  I  remarked  to  the  mayor  that  we  were  not  able  to  do 
anything,  and  then  Ammon  came  up  and  began  to  talk  with  him.  The 
mayor  told  him  he  had  need  to  look  out,  he  would  get  into  trouble.  Some- 
thing of  that  kind,  that  was  the  remark  I  heard.  The  mayor  talked  to  him, 
that  it  was  a  high-handed  measure,  or  something  of  that  kind — I  could  not 
say  positively  what — something  to  that  effect.  I  heard  Ammon  say  he 
could  not  help  it.  He  had  told  the  mayor  about  the  same  as  he  told  me, 
that  he  was  in  possession  of  the  knowledge  of  the  whole  fact — how  it  was 
got  up.  He  went  to  talk  to  him  and  I  left  them,  and  I  left  them  while 
Ammon  was  relating  his  connection  with  the  matter. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  I)icl  you  hear  the  mayor  tell  Ammon  that  he  should  have  charge  of 
the  lower  part  of  the  city  of  Allegheny  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  him  tell  him  to  resist  any  person  that  should  attempt 
to  arrest  him  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  not  hear  a  conversation  of  that  kind  ? 

A.  No ;  I  talked  to  Ammon,  and  told  him  that  he  would  be  arrested  ; 
said  I,  "  It  is  only  a  matter  of  time." 

Q.  You  told  Ammon  he  would  be  arrested  ? 

A.  I  told  him  that  lie  would  be  arrested.     That  it  was  only  a  matter  of 
time.     We  didn't  want  any  property  destroyed,  if  we  could  prevent  it. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  795 

Q.  What  was  Amnion's  reply  to  you  when  you  told  him  he  would  be 
arrested  ? 

A.  He  said  he  would  die  before  he  would  be  arrested — that  was  his  de- 
termination, he  said.  It  was  a  matter  of  life  and  death  with  the  men,  and 
they  were  willing  to  stand  out — have  their  terms  complied  with  before  they 
would  surrender. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  or  any  one  else  attempt  to  arrest  him  at  any  time  during 
the  riot  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  don't  think  we  did  do  anything  of  the  kind.  I  was  down 
several  times  and  saw  them  still  in  force  there,  but  my  object  was  more  by 
pursuasion  to  keep  them  from  committing  an}r  overt  acts  of  violence,  further 
than  to  stop  trains.  I  did  not  want  to  see  any  property  destroyed  or  any 
lives  lost,  and  I  knew  that  the  best  policy  was  to  counsel  peace  and  keep 
from  getting  into  a  fight  with  so  small  a  force  as  we  had.  There  were 
more  than  twenty,  I  suppose,  to  one  of  us,  and  then,  besides  that,  they  had 
the  sympathy  of  a  number  of  the  men  that  were  with  us — probably  of  our 
police  officers.  It  was  with  a  good  deal  of  difficulty  that  they  would  even 
consent  to  go  down.  I  had  to  threaten  to  put  them  off  the  force,  but  I 
concluded  we  had  better  counsel  peace,  and  keep  from  getting  into  trouble 
with  them  by  arresting  them. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  of  the  citizens  have  any  conversation  with  the  men 
when  you  were  there,  counseling  them  to  hold  it  ? 

A.  I  did  hear  one  of  the  citizens. 

Q.  Just  state  to  this  committee  what  that  citizen  said  to  Mr.  Ammon  ? 

A.  That  was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Hahn.  He  made  a  remark  of  this 
kind  ;  says  he  :  "  The  railroad  men  are  right."  That  was  in  Ammon's  pres- 
ence. I  don't  know  whether  he  directed  his  remarks  to  Ammon  or  to  me. 
Says  he,  "  The  railroad  operators  are  right,  and  I  will  give  as  much  as  I  can 
afford  to  sustain  them  and  help  them  hold  out." 

Q.  What  did  you  say  that  man's  name  was  ? 

H.  His  name  is  Hahn.     He  is  a  grocer. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  You  say  he  has  a  grocery  store  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where? 

A.  Down  in  the  Sixth  ward  of  Allegheny  City.     That  was  the  only  re- 
mark that  I  heard. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  understanding  between  the  railroad  officials  and 
this  man  Ammon,  that  he  should  run  that  railroad  in  their  interest  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  was  down  there — I  won't  be  too  certain  what  morning  it 
was.     They  had  taken  possession  of  the  telegraph  office. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  The  strikers  had  ? 

A.  The  strikers  had,  and  there  appeared  to  be  an  arrangement  to  operate. 
The  company  wanted  to  put  one  operator  in,  and  Mr.  Ross  was  negotiating 
with  a  party — wanted  to  put  in  an  operator  to  act  in  concert  with  the 
others,  that  all  telegraphic  dispatches  that  should  come  over  the  line  might 
be  under  the  supervision  of  the  two,  and  the  company  would  select  one 
and  they  the  other.  That  what  business  was  done,  running  what  little 
freight  was  allowed  to  come  through  the  telegraph  wires,  would  not  be  ob- 
structed. And  Ammon  made  that  proposition.  He  got  up  on  a  barrel  or 
bench  of  some  kind  at  the  telegraph  office,  and  to  the  crowd  he  stated  what 


796  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

proposition  was  made  to  them,  that  the  railroad  company  wanted  to  put 
another  man  to  operate  along  with  others. 

Q.  In  concert  with  the  other  operator? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  says  he,  "  This  is  the  proposition.  Now  we  have  got  the 
matter  in  charge  ourselves,  and  I  think  we  are  able  to  run  it.  We  don't 
need  the  assistance  of  the  railroad  company."  Says  he,  "  It  is  for  the 
men  here  to  say  whether  they  they  will  accede  to  this  proposition  or  not. 
For  my  part,  I  think  we  can  control  it  ourselves,  and  if  the  strikers  are  in 
favor  of  accepting  the  proposition  they  would  signify  it  by  saying  aye." 
They  took  a  vote,  and  there  was  nobody  said  aye,  and  they  took  the  nega- 
tive, and  they  all  cried  no.  He  appeared  to  have  control  of  the  thing,  and 
was  running  it,  and  all  he  had  to  do  was  to  suggest  or  intimate  what  was 
desired,  and  they  were  ready  to  vote  it. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Ammon  and  his  party — did  he  accept  the  proposition  from  the  rail- 
road officials  that  they  should  have  an  operator  '( 

A.  No,  sir  ;  they  would  not  accept  it.  They  had  the  matter  in  charge, 
he  said,  and  they  would  not  accept  it.     They  voted  it  down. 

Q.  Did  Ammon  say  to  this  crowd,  which  he  appeared  to  be  a  leader  of — 
boss  of — anything  about  the  railroad  officials  asking  him  to  run  that  road, 
take  charge  of  it,  and  turn  over  the  earnings  of  the  railroad — railroad  offi- 
cials ? 

A.  No ;  not  that  I  heard  of. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  speak  of  a  proposition  made  by  the  railroad  officials.  Who 
made  this  proposition  ? 

A.  Well,  it  was  Mr.  Ross.  That  was  their  wanting  to  send  some  dis- 
patches along  on  the  road.  Mr.  Ross  was  dispatcher  of  the  road,  and  they 
had  taken  possession  of  the  railroad  and  telegraph  office  belonging  to  the 
road,  and,  as  I  understood  it,  put  a  telegraph  operator  of  their  own  in 
there. 

Q.  Did  he  make  this  proposition  of  his  own  accord,  or  by  the  authority 
of  the  officials  of  the  railroad  company  ? 

A.  I  could  not  say.  I  just  said  what  Ammon  said.  Ammon  mounted 
a  bench,  and  he  said  the  railroad  company  had  made  this  proposition. 
Now,  says  he,  "  We  have  got  charge  of  the  concern,  and  we  are  capable 
of  running  it." 

Q.  Did  you  hear  Mr.  Ross  make  any  proposition  at  all  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  It  was  Amnion's  own  statement. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Did  Ross  have  any  conversation  with  you  as  chief  of  police  in  regard 
he  situation  of  things  there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.     He  wanted  me  to  do  all  I  could  to   keep  matters   quiet — 
keep  them  from  committing  any  overt  acts  of  violence,  if  I  could. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Was  there  any  disposition  on  the  part  of  these  men  expressed  to  de- 
stroy property  ? 

A.  Well,  I  could  not  say  that  there  was  after  I  talked  to  them.  The 
mayor  had  talked  to  them,  etc.  We  counseled  peace,  and  Ammon  said, 
says  he,  "All  that  I  am  afraid  of — we  are  going  to  hold  the  property.  We 
will  take  care  of  it,  we  will  protect  it."  1  told  him  he  was  resposible  for 
it.  If  he  let  it  be  destroyed  the  responsibility  would  rest  upon  him.  I 
wanted  to  reason  with  him,  as  I  seen  he  had  control  of  the  affairs. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Wanted  him  to  realize  the  situation 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  797 

A.  Realize  the  situation  they  were  in,  and  make  a  more  weighty  respons- 
ibility on  them,  for  having  taken  it  by  force,  if  they  would  let  it  be  de- 
stroyed. I  told  him  so.  Says  he,  "All  I  am  afraid  of  is,  when  the  hands 
stop  work,  they  will  hang  around  these  damned  doggeries  and  get  drunk, 
and  come  in  here  and  create  a  disturbance,  and  lead  the  thing  into  trouble." 
Says  he,  "  If  we  just  stopped  them,  I  would  not  be  a  bit  afraid  of  any  prop- 
erty being  burned."  I  told  them  they  had  just  as  good  a  right  to  stop 
doggeries  as  they  had  to  stop  a  railroad,  the  rule  would  work  botli  ways. 
If  you  could  take  possession  of  one  class  of  property,  why  not  take  posses- 
sion of  the  other.  I  talked  with  them,  and  I  concluded  I  would  go  around 
and  notify  the  saloons  to  stop  myself.  I  saw  it  was  the  best  we  could  do 
under  the  circumstances,  and  we  did  notify  them,  and  they  obeyed  and 
stopped  until  the  next  Monday  or  Tuesday  afterwards.  I  used  a  little 
strategy  with  them.  I  told  them  the  mayor  had  instructed  me  to  stop 
them,  and  under  the  law  if  they  did  anything  to  aid,  abet,  or  encourage 
riot,  they  were  responsible ;  that  the  sale  of  liquor  might  have  that  ten- 
dency, and  they  appeared  to  be  cautious,  and  shut  up  their  places. 

Q.  They  shut  up  because  you  told  them  the  mayor  had  ordered  them  ; 
it  was  not  this  Boss  Ammon  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  it  was  not  Boss  Ammon,  it  was  Mayor  Phillips  and  me  had 
talked  about  that,  and  thought  best  to  keep  down  riot  in  every  form  we 
could,  under  the  excited  state  of  affairs. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  Did  Ammon  and  his  men  who  were  acting  in  concert  with  them, 
make  any  effort  to  compel  saloons  from  selling  whisky  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  don't  think  he  did  anything  at  all  in  the  matter. 
Q.  You  say  that  Mr.  Ammon  remarked,  that  he  could  stop  all  this  riot- 
ing and  strike  by  a  single  dispatch,  if  their  terms  were  complied  with.    Did 
he  say  what  those  terms  were? 

A.  He  was  going  on  to  state  the  terms  at  the  time  Mayor  Phillips  came 
down,  and  the  mayor  arriving  there  he  hadn't  got  through  with  his  state- 
ment. So  far  as  his  statement  to  me  was  concerned  it  was,  that  the  men 
that  had  been  discharged  would  all  be  returned  to  their  positions  again, 
and  re-instated  at  the  old  wages,  that  double-headers  should  be  taken  off- — 
he  was  going  on  making  a  statement  of  this  kind  when  Mayor  Phillips  ar- 
rived and  interrupted  him.  I  don't  know  what  all  he  would  have  stated. 
It  was  a  part  of  it,  that  the  men  should  all  be  re-instated  that  had  been  dis- 
charged, at  their  former  wages,  with  an  assurance  that  they  would  remain, 
and  double-headers  taken  off  the  road. 

Q.  Did  your  force  act  in  concert  with  the  strikers  in  protecting  the 
property  of  the  Fort  Wayne  railroad  ? 

A.  We  acted  under  the  advice  of  Mayor  Phillips,  and  we  acted  in  con- 
cert, as  a  matter  of  course,  in  protecting  property.  We  sent  down  men  to 
watch  the  property  and  to  keep  it  from  being  stolen. 

Q.  You  assisted  the  railroad  strikers,  or  they  did  so,  in  protecting  the 
pi-operty  ? 

A.  They  appeared  to  exercise  a  guard  over  it  for  one  or  two  nights.  I 
guess  we  had  taken  charge  of  the  freight  trains  and  set  a  watch  over  them, 
and  then,  when  they  gave  them  up  we  took  charge  of  them.  We  sent  police 
down,  thirty  or  forty  police,  along  the  road  where  they  had  run  them  out 
to  watch  the  propert}r,  and  to  keep  it  from  being  stolen  and  carried  away. 
Q.  Was  it  a  general  understanding  between  your  police  force  and  these 
railroad  men  that  you  would  assist  each  other  in  stopping  any  violence  or 
destruction  of  property  ? 
A.  After  they  had 


798  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Taken  possession  of  it  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  there  was  an  understanding,  so  far  as  I  understood  the  situation 
of  the  case,  the  property  had  to  be  protected,  and  they  were  not  able  to 
protect  it  themselves,  and  they  could  not  stand  it,  and  when  they  were  not 
able  we  protected  it,  and  we  had  policemen  down  there  by  direction  of  the 
railroad  company,  to  watch  the  property  also.  Under  the  circumstances 
we  were  placed  in,  we  were  disposed  to  do  the  best  we  could.    . 

Q.  Regardless  of  who  it  was  that  helped  to  protect  the  property  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  that  was  the  way  I  understand  it. 

Q.  Cooperate  with  anybody  that  was  peaceably  inclined  to  assist  you? 

A.  Exactly  ;  and  let  the  consequences  follow. 

At  this  point  the  sub-committee  adjourned,  until  three  o'clock,  this  af- 
ternoon. 


Pittsburgh,  April  6,  1878. 

The  sub-committee  met  at  three  o'clock,  at  the  orphan's  court  room, 
pursuant  to  adjournment.  Mr.  Reyburn  in  the  chair.  Present,  Messrs. 
Reyburn,  Torbert,  Yutzy,  and  Englebert. 

John  I.  Nevin,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  Where  is  your  residence  and  what  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  My  residence  is  Sewickley,  and  editor  of  the  Leader. 

Q.  Were  you  editor  of  the  Leader  at  the  time  of  the  railroad  strike  in 
July  last  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  editor  from  the  19th  to  the  24th  July  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Be  kind  enough  to  look  at  these  papers  during  that  time,  and  see  if 
they  are  your 

A.  If  I  was  editor. 

Q.  Take  from  the  the  19th  of  July  on,  and  take  the  editorials — whether 
they  were  your  articles  ? 

Witness  identifies  editorial  headed  t;  Talk  of  the  Desperate,"  July  20  ; 
also,  editorial  headed  "  No  Violence."  July  21  ;  also,  editorial  headed  "  Fa- 
tal Rashness,"  July  22  ;  also,  editorial  headed  "  Law  and  Order,"  second 
edition,  July  23. 

The  editorials  are  as  follows  : 

[Leader,  July  20.  ] 
The  Talk  of  the  Desperate. 

"  This  may  be  the  beginning  of  a  great  civil  war  in  this  country,  between 
labor  and  capital,  that  is  bound  to  come.  It  only  needs  that  the  strikers 
at  Martinsburg,  or  here,  or  elsewhere,  should  boldly  attack  and  rout  the 
troops  sent  to  quell  them — and  they  could  easily  do  it  if  they  tried — to 
set  the  spark  to  the  magazine,  and  the  explosion  would  follow  at  once. 
The  workingmen  everywhere,  and  of  all  classes  of  trade,  are  in  the  fullest 
sympathy  with  the  strikers,  and  only  waiting  to  see  whether  they  are  in 
earnest  enough  to  fight  for  their  rights.  They  would  all  join  and  help 
them,  the  moment  an  actual  conflict  took  place.  Against  such  an  upris- 
ing, what  would  capital  have  to  oppose  ?  The  militia?  Why,  have  not 
we  seen  how  the  militia  at  Martinsburg  fraternized  with  the  mob ;  how  at 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18TT.  799 

Wheeling  only  thirty  men  responded  to  the  Governor's  call  to  arms ;  how 
Mr.  Garrett,  in  his  appeal  to  the  President,  acknowledges  that  the  militia 
is  in  such  full  sympathy  with  the  strikers  that  the}-  were  of  no  use  at  all  ? 
And  do  not  we  see,  to-day,  in  the  ridiculous  response  to  the  calls  upon  the 
Grays  to  turn  out — a  corporal's  guard — that  the  militia  is  of  no  more  use 
here  ?  The  Governor,  with  his  proclamations,  may  call  and  call,  but  the 
laboring  people,  who  mostly  constitute  the  militia,  will  not  take  up  arms 
to  put  down  their  brethern.  Will  capital,  then,  rely  on  the  United  States 
army  ?  Pshaw  !  These  ten  or  fifteen  thousand  men,  available  men,  would 
be  swept  from  our  path  like  leaves  in  the  whirlwind.  The  workiugmen  of 
this  country  can  capture  and  hold  it,  if  the}r  will  only  stick  together,  and 
it  looks  as  if  they  were  going  to,  this  time,  sure." 

"  Of  course,  as  you  say,  the  capitalists Many  of  the  un- 
employed would  be  glad  to  get  work  as  soldiers  or  extra  policemen.  The 
farmers,  too,  might  turn  out  to  preserve  your  'law  and  order.'  But  the 
working  army  would  have  the  most  men  and  the  best  men.  The  war 
might  be  bloody,  but  right  would  prevail.  Men  like  Tom  Scott,  Frank 
Thomson,  yes,  and  William  Thaw,  who  have  got  rich  out  of  the  stock- 
holders of  railroads,  so  they  cannot  pay  honest  labor  living  rates,  we 
would  hang  to  the  nearest  tree.  Honest  incorporate  management  would 
be  enforced,  and  labor  would  demand  and  receive  its  fair  share  of  the 
profits  that  are  made  by  means  of  it." 

"But  even  if  the  workingmen  should  fail — even  if  so-called  law  and 
order  should  beat  them  down  in  blood — why,  that  would  be  better  than 
starving.  We  would,  at  least,  have  our  revenge  on  the  men  who  have 
coined  our  sweat  and  muscles  into  millions  for  themselves,  while  they 
think  that  dip  is  good  enough  butter  for  us,  and  do  not  care  whether  our 
families  get  a  living  or  not.  We  would  inflict  more  loss  on  them  than  the 
last  ten  per  cent,  reduction  would  net  them  gain  in  ten  years,  and  if  we 
died  in  this  cause,  we  would  only  end  lives  of  degradation  and  misery. 
Civilization!  You  say  we  should  endanger -civilization,  if  we  succeeded 
in  enforcing  our  demands  by  violence  !  Well,  what  has  civilization  done 
for  us  ?  Better  the  times  of  the  Conestoga  wagon,  when  everybody  lived 
fat,  than  these  railroad  times,  when  labor  goes  around  begging.  Better 
than  both,  perhaps,  the  time  when  every  man  had  his  own  farm,  or  lived 
by  his  brow  ;  they  had  enough  to  eat  then,  and  did  not  have  to  work  so  hard 
as  we  do  now.  What  care  we  for  civilization  that  is  grinding  us  down, 
down,  down  to  starvation  and  nakedness  by  one  ten  per  cent,  reduction 
after  another,  and  one  doubling  up  of  crews  after  another,  until  the  work- 
mgman  shall  be  the  white  slave  of  his  employer,  and  work  for  his  board, 
if  he  gets  even  that." 

It  is  well  that  the  community  should  know  something  of  the  ideas  that 
are  circulating  among  the  strikers  and  their  friends  at  this  time  ;  the  hates, 
and  hopes,  and  aspirations  and  half  formed  plans  that  animate  the  more 
impassioned  leaders  of  them,  and  therefore  we  give  the  above,  which  is  a 
faithful  re-production  of  what  a  representative  workingman  said  on  the 
subject  this  morning.  It  will  be  seen,  that  he  is  really  a  communist,  and 
there  is  no  doubt  that  communistic  ideas  have  widely  spread,  even  among 
the  most  respectable,  and  most  thoughtful  classes  of  American  working- 
men.  There  is  no  gainsaying  either,  that  the  picture  this  man  draws  of  the 
hardship  which  the  present  business  depression  has  subjected  labor  to  in 
man}-  cases  is  not  exaggerated,  and  it  is  true,  that  the  sympathy  of  nearly 
the  entire  community,  is  with  the  railroad  strikers  in  the  present  case,  who 
are  called  to  endure  still  another  turn  of  the  screw,  which  is  cutting  down 
their  wages  to  the  danger  limit.     Nor  is  it  wonderful,  that  these  men,  con- 


800  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

trasting  their  hard  lives  with  the  luxury  and  extravagance  with  which  cer- 
tain railroad  men  live,  and  the  brutal  disregard  to  their  sufferings,  which 
one  of  them  is  alleged  to  have  shown,  should  be  goaded  to  revengeful  and 
bitter  thoughts,  and  even  despei'ate  talk. 

But  when  all  these  allowances  are  made,  it  still  remains  to  be  said,  that 
threats  of  violence,  of  war,  of  communism,  are  worse  than  folly  on  the  part 
of  strikers  or  the  workingmen  general.  Of  one  thing  there  is  no  doubt, 
and  that  is,  that  resort  to  violence  will  not  accomplish  its  object.  Widely 
spread  as  is  the  sj'mpathy  with  the  strikers,  it  is  a  fallacy  to  suppose  that 
lawful  force  will  not  be  found  to  put  down  unlawful  force.  There  never 
yet  was  a  case  in  this  country,  where  mob  violence  triumphed  in  the  end, 
however  apparently  righteous  the  cause  in  which  it  was  invoked,  and 
there  never  will  be  such  a  case,  until  the  American  people  loses  its  strong 
instinct  for  the  preservation,  at  all  hazards,  of  the  established  law  and  order. 
The  people  will  turn  out  and  enforce  the  law,  so  soon  as  they  realty  think 
that  the  law  is  in  serious  danger,  and  there  will  be  no  war,  nor  even  a  seri- 
ous insurrection,  but  all  will  yield  to  the  majesty  of  established  authority. 
And  then  the  violent  will  see  that  they  have  accomplished  nothing,  and 
that  their  vengeance  has  mainly  re-acted  upon  themselves.  It  will  be  a 
long  time,  before,  in  this  free  country,  the  communists  can  achieve  even 
such  a  temporary  success,  put  down  speedily  as  it  was,  in  fire  and  blood, 
as  the  Paris  communes  of  1871. 

We  are  glad,  therefore,  to  see  that  these  enthusiastic,  extravagant,  and 
bitter  ideas  are  being  met  in  the  counsels  of  the  workingmen  themselves, 
with  solid  arguments  for  moderation,  and  the  use  of  pacific  means  only. 
If  the  employes  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  can  prove,  by  simply  abstain- 
ing from  work,  that  the  railroad  cut  down  their  wages  too  low,  and  cannot 
properly  fill  their  places  with  other  men,  everybody  will  be  very  glad.  If 
that  would  show  that  labor  is  worth  more  than  was  supposed,  and  the  price 
of  labor  is  the  measure  of  the  prosperity  of  the  whole  community.  But 
if  they  attempt  to  force  the  railroad  to  accede  to  their  demands,  and  pre- 
vent any  person  else  from  working,  they  will  only  make  their  friends  every- 
where sorry  for  them,  and  insure  for  themselves  a  certainty  of  discharge 
from  their  positions  in  the  end. 

[Leader,  July  21.] 

No  Violence. 

One  point  that  the  inbred  lawlessness  of  southern  blood  had  something 
to  do  with  the  greater  recklessness  of  the  strikers  on  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  railroad,  as  compared  with  the  conduct  of  the  men  in  similar  circum- 
stances on  northern  roads,  was  dreadfully  illustrated  at  Baltimore,  yester- 
day. No  sooner  was  the  militia  called  out  to  go  to  Cumberland,  than  the 
street  crowds  assaulted  them  with  stones ;  and  no  sooner  were  they  thus 
assaulted  than  the  militia  opened  fire  with  ball  cartridge  right  into  the 
midst  of  people,  dealing  destruction  around.  Contrast  now  the  conduct 
of  both  parties  here,  where  an  equally  determined  strike  is  in  progress. 
The  strikers  carefully  protect  the  property  of  the  different  railroads  that 
center  here.  In  stopping  the  trains  they  merely  "entreat"  the  engineers 
to  step  down  and  out,  though  of  course  the  entreat}'  is  equivalent  to  com- 
mand. Everything  is  done  decently  and  in  order,  and  rumors  about  the 
burning  of  the  round-house  are  baseless  and  apparently  malevolent.  All 
violence  is  discountenanced  ;  even  the  communistic  speeches  of  certain 
hot-heads,  who  have  gone  out  to  incite  the  men,  have  been  coolly  received, 
and  the  imputation  that  they  are  a  mob  in  act  of  riot  is  indignantly  denied. 


I  eg.  Poc.J  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  801 

Towards  the  militia,  the  strikers  preserve  a  dignified  and  manly  attitude. 
They  know  that  the  soldiers  had  to  turn  out  when  ordered,  and  they  en- 
tertain no  hard  feelings  to  any  of  them,  except,  possibly,  toward  one  or 
two  of  the  officers,  whom  they  believe  to  have  been  officious  about  trying 
to  get  the  Governor  to  order  out  their  division.  They  mingle  with  the 
soldiers  in  perfect  good  humor,  though  without  abating  a  jot  of  their  de- 
termination. And  this  is  not  only  the  feeling  among  the  strikers,  but 
among  all  the  people  whom,  though  they  almost  universally  sympathize 
with  the  strikers,  admit  that  the  soldier  boys  are  but  doing  their  duty,  and 
never  dream  of  making  that  unpleasant  duty  more  difficult  by  assaulting 
them  with  stones.  On  the  other  hand,  the  soldiers  are  equally  determined 
to  get  through  this  matter  without  shedding  blood,  if  possible.  They 
recognize  in  the  strikers  men  whom,  if  they  do  take  an  attitude  in  oppo- 
sition to  authority,  are,  nevertheless,  hard-working,  honest,  and  well-mean- 
ing citizens,  who  only  resort  to  their  present  procedure  from  what  they 
conceive  a  desperate  necessity.  They  are  men  who  are  anxious  to  work 
for  a  living,  but  see,  as  they  have,  that  living  taken  away  from  them,  and 
who  are  making  a  desperate  effort  to  prevent  the  reduction,  which  they 
believe  will  make  paupers  of  them.  There  is  no  doubt  at  all  that  the  sol- 
diers will  endure  insult,  and  even  stone-throwing,  before  they  will  she  J 
blood. 

But  we  do  not  believe  that  either  insult  or  violence  will  be  offered  them. 
The  strikers  will  confine  themselves  to  the  exclusive  and  more  effectual 
plan  of  a  passive  and  what  may  be  called  distributive  resistance.  If  a  large 
body  of  troops  are  stationed  here,  trains  will  be  allowed  to  go  out,  but  will 
be  stopped  at  some  other  point,  at  Altoona,  or  Philadelphia,  or  flarrisburg, 
where  the  soldiers  are  not.  In  this  way  they  can  and  probably  will  carry  on 
a  warfare  that  will  break  no  bones  and  shed  no  blood,  but  will  yet  be  very 
difficult  to  subdue. 

We  are  proud  of  both  our  workingmen  and  our  soldiers  that  have  thus 
far  got  along  with  no  bloodshed,  and  with  no  casualty  except  one  black 
eye  and  one  swollen  nose.  We  hope  profoundly  that  the  whole  matter 
will  be  settled,  one  way  or  the  other,  without  any  more  violence,  and  it 
will  and  can  be,  too,  if  our  law-abiding  people  will  sustain  the  reputation 
they  have  thus  far  merited. 

[Leader,  July  22.] 

A  Fatal  Rashness. 

A  Philadelphia  regiment  which  came  here  in  the  name  of  law  and  order 
has  been  swift  to  shed  blood.  Not  two  hours  in  our  city,  and  before  a  hos- 
tile shot  was  fired  at  them,  they  have  stained  our  hill-SLdes  with  the  blood 
of  ten  or  twelve  men  and  children.  Most  of  them  were  spectators,  drawn 
by  an  unfortunate  and  innocent  curiosity  to  their  deaths.  The  wailing  of 
women  and  children,  the  deep  cursing  of  outraged  men,  and  the  outspoken 
indignation  of  an  entire  community,  swell  the  chorus  of  condemnation 
against  the  officer  or  officers  of  the  First  regiment  of  Pennsylvania  militia, 
who  assumed  the  tearful  responsibilit}'  of  that  hasty  command  to  fire.  We 
desire  not  to  be  unjust  to  the  strangers.  The  strong  current  of  public 
feeling  should  not  prevent  us  from  upholding  them  in  their  terrible  deed,  if 
the  facts  sustain  them.  Fven  now  we  will  say  that  their  side  of  the  story 
may,  perhaps,  somewhat  modify  public  opinion,  when  it  is  known.  As  ap- 
pears elsewhere,  the  Leader  tried  to  obtain  their  version  of  the  affair  offi- 
cially, but  in  vain.  Those  officers  who  were  seen  going  along  the  line 
striking  up  the  rifles  of  their  troops  with  their  swords  and  otherwise  en- 
51  Riots. 


802  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo  29, 

deavored  to  stop  the  effusion  of  blood,  deserve  as  much  credit  as  that 
officer  who  was  seen  waving  his  sword  and  encouraging  the  men  to  keep 
on  with  the  butchery  deserves  censure. 

But  making  all  possible  allowance  for  the  Philadelphians,  it  does  still  appear 
that  they  acted  rashly,  importunately,  deplorably.  The  crowd  hissed  them, 
but  that  was  no  reason  for  shooting.  They  hooted  and  jeered  them,  but 
all  crowds  do  that,  and  true  soldiers  are  not  disquieted  by  such  demonstra- 
tions. Men  on  the  crossing  caught  hold  of  their  bayonets,  and  half  jocosely 
expostulated  with  the  soldiers.  That  was  reason  for  clearing  a  passage 
with  a  quiet  forward  movement  with  the  bayonet,  which  would  have  been 
effective  without  hurting  anybody.  It  was  still  no  reason  for  firing — the 
hurling  of  a  few  stones  from  the  hillside,  which  seems  to  have  been  the 
provocation  that  caused  the  massacre — but  neither  was  that  formen  who 
came  here  to  enforce  order,  it  is  true,  but  should  have  made  up  to  endure 
much  before  shedding  the  blood  of  honest  workingmen,  who,  even,  if  wrong 
were  only  misguided  and  had  thus  far  conducted  themselves  with  wonder- 
ful calmness  and  respect  for  order — neither  was  sufficient  reason  for  begin- 
ning a  fire  of  musketry  upon  the  people,  and  change,  what  was  before  but  a 
peaceful  though  earnest  conflict  between  the  railroad  men  and  their  em- 
ployers, into  a  scene  of  battle,  murder,  and  sudden  death. 

The  railroad  officials  do  not  seem  to  be  responsible  for  the  massacre. 
They  appear  to  have  evoked  a  power  that  they  could  not  control,  and  so 
dazed  and  shocked  at  the  consequences.  Mr.  Pitcairn's  expression,  "  God 
onl}7  knows  what  will  come  of  it,"  well  shows  this.  Mr.  Thaw,  early  in 
the  da}',  expresses  himself  as  willing  and  anxious  that  anything,  everything, 
should  be  3'ielded  up  to  the  men  rather  than  that  blood  should  be  shed. 
But  it  was  too  late.     The  collision  was  then  inevitable,  and  it  came. 

What  the  end  will  be  cannot  now  be  known.  At  this  writing  the  air  is 
filled  with  rumors  of  fire  and  war.  The  troops  of  the  State  are  concentrating 
here  from  all  sides  to  the  support  of  the  Philadelphians,  now  cooped  up, 
apparently  terror-stricken,  in  the  fire-threatened  railroad  round-house,  and 
surrounded  by  an  eATer-increasing  mass  of  armed  citizens.  It  is  possible 
that  further  bloodshed  may  be  averted.  The  very  free  vent  given  to  the 
excitement  to-night,  in  arming  and  marching  about  with  banners  and  guns 
may  explain  it,  and  give  time  for  sober  second  thought  to  assert  itself. 
The  reasonable  speeches  at  the  Southside  meeting,  show  that  the  best 
spirits  among  our  workingmen  are  laboring  to  prevent  riot  and  disorder. 
Time  works  for  peace.  But  it  is  useless  to  disguise  that  the  situation  is 
very  grave  and  growing  graver,  and  that  the  men  who  were  swift  to  shed 
blood  will  have  the  heaviest  responsibility  to  answer  for. 

["Leader,  July  23.] 

Law  and  Order. 

The  citizens  of  Pittsburgh  are  rising  to-da}r  to  defend  themselves  from 
the  threatened  revolt  against  law  and  propert}-.  This  is  a  ringing  answer 
to  the  tones  that  already  come  from  other  cities,  that  Pittsburgh  is  hon- 
ored in  the  manhood  and  public  spirit  to  put  down  mob  law.  The  people 
are  responding  to  the  mayor's  call  by  thousands.  Let  not  enlistments 
slacken,  however.  Now  is  the  time  to  display  such  a  force  that  resistance 
will  be  seen  to  be  in  vain,  and  effusion  of  blood  prevented.  We  are  proud 
to  say  that  the  Nineteenth  and  Fourteenth  regiments  of  militia  are  redeem- 
ing themselves  from  the  fault  that  they  committed  on  Saturday,  and  are 
now  mustering  strength  and  will.  By  night  this  issuing  would  be  and  will 
be  decided,  and  we  hope  by  liarrisburg  and  Allegheny  efforts  alone. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  "Riots,  July,  1871.  803 

By  Senator  Yutzj- : 

Q.  Who  was  your  reporter  that  reported  the  occurrences  of  the  riot  dur- 
ing Friday,  Saturday,  Sunday,  and  Monday  ? 

A.  Well,  we  have  a  corps  of  about  five  or  six  regular  men,  and  during 
these  three  or  four  days,  we  employed  a  great  many  othei's.  We  gave  page 
after  page  of  matter  about,  and  it  would  not  have  been  possible  for  one  or 
two  or  three  or  four  to  get  it  up.  I  can  give  you  the  names  of  a  number 
of  them.  The  man  whom  we  had  stationed  close  to  the  round-house  dur- 
'  ing  Saturday  night,  was  named  Mr.  George  Vickers.  He  is  now,  I  think, 
on  the  Philadelphia  Times.  Mr.  John  Haslet  and  Mr.  William  Clark,  and 
a  number  of  others.     Mr.  Henry  Mj-er  was  assisting  us  some. 

Q.  Had  you  more  than  one  edition  on  that  Sunday  of  the  riot  ? 

A.  Yes.     Had  three  editions. 

Q.  They  are  all  on  file,  are  they  ? 

A.  Think  they  are,  aint  they  ? 

Q.  Will  you  please  examine  this  article,  and  say  whether  3rou  are  author 
of  it.     [Indicating  article  of  July  20,  headed  "  Let  them  Go."] 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

The  article  referred  to  is  as  follows  : 

[Leader,  July 22.] 
Let  Them  Go. 

To  the  working  men  of  Pittsburgh :  In  the  name  of  the  whole  people 
of  Pittsburgh  we  make  an  appeal  for  peace.  There  has  been  bloodshed 
enough — far  more  than  enough.  The  workingmen  have  triumphed  over 
the  soldiers  who  rashly  opened  lire  upon  them,  and  there  is  now  nothing- 
more  to  fight  for.  Now  is  the  time  to  show  they  deserve  victory  by  prov- 
ing themselves  good  citizens,  refusing  to  prolong  a  slaughter  that  is  a 
mere  useless  butchery.  The  Philadelphia  militia,  however  rash,  however 
boastful,  are  yet  men  who  thought  they  were  obeying  the  call  of  duty. 
There  were  undoubtedly  roughs  among  their  number,  who  gave  an  evil 
character  to  the  regiment ;  but  there  are  many  good  men  among  them, 
who  simply  obe}Ted  orders ;  even  when  they  fired  their  pieces  they  obeyed 
orders.  Now  that  their  point  has  been  gained,  we  beseech  our  people  not 
to  sully  their  victory  with  the  further  shooting  down  of  these  men,  w.ho 
only  seek  to  escape.  To  continue  to  hunt  them  down  in  their  retreat  on 
the  north  side,  whither  it  is  said  they  have  gone,  is  to  stain  the  green 
fields  of  our  suburbs  this  bright  Sunday  morning  with  useless  effusion  of 
blood.  To  do  this  would  only  be  to  cause  a  revulsion  of  feeling,  aud  the 
sympathy  which  to  this  point  has  been  altogether  with  the  strikers  and 
their  friends,  and  we  confidentially  appeal  to  them,  that  having  gained 
everything  they  fought  for,  they  now  exert  themselves  as  nobly  to  prevent 
excited  outsiders  from  taking  advantage  of  their  triumph  to  shoot  men, 
when  they  only  want  to  get  away. 

Since  writing  the  above  it  appears  that  the  bulk  of  Philadelphia  have 
got  away  from  Sharpsburg,  and  are  scattered  in  clouds  through  the  hills. 
It  is  believed  that  they  will  now  escape  in  safety,  though  it  is  possible 
that  some  of  them  may  be  yet  followed  up  and  shot  down.  It  is  a  matter 
of  thankfulness  that  the}r  have  escaped,  the  victory  is  complete,  and  that 
a  great  final  massacre  has  been  avoided.  Let  us  now  decently  and  sol- 
emnly mourn  our  dead,  and  mourn  in  calmness  and  order. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Have  you  any  knowledge  of  the  causes  leading  to  this  strike  ? 

A.  I  have  no  special  knowledge,  no,  sir,  except  what  common  rumor, 


804  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

and  what  was  published  about  the  matter.  It  originated  out  of  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Trainmen's  Union,  precipitated  in  Maryland,  and  the  particu- 
lar special  cause  here,  as  I  understood  it,  was  the  double-header  grievance 
on  the  Penns}dvania  railroad. 

Q.  Have  you  any  knowledge  as  to  the  necessity  of  calling  the  military 
to  this  place  ? 

A.  You  mean  Philadelphia  military  ? 

Q.  Yes ;  I  mean  the  military.  I  will  say  in  explanation  that  in  our 
resolution  we  are  required  to  inquire  into  the  necessity  of  calling  out,  and 
the  conduct  of  the  troops  ;  and  as  a  public  man  you  would  be  apt  to  know, 
and  able  to  give  an  expression  of  opinion  that  would  be  of  value  ? 

A.  I  could  onty  give  my  judgment  about  it,  I  suppose,  not  being  in  the 
service. 

Q.  That  judgment  could  be  expressed  as  a  citizen,  and  would  be  formed 
from  facts,  I  suppose,  coming  to  your  knowledge? 

A.  It  seemed  to  me  at  the  time  that  the  military  need  not  have  been 
called  so  soon.  I  was  under  the  impression  at  the  time,  strongly,  that  the 
mayor,  with  policemen ,  might  have  quieted  the  trouble — and,  perhaps,  would 
have  done  so  if  the  military  had  not  been  brought  so  promptly  on  the 
scene — and  it  seemed  to  me,  also,  that  bringing  Philadelphia  troops  from 
a  city  that  Pittsburgh  has  always  felt  a  kind  of  rivalry  toward,  was  calcu- 
lated, perhaps,  to  inflame  feeling  here  rather  than  to  allay  it.  I  remember 
there  were  rumors  that  Saturday  evening — whether  authenticated  or  not,  I 
do  not  know — that  the  Philadelphia  men  had  said  that  Pittsburgh  troops 
had  failed  here,  and  they  would  clean  out  the  rioters.  I  don't  know  whether 
they  said  it  or  not ;  but  if  they  did  not  say  it,  it  shows  just  as  well  the  feel- 
ing of  jealousy  with  which  their  presence  was  regarded,  and  they  asserted 
that  feeling  during  that  whole  Saturday  night,  that  in  attacking  those 
Philadelphia  troops  they  were  cleaning  out  Philadelphia  men.  They  had 
come  here  to  interfere  in  what  might  have  been  settled  by  local  authori- 
ties, and  from  that  point  of  view  it  seemed  to  me  injudicious. 

Q.  Do  you  believe  that  the  local  authorities  could  have  preserved  order, 
and  finally  quieted  the  strike,  without  any  loss  of  property  ? 

A.  I  believe  that  they  could  have  preserved  order  until  the  Governor 
would  return,  and  I  think  that  his  presence  would  have  prevented  any  out- 
break. The  fact  that  the  Governor's  proclamation  calling  out  troops  was 
gravely  doubted  here — everybody  knew  he  was  out  of  the  State  a  long  dis- 
tance— had,  perhaps,  a  good  deal  to  do  with  the  disorderly  feeling.  I  do 
not  believe  that  the  local  authorities  could  have  eventually  put  down  the 
riot ;  but  I  think  they  could  have  preserved  order  here,  and  kept  things  in 
tolerable  order  until  the  Governor  himself  had  arrived  here.  I  think  if 
Governor  Hartranft  had  been  here  on  that  evening,  the  collision  could 
have  been  avoided. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  I  see,  in  this  editorial  you  speak  of,  the  "  sympathy  being  with  the 
strikers  and  their  friends?" 

A.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  sympathy  of  the  people  here  was  strongly 
with  the  strikers,  before  any  act  of  violence  was  committed. 

Q.  Before  the  burning  of  the  property  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  and  the  idea  spread,  after  the  collision  had  taken  place,  that 
it  was  all  owing  to  reckless  firing,  without  orders,  which  kept  the  sympathy 
with  the  strikers  until  the  actual  destruction  of  property  commenced. 

Q.  In  your  opinion,  was  the  sympathy  of  the  citizens,  and  people  gen- 
erally here  in  the  city,  with  the  strikers  when  they  made  the  assault  on 
the  troops  in  the  round-house  and  driving  them  out  of  the  city? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187T.  805 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  don't  think  that.  I  think  the  mass  of  our  citizens  then 
were  not  expressing  sympathy  with  anybody — just  paralyzed. 

Q.  Here  is  one  expression  :  "  The  workingmen  have  triumphed  over  the 
soldiers,  who  rashly  opened  fire  upon  them,  and  there  is  now  nothing  more 
to  fight  for."  Did  the  people,  in  your  opinion,  justify  these  men,  called 
workingmen,  in  driving  out  the  troops  and  triumphing  over  them  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  they  did.  No,  sir ;  that  is  not  the  spirit  of  that  arti- 
cle, either,  which  is  an  appeal  for  the  cessation  of  any  further  hostilities. 
At  that  time,  of  course,  it  was  said  that  it  was  the  workingmen  entirely 
that  was  fighting — the  railroad  men — and  they  were  in  sympathy  with 
them,  the  railroad  strikers  and  their  frends. 

Q.  There  is  another  sentence  :  "  Now  is  the  time  to  show  they  deserve  vic- 
tory, by  proving  themselves  good  citizens,  and  refusing  to  prolong  a 
slaughter  that  is  mere  useless  butchery." 

A.  That  is  to  show  that  they  had  deserved  the  victory  they  had  got,  by 
not  using  it  any  further. 

Q.  The  expreesion  is  not  used  to  justify  them  so  much  as  to  allay  further 
bloodshed  ? 

A.  Yes ;  that  is  the  whole  spirit  of  it.  When  that  article  was  written, 
it  was  supposed  that  General  Brinton's  troops  were  fleeing  out  into  the 
country.  A  large  mob  was  pursuing  them,  shooting  them  down  in  every 
direction,  and  nobody  knew  where  the  pursuit  had  stopped,  perhaps  not 
until  they  were  all  exterminated.  We  could  not  get  at  their  side  of  the 
story,  but  it  was  supposed  that  they  were  even  more  demoralized  than 
perhaps  they  were.  That  article  was  written  for  the  express  purpose  of 
trying  to  stop  pursuit,  to  try  to  allay  the  excitement. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  had  no  intention  of  contributing  any  to  the  excitement  by  any 
inflammatory  article  ? 

A.  If  I  had  I  certainly  would  not  have  asked  leave  to  let  them  go. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  reporter  with  the  troops  as  they  retired  from  the 
round-house  and  went  out  Penn  street  ? 

A.  We  had  no  reporter  at  any  time  with  the  troops.  You  could  not  get 
any  man  to  them.  We  had  a  reporter  right  in  sight  of  the  round-house. 
He  saw  the  retreat,  and  followed  out  some  distance  towards  Lawrenceville — 
towards  the  arsenal.  That  was  Mr.  George  Vickers,  the  man  I  spoke  of 
before.  I,  myself,  was  out  there  early  in  the  morning,  to  look  at  the  sit- 
uation at  the  round-house.     There  was  still  some  firing:  then. 

Q.  Did  you  indicate  all  the  editorials  you  wrote  during  the  riot  on  that 
subject  in  these  papers  ? 

A.  I  think  I  have  indicated  them  all. 

James  W.  Breen,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  You  have  no  regular  file  of  your  Globe?  ■ 
A.  No,  sir ;  not  bound.     I  gave  the  sergeant-at-arms  two  copies. 

By  Mr.  Reyburn  : 
Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 
A.  Journalist. 

Q.  You  reside  in  Pittsburgh  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir.     Thirteenth  ward. 

Q.  Did  you  reside  in  Pittsburgh  at  the  time  of  the  riots,  in  July  last  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Is  that  a  copy  of  your  paper  for  that  date?     [Indicating.] 
A.  That  is  a  copy  of  the  extra.     The  regular  edition — I  couldn't  get  a 


806  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

copy  for  the  file.  It  ran  out  early  in  the  day.  That  has  all  that  pertains 
to  the  riot  in  it. 

Q.  Is  this  article  written  by  you  ?  [Indicating  extra,  July  22,  article 
headed  "  First  Blood."] 

A.  You  mean  the  entire  article  ? 

Q.  More  particularly  that  following  the  heading  ? 

A.  My  impression  is  that  it  was  ;  but  it  was  made  up  in  detail  at  different 
times  and  by  different  parties. 

Q.  Would  you  call  that  an  edititorial  ? 

A.  It  is  a  local  introduction.  The  only  editorial  that  was  in  the  paper 
during  the  riot  is  in  that  issue  of  the  paper  for  the  following  Sunday,  July 
29 — that  is  the  only  editorial  that  was  in  the  paper. 

Q.  These  head  lines  are  also  yours  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  make  the  head  lines. 

The  article  referred  to  is  as  follows : 

[Sunday  Globe  Extra,  July  22.] 
First  Blood. 


Seventeen  Citizens  Shot  in  Cold  Blood  by  the  Roughs  of  Phil- 
adelphia. 


The  Lexington  of  the  Labor  Conflict  at  Hand. 


The  City  in  the  Hands  of  the  Strikers. 


Armed  Bands  Patrolling  the  Streets. 


The  Civil  and  Military  Authorities  Powerless. 


Bitter  Denunciations  of  Sheriff  Fife,  General  Pearson,  and  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Authorities. 


Threats  that  the  Philadelphia  Soldiers  will  not  be  Allowed  to 

go  Home  Alive. 


The   Fourteenth   and   Nineteenth   Regiments  Disbanded  and  Re- 
fuse to  Fight,  and  Many  Give  their  Arms  to  the  Strikers. 


The  Philadelphia  Troops  Penned  in  the  Round-House  and  Sur- 
rounded by  20,000  Strikers. 


The  Slaughter  of  the  Innocents. 


Miles  of  Blazing  Cars. 


The  Strikers  Hold  the  Fort  and  the  Freight. 


[Cut  of  man  brandishing  a  bowie  knife.] 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  807 

Now  that  the  strikers'  contest  has  reached  its  crisis,  and  the  military  ami 
civil  are  powerless  to  preserve  order,  and  the  blood  of  innocent  men  and 
children,  shot  down  by  Philadelphia  roughs,  cries  aloud  for  atonement,  it 
may  not  be  amiss  to  place  the  responsibility  for  this  awful  condition  of 
things  where  it  belongs.  The  strikers  have  manifested,  all  along,  an  un- 
wonted forbearance.  There  was  no  overt  act  of  violence.  The  civil  pro- 
cess had  not  been  legally  exhausted  or  properly  invoked,  and  Sheriff  Fife's 
misstatements  and  lying  bulletins,  and  General  Pearson's  indiscreet  brava- 
do, only  added  fuel  to  what  was  already  an  overmastering  flame.  In  a  city 
where  nearly  every  man  is  a  worker,  and  where  the  mercantile  community  was 
bitterly  hostile  to  an  odious  corporation,  which  had  ground  its  life  blood  out 
by  discrimination,  the  folly  of  bringing  a  few  thousand  Philadelphia  troops 
to  overawe  the  one  hundred  thousand  workingmen  of  the  city  ought  to  have 
been  apparent  to  the  dullest  observer.  The  little  junta  of  railroad  officials 
who  wrote  out  the  Governor's  proclamation  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel,  and 
their  indiscreet  buncombe  in  disregarding  Mr.  Thaw's  advice  and  cultivating 
an  unnecessary  issue  with  the  strikers,  and  the  culminating  bloody  blunder, 
which  sent  thirteen  innocent  'victims  to  their  graves,  all  show  how  such 
martinets  as  Cassatt,  Scott,  Gardiner,  &c,  fail  to  comprehend  the  situation. 
With  bands  of  five  and  ten  thousand  men  patrolling  the  streets,  the  rumors 
and  gun-works  sacked,  the  booming  of  cannon,  and  the  sharp  crack  of  the 
strikers'  muskets  in  front  of  the  city  hall,  the  threats  of  vengeance  against 
the  military  and  the  railroad  authorities,  and  the  murder  of  the  innocents, 
all  this  is  directly  attributable  to  the  blunder  of  the  sheriff  and  the  indiscreet 
bluster  of  the  military  and  railroad  authorities,  who  imagined,  because 
they  had  a  few  troops  at  their  back,  that  they  could  defy  the  lightning. 
The  feeling  against  the  Philadelphia  soldiery,  which  seemed  to  have  acted 
with  unseemly  precipitancy,  was  very  bitter,  and  threats  were  made  that 
they  will  not  be  allowed  to  go  home  alive.  Every  law-abiding  citizen  must 
deplore  extremes,  but  in  a  contest  like  the  present,  so  long  as  labor,  with- 
out violence,  merely  asserted  its  right  to  live,  it  was  entitled  to  the  sympa- 
thy of  every  worker  in  the  hive  of  human  industry,  and  the  cowardice  and 
imbecility  of  the  railroad  sharks,  who  sought  to  overawe  all  this  commu- 
nity by  imported  bummers,  met  its  proper  rebuke.  Contrast,  in  all  this 
crisis,  between  the  mock  heroics  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  squad,  with  its 
plotting  and  counter-plotting,  and  the  clear-headed  attitude  of  the  Balti- 
more and  Ohio  railroad,  who  wisely  remained  passive  until  the  storm  spent 
itself,  shows  the  difference  between  the  statesmanship  of  Garrett  and  the 
poppy-cock  of  Scott.  As  the  case  stands,  every  one  of  the  military  should 
be  arrested  and  tried  for  murder,  and  their  abettors  taught  a  lesson  not 
likely  to  be  soon  forgotten. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  reason  had  you  for  saying  that  "  seventeen  citizens  shot  in  cold 
blood  by  the  roughs  of  Philadelphia?" 

A.  From  the  information  that  they  fired  on  the  populace  without  orders, 
and  without  justification,  so  far  as  the  information  went  at  that  time — 
it  was  received  to  that  effect — that  they  had  not  fired  on  the  mob,  who 
were  in  front  of  them  obstructing  the  track,  but  fired  on  the  unarmed  pop- 
ulace on  the  hill  side. 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  Philadelphia  roughs  ? 

A.  That  was  the  expression  used,  that  parties  fired  on  the  people  with- 
out orders,  and  acting  as  roughs — firing  recklessly,  and  without  orders,  and 
on  people  who  were  not  firing  on  them. 

Q.  Did  your  information  at  that  time  lead  you  to  suppose  that  there  had 
been  no  attack  made  by  the  mob  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 


S03  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Did  you  depend  upon  your  reporters  for  the  information  upon  which 
you  wrote  ? 

A.  Yes;  largely.  To  some  extent  on  such  information  as  we  could  get 
outside. 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  ground  where  the  firing  took  place,  on  Twenty  - 
eight  street,  at  the  time  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  at  no  time  on  the  ground.  I  had  a  reporter  sent  to  Torrens 
station  early  in  the  evening.  The  idea  at  that  time  was  that  that  would 
be  the  vital  point;  there  was  where  the  trouble  was  going  to  be.  Colonel 
Guthrie  was  there  with  the  Grays,  and  it  was  supposed  to  be  the  real 
point.  It  turned  out  afterwards  that  the  trouble  was  down  at  the  round- 
house.    I  got  my  information  from  sundry  sources. 

Q.  Had  you  a  reporter  there  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  Iliad  no  reporter,  but  I  had  parties  who  were  out  there 
and  gave  me  information  that  was  supposed  to  be  intelligent.  At 
the  time,  they  thought  that  the  trouble  would  be  at  Torrens  station,  and 
I  sent  parties  there,  and  there  was  no  trouble  there.  There  was  no  news 
from  that  point.  The  reporter  was  detained  there  until  very  late  in  the 
night. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  This  heading  here  of  threats  that  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  will  not  be 
allowed  to  go  home  alive — where  did  you  get  that  information  from — that 
there  was  such  threats  ? 

A.  Those  threats  were  made  very  freely  on  the  street. 

Q.  You  heard  them  yourself  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  any  of  the  parties  that  made  those  threats  ? 

A.  Oh, yes.    I  couldn't  say.     I  must  have  met  a  thousand  people.     The 
streets  were  blocked  with  people.     I  couldn't  name  anybody  specifically. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  You  say  you  met  a  thousand  people  making  threats  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  say  I  must  have  met  a  thousand  people  on  the  street — not  a 
thousand  making  threats. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Here  is  another  expression  :  "  The  Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth  regi- 
ments disband,  and  refuse  to  fight,  and  many  give  their  arms  to  the 
strikers."     Was  that  the  case. 

A.  That  was  the  information  at  that  time. 

Q.  Was  it  verified  after  further  investigation  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was  pretty  well  ascertained  afterwards  that  a  portion  of 
the  military  threw  down  their  arms.  I  think  that  was  developed  after- 
wards. 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  In  this  article,  you  say  that  there  Avas  no  overt  act  of  violence.  What 
do  you  mean  by  that  ? 

A.  There  was  no  overt  act  of  violence  committed  by  the  mob  at  the  time 
it  was  written.  I  didn't  consider  that  an  overt  act  of  violence  to  be  stand- 
ing on  the  railroad  track — that  refers  to  a  physical  effort. 

Q.  Do  you  mean,  that  the  mob  had  a  right  to  stand  on  the  railroad  track 
and  take  possession  of  the  railroad  track,  and  refuse  to  allow  traffic  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  it  was  written  from  this  standpoint:  that  the  military,  in- 
stead of  removing  the  mob  who  were  in  front  of  them,  and  who  were  ob- 
structing traffic,  fired  on  the  populace  on  the  hill  side  who  were  unarmed 
and  spectators,  and  were  not  parties  to  the  conflict. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots  July,  1877.  809 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  I  suppose  you  mean  that  there  were  no  demonstrations  to  destroy 
either  life  or  property  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Had  you  gone  to  any  trouble  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  the  facts  as 
they  really  occurred  before  the  fire  by  the  mob,  before  you  wrote  this 
article  ? 

A.  We  sent  reporters  to  the  point  where  we  supposed  the  trouble  would 
be.  and  when  we  couldn't  get  reporters,  I  got  other  parties  to  go  to  the 
point,  and  got  them  to  report  the  facts — used  every  proper  effort  to  get  at 
the  truth  of  the  matter.  It  was  a  hard  matter  to  get  reporters  that  night, 
it  being  Saturday  night,  and  the  daily  reporters  being  all  off  and  at  home, 
it  was  very  difficult  to  get  them.  I  had  to  improvise  by  getting  parties 
outside  to  give  the  news,  the  best  way  I-  could — outside  of  the  regular 
reporters. 

Q.  Wbenyou  wrote  this  article,  you  were  fully  of  the  opinion  and  be- 
lieved that  the  mob  had  not  shown  any  violence  towards  the  troops  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  that  was  my  information  at  the  time  of  writing  that  article. 

Q.  Did  you  get  your  information  from  one  of  these  reporters? 

A.  No;  the  reporters  didn't  report  until  long  after  midnight.  I  got 
that  information  on  the  street.  Some  of  the  reporters  sent  out,  found  it 
difficult  to  get  back  at  all  in  consequence  of  obstructions  to  travel — street 
cars  stopped,  and  difficulty  in  getting  in. 

Q.  You  say  here,  the  civil  process  had  not  been  legally  exhausted  or 
properly  invoked.  "  Sheriff  Fife's  misstatements  and  lying  bulletins,  and 
General  Pearsons  indiscreet  bravado,  only  added  to  the  fuel  to  what  was 
already  an  overmastering  flame."  What  do  3^011  mean  by  that — the  civil 
process  had  not  been  exhausted  ? 

A.  I  understood  information  was  made  before  the  mayor  first,  and  that 
instead  of  the  parties  being  arrested,  that  arrangements  were  being  made 
for  the  arrest  of  the  leaders  of  the  riot  peacefully  and  without  bloodshed, 
and  by  that  means  the  backbone  of  the  outbreak  would  have  been  broken. 
Instead  of  that,  the  warrants  were  taken  up  to  court,  and  bench-warrants 
were  given,  and  then  they  attempted  to  arrest  them  by  the  aid  of  the  mili- 
tary, and  the  military  foiled.  So  far  as  regards  Fife,  the  information  was 
at  that  time  that  he  had  not  exhausted  his  process.  Had  not  called  a 
posse  C07nitafus,  and  hadn't  taken  sufficient  number  to  go  out  there  and 
indite  a  proclamation  such  as  he  had  indicted,  or  such  as  was  written  for 
him.  My  information  was,  that  it  was  written  by  the  Pennsjdvania  Rail- 
road Company  officials. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  information  led  you  to  believe  that  this  proclamation  had  been 
written  by  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  officials  ? 

A.  I  heard  it  in  a  number  of  instances — I  cannot  exactly  recall  from 
whom — that  the  telegram  had  been  written  by  somebody  for  the  sheriff. 
It  came  in  the  usual  course  of  news.  I  forget  now  from  whom,  and  I  think  it 
was  repeated  in  most  of  the  papers  at  the  time.  The  impression  was  that 
the  sheriff  had  not  exhausted  his  powers  before  calling  on  the  military,  and 
that  the  matter  had  been  taken  out  of  the  hands  of  the  mayor,  and  given 
into  the  hands  of  the  military  with  undue  precipitancy. 

Q.  Po  you  know  that  the  mayor  had  been  called  upon  to  furnish  a  po- 
lice force,  for  the  protection  of  the  railroad  ? 

A.  Yes;  that  was  the  information.  I  know  that  the  police  force  was 
depleted  to  at  least  one  third  of  its  original  force,  and  it  was  very  diffi- 


810  REroRT  of  Committee.  I~No.  29, 

cult  to  get  policemen  to  go  in  for  a  day,  or  a  few  hours,  at  the  risk  of  being 
shot  or  killed  for  one  day's  pay.  There  was  great  reluctance  on  the  part 
of  policemen  to  go  in  on  that  plea. 

Q.  You  say  "  the  little  junta  of  railroad  officials,  who  wrote  out  the 
Governor's  proclamation,  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel."  What  reason  had 
you  for  writing  that  ?  Had  you  any  reason  to  suppose,  or  did  you  know 
that  this  proclamation  had  been  written  by  the  railroad  officials  ? 

A.  I  didn't  see  them  write  it ;  but  the  information  was,  at  that  time, 
that  the  proclamation  was  written  in  the  Union  depot.  It  turned  out 
afterwards,  it  was  written  by  the  Governor's  private  secretary,  Mr.  Parr, 
I  believe.  That  was  not  the  information  at  that  time.  It  was  known, 
however,  that  it  was  not  the  Governor's  proclamation,  and  it  was  the  com- 
mon opinion  that  it  was  written  by  Pennsylvania  railroad  officials. 

Q.  You  mean  common  rumor? 

A.  Yes ;  in  the  excitement  of  the  time,  it  was  very  difficult  to  get  ac- 
curate information.  Officials  couldn't  be  found  at  their  positions,  and  it 
was  veiy  difficult  to  get  people  to  go — had  to  take  it  just  as  you  could. 

Q.  Is  it  not  characteristic  of  newspaper  men  to  gather  up  all  the  infor- 
mation that  they  can,  even  if  it  is  flying  reports  on  the  street,  and  give  as 
near  the  truth  of  the  matter  as  you  can  ?  Is  that  not  characteristic  of 
newspaper  men  ? 

A.  Yes ;  so  far  as  could  be  gathered. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  newspaper  men — an  editor — will  sit 
down  and  write  an  article  on  nothing  but  common  street  rumor,  without 
taking  proper  steps  to  verify  these  facts,  and  see  whether  what  they  allege 
is  true  ? 

A.  You  cannot  judicially  prove  everything  before  it  goes  in  a  newspa- 
per, and  the  sources  of  information  were  stopped.  It  was  impossible  to 
see  any  railroad  officials — most  of  them  had  left  town. 

Q.  On  Saturday  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  not  Mr.  Cassatt  and  other  railroad  officials  at  the  Union  depot 
through  Saturday  afternoon  and  evening  ? 

A.  I  think  not,  sir  ;  if  they  were,  they  were  penned  up,  and  not  get-at- 
able. 

Q.  Couldn't  3'ou  get  at  General  Latta,  and  wasn't  he  there? 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  he  was  there.     You  speak  about  street  infor- 
mation when  that  information  coincides  and  comes  from  many  quarters 
and  many  sources,  it  was  reasonably  something  to  pass  upon. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  That  article  was  written  before  the  burning  took  place,  I  suppose  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  I  believe  you  have  identified  this  paper,  and  this  editorial,  entitled 
"  Military  Mob  ?"     Did  you  write  that  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Mr.  Breen,  in  your  opinion,  was  the  sympathy  of  the  citizens  of 
Pittsburgh  with  the  strikers,  when  they  first  struck  and  quit  work? 

A.  Yery  strongly  with  the  strikers,  but  not  with  the  mob. 

Q.  I  am  speaking  of  the  strikers — of  the  railroad  employe's? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  very  emphatically;  both  on  the  part  of  the  business  com- 
munity and  the  other  portion. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  business  men  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  that 
made  any  proposition  to  the  strikers  in  the  way  of  support,  furnishing 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  811 

them  provisions,  or  taking  care  of  them  while  they  were  not  emploj-ed  on 
the  road  ? 

A.  There  was  some  talk  of  that  kind  at  the  time,  that  Mr.  Jenkins  and 
Mr.  King  had  proposed  to  furnish  something  or  other. 

Q.  I  don't  wish  to  be  personal  in  this  matter;  I  just  wish  to  know  of 
any  parties  that  proposed  to  these  strikers  to  give  them  support  ? 

A.  I  know  as  in  the  case  of  this  other  knowledge,  that  it  could  not  be 
judicially  proved  at  that  time  as  a  fact,  but  it  was  common  rumor  and 
talk  that  certain  gentlemen  had  proposed  to  give  provisions  to  aid  the 
strikers. 

Q.  Do  you  know,  of  your  own  knowledge  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  But  it  was  common  rumor  that  the  citizens  of  Pittsburgh  were  in 
sympathy  with  the  strikers  ? 

A.  With  the  strikers,  yes,  sir ;  I  don't  know  that  there  was  any  doubt 
of  that. 

Q.  You  don't  know,  then,  any  particular  man  or  Pittsburgh  parties  who 
offered  aid  and  comfort  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  heard  parties' names  mentioned,  but  as  they  afterwards 
disclaimed  it,  I  suppose  there  was  nothing  in  it. 

Q.  Have  you  any  knowledge  of  the  causes  leading  to  the  strike  ? 

A.  Double-headers,  and  the  issue  between  the  Trainmen's  Union  and  the 
Pennsylvania  railroad.     That  was  the  primary  cause,  as   I  understood  it. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  These  parties  that  reported  to  you  information  from  which  this  arti- 
cle was  written,  were  they  railroad  men  or  were  they  citizens  of  Pitts- 
burgh '( 

A.  Citizens  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  From  their  reports  then  to  you,  you  wrote  this  article  ? 

A.  Yes ;  from  the  aggreate  reports  this  article  was  written 

Q.  Were  these  business  men,  or  were  they  laboring  men,  or  what  were 
they  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  exactly  classify  them.  I  think  they  represented  all  classes. 
I  think  the  entire  sympathy  of  the  community,  mercantile  and  otherwise, 
was  with  the  strikers  up  to  the  time  of  news  of  violence. 

Q.  During  the  destruction  of  railroad  property,  was  there  any  demon- 
stration on  the  part  of  the  citizens  to  subdue  this  riot,  or  did  they  begin 
to  realize  their  situation  after  it  came  to  the  destruction  of  individual 
property  ? 

A.  I  think  they  sympathized  fully  with  the  strikers  up  to  the  point  of 
burning  and  pillaging,  and  after  that  began  there  was  a  re-action  in  public 
sentiment. 

Q.  Was  that  so  far  as  the  railroad  company  was  concerned,  or  had  they 
come  down  to  private  property  ? 

A.  I  don't  exactly  understand  your  question. 

Q.  Just  what  I  want  to  know  is  this :  Did  the  citizens  of  Pittsburgh 
think  that  the  strikers  were  doing  right,  as  long  as  they  were  destroying 
railroad  property  ? 

A.  Well,  I  don't  think  they  thought  that  exactly,  but  they  didn't  make 
any  attempt  to  stay  the  conflagration  or  the  fire. 

Q.  As  soon  as  it  came  down  to  individual  property,  then  what? 

A.  Then,  I  think,  even  before  there  was  an  effort  made  to  get  up  a  citi- 
zen's committee,  and  I  think  it  was  a  failure ;  and  I  think  only  four  re- 
sponded to  go  out  and  assist  in  that. 

Q.  When  it  came  down  to  individual  property,  then  what  ? 


S12  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Then,  of  course,  there  were  more  active  efforts  made  by  the  authori- 
ties, and  by  parties  living  in  the  neighborhood. 

Q.  Did  they  seem  to  be  general  or  just  local  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  it  did  not  seem  to  be  general. 

Q.  Just  local  ? 

A.  Just  local. 

Q.  And  then,  if  a  fire  was  in  the  Sixth  ward,  the  people  of  the  Sixth 
ward  or  the  Eighth  or  the  Tenth  or  the  Twentieth  ward,  or  wherever  it 
was,  they  would  want  to  stop  it,  but  the  adjoining  ward  did  not  appear  to 
take  any  part  ? 

A.  The  fire  was  at  Grant  and  Washington  street,  immediately  intheneigh- 
borhood  of  the  depot,  and,  of  course,  they  used  every  effort  possible,  but  I  do 
not  know,  outside  of  the  official  departments,  that  anybody  from  any  other 
quarter  of  the  city  was  endeavoring  to  quell  it — the  firemen  and  police  de- 
partment, of  course,  were  there,  so  far  as  1  can  learn,  but  they  were  com- 
paratively powerless,  on  account  of  the  size  of  the  mob,  and  the  area  of 
territory  they  covered.  I  wish  to  make  a  remark  here  concerning  the  ex- 
pression, "  shooting  down  innocent  citizens."  That  remark  was  intended  to 
apply,  and  does  apply,  from  reading  the  context,  to  parties  on  the  hill  side 
who  were  mere  spectators,  and  not  active  rioters  in  any  sense.  If  the  mil- 
itary had  cleared  the  track,  and  used  proper  force  in  clearing  the  track,  I 
think  they  would  have  been  justified,  but  they  didn't  even  shoot  the  mob 
in  front  of  them.  They  didn't  fire  into  that  crowd,  but  fired  into  an  inno- 
cent crowd  on  the  hill  side,  some  of  whom  were  in  no  sense  rioters,  and 
some  of  whom  lived  on  the  hill  side.  There  was  a  small  boy  next  door  to 
me,  was  fired  at  and  shot  in  his  lung,  who  was  taking  some  clothes  to  his 
brother,  who  was  in  the  Fourteenth  regiment ;  a  boy  about  ten  years  of 
age,  and  he  was  nearly  dead  for  several  months.  He  finally  got  over  it. 
This  class  of  people  here  referred  to,  who  were  shot  at  on  the  hill  side,  were 
not  rioters  or  participants  in  the  riot. 

Q.  You  say  they  were  fired  at.      Were  they  not  hit  accidentally  ? 

A.  The  information  at  that  time,  and,  I  think,  the  testimony  since, 
showed  that  they  were  fired  at  an  angle  with  the  hill-side.  The  hill  ran  up 
there  rather  abruptly,  and  the  volley  took  effect  there  where  these  people 
were  looking  down.  I  remember  a  few  hours  before  that,  parties  had  said 
that  would  be  a  good  place  to  see  the  trouble.  The  appraiser  of  the  port, 
here,  Mr.  Chandler,  sent  his  boy  there,  that  day,  and  says,  "  Don't  you  go 
down  on  the  track,  but  go  on  the  hillside ;  you  will  be  out  of  harm's  way." 
It  turned  out  afterwards  that  was  the  very  place  to  be  in  harm's  way. 

Q.  You  speak  about  trouble.  What  trouble  was  there  anticipated  ? 
Was  it  anticipated  that  the  mob  on  the  railroad  tracks  would  resist  the 
military,  and  bring  on  a  collision  ? 

A.  There  was  certain  trouble  anticipated — there  was  a  conflict  antici- 
pated of  some  kind.  Either  the  mob  or  the  soldiers  would  have  to  give 
way,  and  it  was  not  known  which.     Trouble  was  apprehended. 

Q.  Was  there  trouble  talked  of — rumors  in  the  street  that  there  would 
be  a  resistance  to  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  didn't  think  there  was  any  talk  of  resistance.  There  was 
talk  of  trouble.  The  rioters  seemed  to  be  taking  the  ground  that  they 
had  a  right  to  stop  there,  so  long  as  they  did  not  interfere  with  the  trains, 
and  the  military  undertook  to  clear  the  track ;  and  do  not  think  if  the 
military  had  cleared  the  mob  who  had  actively  obstructed  them,  that  the 
trouble  would  not  have  been  so  great  as  it  was.  Firing  into  these  people 
who  were  on  the  hillside,  and  not  participating  in  the  riot,  I  think,  con- 
siderably aggravated  the  trouble,  from  my  observation. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Rtots,  July,  1877.  813 

Q.  You  were  not  there  when  the  firing  took  place  ? 

A.  xS'o,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  that  the  mob  did  not  fire — that,  at  least,  the  soldiers 
did  not  fire  on  the  mob  in  front  of  them  ? 

A.  That  was  the  information,  and  I  believe  that  was  the  fact,  that  they 
fired  on  the  hill-side,  and  not  on  the  strikers. 

Q.  How  many  people  were  killed  and  wounded  upon  the  hill-side  ? 

A.  I  think  there  is  a  list  there  that  was  tolerably  accurate  at  the  time. 
I  cannot  vouch  for  its  absolute  accuracy.  You  refer  to  the  number  killed 
on  the  hill-side  ? 

Q.  Yes. 

A.  I  could  not  tell  that.     This  boy,  there  mentioned,  was  shot  on  the 
hill-side,  and  I  heard  of  a  number  of  others.     I  cannot  exactly  re-call  them. 
That  list  merely  embraces  the  total  number. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Were  these  editorials,  with  the  head-lines,  intended  to  mollify  and 
quiet  the  mob  ? 

A.  They  were  intended  to  represent  the  exact  condition  of  affairs  as  we 
understood  it  at  that  time. 

Q.  Regardless  of  what  effect  it  would  have  on  the  mob  ? 

A.  It  is  an  exact  reflex  of  the  condition  of  affairs  at  the  time.  In  the 
articles  below,  and  in  different  other  parts  of  the  paper,  any  resort  to  physi- 
cal violence  was  deprecated,  further  than  the  act  of  striking. 

Q.  In  your  estimation,  did  your  editorial  give  a  representation  of  the 
general  sentiment  of  the  citizens  here  as  a  reflex  of  the  sentiment  of  the 
people  ? 

A.  I  think  it  was,  as  far  as  I  could  learn. 

Q.  At  that  time  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Eugene  O'Neal,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Where  do  you  live  ? 

A.  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  Connected  with  Pittsburgh  Dispatch. 

Q.  Are  your  files  here  ? 

A.  I  sent  a  file  up  by  your  sergeant-at-arms. 

Q.  Just  state  what  knowledge  you  have  of  the  occurrences  ? 

A.  My  knowledge  of  the  occurrences  is  confined  first  to  the  strike  and 
calling  out  of  the  military.  I  was  there  on  the  Thursday,  Friday,  and  part 
of  Saturday  preceding  this  bloodshed.  I  was  then  called  away  upon  busi- 
ness to  Buffalo,  and  all  that  I  know  of  the  strike  reporters  brought  of  the 
suspension  of  work  of  the  railroad  hands,  and  I  saw  a  crowd  collected  around 
the  tracks.  I  was  on  the  ground  on  Friday  night.  I  also  noticed  in  some 
degree  manifestations  of  public  feeling  in  regard  to  the  strike  and  calling 
out  of  the  troops.  That  came  from  personal  knowledge.  The  entire  knowl- 
edge I  had  was  derived  from  reports. 

Q.  There  is  an  editorial  in  your  issue  of  the  21st  July,  entitled  "  Fruits 
of  a  Hasty  Step."     Did  you  write  that  article  ? 

A .  Yes,  sir. 

[The  following  is  the  article  referred  to  :] 


814  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

[Dispatch,  July  21.] 
Fruits  of  a  Hasty  Step. 

There  was  a  general  feeling  in  the  community  yesterday  that  the  sudden 
and  unlooked  for  ordering  out  of  the  troops  to  adjust  the  railroad  difficulty 
was  not  the  wisest  course  that  might  have  been  pursued.  The  actions  of 
the  strikers,  while  in  some  instances  reprehensible,  could  scarcely  be  held 
by  any  construction  to  amount  to  a  continuous  riot,  as  there  was  only  one 
case  of  violence,  (in  which  the  offender,  McCall,  was  promptly  arrested  by 
the  police,)  and  while  there  was  a  very  general  trespassing  upon  the  com- 
pany's road,  there  was  certainly  no  destruction  of  property.  It  was  hoped 
that  with  a  cooling;  night  intervening;  to  both  the  officers  and  the  men 
calmly  thinking  the  situation  over,  an  amicable  arrangement  might  be 
effected,  and  the  inconvenience  to  the  public  ended;  but  the  precipitate 
calling  for  troops  dispelled  that  possibility,  and  made  the  affair  assume  a 
really  very  serious  aspect. 

One  point  that  must  have  been  lost  sight  of  by  the  sheriff  in  his  excite- 
ment (and  perhaps  by  the  company's  representatives  too)  was,  that  the  en- 
gineers and  firemen,  while  not  themselves  striking,  were  naturally  in  sym- 
pathy with  their  late  associates,  and  that  the  stoppage  of  the  trains  was 
done  rather  upon  solicitation  than  compulsion. 

But  the  question  arises  whether,  conceding  there  was  a  riot  within  the 
legal  acceptation  of  the  term,  the  usual  remedies  were  exhausted  before 
calling  for  troops.  So  far  as  appears,  a  small  squad  of  the  mayor's  police 
was  sufficient  to  quell  the  only  fight  that  occurred.  It  was  then  supposed 
that  peace  was  reigning,  until  sometime  after  midnight,  when  Sheriff  Fife 
addressed  a  part}'  of  the  strikers  advising  them  to  go  home,  and  when  a 
more  irreverent  person  in  the  crowd  replied  that  he  (the  mayor)  might 
migrate  to  a  hot  climate.  This  simple  circumstance  seems  to  have  been 
the  last  straw.  It  was,  of  course,  a  very  wrong  remark  to  the  sheriff  who 
(without  waiting,  so  far  as  is  evidenced,  to  summon  a  posse  comitatus) 
hastened  off  to  the  telegraph  office  and  apprised  the  Governor,  at  lightning 
speed,  that  the  red  planet  of  war  had  risen  on  the  banks  of  the  Allegheny. 
And  then  flashed  back  telegrams  to  the  major  general  in  local  command, 
and  the  major  general  emitted  general  order  number  one,  (it  must  have 
scared  the  readers  of  yesterday  morning's  Dispatch  as  it  burst  upon  them 
with  double-leaded  significance  from  our  advertising  columns,)  and  troops 
were  hurried  out  of  bed,  and  amid  a  great  rushing  to  and  fro  in  hot  haste, 
and  sleepy  eyes  looked  sad  farewells  to  other  eyes  that  winked,  and  mouths 
that  yawned  again,  the  regiments  were  put  in  marching  order  for  the  bat- 
tle-field which  lay  from  the  Union  depot  along  Snyder's  hollow  to  the  East 
Liberty  stock-yards. 

There  was  a  sort  of  general  feeling  through  the  community  yesterday 
that  there  was  a  good  deal  of  farce  about  this,  that  so  solemn  a  matter  as 
calling  out  the  military,  spreading  broad-cast  over  the  continent  the  notion 
that  Pittsburgh  was  on  the  verge  of  a  civil  war,  ought  not  to  have  been  re- 
solved upon  before  at  least  all  the  ordinary  police  resources  were  ex- 
hausted. It  also  had  the  effect  of  creating  an  active  sympathy  for  the 
strikers  with  many,  who  before  had  none.  And  besides,  it  incensed  the  men 
themselves,  made  them  less  open  to  argument  and  persuasion,  and  in  so 
far  as  it  did  this,  it  tended  to  prolong  the  strike,  and  consequently  disturb 
the  business  interests  of  the  city;  and  worse  yet,  it  drew  hundreds  of 
angry  outsiders  to  the  scene  and  mixed  them  in  the  controversy.  We  do 
not  believe,  as  some  are  inclined  to  fear,  that  this  affair  will — ill-advised 
tin  >iiw  h  it  may  have  been — will  occasion  a  general  bitter  feeling  between  la- 


Leg.  Doc]  "Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  815 

bor  and  capital.  The  best  proof  is  to  be  found  in  the  expressions  upon  the 
street  yesterday,  winch  were  not  those  of  labor  against  capital  or  capital 
against  labor;  but  almost  unanimously,  one  of  mortification  at  the  eager- 
ness and  haste  with  which  the  solemn  and  expensive  course  of  pro- 
claiming a  community  in  a  state  of  insurrection  was  decided  upon.  It 
was  hoped  all  around  that  the  difference  between  the  railroads  and  the 
hands  would  adjust  itself  inside  of  forty-eight  hours  at  the  furthest,  if  left 
to  take  its  course ;  when  or  how  it  will  be  settled  now  remains  to  be  seen ; 
but  at  the  best,  there  will  be  bitter  feeling,  and  it  is  to  be  feared  acts  from 
time  to  time  that  under  moral  suasion  and  under  peaceful  treatment  would 
not  have  been  thought  of.  Two  hours  of  calm,  candid  talk  and  fair  treat- 
ment between  the  officers  of  the  roads  and  the  employe's  would  have  done 
more  toward  a  permanent  pacification  than  a  regiment  of  military.  Who 
would  answer  for  the  consequences,  supposing  that  on  the  head  of  the  hasty 
turn  out  of  the  military  blood  had  been  shed  3'esterday  ?  The  law  is  great 
and  its  majesty  powerful  when  administered  with  cautious  solemnity  and 
decorum,  but  never  should  it  be  stripped  of  its  grave  and  most  serious  sur- 
roundings. To  abate  one  jot  or  one  tittle  of  them,  is  to  inflame  the  pas- 
sions of  the  multitude,  and  make  them  to  forget  their  paramount  duty  of 
obedience  to  the  law,  and  to  precipitate  the  very  evils  sought  to  be  avoided.. 
It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add  to  aught  which  has  been  written,  that  on  the 
question  of  the  attitude  of  the  strikers  or  violence  by  them  or  obstruction 
thrown  by  them  in  the  way  of  the  company,  there  can  be  no  two  opinions 
among  calm  people.  Yesterday  we  said,  as  we  believed  firmly  and  as  gath- 
ered from  their  conversations,  the  reasons  that  led  them  to  quit  work.  For 
quitting  work,  they  are  certainly  not  censurable ;  in  fact,  considering  the  low- 
in  ss  of  their  wages,  if  by  this  method  alone  they  could  improve  their  con- 
dition, sympathy  would  attend  their  effort;  but,  of  course,  they  have  no 
right  to  violently  interfere  with  the  roads,  if  the  roads  can  get  other  men 
to  fill  their  places.  On  this  point,  no  two  intelligent  and  unheated  persons 
think  of  disputing.  There  is,  however,  as  explained  by  them,  a  consider- 
able difference  of  opinion  between  the  community  and  the  authorities  as  to 
the  wisdom  of  trying  to  knock  this  principle  into  the  heads  of  the  strikers 
with  the  butt  end  of  a  gun,  instead  of  exhausting  first  peaceful  methods. 
Brute  force  is  bad  all  around,  and  even  threats  of  it  are  not  always  the  best 
or  quickest  remedy  for  evils. 

Q.  Have  you  any  knowledge  of  the  causes  leading  to  the  strike? 

A.  I  have  no  personal  knowledge.  I  had,  however,  some  knowledge  of 
the  causes  which  had  been  gathered  for  some  months  before,  and  which 
were  familiar  in  people's  mouths  about  the  time — the  reduction  of  wages 
and  the  bitter  feeling  that  existed  between  the  employes  and  officers  of  the 
roads.  I  heard  of  these  things  as  leading  to  the  strikes.  I  was  very 
familiar  with  the  reports  that  Tradesmen's  Unions  had  been  formed  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  them  out. 

Q.  For  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  the  strike,  do  3Tou  mean  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  did  you  obtain  that  information  ? 

A.  I  obtained  it  by  personal  information — partly  among  railroad  men, 
partly  among  citizens,  and  from  our  reporters. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  knowledge  leading  you  to  suppose  that  this  strike 
would  take  place  before  the  19th. 

A.  No;  the  strike  had  taken  place  before  1113-  attention  was  directed  to 
it.  Of  course  the  information  had  come  from  other  sections  of  the  coun- 
try that  it  had  already  taken  place  there. 


816 


Report  of  Committee. 


[No.  29, 


Q.  From  your  knowledge  and  information,  was  there  any  necessity  for 
calling  out  the  troops  ? 

A.  iSfot  the  slightest,  sir,  according  to  the  best  of  my  judgment  and  be- 
lief, at  the  time  they  were  called. 

Q.  I  believe  you  were  not  here  after  the  troops  arrived  ? 

I  was  here  after  they  arrived,  but  not  here  on  the  night  of  the  blood- 


A. 

shed 

Q. 

A. 

Q 


You  say  there  was  no  necessity  for  calling  the  troops  here  ? 
None  that  I  could  see. 

You  mean  by  that  that  the  civil  authorities  were  able  to  cope  with 
the  mob,  or  with  the  strikers  ? 

A.  I  think  the  civil  authorities  could  have  successfully  coped  with  any 
disorder  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  introduction  of  the  troops  and  their 
want  of  discipline.  I  think  that  the  troops  helped  more  than  any  other 
cause,  so  far  as  my  judgment  has  been  able  to  reach.  Their  want  of  dis- 
cipline, their  want  of  coolness,  and  subsequently  their  demoralization,  run- 
ning away,  was  the  prime  cause  which  led  the  mob,  and  brought  out  the 
bad  elements  in  it,  and  gave  them  to  suppose  they  were  masters  of  the 
field. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  You  mean  to  say  that  there  was  a  demonstration  of  that  kind  before 
the  Philadelphia  troops  arrived  ? 

A.  Of  which  kind  '( 

Q.  Of  the  mob  going  out  to  destroy  property? 

A.  It  had  assumed  that  which  in  popular  parlance,  is  termed  a  mob. 

Q.  Was  there  any  demonstration  of  that  kind  ? 

A.  There  was  a  demonstration  to  the  extent  of  numbers  of  citizens  as- 
sembling at  the  different  points  along  the  road,  drawn  by  curiosity.  The 
first  demonstration  I  saw,  was  a  demonstration  of  people  who  went  out  of 
curiosity  to  see  the  troops. 

Q.  That  was  your  Pittsburgh  troops  ? 

A.  Pittsburgh,  yes,  sir.     So  far  as  I  could  see,  there  was  no  disposition 
to  violence,  in  any  shape,  manner  or  form,  at  that  time. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  After  the  arrival  of  the  Philadelphia  troops,  did  it  excite  the  people 
of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  or  the  mob,  to  more  violence  than  before  they  ar- 
rived ? 

A.  There  had  been  no  act  of  violence,  to  my  .knowledge,  in  the  sense  of 
physical  violence.  There  was  no  violence,  save  in  so  far  as  the  presence  of 
these  men  as  trespassers  might  be  considered  violence,  and  the  action  of 
the  strikers  in  their  dealings  with  the  engineers  towards  stopping  the  cars, 
so  far  as  that  might  be  considered  violence.  I  do  not  speak  of  that.  But 
there  was  no  violence  up  to  Saturday  morning,  that  I  heard  of,  save  in  the 
case  of  the  assault  upon  the  railroad  officer  at  the  time,  which  seemed  to 
be  an  assault  and  battery,  and  the  party,  I  think,  was  arrested,  and  brought 
to  the  station-house. 

Q.  A  fter  the  arrival  of  the  Philadelphia  troops,  was  it  then  demonstrated 
that  the  citizens  of  Pittsburgh  or  the  mob,  was  determined  to  clean  out  the 
Philadelphia  troops  ? 

A.  I  was  not  in  the  city  after  the  conflict  occurred,  but  suppose  that  of 
course.  I  could  only  judge  as  you  judge,  from  what  you  read,  that  the 
shedding  of  blood  aroused  the  feeling  of  animosit}',  and  as  to  the  feeling 
among  the  citizens,  I  do  not  think  there  was  any  disposition  among  the 
citizens  of  Pittsburgh,  to  the  encouragement  of  arson  or  bloodshed — that 
is,  among  the  respectable  and  larger  portion  of  the  community.     After  the 


A> 
arran- 

hid  a 

it  was 
ordei 

obsen: 
lieve. 

a 

Q.  W 

A.  J 
Q.W 
A.! 
Q.W 

Q.  W 
A.1 
Q.U 
resar  i 

at  out- 
paper. 

A.I 

A.1 


fearful  ft, 

time  for  tb 

than  ann;' 


Leg.  Doc] 


Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877. 


817 


-  . 


militia,  which  was  supposed  to  be  able  to  take  charge  of  the  situation  had 
fled,  then  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  mob  took  control. 

Q.  Did  you  see  am-  demonstrations  made  to  clean  out  the  Philadelphia 
troops  ? 

A  Not  the  slightest.  The  troops  arrived  here  the  morning  I  left.  I  had 
arranged  for  a  trip  to  New  York,  and  I  went  to  Buffalo,  and  the  troops 
had  arrived,  and  there  was  a  bitter  feeling  among  the  people  in  regard  to 
calling  out  the  Philadelphia  troops.  There  had  been  mention  of  that  feel- 
ing about  calling  out  the  Pittsburgh  troops,  and  a  great  many  people  thought 
it  was  unnecessary,  as  the  civil  authorities  had  been  able  to  cope  with  dis- 
order for  ten  years,  and  would  be  able  to  do  it  on  this  occasion,  and  I  think 
the  people  thought  the  military  force  was  being  used  as  a  police  force  for 
the  railroad.  I  think  the}'  felt  aggravated  about  it;  but  there  was  no  evi- 
dence of  disposition  to  resist,  or  tendency  towards  bloodshed,  so  far  as  my 
observation  went,  or  so  far  as  any  reports  we  heard  would  lead  me  to  be- 
lieve. 

J.  M.  Carson,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  is  your  name  ? 

A.  Joseph  M. 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside,  sir  ? 

A.  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  you  occupation  ? 

A.  Journalist. 

Q.  Was  that  your  occupation  in  July  last,  at  the  time  of  the  riots  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  state  any  information  that  you  have  in 
regard  to  the  causes  leading  to  the  riot  ? 

A.  I  have  none  to  give  of  personal  knowledge.  I  was  not  out  of  the 
office  that  day  from  three  o'clock  until  the  next  morning  or  the  next  day 
at  one  or  two.  I  only  know  it  from  reporters  that  had  been  out  at  the 
scene  of  the  difficulty.  I  only  know  it  from  hearsay,  and  I  do  not  suppose 
that  is  evidence.  I  am  prepared  to  answer  to  the  queries  in  regard  to  the 
paper.     There  is  an  editorial  in  there.    I  desire  to  state  that  that  is  mine. 

Q.  That  is  in  the  Critic  of  July  22  ? 

A.  I  desire  that  to  be  pai't  of  my  evidence. 

Q.  "  Military  Blunder — Uncalled-for  Bloodshed. ' 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

[Critic,  July  22.] 
Military  Blunder — Uncalled-for  Bloodshed. 

Even  at  the  moment  of  this  writing,  it  is  not  difficult  to  perceive  that  a 
fearful  blunder  has  been  committed  by  the  Governor  and  his  ill-timed 
military  advisers.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  conceive  that  the  action  of 
the  railroad  strikers,  taking  the  worst  view  of  either  side  of  the  case,  jus- 
tified the  calling  out  of  the  military. 

Time  should  have  been  allowed  for  a  respectful  parley  between  parties  ; 
time  for  the  railroad  company  to  properly  consider  the  grievances  com- 
plained of  in  the  respectful  petition  of  the  strikers,  and  time  for  the  rail- 
road employes  to  act  in  response.     There  is  tyranny  in  this  country  worse  | 
than  anything  ever  known  in  Russia,  and  it  is  time  we  should  get  at  the  ' 
gist  of  it. 

Strikes  are  common  occurrences,  but  it  appears  that  it  is  only  when  the 
"  great  monopoly ,"  the  hated  company,  which  discriminates  against  the 
52  Riots. 


818  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

interests  of  Pittsburgh  and  western  Pennsylvania,  is  subjected  to  one  of 
these  strikes,  that  the  military  are  ordered  out,  and  that,  too,  without  a 
moment's  consideration,  as  though  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  was  more 
important  than  the  peace  and  order  and  the  lives  of  half  the  citizens  of 
this  State. 

There  is  no  use  disguising  the  matter.  The  people  of  this  city  sym- 
pathize with  the  strikers.  They  are  incensed  beyond  measure,  with  the 
cold,  corrupt  legislation  which  has  fostered  the  colder  and  more  corrupt 
organization  known  as  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company.  But  we 
cannot  disguise  the  legal  technicalities  which  appear  to  brace  up  that  com- 
pany as  against  the  people.  All  that  we  say  and  care  to  know  is,  that  a 
fearful  blunder  was  made  by  the  constituted  authorities,  who  from  the 
Governor  down  to  General  Pearson  and  Sheriff  Fife,  appeared  to  be  only 
the  willing  tools  of  the  giant  oppressor. 

We  hold  that  the  reckless  haste  of  General  Pearson  and  Governor  Hart- 
ranft  makes  them  the  prime  ringleaders  of  what  promises  to  be  the  blood- 
iest riot  with  which  the  Commonwealth  has  ever  been  visited.  The  insane 
policy  of  calling  Philadelphia  troops  to  this  city  to  quell  a  domestic  quarrel 
is  reprehensible  beyond  degree. 

Hart  ran  ft  and  Pearson  have  only  added  fuel  to  the  flames,  that  may  not 
be  satisfied  till  the  lives  of  hundreds  of  militia  and  citizens  are  sacrificed. 
But  while  we  counsel  peace,  it  is  only  the  duty  of  journalists  to  fix  the 
blame  where  it  belongs,  and  therefore  we  arraign  before  the  board  of  public 
opinion  General  Pearson,  Sheriff  Fife,  Thomas  Scott,  and  Governor  Hart- 
ranft, and  their  aiders  and  abettors  for  the  murder  of  our  fellow-citizens, 
who  were  slaughtered  by  the  Philadelphia  militia. 

Whether  the  officer  commanding  was  drunk  or  crazy  when  he  ordered 
the  Philadelphia  soldiers  to  fire  into  our  own  Nineteenth  regiment,  whereby 
one  member  was  killed,  it  is  a  matter  that  should  engage  the  minds  of  a 
military  court.  But  such  recklessness  and  mismanagement  is  only  part 
and  parcel  of  the  great  blunder  of  which  we  complain. 

The  railroad  magnates  claim  and  protest  their  inability  to  cany  on  their 
business  with  profit  without  the  much  vexed  reduction.  All  the  employes 
can  say  is,  we  must  starve  at  these  wages.  Now,  granting  that  on  one  side 
or  the  other  there  must  be  suffering,  which,  is  it  equable,  should  sutler  ?  But 
the  concession  can  only  be  made  for  the  sake  of  casuistic  argument.  The 
railroads  affirm  that  they  cannot  meet  expenses  without  curtailing  salaries 
to  the  extent  that  has  caused  this  present  trouble.  Let  us  take  the  case  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Company.  In  this  instance,  we  could  show  some  other 
method  of  escaping  the  difficulty.     Look  at  this  : 

J.  N.  McCullough, $12,000  per  annum. 

William  Thaw,     ...  10,000  per  annum. 

Thomas  I).  Messier, 10,000  per  annum. 

John  Scott,  (solicitor,) 10,000  per  annum. 

H.  H.  Houston,  (in  no  recognized  position,) 10,000  per  annum. 

Contrast  this  with  the  ninety  cents  of  the  poor  brakeman.  But  then, 
what  is  the  poor  laboring  man?     Let  the  following  real  occurrence  tell : 

Baby  Food  for  Laboring  Men. 

While  circulating  among  the  strikers  at  the  outer  depot,  the  reporter 
found  a  few  of  the  men  willing  enough  to  tell  their  grievances.  One  said  : 
"  When  Vice  President  Cassatt  and  General  Manager  Frank  Thomson  were 
at  the  Altoona  shop,  Cassatt  remonstrated  with  Thomson  against  any  fur- 
ther reduction.     '  Why,'  said  Cassatt,  '  the  men  cannot  buy  butter  for  their 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  819 

bread.'  '  Butter,'  said  Thomson,  '  what  do  they  want  with  butter,  let  them 
make  dip.'  The  reduction  was  made,"  continued  the  complaining  striker, 
and  whether  the  men  have  been  living  on  dip  or  not,  it  is  very  evident 
from  the  belligerent  feeling  displayed  here  to-day,  that  they  can  fight  on 
dip.    "  Yes,"  continued  the  man,  in  a  cold,  bitter  tone,  which  showed  plainly 

how  deeply,  how  plainly,  the  cold-hearted  insult "  Mr.  Frank 

Thomson  drives  his  tandem  team  and  draws  his  big  salary,  whilst  we  must 
do  double  work  at  half  pay." 

The  officials  can  build  palaces,  the  laborer  can  rent  a  hovel.  The  one 
can  roll  along  in  the  bustling  spendor  of  a  four-in-hand,  the  other  cannot 
hide  the  burnt  and  frost-bitten  foot.  These  railroad  authorities  can  afford 
salaries  that  will  secure  the  costliest  luxuries  and  sustain  an  apish  aristoc- 
racy, that  cannot  extend  the  salary  to  meet  the  commonest  necessaries 
of  life,  to  the  beggared,  starving,  crushed  laborer  and  his  famdy.  All 
these  magnates  will  talk  of  the  impossibility  of  running  business  without 
further  curtailing  the  wages  of  the  poor  laborer.  Arrogant  impudence ! 
Unbearable  tyranny!  Why,  it  has  come  to  this,  that  labor  is  servitude! 
That  a  poor  man  must  delude  himself  to  satisfaction  at  the  thought  of 
starving,  and  respectfully  take  a  pittance  called  wages.  The  millions  must 
stand  off  and  die  smilingly,  and  look  pleasurably  at  the  outstretched  arms 
of  a  few  like  Tom  Scott  grasping,  robbing,  paralyzing,  crushing  our  indus- 
tries, even  our  lives.     Capital  has  raised  itself  on  the  ruins  of  labor. 

The  laboring  class  cannot,  will' not  stand  this  longer.  The  war  cry  has 
been  raised,  and  has  gone  far  and  wide.  It  will  not  confine  itself  to  the 
narrow,  nor  even  long  stretch  of  the  railroads.  Labor  will  assert  itself. 
It  must  have  its  equality,  and  that  it  will,  sooner  or  later,  amicably,  it  is 
desirable,  forcibty,  if  necessary.  Certainly  rebellion  against  lawful  authority 
is  never  lawful,  but  the  principle  that  freed  our  nation  from  tyranny  will 
free  labor  from  domestic  aggression. 

The  witness :  The  first  page  there  was  our  reporters.  The  head-lines  I 
do  not  know  an}^thing  about.  I  went  to  bed  that  morning  at  half-past 
four,  and  those  head-lines  were  put  in  after. 

Q.  That  is,  on  the  first  page,  and  starts  out  with  "  Bread  or  Blood  ?" 

A.  Yes,  sir;  but  the  reports  themselves  I  believe  to  be  correct,  and  I 
believe  as  fair  a  statement  as  has  been  made  of  the  occurrences.  I  regret 
this;  but  I  believe  they  are  as  fair  a  statement  as  could  be  had.  I  know 
they  were  truthful — there  was  no  object  in  misrepresenting  them,  and  the 
exasperating  state  of  troubled  feeling,  after  shooting  down  and  killing 
twenty-two  citizens  of  Pittsburgh — men  and  women — would  have  induced 
any  community  to  have  felt  the  same  way  as  we  did. 

Q.  Who  is  responsible  for  these  head-lines  starting  out  with  "  Bread  or 
Blood  ?" 

A.  Legally,  I  am  responsible  ;  morally,  I  am  not,  but  legally  I  am.  I  do 
not  shirk  any  responsibility. 

Q.   What  I  mean  by  that  question  is,  who  wrote  these  head-lines  ? 

A.  I  did  not.  I  would  rather  the  committee  would  not  press  the  ques- 
tion as  to  who  did  it.  It  is  not  material  to  the  issue  anyhow.  It  was 
done  by  a  young  man  in  my  employ  at  that  time,  after  I  had  gone  to  bed. 
I  did  not  know  anything  about  it.  For  every  line  in  that  paper  I  am  re- 
sponsible, except  these — for  everything  excepting  the  head-lines  I  am  re- 
sponsible for,  and  nobody  else,  and  I  am  legally  responsible  for  them.  I 
do  not  seek  to  evade  any  responsibility. 

Q.  When  I  ask  the  question  as  to  the  responsibilit}',  I  do  not  mean  legal 
responsibility  ? 

A.  I  was  the  real  editor.     I  do  not  object  to  the  head-lines.     They  ade- 


820  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

quately  represented  popular  sentiment  at  that  time.  If  it  was  twenty-two 
citizens  of  Philadelphia  shot  down  by  Pittsburgh  troops.  I  think  there 
would  be  a  feeling  of  that  kind  evinced  by  the  Philadelphia  papers.  That 
is  my  judgment. 

Q.  One  part  of  the  head-lines  says,  "  The  worthy  strikers  arm  them- 
selves, and  assemble  thousands  strong  to  compel  their  rights  V 

A.  I  did  not  say  so.  I  simply  said  I  was  legally  responsible,  and  not 
morally.  I  did  not  write  them,  but  I  say  this  :  that  if  twenty-two  Phila- 
delphians  had  been  shot  down  without  orders,  as  the  evidence  before  your 
committee  proves,  that  the  Philadelphia  papers  would  have  had  just  such 
head-lines.  It  is  very  well  now,  four  or  five  months  after  the  occurrence, 
and  when  we  can  calmby  and  coolly  review  the  facts,  to  say  that  that  is 
incendiary  and  improper.  That  is  all  right.  I  agree  with  you.  I  agree 
now  that  it  was  perhaps  to  that  extent,  but  you,  as  a  Philadelphian,  if  our 
Pittsburgh  troops  had  gone  down  there  and  shot  you  Philadelphians,  }rou 
certainly  would  have  felt  as  I  did  when  that  was  written.  I  did  not  write 
it,  but  1  do  not  shirk  any  responsibility  for  it. 

Q.  Do  you  mean  that  that  expresses  the  feeling  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  believe  that  it  adequately  and  fully  represented  that  feeling.  That 
is  my  candid,  conscientious  conviction. 

Q.  At  the  time  of  the  occurrence? 

A.  Yes,  I  did.  It  is  no  idle  thing  to  come  out  here  and  shoot  down 
twenty-two  people  that  were  innocent.  If  they  had  been  rioters  or  strikers, 
if  they  had  had  any  part  or  lot  in  this  thing  and  had  shot  them  down,  they 
would  have  been  right.  I  would  not  have  blamed  you.  I  do  not  blame 
the  committee,  of  course,  but  I  do  say  this :  it  was  no  more  and  no  less 
than  murder  to  shoot  down  these  people  as  they  were  shot  down.  I  think 
that  is  the  fullest  and  best  account  of  the  riot  that  appeared  in  any  Pitts- 
burgh paper. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Mr.  Carson,  do  you  say  and  do  you  think,  in  your  opinion — had  the 
press  time  to  deliberate — do  you  believe  they  would  have  written  so  sarcastic 
an  article  as  that  ? 

A.  There  is  no  paper  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  published  on  the  eventful 
Sunday  morning  of  that  day,  that  would  not  have  put  some  such  article 
as  that  in  their  paper. 

Q.  Understand  me  right.  Had  the  press  had  time  to  deliberate,  would 
they  have  cast  these  articles  broadcast  to  the  world  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  they  would  not,  but  that  Sunday  morning — Monday  morn- 
ing there  was  a  change.     I  understand  you 

Q.  This  was  done,  Mr.  Carson,  on  the  spur  of  the  moment? 

A.  It  was  done  when  we  knew — when  we  had  four  reporters  out  there, 
when  they  were  bringing  in  the  intelligence  of  the  murder,  as  we  deemed 
it  then,  and  as  the  grand  jury  has  since,  by  their  presentment  presented, 
and  when  they  were  shot  down  without  orders,  we  wrote  those  headlines. 
I  did  not,  but  I  am  responsible.     That  is  why  we  did  it. 

Q.  You  say  you  wrote  the  balance  of  the  article  ? 

A.  No  ;  four  reporters  did.  The  head-lines — I  am  responsible  for  every 
line  that  appears  there  but  the  head-line.  And  that  editorial,  I  dictated 
that.  That  is  entirely  my  own,  and  every  word  of  it — I  stand  over  it  to- 
iay,  after  months  have  elapsed.  The  head-lines — 1  did  not  know  of  it 
until  the  next  morning. 

Q.  You  say  in  this  editorial,  " It  is  impossible  for  us  to  conceive  that 
the  action  of  the  railroad  strikers,  taking  the  worst  view  of  their  side  of 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18YT-  821 

the  case,  justified  the  calling  out  of  the  military" — what  do  you  mean  by 
that? 

A.  I  mean  their  action  was  passive — was  not  aggressive.  They  simply 
were  there.  They  refused  to  work,  and  I  furthermore  believe,  that  had 
there  been  any  conciliation,  or  attempt  at  conciliation,  used  by  Scott  or  their 
pampered  officials,  that  it  could  have  been  arranged.  That  is  my  candid 
belief. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Suppose  that  the  railroad  officials  had  agreed  to  comply  with  the  re- 
quest of  the  strikers — is  that  what  you  mean  ? 

A.  I  do  not  mean  that.  I  mean  if  there  was  any  attempt  made,  but  there 
was  not  any.  They  assumed  the  attitude  of  tyrants — were  overbearing,  were 
tyranical,  and  they  were  abusive. 

Q.  What  reason  have  you  to  believe,  Mr.  Carson,  that  the  strikers  would 
have  gone  to  work  had  the  railroad  officials  not  raised  their  wages  ? 

A.  I  can  only  say  in  reply  to  that,  I  believe  they  could  have  been  con- 
ciliated, and  there  could  have  been  an  adjustment  of  troubles,  and  more 
than  that  I  cannot  say.     I  believe  it  could  have  been  managed. 

Q.  Without  the  increase  of  wages  ? 

A.  I  do.     I  believe  even  that. 

Q.  You  believe,  then,  that  the  strikers  would  have  conceded  to  the  ten 
per  cent,  being  taken  off? 

A.  Yes,  I  do.  But  you  treat  a  workingman  as  a  dog,  and  he  will  be 
very  apt,  like  a  worm,  to  turn.  It  was  not  so  much  the  reduction  as  it  was 
they  wanted  to  crush  out  all  the  manhood  in  him,  and  trample  him  into 
the  dust.  They  treated  them  with  no  consideration  at  all.  The}7-  treated 
them  as  just  so  much  machinery.  I  do  not  want  to  interject  a  speech  into 
my  evidence,  but  if  you  want. a  speech  I  can  give  it  to  you  on  that  question. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Had  the  strikers — had  the  men  sent  a  committee  to  the  railroad 
officials  ? 

A.  Yes — and  how  was  the  committee  received? 

Q.  How? 

A.  I  do  not  know.  If  you  want  me  to  tell  you  how  I  was  told  they 
were  received,  I  will  tell  you;  I  do  not  know  of  my  own  knowledge. 

Q.  You  must  have  some  grounds  for  forming  an  opinion. 

A.  I  will  give  you  that  now.  They  were  received  with  the  utmost 
haughtiness.  They  were  dismissed  with  a  wave  of  the  hand.  They  said, 
"  We  will  make  no  terms,  no  concessions  with  you.  Go  back  to  your 
wage? — go  to  work — then  we  will  talk  to  you.  We  will  have  nothing  at 
all  to  do  with  you."     Now  that  was  the  way  they  were  received. 

Q.  Were  they  not  told  that  if  they  would  retire  from  the  company's 
property,  and  allow  the  company  to  enjoy  its  property  and  its  rights,  that 
thej^  would  receive  them  ? 

A.  No,  sir,  never  heard  of  it ;  no,  sir.  Not  the  most  sanguine  man  that 
knows  anything  about  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  officials  in  western  Penn- 
sylvania would  ever  say  such  a  thing  either.  I  make  that  a  part  of  my 
testimony. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Do  you  pretend  to  say  that  the 

A.  I  pretend  to  say  that  the  railroad  officials  in  western  Pennsylvania, 
on  the  part  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  are  tyrants,  and  serfs  in  Russia 
have  better  lives  to  lead  than  employes  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad. 
There  is  no  serfdom  in  Russia — if  the  reporter  will  make  that  correction. 


822  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Slavery  has  been  abolished  in  America,  and  has  been  abolished  in  Russia, 

but  there  is  a  modified  form  of  it  on  the  Pennsylvania 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  when  you  say  that  the  "  hated  company  discrimi- 
nates against  the  interests  of  Pittsburgh  and  western  Pennsylvania  ?  " 

A.  Do  you  want  me  to  talk  on  that  subject?  I  can  talk  for  five  hours. 
I  say  they  have  systematically  discriminated  against  Pittsburgh,  and  they 
have  ruined  it — that  is  what  they  have  done.  They  will  carry  freight  from 
Pittsburgh — they  have  systematically  discriminated  against  Pittsburgh  to 
the  extent  of  twenty-five  per  cent.,  and  when  Colonel  Scott  was  here,  he 
said  he  was  horrified.  He  had  not  dreamed  there  was  such  discrimination. 
He  could  not  believe  it  possible  ;  and  James  Parke,  junior,  who  was  one  of 
our  most  eminent  citizens,  a  Christian  gentleman,  too,  he  said  it  was  true. 
Why,  said  he,  I  could  not  believe  it  possible.  We  know  its  possible — we 
know  it  has  ruined  Pennsylvania  ;  and  the  only  thing  that  is  going  to  help 
us  is  a  competing  road,  and  that,  thank  God,  we  will  have  in  the  course  of 
three  or  four  months. 

Q.  Let  me  ask  you,  what  do  you  mean  by  discriminating;  ? 

A.  It  means  that  they  will  carry  freight  from  Chicago  to  Philadelphia 
cheaper  than  they  will  carry  from  Chicago  to  Pittsburgh  ;  that  they  will 
carry  cheaper  from  Chicago  to  Albany  than  they  will  cany  it  to  Pitts- 
burgh ;  that  Pittsburgh  merchants  can  take  goods  to  Boston,  and  take  them 
to  San  Francisco  a  great  deal  cheaper — paying  the  freight  to  Boston  and 
back — a  great  deal  cheaper  than  they  can  ship  them  direct  to  San  Francisco. 
There  were  three  thousand  tons  shipped  by  Wilson,  Walker  &  Co.,  to  Bos- 
ton, and  from  Boston  to  San  Francisco,  paying  the  freight  to  Boston  and 
back.  That  is  what  made  trouble  in  this  community.  They  have  been  sys- 
tematically oppressing  Pittsburgh.  There  is  no  manufacturer  unless  he 
has  got  drawbacks  and  rebates. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  This  trouble  might  just  as  well  have  fallen  on  some  other  portion  of 
the  State  as  it  did  on  Pittsburgh,  would  it  not  ? 

Q.  It  could  have,  and  I  think  would,  had  we  not  anticipated  the  whole 
trouble  here.  There  was  not  a  community  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania, 
which  would  have  sympathized  to  the  extent  that  we  did.  I  will  answer 
why :  we  would  have  S3rmpathized  because  we  have  been  systematically 
oppressed  for  the  last  fifteen  years.     We  have  been  practically  ruined. 

Q.  This  thing  was  as  likely  to  occur  at  Harrisburg  or  Scranton  or  Read- 
ing, as  it  was  at  Pittsburgh,  but,  unfortunately,  Pittsburgh  was  the  place. 

A.  We  bore  the  blunt  of  it.  We  were  the  first  to  receive  it,  and  it  found 
the  community  in  full  sympathy  with  the  strikers,  because  of  their  suffer- 
ings. You  systematically  oppress  a  people,  and  revolution  is  not  only 
right,  but  it  is  a  duty. 

Q.  You  say  the  community — did  your  merchants  give  aid  and  abet  in 
this  strike  ? 

A.  They  did  not.  They  were  in  sympathy  with  the  strikers  ;  but  I  was 
up  on  Sunday,  there  at  the  Union  depot,  and  I  saw  the  people.  Saw  that 
they  were  burning,  and  all  that  kind  of  thing.  I  did  not  see  a  single  Pitts- 
burgher.  They  were  all  strange  faces,  and  not  a  face  there  that  was  fa- 
miliar to  me,  and  I  am  thoroughly  familiar  with  Pittsburgh.  They  were 
tramps  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  Union. 

(^.  That  is  not  the  question  I  asked  you.  The  question  I  asked  you  was 
this:  if  the  merchants  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  sympathized  witli  the 
strikers  ? 

A.  They  did. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18TT.  823 

Q.  Sympathized  with  the  mob  in  their  violence  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  went  up  to  the  Union  depot  on  Sunday,  between  one  and 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  I  saw  that  mob,  and  there  was  not  a  sin- 
gle Pittsburgh  face  in  it.  They  were  all  strangers — tramps,  and  the  strik- 
ers had  gone  away. 

Q.  No  strikers  among  them. 

A.  No  ;  I  did  not  see  any. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  there  any  sympathy  expressed  by  the  good  portions  of  the  citi- 
zens of  this  city  after  the  burning  and  destruction  of  property  had  com- 
menced ? 

A  On  the  contrary,  the  utmost  detestation  of  the  ravages  of  the  mob. 
They  sympathized  with  the  strikers  in  their  demand  for  higher  wages. 
Ninety  cents  is  not  much  for  a  man  to  live  on,  and  I  would  like  to  see  you 
gentlemen  try  to  live  on  it. 

Q.  Was  there  any  expression  of  sympathy  on  the  part  of  citizens  with 
the  mob  that  attacked  the  troops  in  the  round-house  before  the  burning 
took  place  ? 

A.  I  rather  imagine  that  the  feeling  of  the  community  was  that  the  men 
who  had  murdered 

Q.  I  want  you  to  answer  the  question,  whether  there  was  an  expression 
and  sentiment  to  that  effect. 

A.  No  ;  no  organized  expression. 

Q.  Was  there  any  individual  expression  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Of  good  citizens  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Justifying  the  attack  upon  the  troops  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  No  ;  not  justifying  the  attack  on  the  troops  in  the  round-house? 

Q.  Or  in  their  retreat  from  the  round-house  ? 

A.  No  ;  but  there  was  a  feeling  that  it  was  no  more  than  retributive  jus- 
tice— there  was  no  urging  that  to  be  done. 

Q.  There  seems  to  be  an  article  in  the  nature  of  an  advertisement,  com- 
mencing, "  Attention  Citizens,"  &c. 

A.  I  cannot  tell  you  about  that.     That  is  an  advertisement.     I  did  not 
see  that,  and  I  do  not  know  who  put  it  in,  even. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  That  part  you  claim  that  you  are  not  responsible  for? 

A.  I  do  not  know  anything  about  an  advertisement.  A  man  pays  for  it 
and  he  gets  them  in. 

By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Was  that  paid  for  ? 

A.  I  presume  so.  I  am  not  business  manager.  I  am  responsible  for 
whatever  is  written  there.     I  assume  that  responsibility  wholly. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  articles  that  were  published  in  your  paper  that 
were  calculated  to  arouse  and  inflame  the  people  that  were  paid  for  for  in- 
sertion ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  did  not. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Have  you  got  any  idea  who  wrote  that  article,  if  you  were  paid  for  it  ?' 

A.  I  do  not  know  who  wrote  it.     I  do  not  know  anything  about  that. 

Q.  In  writing  an  article — supposing  I  was  even  competent  to  write  an 
article  for  your  paper,  and  would  wish  to  suppress  my  name,  would  not 
you  require  to  have  my  name,  so  that  if  you  were  come  back  upon  you 
could  get  it. 


824  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  In  regard  to  that,  that  is  not  an  article,  it  is  an  advertisement. 

Q.  It  might  come  under  that  head.  I  think  it  would  keep  you  very 
busy  to  make  that  out  an  advertisement.  I  do  not  claim  to  be  a  newspa- 
per man,  but  it  would  keep  me  pretty  busy  to  make  that  out  ? 

A.  It  was  paid  for,  or  it  would  not  have  been  in,  because  I  have  assumed 
the  responsibility  for  everything  that  was  in  there,  but  I  do  not  assume  for 
that,  because  I  do  not  know  anything  about  it. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  That  was  paid  for  as  an  advertisement  ? 

A.  I  have  no  doubt  that  our  business  manager  could  give  you  proper  in- 
formation. I  am  willing  to  assume  any  responsibility.  1  do  not  shirk 
that,  but  that  is  a  matter  that  is  not  in  my  line.  That  is  a  business  adver- 
tisement. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  I  am  not  a  newspaper  man,  but,  I  suppose,  if  I  should  write  an  article 
for  your  paper,  you  would  require  the  name  ? 

A.  Look  at  the  position  it  occupies  ;  it  is  put  among  the  advertisements, 
I  believe. 

Senator  Reyburn  :  No,  sir. 

Mr.  Means  :  No,  sir ;  it  would  hardly  bear  that  construction. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Is  not  the  editor  of  a  paper  responsible  for  anything  that  is  published 
in  his  paper,  whether  it  is  an  advertisement  or  anything  else  ? 

A.  He  is. 

Q.  And  therefore  you  are  responsible,  as  editor  of  that  paper,  for  that 
advertisement  ? 

A.  I  am. 

Q.  Now,  give  us  the  name  of  the  man  that  had  that  advertisement  put 
in? 

A.  I  cannot. 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  any  party  that  can  give  us  the  name  ( 

A.  Our  business  manager  probably  could. 

Q.  Who  is  he  ? 

A.  E.  G.  Minnemeyer. 

W.  F.  Aull,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Were  you  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  of  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania in  July  last? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  position  did  you  hold  ? 

A.  Captain  of  the  Eighteenth  regiment. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  an  order  from  General  Latta,  ordering  General  Brin- 
ton  to  take  a  certain  route  after  leaving  the  round-house,  in  case  he  was 
driven  from  the  round-house  ? 

A.  I  received  an  order  from  General  Latta,  after  they  had  left  the  round- 
house, to  deliver  to  General  Brinton,  with  instructions  to  deliver  to  him  at 
the  arsenal.     It  was  then  supposed  he  was  located  at  the  arsenal. 

Q.  Did  you  deliver  that  order  to  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Can  3^ou  give  the  substance  of  the  order  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  On  Sunday  morning,  we  were  lying  at  Torrens  station. 
Communication  had  been  cut  off,  both  by  telegraph  and  couriers.    We  had 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  Jluy,  18TT.  825 

no  communication  with  General  Latta  at  all,  and  Colonel  Guthrie  requested 
me  to  go  to  the  Union  depot,  and  endeavor,  if  possible,  to  obtain  an  inter- 
view with  General  Latta,  and  ask  him  what  orders  he  had  to  issue  for  our 
regiment.  I  went  to  the  Union  depot,  and,  on  my  way  there,  I  passed  the 
Philadelphia  troops  just  coming  out  of  the  round-house.  I  went  to  the 
Union  depot  and  reported  to  General  Latta  that  the  troops  were  out  of 
the  round-house,  and  on  their  way  out  Penn  avenue — I  do  not  know  where. 
He  waited  a  few  moments,  and  a  messenger  came  in,  stating  that  the}'  had 
left  the  round-house,  and  had  gone  to  the  arsenal.  Another  one  came  in 
in  a  few  moments,  saying  that  they  were  quartered  in  the  arsenal.  Genei  al 
Latta,  after  deliberating  for  a  few  moments  over  the  matter,  and  consult- 
ing one  or  two  parties  there,  requested  me  to  remain  a  few  moments  until 
he  would  write  an  order.  I  did  not  know  what  the  substance  of  the  order 
was  at  all,  and,  after  I  had  started,  he  told  me  to  take  that  order  to  Gen- 
eral Brinton  at  the  arsenal,  and,  as  soon  as  I  left  the  Union  depot,  I  read 
the  order,  which  was  instructing  General  Brinton  to  proceed  by  way  of 
Penn  avenue  to  East  Liberty,  and  join  Colonel  Guthrie.  I  went  imme- 
diately to  the  arsenal,  and  I  found  that  they  were  not  quartered  there  at 
all,  I  made  inquiry  and  was  told  they  had  gone  on  out  Butler  street.  I 
drove  on  up  Butler  street  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  when  I  got  to  Sharps- 
burg,  or  two  miles  beyond  there,  they  told  me  they  were  stationed  two 
miles  ahead  of  me,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  There  was  a  gentleman 
remarked  there  that  they  were  striking  for  Butler  county.  I  deliberated 
a  few  moments  whether  I  would  follow  them,  or  report  first  to  the  regi- 
ment, and  consult  Colonel  Guthrie.  I  finally  concluded  I  would  go  to  my 
regiment,  at  East  Liberty,  and,  if  Colonel  Guthrie  thought  it  advisable, 
after  consulting  him,  I  would  go  across  the  river,  and  deliver  the  order  to 
Genera]  Brinton.  Upon  handing  the  order  to  Colonel  Guthrie,  he  in- 
structed me  to  take  command  of  the  regiment,  and  he  would  go  to  town 
and  see  General  Latta  in  person,  which  he  did.  I  never  saw  the  order 
from  that  time  until  this.  A  day  or  two  afterwards,  however,  I  received 
a  telegram  from  General  Latta,  requesting  me,  for  the  first  time,  to  report 
what  action  I  had  taken  in  the  matter,  and  I  reported  to  him  by  letter, 
which  is  published  in  the  Adjutant  General's  report,  I  see. 

Q.  Did  you  read  the  order  to  Colonel  Norris,  or  did  he  see  the  order,  to 
your  knowledge  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  showed  him  the  order  at  the  arsenal.  He  overtook  me  at  the 
arsenal  coming  up  a  different  route,  and  started  for  East  Liberty.  I  hailed 
him,  and  told  him  he  was  on  the  wrong  road.  I  told  him  I  had  an  order 
here,  producing  it,  I  think.  1  think  I  told  him  I  had  an  order  for  General 
Brinton,  and  I  was  going  on  to  overtake  him,  and  he  turned  immediately 
and  went  on  ahead  of  me.  I  went  back  to  my  buggy  and  he  went  on  ahead 
of  me,  and  I  did  not  overtake  him.  He  understood,  however,  what  was  in 
the  order.  I  believe  he  read  the  order  before  it  left  General  Latta,  at  the 
Union  depot. 

Q.  Who  was  responsible  for  the  delivery  of  that  order,  handed  you  by 
General  Latta  for  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  Who  was  responsible  for  its  delivery  ? 

Q.  For  its  delivery  or  its  non-delivery  ? 

A.  My  instructions  were  to  deliver  the  order  to  General  Brinton  in  the 
arsenal.  When  I  found  he  was  not  in  the  arsenal,  and  my  instructions  being 
to  report  back  to  my  regiment,  I  considered  my  first  duty,  after  T  found 
he  had  gone  away  outside  of  my  route,  was  to  report  to  my  colonel  and 
see  what  he  would  do.  He  then  advised  me  to  remain  where  I  was,  and 
said  he  would  go  with  the  order  to  General  Latta,  which  he  did.     He  took 


826  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

the  order,  put  it  in  his  pocket,  and  left  the  regiment  on  Sunday  about 
eleven  o'clock,  I  think,  and  went  in  and  had  an  interview  with  General 
Latta. 

Q.  You  were  at  Torrens  station  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  know  nothing  of  the  movement  of  the  troops  during  Saturday 
night  and  Sunday  morning  ? 

A.  I  received  an  order  on  Sunday  morning,  at  two  o'clock,  to  join  Colonel 
somebody,  from  Wall  station,  and  move  to  Twenty-eighth  street.  We 
went  to  Torrens  station,  and  received  ammunition  sent  there  for  them,  and 
waited  there  until  the  next  morning,  and  they  never  put  in  an  appearance. 

August  Ammon,  sworn  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.   City  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  your  occupation  ? 

A.  I  am  insurance  agent. 

Q.  Are  you  the  father  of  Robert  Ammon,  known  as  Bob  Ammon  during 
the  troubles  in  July  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  1  am. 

Q.  Have  you  any  knowledge  of  the  occurrences  during  that  time  in 
Allegheny  City  ? 

A.  I  have,  somewhat.  I  felt,  of  course,  it  was  natural  that  I  should 
feel  an  interest,  seeing  that  my  son  was  concerned  there. 

Q.  Were  you  in  Allegheny  City  at  the  time  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Have  you  any  personal  knowledge  of  any  of  the  occurrences  over 
there  ? 

A.  Not  of  the  occurrences.  My  aims  were  directed  to  inspire  Robert 
as  much  as  possible — to  prevent  destruction  of  property.  I  sent  messages 
and  communications  to  him  frequently,  almost  hourly. 

Q.  To  that  effect  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Your  son  Robert  testified  in  Philadelphia  that  he  had  some  com- 
munications with  some  parties  that  were  concerned  in  the  railroad,  either 
the  officials  of  the  railroad  company  and  the  civil  authorities  of  Allegheny 
Cit}- — have  you  any  of  these  communications — the  originals? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  Robert  handed  them  to  me  in  the  jail  of  Allegheny  City, 
and  I  turned  them  over  to  his  lawyer.     I  would  have  brought  them   up 
this  morning,  but  Mr.  Miller  was   sick.     I  did  not  go  to  see  them   until 
this  afternoon.     I  have  those  that  I  deemed  the  most  important  here. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  In  whose  handwriting  are  they? 

A.  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  Do  3rou  know  your  son's  handwriting  ? 

A.  Yes.     They  were  dispatches  which  he  received  there. 

Q.  Just  select  them  in  their  order  ? 

A.  Now  here  is  the  first  one  I  present  here.     I  have  read  them  over  so 
often  that  I  am  familiar  witli  them,  and  if  you  will  permit  I  will  read  them. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.   Mead  that  one  [indicating?] 

A.  This  dispatch  is  directed  to  Allegheny  City,  at  the  outer  depot, 
where  Robert  had  his  station,  reads  as  follows  : 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877".  827 

"  Operator,  do  anything  to  save  property,  and  if  engines  and  freight  can  be 
moved  out  of  the  city  and  men  enough  to  do  it,  and  the  strikers  will  permit, 
run  them  west  on  north  track  far  enough  to  be  safe  from  any  damage  from 
Pittsburgh  men.     Give  copy  to  Amnion.     G.  S.  G." 

If  you  desire  an  explanation  of  these,  those  initials  signify  "  George  S. 
Griscom,"  whose  duty  it  was  to  send  them.  A  gentleman  by  the  name  of 
W.  A.  Routson  occupied  his  place. 

Q.  What  position  ? 

A.  The  position  of  Mr.  Griscom,  during  his  absence. 

Q.  What  is  Mr.  Griscom's  position? 

A.  He  is  a  railroad  official.    Kind  of  assistant  superintendent,  Mr.  Layng 
is  general  superintendent,  and  those  gentlemen  are  next  to  him. 
By  Senator  Y utzy  : 

Q.  That  was  not  signed  by  Griscom  ? 

A.  Not  that.  Routson  signed  these  dispatches.  I  got  that  information 
from  Robert.  There  is  something  on  the  other  side.  The  operator  who 
signs  "  K,"  says,  "  Amnion  wants  to  know  if  you  want  the  sixty-eight  armed 
men." 

Q.  Signed  by  the  operator? 

A.  Signed  by  the  operator  who  signs  himself  "  K."  The  answer  of  "  G. 
S.  Gr.,"-"  Yes;  if  he  is  in  good  faith  to  defend  the  company's  property." 
If  it  is  in  order,  I  might  give  you  a  little  explanation. 

Q.  Certainly. 

A.  On  Sabbath  morning  early,  I  guess,  as  early  as  five  o'clock — I  live 
on  the  south  side — I  got  up,  and  I  got  my  horse  and  buggy,  and  I  put 
Robert's  mother  in  with  a  younger  son  of  mine,  and  asked  them  to  drive 
over.  1  read  in  the  Chronicle  that  Bob  was  among  the  strikers,  and  I  sup- 
posed Bob  was  in  the  oil  regions  at  the  time;  I  did  not  know  that  he  was 
in  Allegheny.  I  sent  Mrs.  Amnion  over  with  the  request  to  Robert,  that  if 
he  thought  he  would  be  involved  in  the  strike  he  had  better  get  in  the  buggy 
with  his  mother  and  come  to  Birmingham,  and  stay  until  the  trouble  was 
over,  and  I  gave  the  little  fellow,  who  was  in  the  buggy  some  money  to  pay 
his  fare  in  the  street  car.  She  informed  me  that  Bob  would  willingly  have 
complied  with  my  request,  but  that  he  could  not  leave.  There  was  a  very 
great  many  tramps  there,  and  he  and  the  strikers  had  to  get  arms  to  keep 
these  men  away  from  robbing  the  cars,  and  for  this  reason  he  could  not 
follow  my  advice,  and  go  to  Birmingham. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

(,>.  I  would  like  to  know  this  before  }rou  go  any  further.  Are  those  tele- 
grams that  Robert  Amnion  received  from  the  railroad  officials  during  the 
time  that  he  had  charge  of  the  road  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  this  is  the  commencement  of  them.  He  had  not  charge  on 
Sunday.  He  took  charge  of  it  on  Monday.  The  next  telegram  is  directed 
to  Bob.     It  says  : 

"Ammon,  a  large  crowd  of  men  going  down  the  Brighton  road,  where 
coaches  and  cars  are  on  the  main  track,  east  of  Manchester.  Can  you  pro- 
tect them  ?  G.  S.  G." 

Q.  Who  is  "  G.  S.  G.  ?  " 

A.  Assistant  superintendent  Griscom.  Here  is  one  directed  to  the  ini- 
tials "  W.  F.  R."  That  means  William  F.  Ross.  He  was  also  official  of 
the  railroad. 

Q.  Dispatcher,  wasn't  he  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  think  so. 

"Tell  Ammon,  if  the  freight  cannot  be  moved,  we  would  like  to  move  the 


828  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

engines  any  way.     Tell  him  to  help  the  C.  &  P.,  too.     [That  means  Cleve- 
land and  Pittsburgh.]  G.  S.  G." 
Q.  Were  these  sent  by  wire — by  telegraph  ? 
A.  Yes  ;  he  got  them. 
Q.  By  telegraph  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.     Here  is  an  orignal  that  is  in  Bob's  handwriting. 
"  J.  D.  L. :     [That  means,  J.  D. Layng."] 

I  have  just  sent  Ed.  Compbell  and  Paisley  to  Mayor  Phillips  for  twenty- 
five  police  to  watch  cars,  as  our  men  are  completely  prostrated  and  wish 
to  obtain  some  rest.  They  will  watch  with  police.  Can  you  make  some 
arrangement  to  get  victuals  for  these  men  on  watch  ? 

Ammon." 
They  got  a  little  provisions — that  came  a  little  previous,  that  ought  to 
come  in  afterwards.     Here  is  another  addressed  to  J.  D.  L.  : 

u  Can  you  arrange  to  send  me  to-day  some  hundreds  of  cartridges  ? 
Answer  me,  as  I  expect  to  have  use  for  them. 

Ammon." 
Here  is  another  one  : 
"Ammon: 

Have  instructed  Ross  and  Parkin  to  arrange  for  provisions.     See  them. 

J.  D.  L." 
That  means  J.  D.  Layng. 
Q.  Who  is  "  J.  D.  Layng  ?  » 

A.  "  J.  D.  Layng  ;"  he  is  general  superintendent. 
"Ammon: 

C.  &  P.  Shifter  wanted  to  go  down  to  Glendale  and  back,  and  take  down 
relief  guards  and  supper  to  the  men.     Is  it  0.  K.  to  run  them  following  37  ? 

G.  S.  G." 
Bob's  answer  is  written  in  his  own  handwriting: 

"  Will  spare  engine  305.     Will  pick  it  up  and  take  it  down  with  the  re- 
lief. Ammon." 
Here  is  another  one  : 

"Please  hurry  engine  for  IT  over.  W.  P.  Ross.'' 

Q.  These  are  without  dates  ? 
A.  "  Ammon  : 

Engine  No.  421  will  go  on  No.  17  ;  and  engine  97  on  No.  37  ;  and  en- 
gine 325  on  No.  39. 

J.  G.  Parkin." 
Q.  Who  is  J.  G.  Parkin  ? 

A.  He  arranged  with  Ross  and  Parkin  for  provisions — he  was  a  regular 
emplo3re  there. 
"Ammon  : 

Engine,  No.  330,  will  go  on  17,  instead  of  engine,  No.  421. 

G.  S.  P." 
That  is  Parkin. 
Here  is  a  despatch  from  Mr.  Layng: 
"  Ammon  : 

I  think  a  new  request  on  the  mayor  would  give  you  the  cartridges,  as 
he  no  doubt,  has  been  supplied  by  this  time.  J.  D.  L." 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 
Q.   Here  is  a  dispatch  : 
"P.  R,  Ammon: 

Of  course,  you  understand  that  I  cannot  do  anything  in  the  matter  of 
sending,  but  if  you  will  permit  me,  as  a  private  individual,  to  make  a  sug- 
gestion, it  would  be,  that  you  send  to  Mayor  Phillips  and  ask  him  to  send 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  829 

you  fifty  to  one  hundred  men,  to  protect  the  property  now  on  the  Fort 
Wayne  tracks.  I  think,  that  on  a  proper  representation  of  the  facts,  he 
would  do  this,  and  it  would  give  the  men  now  in  charge  of  the  property, 
the  rest  I  have  no  doubt  they  very  much  need.  J.  D.  L." 

"Ammon: 

You  had  better  see  Cole,  and  get  matters  in  shape  to  talk  ;  but,  as  I  said 
in  former  message,  what  our  men  want  to  do,  is  to  let  the  mob  element 
quiet  down  and  then  they  can  talk  calmly.  You  all  want  to  maintain  a 
record  free  from  violence  in  any  shape.  I  know  you  can  fully  appreciate 
the  force  of  this.  J.  D.  Layng." 

The  witness :  These  are  all  the  dispatches  which  represent  the  general 
spirit,  and  there  are  a  great  many  more,  all  in  the  same  strain,  and  that  is 
all  I  have  to  say.  They  speak  for  themselves  as  to  their  being  genuine. 
If  it  should  come  to  trial,  I  think  it  would  be  no  trouble  to  prove  that. 
One  other  matter  I  desire  to  call  your  attention  to.  As  I  stated  already, 
that  on  Sunday,  I  sent  Mrs.  Amnion  to  bring  Bob  to  Birmingham.  Mr. 
Siebeneck  informed  me  on  Saturday  evening  that  Bob  was  over  there,  and 
I  told  him  I  didn't  think  it  was  so.  I  understood,  from  Bob's  wife,  he  was 
up  in  the  oil  regions.  Bob  was  living  right  at  the  scene  where  the  troubles 
in  Allegheny  occurred,  and  had  been  an  employe  of  the  road,  as  you  are 
aware.  On  Sunday,  when  Mrs.  Ammon  came  home,  I  felt  calm  about  it. 
I  knew  when  Bob  promised  a  thing,  he  generally  would,  at  least,  try  to 
carry  it  out.  On  Monday  morning  matters  seemed  to  move  along  smoothly 
in  Allegheny — what  I  got  was  from  the  newspaper  reports.  I  could  not 
leave  my  office  on  Wood  street,  because  our  secretary  had  gone  to  Bedford, 
and  I  was  there  with  one  of  the  clerks  and  the  janitor,  and  the  situation 
in  Pittsburgh  then  looked  very  threatening.  We  have  a  great  many  valu- 
able assets  there  about  our  safe,  and  I  thought  my  presence  was  necessary. 
Occasionally  I  would  go  up  on  Fifth  street  and  send  somebody  for  Bob, 
with  a  verbal  message  or  a  few  lines.  On  about  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon— perhaps  a  little  before 

Q.  On  what  day  ? 

A.  On  Monday,  I  saw  Mr.  Siebeneck.  He  says  to  me,  "Ammon,"  says 
he,  "  I  have  just  got  word  that  Bob  is  in  charge  of  the  Fort  Wayne  road." 
I,  for  a  moment,  didn't  know  what  to  say,  but  Siebeneck  assured  me  that 
the  thing  was  so.  Looking  up  the  street,  I  saw  Mr.  Watt,  the  ticket  agent 
of  the  Pennsylvania  road,  at  the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Smithfield  street.  He 
came  up  to  me,  and  says,  "My  God,  squire,  has  not  there  been  enough 
property  destroyed  !  Is  there  any  end  to  this  thing  !  Can  you  do  anything 
so  that  property  would  not  be  destroyed  in  Allegheny.  Have  you  an}'  in- 
fluence with  Bob?"  I  told  Mr.  Watt,  that  I  thought  I  had,  and  if  he 
would  go  out  and  see  General  McCauley,  the  vice  president  of  the  road, 
for  me,  and  could  tell  him  that  I  would  go  to  Allegheny,  drive  over  with 
my  wagon,  and  I  was  satisfied  that  Bob  would  come  away  with  me,  if  they 
wanted  him  away,  but  that  I  would  not  do  so  unless  I  had  the  consent  of 
the  railroad  officials,  and  I  gave  him  my  reasons.  From  what  I  knew,  that 
Bob  kept  the  thing  there  at  bay,  there  had  been  no  row,  no  disturbance. 
If  I  should  take  him  away,  and  trouble  should  accrue  in  consequence,  I 
would  feel  that  I  was  indirectly  responsible  for  it.  Mr.  Watt  went  out, 
and  in  perhaps  half  an  hour  or  less  time,  he  came  back,  and  I  give  you 
his  words  as  near  as  I  can  remember.  He  said,  that  the  general  said, 
"  Tell  the  old  squire  we  are  very  much  obliged  for  his  kindness,  and  the 
interest  he  shows,  but  the  taking  away  of  Bob,  would  be,  perhaps,  the  worst 
move  we  could  make."     When  I  heard  that,  I  felt. calm — my  clerk — one  of 


830  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

my  clerks,  lives  in  Allegheny.  I  again  wrote  a  letter  to  Bob,  and  implored 
him,  by  all  that  could  be  dear  and  holy  to  him,  to  see  to  it,  that  no  destruction 
of  property  would  take  place  there.  Early  next  morning,  I  got  an  answer 
from  Bob,  wherein  he  assured  me  that  everything  was  working  smoothly,  and 
said  all  the  best  citizens,  James  L.  Bennett,  and  gentlemen  who  had  been 
before  you,  and  others  had  been  there,  and  saw  him,  and  they  all  seemed 
to  be  satisfied  for  the  present  that  he  would  do  the  best  he  could.  Shortly 
after  I  received  that  letter,  Mr.  William  L.  Jones  came  in.  He  lives  in 
Sewickly,  is  an  insurance  man,  on  Fourth  avenue,  and  he  told  me  that  Bob 
was  in  charge  of  the  road.  I  told  him  I  was  well  aware  of  that,  and  stated 
to  him  that  I  had  communicated  with  Mr.  Watt  and  General  McCauley, 
and  says  he,  4t  I  know  Mr.  Layng ;  will  you  permit  me  to  go  out  and  make 
him  the  same  offer."  I  told  him  he  should  go,  and  I  should  be  obliged  to 
him.  He  went  out  and  came  back  with  about  the  same  answer.  Mr.  Layng 
said  he  was  perfectly  satisfied  to  leave  Bob  at  present  where  he  was.  I 
heard  some  more  afterward,  that  Mr.  McCauley  said  he  hadn't  said  that  to 
Watt,  and  I  went  out.  I  knew  the  general  well.  He  says,  "  'Squire,  I 
only  said  I  didn't  remember  it,  but  if  it  is  said  that  I  did  say  it,  1  would 
not  take  it  back,  and  under  like  circumstances  I  would  perhaps  say  the 
same  thing  again."  I  advised  Bob,  during  the  day,  then,  to  get  out  of  it 
just  as  soon  as  he  safely  could  for  himself  and  the  property.  In  the  even- 
ing the  Governor  came,  and  you  know,  you  have  heard  his  Excellency  ;  and 
the  next  morning  the  papers  reported  that  Bob  had  stepped  out  and  things 
had  assumed  the  usual  aspect  again.  From  that  time  until  Bob  was  ar- 
rested the  committee  of  safety,  or  sub-f  ommittee  of  safety,  they  took  Bob 
in  charge.  He  stepped  out,  say  on  Wednesday  morning,  and  about  noon 
a  gentleman  attached  to  the  Chronicle  office  came  down  and  said  there  was 
a  committee  up  there  with  Bob,  and  they  wanted  to  see  me.  When  I  came 
up  there  Mr.  Jacob  Rees,  Major  Swearinger,  Mr.  Slagle,  of  the  iron-works 
on  the  south  side,  and  some  others  were  present,  and  they  told  me  they 
wanted  to  see  Bob  and  get  the  blockade  raised  of  the  freight  which  was 
still  on  the  tracks  there,  and  it  seems  he  was  not  much  acquainted  with  him 
and  didn't  know  what  to  do,  and  he  said  he  would  not  say  anything  to  him 
until  his  father  came,  and  I  told  Bob  there  to  follow  the  advice  of  these 
gentlemen,  and  if,  in  consequence  of  their  advice,  he  would  get  into  trouble, 
I  would  see  him  through.  These  men  subsequently  got  into  the  secret 
meetings  of  the  strikers  down  to  Dietrick's  hall,  in  Allegheny,  and  things 
came  all  right  again,  and  on  Monday  following — it  was  just  one  week 
after — a  railroad  official  came  to  my  office  in  the  morning,  I  guess  about  as 
early  as  nine  o'clock,  and  said,  "  Squire,  if  you  don't  want  to  have  Bob 
arrested,  get  him  out  of  the  road,"  and  I  told  that  gentleman  that  I  was 
obliged  to  him  for  his  kindness,  but  if  Bob  and  the  railroad  company  had 
anything  to  settle,  they  had  better  settle  it  now.  About  two  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  Bob  was  standing  near  the  corner  of  Fourth  avenue  and  Wood 
street,  and  six  detectives  pounced  on  him  and  dragged  him  to  jail,  and  he 
stayed  there  for  eleven  weeks.  That  is  all  I  have  to  say  in  regard  to  Bob. 
Now  permit  me  to  say,  in  less  than  a  dozen  words,  in  regard  to  what  I  read 
in  the  newspapers  this  afternoon,  of  the  testimony  of  my  friend,  the  mayor 
of  Allegheny.  The  ma3Tor  swears,  point  blank  and  positively,  that  he  bad 
but  one  interview  with  Bob.  If  that  was  all,  it  must  have  been  a  mighty 
long  one — a  very  long  one.  The  mayor  and  myself  have  been  personally 
acquainted  for  a  number  of  years,  and  shortly  after  Bob  was  arrested  he 
met  me  on  Fifth  avenue,  and  he  stepped  up  to  me  and  said,  "Squire,  I  am 
sorry,  on  your  account,  in  regard  to  tlie  scrape  Hob  was  in."  1  told  his 
honor  that  the  thing  was  certainly  unpleasant,  but  that  I  did   not   worry 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  831 

much,  after  all,  about  it.  I  did  not  think  it  was  anything  that  was  dis- 
graceful, like  a  charge  of  stealing  or  murder,  or  anything  of  that  kind.  It 
had  happened  in  all  countries  before,  and  that  I  would  have  to  be  satisfied 
whatever  the  law  said  ;  and  I  says  to  him,  says  I,  "  So  far  as  your  city  was 
concerned,  mayor,  there  was  not  a  dollar's  worth  of  property  stolen." 
"  There  was  not  anything  destroyed."  Says  I,  "  Supposing,  if  Bob  is 
tight,  and  we  put  you  on  the  stand,  what  is  the  worse  you  could  say  against 
him."  "  Well,"  says  the  squire,  "I  would  have  to  say  that,  by  continu- 
ously persuading  Bob  and  his  men,  I  kept  them  down  so  that  everything 
passed  off  quietly."  Now,  if  it  was  the  only  one  interview  with  him,  it 
seems  to  me  he  must  have  been  most  of  the  time  with  Bob. 
By  Mr.  Means : 
Q.  Did  the  mayor  of  Allegheny  City  give  your  son  credit  for  maintain- 
the  peace  and  order,  and  saving  the  destruction  of  property — did  he  do 
that? 

A.  How  is  it  ? 

Q.  Did  Mayor  Phillips,  to  you,  give  your  son  the  credit  for  maintaining 
peace,  and  of  restraining  the  crowd  and  rioters  from  the  destruction  of 
property  ? 

A.  That  is  all,  sir,  that  was  said  between  the  mayor  and  nryself,  what  I 
have  recited — what  I  stated.  I  asked  him  what  the  worst  was,  if  he  was 
on  the  witness  stand,  he  could  say  against  Bob,  and  he  stated  that  he  would 
have  to  say,  that,  by  continuously  persuading  Bob  and  his  men,  he  kept 
them  down.     That  everything  went  off  smoothly. 

Q.  He  -went  to  Bob — when  he  wanted  anything  he  went  to  Bob  ? 
A.  He  said,  by  continuously  persuading  Bob  and  his  men.     That  is  the 
mayor's  words.     If  he  has  forgotten  it,  I  have  not. 

Q.  In  any  communication  that  you  had  with  Bob,  did  he  assure  you,  or 
say  to  you,  that  he  would  not  allow  any  property  to  be  destroyed  ? 
A.  He  said  that  in  the  most  positive  terms,  verbally  and  in  writing. 
Q.  To  you  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  That  he  would  not  allow  it? 

A.  Yes  ;  he  sent  me  verbally.  Sometimes  I  would  send  over  a  man  just 
to  talk  to  him.  That  man  might  bring  me  back  a  verbal  message,  or  might 
bring  back  a  few  lines.  He  said  that  1  should  not  have  the  slightest  fear. 
Q.  That  he  would  take  care  of  the  railroad  property? 
A.  He  would  take  care  of  the  property,  and  nothing  should  be  destroyed 
while  he  was  there.  In  one  of  his  letters,  he  said  he  would  rather  die  than 
submit  to  the  destruction  of  property. 

Q.  Did  he  intimate  to  you  in  these  communications  that  he  had  control 
of  these  men — that  they  would  obey  him  ? 

A.  They  did  obey  him  most  implicitly.     He  said  that. 
Q.  That  they  would  obey  him  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  And  do  what  he  told  them  to  do  ? 

A.  And  others  told  me  something  similar.  I  would  say — permit  me  to 
recur  to  one  conversation — Mr.  James  I.  Bennett,  a  gentleman  whom  I  be- 
lieve has  testified  before  you — he  is  president  of  the  insurance  company 
which  I  represent  as  general  agent.  I  went  to  him  after  I  had  these  as- 
surances from  the  railroad  officials  that  they  did  not  want  Bob  awa}'.  I 
felt  dissatisfied ;  but  I  thought  I  would  have  been  more  satisfied  if  he  had 
been  away.  I  went  down  to  his  office,  at  the  iron-works,  on  Water  street, 
and  I  told  him.  Says  I,  "  Mr.  Bennett,  this  is  the  way  things  stand." 
Well,  says  he,  "  I  was  down  last  night."     Mr.  Bennett  lives  near,  in  close 


832  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

proximity  to  where  the  trouble  occurred.  Says  he,  "  I  was  there  last 
night  and  saw  Bob,  and  things  are  working  about  as  smooth  as  the}'  could 
under  the  circumstances,"  and  says  he,  "  Don't  you  do  anything  of  the 
kind."  Says  he,  "  The  strikers  put  Bob  there  to  run  the  road,  and,  if  you 
take  him  away,  they  will  put  some  other  man  there  who  is,  perhaps,  not 
half  as  well  qualified  as  Bob  is."     Those  were  Bennett's  words  to  me. 

Q.  Is  he  the  president  of  that  road  ? 

A.  No;  Bennett  is  president  of  the  insurance  company  which  I  repre- 
sent. 

Q.  Did  the  president  of  that  road,  or  any  of  the  officials  of  that  road, 
say  to  you  that  they  were  satisfied  that  Bob  should  have  charge  of  this 
road  ? 

A.  The  vice  president,  the  first  vice  president,  General  McCullough,  was 
the  man  to  whom  I  first  went.  I  heard  that  Bob  was  in  charge  of  the  road, 
and  agreed  to  go  over  and  take  Bob  away,  and  he  sent  me  back  word, 
through  Mr.  Watt,  the  ticket  agent,  that  that  would  be  the  worst  move  he 
could  make. 

Q.  Taking  Bob  away  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  And  when  I  afterwards  heard  that  it  was  said  that  McCul- 
lough hadn't  said  that,  I  went  out  and  saw  him — I  am  on  intimate  terms 
with  him,  and  says  he,  "Squire,  I  simply  don't  remember  that  I  said  it; 
but,  under  like  circumstances,  I  would  perhaps  say  the  same  thing  again 
to-day.     I  do  not  know  what  else  I  could  say." 

W.  C.  McCarthy,  recalled : 

The  witness :  I  read  in  the  newspapers  this  afternoon,  that  Mr.  Stewart 
stated  to  this  committee  that  he  had  an  interview  with  me  on  Friday,  in 
which  he  stated  that  the  railroad  company  desired  to  have  one  hundred 
men,  that  they  would  pay  for  them.  I  have  to  say  that  Mr.  Stewart  had 
no  interview  with  me  on  Friday,  and  he  did  not  make  that  statement  to 
me  on  Friday,  nor  did  he  make  that  statement  to  me  upon  any  other  day. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  you  see  Mr.  Stewart  on  Friday? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  At  the  cit}r  hall  steps  ? 

A.  I  did  not.  I  did  see  Mr.  Stewart  at  the  city  hall  steps  on  Saturday 
forenoon. 

Q.  What  was  the  conversation  then  ? 

A.  It  was  simply  conveying  from  Mr.  Scott  or  Mr.  Cassatt,as  he  stated, 
a  desire  that  I  should  go  up  to  the  Union  depot  to  see  Mr.  Cassatt.  I  de- 
clined to  do  so,  and  gave  my  reasons  for  it,  which  were,  substantially,  that 
the  troops  were  brought  here  unnessarily ;  that  it  was  disgracing  the  city, 
and  that  I  had  an  abiding  conviction  it  would  end  in  bloodshed,  which 
would  be  unnessary  ;  and  I  declined  to  go  to  see  him,  as  I  knew  who  and 
what  Pennsjdvania  railroad  officers  were;  that  they  were  imperious  and 
dictatorial,  and  1  could  have  no  influence  upon  them  whatever,  and  the  re- 
sult verified  my  predictions. 
By  Mr.  Means: 

Q.  At  tiiat  time  did  this  gentleman  ask  }*ou  to  swear  in  a  certain  num- 
ber of  police  officers,  and  the  railroad  company  would  pay  them  ? 

A.  He  never  said  anything  of  the  kind,  either  that  day  or  any  other  day. 
It  is  pretty  hard  to  join  those  two  statements  together. 

Q.   It  is  a  little  rough,  mayor  ? 

A.  Well,  I  swear  to  that.  The  fact  is,  I  scared  them,  and  he  did  not 
know  whether  he  was  standing  on  his  head  or  his  heels.     I  blowed  at  him 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  833 

about  bringing  troops  here,  and  it  would  result  in   murder,  and  I   used 
strong  language. 

Q.  Did  you  attempt  to  scare  him  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  just  gave  the  honest  convictions  of  my  soul  to  him  in  very 
strong  and  emphatic  language. 

Q.   Why  was  it  necessary  that  you  should  scare  him  ? 

A.  It  was  not  necessary  to  scare  him,  but  he  was  scared.     That  is  the 
onlv  way  I  can  account  for  his  ideas  that  he  delivered  that  message. 

Q.  Why  was  it  necessary  for  you  to  use  this  very  strong  language  to 
him  ? 

A.  Except  I  felt  what  I  said,  that  these  men  had  brought  the  troops 
here  and  shot  people  down  unnecessarily,  made  me  tell  you  over  there  that 
the  police  had  broken  the  back  of  that  strike  on  Thursday  afternoon — ut- 
terly broken  it,  and  if  they  had  any  gumption  about  them,  with  the  expen- 
diture of  less  than  $500,  they  could  have  moved  a  train,  and  the  strike 
never  would  have  been  heard  of  again.  But  instead  of  that,  they  hud 
down  upon  their  belly  like  dogs,  and  cried  for  troops,  and  did  nothing  for 
twentj-four  hours,  and  allowed  the  strike  to  get  ahead. 
By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  1  think  that  is  in  your  testimony  before  ? 

A.  Indeed,  I  do  not  know.  As  I  understand,  I  thought  when  I  was  in 
Philadelphia  listening  to  your  proceedings  at  the  St.  Cloud,  that  I  heard 
a  gentleman  swear  that  he  saw  the  police,  at  the  station-houses  on  Penn 
avenue,  tire  at  them.  I  was  very  deaf  that  day,  and  I  could  not  swear  pos- 
itively whether  he  said  so,  but  on  that  point  I  have  a  few  words  to  say. 
The  first  that  I  knew,  or  rather  the  first  that  I  heard  about  the  firing  by 
the  police  upon  the  troops  was  contained  in  this  dispatch  to  Mayor  Mc- 
Carthy : 

"One  of  my  men  was  murdered  by  your  police  force  as  we  marched  up 
Penn  avenue,  en  route  for  Sharpsburg.  The  murderer  can  be  identified  by 
a  dozen  men  of  my  command,  although  several  others  of  your  force  dis- 
charged their  pistols  shots  into  my  column  while  we  marched  out  Penn 
avenue.     Are  you  willing  to  assist  me  in  arresting  this  murderer  ?" 

I  replied  that  I  am,  that  I  would.  That  dispatch  I  did  not  preserve  a 
copy  of.     I  afterwards  received  the  following,  second  one  from  him: 

"  Mayor  McCarthy  : 

You  seemed  to  misunderstand  my  telegraph.  I  asked  you  if  you 
were  willing  to  assist  me  iii  having  your  man  identified.  There  is  no  ques- 
tion about  the  fact.  I  can  produce  the  evidence  of  a  dozen  respectable  cit- 
izens of  Philadelphia  whu  witnessed  the  firing.  By  making  the  proper 
inquiries  on  your  part,  and  by  arresting  all  suspected,  I  can  produce  those 
to  identify  the  guilty  party.  It  was  not  true  that  the  police  of  Pittsburgh 
were  hooting  and  yelling  at  us  openly  at  nearly  every  point. 

R.  M.  Brinton, 
3Iajor  General." 

To  this  dispatch,  of  which  I  preserved  a  copy,  I  sent  the  following  an- 
swer : 

"  R.  M.  Brinton,  Major  General : 

I  will  assist  you  in  identifying  or  arresting  any  murderer  who  is  on  the 
police  force,  or  on  either  side  of  the  struggle." 

I  said  on  either  side  of  the  struggle,  because  I  believed  both  sides  com- 
mitted murder,  and  I  may  say  that  I  and  six  or  eight  of  my  policemen  are 
now  under  bonds  to  answer  the  charge — a  civil  charge — for  damages  for 
arresting  two  men  who  were  suspected  as  being  engaged  in  shooting  at  the 
53  Riots. 


834  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Philadelphia  troops  as  they  went  out  Perm  avenue,  out  Butler  street.    Then 
I  go  on  to  say  : 

"  B3*  referring  to  the  language  of  your  first  dispatch,  you  will  see  that 
the  misapprehension  was  on  your  part,  and  not  on  mine." 

Well,  gentlemen,  when  the  Philadelphia  troops  came  back  here,  I  sent 
out  orders  and  got  all  the  police  who  had  been  up  there  at  that  time  to- 
gether, to  meet  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  I  saw  by  a  newspaper 
article — I  had  forgotten  who  it  was — but  I  saw  by  a  newspaper  article  here 
that  it  was  Lieutenant  Cochran  that  I  sent  out  to  the  Philadelphia  troops, 
to  tell  Brinton  that  at  nine  o'clock  that  night  the  men  would  be  all  at  the 
mayor's  office,  and  for  him  to  come  with  his  evidence.  Nine  o'clock  came 
and  no  person  came — until  ten  o'clock  we  waited,  and  they  were  dismissed. 
I  dismissed  the  men  with  orders  to  appear  at  nine  o'clock  the  next  morn- 
ing, and  sent  word  out  to  camp  to  General  Brinton.  If  General  Brinton 
requires  me  to  state  I  will  just  quote  from  a  little  remark  I  made.  I  say 
here  Cochran  had  reported  to  me  that  the  Philadelphia  men,  for  some 
reason  or  other,  didn't  think  the}*  could  get  here  last  evening.  That  was 
the  reply  of  Cochran.  Then  I  took  it  back  until  ten  o'clock  or  nine  o'clock 
next  morning,  when  the  police  were  there,  together  with  a  large  number  of 
citizens  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  station-houses,  who  were  there  at  the 
time  that  the  troops  passed.  The  police  unanimously,  and  the  citizens 
unanimously  all  joined  in  the  statement  that  on  Penn  street,  between 
Twenty-sixth  street  and  Twenty-seventh  street,  where  the  station-house  is, 
and  where  the  police  were  on  the  pavement,  that  at  the  time  the  troops 
passed  the  station-house  there  was  no  shooting,  no  disturbance  of  any  kind 
whatever.  That  is  the  testimony  of  the  police  and  of  the  citizens,  given 
and  sworn  to  upon  that  day,  when  I  found  the  Philadelphia  men  didn't 
come  to  make  good  their  word. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  You  say  the  Philadelphia  men  did  not  come  to  make  good  their 
word.     What  did  you  expect  of  the  Philadelphia  men  ? 

A.  I  believed  the  Philadelphia  men  to  be  as  good  as  their  word,  as  laid 
down  here  by  General  Brinton.  Here  is  General  Brinton's  dispatch  to  me  : 
"  One  of  my  men  was  murdered  by  your  police  force  as  we  marched  up 
Penn  avenue,  en  route  for  Sharpsburg.  The  murderer  can  be  identified 
b}T  a  dozen  men  of  my  command,  although  several  others  of  your  force 
discharged  their  pistol  shots  into  my  column  while  we  marched  up  Penn 
avenue.  Are  you  willing  to  assist  me  in  arresting  this  murderer?"  I  ex- 
pected General  Brinton  to  come  with  his  men  and  attempt  to  identify  the 
murderers,  as  he  alleged  we  shot  at  those  troops  as  the}'  were  passing  the 
station-house.  He  did  not  come  with  his  men.  An  hour  or  so  after  all 
these  parties  left,  two  men  came  to  the  office;  I  did  not  see  them  myself, 
but  my  man  at  the  office  reported  to  me  that  two  men  came  there,  dressed 
like  officers,  who  stated  that  they  were  officers  in  the  Philadelphia  regi- 
ment,  and  they  repudiated  the  statement  that  the  troops  were  fired  on  as 
they  passed  the  station-house. 

Q.  They  said  there  was  no  firing  on  the  troops  ? 

A.  Yes;  these  men's  names — I  heard  at  the  time  the  names  they  gave. 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  names  now  ? 

A.  No,  sir;    I   do  not.     I  might  be  able  to  find  out— I  don't  know 
whether  I  could  or  not.     I  have  forgotten  the  names ;  but  if  that  circum- 
stance is  sworn  to  at  Philadelphia,  I  can  produce  one  hundred  men  to  dis- 
prove it. 
.  Q.  Is  that  all? 

A.  That  is  all.     I  think  I  have  said  enough. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned  to  meet  at  the  call  of  the  chairman. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  835 

Harrisburg,  April  11,  1878. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  in  Senate  committee  room 
Xo.  6.     All  members  present  except  Mr.  Reyburn. 

William  S.  Quay,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  you  present  Saturday  afternoon,  July  24,  when  the  communi- 
cation was  received  by  General  Latta  from  General  Brinton? 

A.  I  was.  I  was  present  with  General  Latta  in  his  room  during  the  en- 
tire night. 

Q.  In  the  Union  depot? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  many  dispatches  were  received  ? 

A.  I  think  three,  but  I  am  not  certain. 

Q.  What  time  was  the  first  received  ? 

A.  The  first  one  was  in  the  early  part  of  the  night.  I  couldn't  fix  the 
time  of  receiving  an}7  telegrams,  or,  in  fact,  any  of  the  occurrences  of  the 
night. 

Q.  Can  you  give  the  substance  of  the  first  dispatch  ? 

A.  I  cannot,  give  the  nature.  The  first  dispatch,  however,  was  very 
discoui'aonno;,  I  remember  that  much.  It  related  to  the  condition  of  his 
troops  in  the  round-house,  related  to  the  supplies,  subsistence,  ammunition, 
and  he  went  on,  further,  to  say,  my  recollection  is,  that  he  considered  part 
of  his  command  as  unreliable,  and  that  one  of  his  regiments  was  disposed 
to  s}rmpathize  with  the  strikers — wouldn't  fight  with  them,  anyhow. 

Q.  Did  he  state  what  regiment  it  was  ? 

A.  He  didn't  use  that  language,  but  that  was  the  idea  conveyed. 

Q.  Do  you  recollect  whether  he  named  the  regiment  ? 

A.  I  think  he  named  the  Sixth  regiment.  We  understood  that  to  be  the 
regiment  referred  to.  Sometime  afterwards,  a  second  dispatch  was 
received,  in  better  character,  and  we  were  re-assured.  The  first  one  was 
very  bail. 

Q.  The  next  dispatch  was  more  encouraging  ? 

A.  Yes;  decidedly  more  encouraging. 

Q.  Do  you  recollect  how  the  next  dispatch  reached  the  Union  depot? 

A.  I  think  that  the  dispatches  were  brought  through  the  lines  by  Ser- 
geant Wilson  of  the  Jefferson  Cavalry.     He  came  out  in  disguise. 

Q.   All  the  dispatches  you  referred  to  were  brought  by  him? 

A.  I  think  so.     I  will  not  be  positive  about  that. 

Q.  Do  you  recollect  of  General  Matthews  making  any  remarks  when  he 
received  the  first  dispatch? 

A.  I  couldn't  say  positively,  but  there  was  conversation.  I  was  in  the 
room,  but  didn't  pay  any  attention  to  it  myself. 

Q.  Did  you  know  whether  General  Latta  contemplated  ordering  General 
Brinton's  command  out  of  the  round-house,  prior  to  receiving  that  first 
dispatch  ? 

A.  I  have  no  recollection  of  anything  that  indicated  any  such  intention? 

Q.  Was  it  a  subject  of  conversation  at  all  at  his  head-quarters,  during 
the  night? 

A.  As  to  the  removal  of  those  troops? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  Yes.  There  was  considerable  conversation  as  to  that,  when  General 
Latta  was  dictating  his  last  dispatch  to  General  Brinton.  There  was#  a 
conflict  of  opinion  about  it. 


836  Repobt  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Was  the  question  of  the  expediency  of  ordering  the  troops  out,  for 
the  purpose  of  stopping  the  destruction  of  property  and  driving  the 
rioters  from  the  ground — from  the  railroad  ground?  Was  that  the  sub- 
ject of  conversation? 

A.  I  think  not.  I  don't  remember  that.  There  was  no  conversation 
amongst  us.  We  had  no  idea  of  ordering  the  troops  alone — that  detach- 
ment of  troops.  The  general  plan  was  to  bring  on  the  Philadelphia  troops, 
at  Torrens  station,  unite  them  with  Guthrie,  and  march  them  down  on  the 
rear  of  the  mob,  and  attack  and  disperse  them. 

Q.  How  early  in  the  evening  did  the  General  adopt  that  as  a  plan  of 
action  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  say,  as  I  said  before.     I  couldn't,  at  this  time,  say. 
Q.  Can  you  tell  us  anything  in  relation  to  the  dispatch  that  was  sent  by 
General  Latta  and  General  Brinton,  Sunday  morning,  by  Captain  Aull, 
what  knowledge  you  have  of  that  dispatch,  and  what  was  done? 

A.  I  don't  think  that  I  have  any  personal  knowledge  of  that  dispatch — 
don't  think  I  saw  it — and  what  I  would  give  you  would  be  hearsay  about 
that.  I  have  a  recollection  of  a  telegram  to  direct  Brinton,  I  think,  to  join 
Colonel  Guthrie. 

Q.  Were  you  present  when  Major  Norris  started  to  find  General  Brin- 
ton ? 

A.  I  don't  think  I  was  present  when  he  left  the  hotel.  I  was  in  the 
hotel. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  General  Latta  give  him  any  instructions  ? 
A.  Well,  I  couldn't  say.     I  know  he  had  his  instructions,  but  whether 
I  heard  Latta  give  them  to  him,  I  don't  know.     I  don't  know  what  his  in- 
structions were. 

By  Senator  Yutzy: 
Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  any  proclamations  issued  by  the  Gov- 
ernor, in  relation  to  this  riot  ? 

A.  I  know  very  little  more  than  the  proclamation  was  issued.  At 
least,  I  saw  the  proclamation  signed  by  the  Governor  and  myself,  which, 
I  have  no  doubt,  was  issued  here,  under  the  seal  of  the  State,  but  I  was 
not  present  at  the  time.  I  know  nothing  more,  really,  than  you,  gentlemen 
of  the  committee,  yourself. 

Q.  That  proclamation  was  issued  under  general  instructions  from  the 
department? 

A.  When  the  heads  of  departments  leave,  they  generally  leave  blanks 
signed,  to  be  used  in  case  of  an  emergency,  if  they  are  required. 
Q.  They  are  issued  according  to  general  instructions  and  custom  ? 
A.  Yes,  sir.     I   suppose  the  facts  relating  to   that   proclamation  are 
already  before  the  committee. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Did  you  receive  any  communications  from  General   Latta,  or  from 
any  person  connected  with  the  department,  prior  to   the  issuing  of  the 
proclamation  ? 
A.  I  think  not. 

Q.  All  proclamations  of  the  Governor  are  signed   by  the  Secretary  of 
the  Commonwealth,  are  they  not? 
A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  The  military  orders  of  the  commander  in  'chief  signed  by  the  Ad- 
jutant General  ? 

A.  Adjutant  General. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  Has  the  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth,  or  his  deputy,  authority, 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  837 

under  general  instructions,  to  issue  proclamations,  in  the  absence  of  the 
Governor  ? 

A.  Well,  I  don't  know.  1  think  I  would  assume  that  authority  without 
any  hesitancy,  in  case  of  necessity.  Whether  it  would  be  ratified  or  not, 
I  don't  know. 

Q.  Under  general  custom  ? 

A.  Custom  ;  yes,  sir.  I  really  don't  remember  a  case  where  I  have 
done  so.  I  am  not  certain,  but  what  I  have,  in  a  case  when  the  Governor 
was  not  here,  about  the  reduction  of  the  sinking  fund. 

Q.  Do  you  know  anything  about  a  request  made  bjr  the  civil  authorities 
of  Allegheny  county  on  the  Governor,  for  troops  ? 

A.  I  received  on  the  morning  of  Friday,  I  think  the  20th  of  July — the 
riots  were  on  the  21st — on  the  day  before,  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing before,  I  received  a  telegram  from  the  sheriff  of  Allegheny  county,  in 
eluding  a  telegraph  to  Harrisburg,  making  the  request.     He  stated  that  he 
inclosed  it  to  me  for  my  information. 

Q  Was  there  any  request  made  by  private  citizens  or  corporations  for 
troops  ? 

A.  I  forwarded  the  telegram  to  the  Adjutant  General,  stating  that  I  had 
received  it,  and  I  suggested  that  the  major  general  commanding  the  Pitts- 
burgh division  furnish  the  necessary  troops. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  time  did  you  receive  that? 

A.  I  think  it  must  have  been  three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  Friday. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  forward  it  to  the  Adjutant  General? 

A.  I  think  by  the  same  messenger.     It  was  from  the  sheriff  of  Allegheny 
county,  and  I  replied  to  him  that  I  received  his  telegram. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  at  the  Union  depot  at  the  time  the  firing  took  place? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  see  General  Pearson  as  he  returned  from  the  round-house 
or  that  vicinity  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  was  in  General  Latta's  room  that  evening  with  General  Pear- 
son and  one  or  two  other  gentlemen,  and  he  came  in. 

Q.  Was  he  relieved  from  command  by  General  Latta  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  didn't  understand  that  he  was  formally  relieved  of  his  command, 
but  I  know  he  was  obliged  to  leave. 

Q.  For  what  reason  ? 

A.  The  mob  was  said  to  be  in  search  of  him,  and  surrounding  his  house, 
and  destroying  his  property.  There  was  some  conversation  passed  between 
us.     I  said  I  thought  he  was  of  no  use  there. 

Q.  How  l^ng  did  you  remain  at  the  Union  depot,  Saturday  ? 

A.  I  was  there  all  night. 

Q.  All  that  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  I  was  there  until  in  the  morning  at  ten  or  eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  Did  you  see  General  Brown  there  i 

A.  Yes,  I  saw  General  Brown  in  the  early  part  of  the  night,  I  think. 
General  Brown  came  in  when  the  Pittsburgh  troops  were  relieved. 

Q.  Did  you  know  anything  about  his  disbanding  his  command  and 
sending  them  home  ? 

A.  Nothing,  except  from  hearsay. 

Q.  Would  you  condsider  it  justifiable  or  legal  to  issue  a  proclamation  in 
the  absence  of  the  Governor  in  emergencies  of  this  kind  ? 

A.  I  think  so. 

Q.  Did  you  regard  it  proper  for  the  Adjutant  General  to  call  out  troops 


8  38  "Report  of  CoMxMittee.  [No.  29, 

or  furnish  troops  for  the  suppression  of  the  riot  in  the  absence  of  the 
Governor  ? 

A.  That  is  a  question  I  was  not  considering.  There  was  nothing  im- 
proper here  when  he  had  direct  telegraphic  communication  with  the  Gov- 
eimor,  and  had  authority  to  do  so. 

Q.  In  your  estimation,  would  it  require  special  instructions  from  the 
Governor  to  call  out  the  troops  ? 

A.  I  think  he  should  act  under  general  instructions.     The  Governor  is 
the  commander-in-chief  of  the  troops. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  general  instructions  prior  to  the  departure  of 
the  Governor  for  the  West,  as  to  what  would  be  done  in  case  of  an  emer- 
gency ? 

A.  No,  sir,  I  think  not.  I  understood  such  authority  was  given  in  re- 
lation to  troops  to  the  Adjutant  General.  I  didn't  feel  that  I  was  vested 
with  any  special  authority. 

Q.  In  forwarding  the  demand  that  was  made  by  the  sheriff  for  troops  to 
the  Adjutant  General,  did  you  say  anything  to  the  Adjutant  General 
about  issuing  any  proclamation  ? 

A.  Nothing. 

Q.  Knew  nothing  of  that  until  it  was  issued  ? 

A.  In  my  telegram  to  the  Adjutant  General  was  simply  a  suggestion  that 
the  major  general  commanding  the  Pittsburgh  division — I  didn't  know  who 
he  was  at  the  time — should  furnish  the  troops. 

W.  W.  Jennings,  re-called. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  may  identify  those  papers,  if  you  will  state  what  they  are  ? 

A.  This  is  my  proclamation — the  first  one.  Both  are  proclamations  of 
mine,  and  this  is  an  order.     [Indicating.] 

Q.  Can  you  state  the  date  when  the  first  proclamation  was  issued  ? 

A.  The  first  proclamation  was  placarded  over  town — both  these  procla- 
mations was  placarded  over  town  by  eight  o'clock  Tuesday  morning,  the 
24th.  I  arrived  here  on  the  23d,  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  These 
were  all  printed  in  posters. 

Q.  And  the  citizens  were  all  summoned  in  accordance,  or  came  out  in 
accordance  with  this  proclamation,  I  suppose — on  the  demand  made  by 
you  in  this  proclamation  ? 

A.  Yes,  they  did,  a  number  of  them,  in  answer  to  my  call.  Before  this 
was  published  I  had  gathered  them  up — parties  who  were  excited,  and 
ready  to  take  hold. 

Q.  This  force  you  collected,  did  you  swear  them  in  as  deputy  sheriffs  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Or  special  police  ? 

A.  I  summoned  as 

Q.  Posse  comitatus? 

A.  Posse  comitatas.     We  didn't  stand  on  ceremony  very  long. 

Q.  If  there  are  any  statements  you  wish  to  make,  please  make  them  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  of  any,  sir. 

The  following  are  the  proclamations  and  orders  referred  to  by  the  wit- 
ness : 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  I S77  339 


PROCLAMATION. 

Sheriff's  Office,  Harrisburg,  Pa. 

Whereas,  For  the  past  two  days  the  peace  and  good  order  of  the  county 
have  been  disturbed  and  grave  apprehensions  exist  lest  injury  be  done; 

And  whereas,  The  duty  rests  upon  me  to  preserve  the  peace  and  promote 
tranquillity ; 

Now,  therefore,  I,  William  W.  Jennings,  high  sheriff  of  the  county  of 
Dauphin,  do  hereby  enjoin  all  persons  to  remain  quietly  at  their  homes  or 
places  of  business,  to  avoid  gathering  upon  the  streets  and  highways,  thus 
by  their  presence  keeping  alive  the  excitement  which  prevades  the  com- 
munity, and  to  further  the  restoration  of  good  order,  I  charge  upon  parents 
to  prevent  the  half  grown  lads  over  whom  they  have  control  from  frequent- 
ing the  streets. 

And  I  hereby  announce  ray  resolute  determination,  with  the  aid  of  special 
deputies  whom  I  have  appointed,  and  the  posse  which  I  have  summoned 
to  preserve  the  peace  and  protect  the  person  and  property  of  the  people 
within  my  bailiwick,  and  I  hereby  call  upon  all  good  and  law  abiding  citi- 
zens to  assist  me  and  those  acting  with  me  to  enforce  the  law  and  maintain 
good  order. 

Given  under  my  hand  this  23d  day  of  July,  A.  D.  1*77. 

Wm.  W.  Jennings, 
Sheriff. 

Notice  to  Law  and  Order  Posse. 

The  chief  engineer  of  the  fire  department  of  the  city  of  Harrisburg,  having 
issued  an  order  specifying  to  what  alarms  the  several  fire  companies  shall 
respond,  the  following  companies  of  the  law  and  order  posse,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  preserving  good  order  in  the  event  of  any  fire  alarm,  will  repair  to 
the  place  designated  by  the  alarm  as  follows : 

Company  A  to  Nos.  4,  5,  7,  12,  13,  41,  42  for  the  Friendship  Fire  Com- 
pany 

Companj  C  to  Nos.  6,  21,  24,  31,  32,  61  for  the  Hope  Fire  Company. 

Company  I  to  Nos.  5,  6,  7,  23,  41,  61,  for  the  Citizen  Fire  Company. 

Company  B  to  Nos.  7,  12,  13,  41,  42  for  the  Paxton  Fire  Company. 

Companies  D,  F,  and  G  to  Nos.  21,  23,  24,  31,  32  for  the  Good  Will  Fire 
Company. 

Company  H  to  Nos.  5,  7,  41  for  the  Mt.  Pleasant  Hose  Company. 

The  other  companies  of  the  posse  will  hold  themselves  in  readiness  for 
orders. 

Wm.  W.  Jennings, 

Sheriff". 

Sheriff's  Office,  Harrisburg,  July  24,  1877. 

Sheriff's  Office,  Harrisburg,  July  24,  1877. 
Joseph  F.  Knipe,  Commanding  Co.  A. 


William  K.  Alricks, 

u 

u 

B. 

Charles  Snyder, 

u 

(( 

C. 

J.  B.  Boyle, 

u 

u 

D. 

George  G.  Boyer, 

t( 

It 

E. 

C.  A.  Wilhem, 

t( 

U 

F. 

Isaiah  Reese, 

u 

U 

G. 

840 


Report  of  Committee. 


Law  and  Order  Posse 


[No.  29, 


Will  report  with  their  respective  commands  at  the  Court- 
House  at  two  o'clock. 
The  posse  will  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  respond  to  two  taps  of 
the  court-house  bell  at  an}"  time  prior  to  that  hour.     Other  companies  will 
be  designated  and  assigned  to  duty  as  the  public  exigency  may  necessitate. 

W.  W.  Jennings,  Sheriff. 

Adjourned  to  meet  at  the  call  of  the  chairman. 


Harrtsburg,  April  16, 1878. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  eight  o'clock,  p.  M.,  in 
Senate  committee  room  Xo.  6. 

James  H.  Stewart,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  State  3rour  residence  ? 

A.  I  reside  in  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Did  you  reside  there  in  July  last  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  was  a  resident  of  Pittsburgh  in  July,  1877. 

Q.  Were  3tou  there  during  the  riots  of  the  21st  and  22d  of  July  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  State  whether  you  accompanied  Colonel  Norris  on  Sunday  morning, 
the  22d,  to  General  Brinton's  command  ? 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  State  where  you  overtook  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  Do  you  want  me  to  state  where  ? 

Q,  Yes'? 

A.  We  overtook  General  Brinton  north  of  the  Allegheny  river — north- 
east of  the  Allegheny  river — about  a  mile,  I  think,  above  Sharpsburg,  on 
the  bank  of  a  raA'ine  running  up  a  hill.  I  don't  know  the  name  of  the 
street.  1  was  trying  to  remember  it  this  afternoon,  but  I  have  forgotten 
the  name  of  the  road. 

Q.  From  what  point  did  you  stai't  ? 

A.  From  the  Union  Depot  hotel. 

Q.  At  what  time  ? 

A.  I  can't  exactly  state  the  time  preeisel}- — it  was  in  the  morning.  We 
paid  very  little  attention  to  time,  having  been  very  busily  engaged  all 
night  and  through  the  morning.  We  started,  I  suppose,  between  nine  and 
ten  o'clock,  if  my  recollection  serves  me  right — some  place  about  that 
time. 

Q.  Had  3tou  been  with  General  Latta  and  Colonel  Quay  during  the 
night  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  with  the  exception  of  the  time  that  I  had  been  detailed  for 
service  outside  of  the  city  limits.  Of  course,  where  I  went  to  from  the 
Union  depot  was  under  orders  of  the  Adjutant  General. 

Q.  At  whose  instance  did  you  and  Colonel  Norris  go  in  pursuit  of  Gen- 
eral Brinton  ? 

A.  I  was  directed  hy  the  Adjutant  General  to  accompany  Colonel  Xor- 
ris  to  the  office  of  General  Brinton. 


Lie  I 
to  tel. 

A.1 
A.1 

oat  o: 

me  to  - 
A.1 

oat  fi 
comer 
count: 


Q.I 

A.  V 

A,  I 

A.\ 

order* 
A.J 

Genera. 

A.\ 
from  the  si»j 

the  war; 


Leg.  Doc] 


Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871. 


841 


Q,.  Did  you  hear  the  Adjutant  General  give  Colonel  Norris  any  orders 
to  tell  to  General  Brinton  ? 
A.  I  did  not. 
Q.  Verbal? 
A.  I  did  not  hear  any. 

Q.  Did  he  give  him  any  written  orders  to  your  knowledge  ? 
A.  I  think  not. 

Q.  When  you  overtook  General  Brinton,  state  what  conversation  took 
place  between  Colonel  Norris  and  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  After  passing  through  the  city — through  Penn  avenue — we  overtook 
General  Brinton  at  the  rear  of  his  command,  then  marching  very  rapidly 
to  the  north.  We  drove  partially  through  the  left  of  his  command,  got 
out  of  our  carriage,  and  walked  the  balance  of  the  way  to  the  front.  Then 
General  Brinton  ordered  a  halt  of  his  troops,  and  Colonel  Norris  then  told 
him  that  the  Adjutant  General  requested  that  he  would  turn  back,  and 
form  a  junction  with  Colonel  Guthrie  at  Torrens  station.  Do  you  want 
me  to  go  on  and  repeat  the  whole  conversation  ? 
Q,  Yes? 

A.  They  talked  some  time.  I  stayed  with  them.  Thei-e  were  some  offi- 
cers of  General  Brinton's  command  with  him,  whom  I  was  not  personally 
acquainted  with.  General  Brinton  replied  that  his  troops  had  been  with- 
out food  for  twenty-four  hours.  That  he  had  been  fired  upon  from  every 
corner  and  street  car  in  the  city.  That  he  intended  to  go  back  into  the 
country  until  he  could  get  a  position  in  which  he  could  intrench  himself 
and  protect  his  men.  And  he  furthermore  added,  that  he  would  be  God 
damned  if  he  would  go  back  into  the  city  of  Pittsburgh. 
Q.  Where  were  you  when  that  conversation  occurred  ? 
A.  Alongside  of  him.  We  were  all  sitting  down.  There  had  been  a 
halt  of  the  command  made,  and  we  sat  down  on  the  banks  of  a  stream  that 
ran  along  the  public  road. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Norris  deliver  it  as  an  order  coming  from  the  Adjutant 
General,  or  did  he  state  that  Captain  Aull  had  had  such  an  order  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of.    I  can  go  back  in  my  testimony  and  mention  the 
fact  that  we  met  Captain  Aull. 

Q.  Where  did  you  meet  Captain  Aull? 

A.  We  met  Captain  Aull  at  the  eastern  side  of  the  arsenal,  on  Penn 
avenue.  He  stopped  our  carriage  on,  I  think,  the  eastern  side — the  furth- 
est extremity  of  the  ai'senal,  on  Penn  avenue — stopped  our  carriage,  and 
asked  us  where  we  were  going.  I  told  him  we  were  after  Brinton's  troops. 
He  said  nothing  at  all  about  an  order  that  he  had. 
Q.  Do  you  know  that  he  had  an  order  ? 
A.   I  did  not ;  no,  sir. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Norris  tell  General  Brinton  that  Captain  Aull  had  an 
order  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of.     1  have  no  recollection  of  him  telling  him  so. 
Q.  Did  Colonel  Norris  repeat  to  General  Brinton  the  substance  of  the 
order  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  he  knew  that  Colonel  Norris 

Q.  Let  me  ask  you  the  question  over  again.  Did  Colonel  Norris  tell 
General  Brinton  that  Captain  Aull  had  an  order  for  him  ?  Did  Colonel 
Norris  repeat  the  substance  of  the  order  which  Captain  Aull  had  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of.  Captain  Aull's  name  was  not  mentioned,  and 
from  the  simple  fact  that  we  met  Captain  Aull,  and  he  knew  we  were  on 
the  way  to  General  Brinton — if  Colonel  Norris  knew  he  had  an  order  from 


842  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

the  Adjutant  General,  it  was  not  my  business  to  know  anything  about  it. 
I  was  simply  directed  to  accompany  the  colonel  on  business. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Norris  state  to  General  Brinton  that  the  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral had  requested  him  to  deliver  the  order  to  return  and  form  a  junction 
with  Colonel  Guthrie  ? 

A.  As  I  said  before,  Mr.  Chairman,  Colonel  Norris  said  to  General 
Brinton  that  the  Adjutant  General  had  directed  him  to  turn  his  column 
back,  and  pass  the  Allegheny  river,  making  a  junction  with  Colonel  Guth- 
rie, at  Torrens  station.  Stated  that  fact,  that  the  Adjutant  General  re- 
quested him  to  do  so. 

Q.  And  requested  Colonel  Norris  to  deliver  that  order  to  General  Brin- 
ton— did  he  inform  him — so  inform  ? 

A.  Of  course.  He  came  direct  from  the  Adjutant  General,  acting  under 
orders  of  the  Adjutant  General. 

Q.  He  was  delivering  the  orders  of  the  Adjutant  General,  as  you  under- 
stood ? 

A.  Yes.  That  is  what  he  was  doing.  That  is  what  took  me  there.  The 
Adjutant  General  directed  me  to  accompany  Colonel  Norris.  He  was 
going  on  official  business. 

Q.  We  want  to  get  at  what  Colonel  Norris  said  to  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  That  the  Adjutant  General  directed  him  to  turn  his  command  back 
and  form  a  junction  with  Colonel  Guthrie,  of  the  Eighteenth  regiment,  at 
or  near  Torrens. 

Q.  Did  you  return  with  Colonel  Norris  ? 

A.  I  did  ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  To  the  Monongahela  house  ? 

A.  To  the  Union  Depot  hotel. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  go  back  to  the  Union  Depot  hotel  ? 

A.  As  I  told  you  before,  I  don't  remember  anything  about  time  ;  but 
when  I  got  back  there — when  we  got  out  of  the  carriage — we  started  upstairs 
to  the  room  which  the  Adjutant  General  occupied,  and  was  then  informed 
that  they  had  changed  the  head-quarters  from  the  Union  Depot  hotel  to 
the  Monongahela  house.     I  suppose  that  might  have  been  one  o'clock. 

Q.  In  the  afternoon  ? 

A.  In  the  afternoon. 

Q.  Of  Sunday? 

A.  Of  Sunday.  At  that  time  the  fire  was  coming  down  the  track  towards 
the  hotel.  Colonel  Norris  went  before  I  did  to  the  Monongahela  house, 
and  I  followed  him  shortly  afterwards. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  him  make  any  report  to  the  Adjutant  General  ? 

A.  I  did  not ;  no,  sir. 
Bjr  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  present  when  Captain  Aull  received  the  orders  from  the 
Adjutant  General  ? 

A.  I  was  not. 

Q.  Did  General  Latta  order  Colonel  Norris  to  proceed  with  any  orders 
to  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  He  did  ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  ordered  to  accompany  him  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  When  you  reached  General  Brinton,  what  reason  did  he  give  for  not 
returning  to  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  or  Sharpsburg  ? 

A.  I  stated  before  that  he  complained  that  his  command  had  been  with- 
out food  for  twent}r-four  hours,  that  he  had  been  fired  on  from  every  street 
corner  in  the  city,  that  he  was  anxious  to  get  to  the  open  country,  where 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  843 

he  could  entrench  himself,  and  take  up  a  position  to  protect  bis  men.  He 
declined  to  return  and  make  any  junction  with  any  troops,  or  to  have  any- 
thing to  do  with  any  troops. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Norris  ask  him  to  fall  back  to  Sharpsburg,  near  the  rail- 
road, where  he  could  be  supplied  with  ammunition  and  food  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  he  ask  him  to  go  to  Pittsburgh  at  all  ? 

A.  I  think  not.  If  you  will  allow  me  to  make  a  remark  here,  that  at 
that  time  trains  on  the  Valley  road  I  believe  had  been  stopped.  On  our 
road  towards  Brinton,  after  we  had  crossed  the  Allegheny  river,  we  found 
the  West  Pennsylvania  road  was  running,  and  I  then  remarked  to  Colonel 
Norris  that  if  Brinton  would  come  back  to  the  river,  I  would  see  that 
rations  were  sent  up  the  West  Pennsylvania  road,  knowing  that  we  could 
provide  his  troops  with  rations. 

Q.  He  was  to  form  a  junction  with  Guthrie's  troops  where? 

A.  He  was  requested  to  go  to  Torrens  station,  or  to  go  as  near  Torrens 
station  as  he  possibly  could. 

Q.  That  is  where  Guthrie  was  stationed  ? 

A.  Yes;  where  the  Eighteenth  regiment  was. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee: 

Q.  Did  you  see  General  Loud  there  ? 

A.  I  did  ;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Was  he  present  during  the  time  that  this  talk  occurred  between  Colo- 
nel Norris  and  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  say.  There  were  several  of  General  Brinton's  staff 
with  him ;  but  when  we  halted  we  left  the  line  of  the  troops,  and  went 
clown  to  the  banks  of  this  stream  I  speak  of.  There  was  several  of  his 
staff  officers,  and  some  of  the  colonels,  whose  names  I  am  not  acquainted 
with. 

Q.  Did  you  see  General  Matthews  with  him  ? 

A.  1  do  not  remember. 

Q.  There  were  several  of  his  staff  officers  ? 

A.  They  were  all  strangers  to  me. 

Q.  How  many  of  his  staff  officers  were  present  at  the  time  this  conver- 
sation occurred  ? 

A.  I  suppose  there  were  five  or  six  gentlemen  present  scattered  around. 
Whether  they  were  listening  to  the  conversation  or  not  I  cannot  pretend 
to  say. 

Q.  What  time  was  Colonel  Norris  and  General  Brinton  talking  this 
matter  over  ? 

A.  How  long? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  I  suppose  twenty  minutes.    I  know  it  was  a  longer  time  than  I  wanted 
to  stay.     I  was  anxious  to  get  back. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  he  sitting  down  ? 

A.  Yes ;  sitting  on  the  bank  of  the  stream. 

Q.  Not  sitting  on  a  log  ? 

A.  Not  on  a  log. 

Q.  On  a  rock  ? 

A.  I  might  have  been  sitting  on  a  log  or  rock.  I  know  I  sat  down  on 
the  grass.  It  was  very  dusty  and  very  hot,  and  we  all  took  a  drink  out 
of  the  stream. 

Q.  This  conversation  took  place  while  they  were  sitting  there  together  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 


844  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  A  number  of  the  officers  sat  with  them  ? 

A.  Yes;  sitting  scattered  around,  some  standing.  You  know  how  it  is 
3rourself,  colonel,  when  you  have  a  consultation  with  officers. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Norris  make  any  other  business  known  to  General  Brin- 
ton,  except  this  one  matter? 

A.  I  do  not  know,  they  had  some  little  private  convei'sation  between 
themselves. 

Q.  This  one  matter  was  all — the  business  matter  that  you  heard  talked 
over  between  them  ? 

A.  So  far  as  I  was  concerned.  That  was  the  business  that  took  me  out 
there,  that  was  all  I  know. 

Q.  When  that  concluded,  then  you  turned  about  and  left? 

A.  Yes;  walked  back  nearly  to  the  Sharpsburg  bridge,  and  found  our 
carriage,  and  returned  through  the  mob  at  considerable  trouble. 

Q.  There  was  a  mob  following  them  at  that  time  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  nobody. 

Q.  You  spoke  about  a  mob — you  found  the  mob  after  you  got  back  ? 

A.  Yes ;  Colonel  Norris  and  myself  had  some  considerable  difficulty, 
and  were  stopped  on  our  road  back  by  a  mounted  guide,  or  vidette,  or  some- 
thing— I  don't  know  who  he  was,  or  what  he  was  after.  He  followed  us 
for  some  considerable  time,  and  came  up  and  addressed  us. 

Q.  What  was  your  understanding  of  the  nature  of  the  business  that  you 
pursued  Brinton?     For  what  purpose  did  you  pursue  Brinton? 

A.  Why  we  pursued  Brinton? 

Q.  Yes. 

A.  My  understanding  was,  that  he  was  to  go  back  and  form  a  junction 
with  Colonel  Guthrie,  and  march  into  the  city  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Was  that  your  understanding  before  you  left  the  head-quarters  of 
General  Latta  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Bo  you  know  how  you  got  that  impression  ? 

A.  By  being  in  consultation  with  the  Adjutant  General  and  the  balance 
of  the  staff  during  the  entire  night. 

Q.  And  conversation  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  we  were  consulting  together,  of  course,  about  the  most 
feasible  means  or  measures — what  to  do  with  this  exigency  there.  If  3-ou 
remember,  we  were  but  a  handful  of  men  ourselves,  and  there  all  night  long. 
Could  not  get  our  troops  into  Pittsburgh,  wires  were  cut,  lines  of  railroad 
were  stopped,  and  our  great  anxiety  was  to  get  as  many  troops  as  possible 
into  the  city  to  protect  the  city.  The  idea  was,  this  first  division  would 
make  a  junction — that  the  Fourteenth  and  Nineteenth  regiments  having 
disbanded,  you  might  sa}T  virtually  disbanded.  Having  left  the  Eighteenth 
regiment  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  it  was  our  desire  to  get  the  First 
division  form  a  junction  with  the  Eighteenth  regiment,  and  come  into  the 
city  to  protect  property  which  was  then  on  fire. 

Q.  Where  did  Brinton  say  he  was  going  to  when  he  was  asked  to  return, 
and  refused  to  ? 

A.  He  said  he  was  going  to  the  open  country,  where  he  would  entrench, 
and  take  up  a  position  to  protect  his  troops.  Whether  he  was  going  to 
Butler  county  or  further  north,  I  do  not  know.  That  was  his  remark — 
that  he  was  going  to  the  open  country.  Where  he  found  that  open  country 
is  more  than  I  know,  if  he  ever  did  find  it.  We  did  hear  that  he  was 
marching  to  Philadelphia. 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  say  an}Tthing  that  would  lead  you  to  think  that 
he  did  not  recognize  Colonel  Norris  as  an  officer  ? 


Leo.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  845 

A.  Did  he  say  to  us  ? 

Q.  Did  he  make  any  remarks  to  that  effect,  that  led  you  to  think  he  did 
not  recognize  him  ? 
A.  No,  sir. 


Thursday  Evening,  April  18,  1878. 

The  committee  met,  at  the  call  of  the  chairman,  in  Senate  committee 
room  No.  6.    All  present  except  Mr.  Larrabee.    Mr.  Lindsey  in  the  chair. 

David  Branson,  sworn  : 

Q.  State  your  residence  ? 

A.  No.  1315,  South  Broad  street,  Philadelphia. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  Coal  merchant. 

Q.  A  member  of  the  National  Guard  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  was  last  secretary,  and  am  still  quarter-master,  of  the  Sixth 
regiment  of  infantry  ;  but  during  the  commotion  acted  as  brigade  quarter- 
master and  commissary,  on  the  staff  of  General  Loud,  commanding  the 
Second  brigade  of  the  First  division. 

Q.  Did  you  accompany  the  ti-oops  to  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Yes ;  in  the  first  expedition  that  started,  and  remained  with  the  di- 
vision until  it  returned  in  August.     Present  for  duty  all  the  time. 

Q.  On  Saturday  evening,  state  where  you  were — what  your  position  was, 
on  Saturday  evening  of  the  troubles  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  was  on  duty  with  the  brigade  in  the  yards  of  the  company,  between 
the  Union  Depot  hotel  and  the  round-house,  engaged  in  overlooking  the 
line  of  the  men,  which  kept  back  the  crowd  from  that  portion  of  the  com- 
pany's property. 

Q.  Were  you  in  tha  round-house  during  the  night  ? 

A.  In  the  round-house  during  the  whole  night. 

Q.  Did  you  leave  with  the  troops  in  the  morning  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  last  officer  to  leave  the  building. 

Q.  State,  if  you  please,  whether  the  building  was  on  fire  or  not  when 
you  left  ? 

A.  The  buildings  were  all  more  or  less  afire  when  I  left. 

Q.  How  extensive  was  the  fire  in  and  about  the  round-house  at  the  time 
you  went  out  ? 

A.  At  the  time  the  troops  commenced  to  march  out,  there  had  been  con- 
siderable burning  of  the  buildings  which  we  occupied,  some  of  which  had 
been  put  out,  and  re-kindled  by  the  burning  cars  that  were  run  clown  against 
the  building.  That  happened  two  or  three  times.  We  thought  it  was  im- 
possible to  keep  the  fire  from  spreading,  and  decided  to  abandon  the  build- 
ing. At  the  time  the  troops  were  going  out,  all  the  buildings  were  on  fire, 
and  in  some  of  them  the  fire  had  got  very  extensive ;  so  much  so,  that  I 
felt  hot  when  I  went  through  the  last  door. 

Q.  You  accompanied  the  troops  on  their  march  out  Penn  avenue,  did 
you? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  at  the  arsenal  grounds  ? 

A.  Didn't  go  into  the  arsenal  grounds,  and  didn't  witness  the  interview 
between  Brinton  and  Buffington.  At  that  time,  I  was  engaged  in  re-form- 
ing the  troops.     They  had  been  broken  up  by  the  killed  and  wounded. 


846  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Were  you  present  when  Colonel  Norris  overtook  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  Yes ;  when  Colonel  Norris  overtook  us  beyond  Sharpsburg,  I  was 
between  the  two  brigades,  the  first  brigade  was  marching  in  the  rear,  some 
of  them  assisting  the  men  in  charge  of  the  Gatlings,  dragging  them  up  the 
hill.  The  other  brigade  had  halted  to  give  them  time  to  catch  up,  and 
Major  Norris  arrived  in  a  carriage  or  a  hack,  accompanied  by  some  other 
party  whom  I  didn't  know,  and  Norris  not  recognizing  me,  stuck  his  head 
out  of  the  side  of  the  hack  and  told  his  driver  to 'stop,  and  asked  where 
General  Brinton  was.  I  told  him  a  little  further  in  advance,  and  I  would 
go  and  show  him,  and  went  up  with  him  about  one  hundred  yards  further, 
and  found  General  Brinton  sitting  beside  of  the  road,  waiting  for  the  troops 
to  close  up. 

Q.  You  walked  with  him  ? 

A.  Walked  with  him.  Walked  hastily  to  him,  found  him  waiting  there, 
and  he  expressed  great  gratification  to  find  the  general  again,  they  being 
old  personal  friends,  and  showed  a  good  deal  of  feeling  in  the  matter,  and 
seemed  very  much  exhausted  and  excited  and  worn  out,  evidently  with 
loss  of  sleep  and  over-exertion,  and  the  exitement  of  the  occasion.  Seemed 
almost  dazed  in  his  appearance  by  the  state  of  affairs.  He  immediately 
inquired  of  General  Brinton,  what  he  proposed  to  do,  and  where  he  was 
going,  and  how  much  he  had  suffered.  The  general  told  him  how  he  had 
got  along.  He  had  got  out  that  way  in  order  to  find  a  place  where  sup- 
plies could  reach  us,  and  feed  the  men  and  get  some  supplies  to  feed  the 
troops  and  get  a  little  rest.  They  were  completely  exhausted  with  want 
of  sleep  and  food.  Colonel  Norris  assented  to  that,  as  about  the  only  thing 
that  could  be  done,  and  asked  Brinton  what  he  wanted  him  to  do.  Re- 
peated the  question  several  times  in  the  course  of  the  conversation:  what 
do  you  want  me  to  do,  stay  with  you  or  go  back  and  see  what  I  can  do 
outside.  The  General  said  there  was  nothing  he  wanted  so  much  as  pro- 
visions. That  was  the  substance  of  the  conversation.  There  was  nothing 
in  the  form  of  an  order  given.  The  whole  conversation  was  a  discussion 
as  to  what  had  best  be  done,  and  what  he,  Brinton,  intended  to  do,  and 
what  he  wished  Norris  to  do  for  him  to  help  him.  He  had  arrived  there 
with  the  impression  that  we  had  suffered  much  more  than  we  had. 

Q.  Did  the  gentleman  who  was  with  Colonel  Norris  get  out  of  the  car- 
riage and  accompany  you  up  to  where  General  Brinton  was  ? 

A.  He  didn't  accompany  him.  He  may  have  got  out  of  the  carriage 
afterwards.  I  never  noticed,  after  Norris  got  out  of  the  carriage.  I  never 
saw  him,  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  Was  he  present  when  you  met  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  He  might  have  been  a  short  distance  in  the  rear,  following 
us  up.  I  didn't  see  him.  He  was  not  close  to  us.  There  was  a  few 
officers  gathered  around.     I  didn't  see  anybody  else. 

Q.  Officers  of 

A.  Our  division  staff  officers.  And  General  Loud  was  there  at  about 
the  time  the  conversation  commenced.  I  think  General  Matthews  joined 
us  afterwards.  There  was  several  of  the  staff  there,  and  I  was  there,  by 
authority  of  the  position  which  I  occupied  on  the  staff,  ready  to  receive 
any  instructions  that  might  be  given. 

Q.  Was  the  division  all  right  when  Colonel  Norris  and  you  overtook 
General  Brinton  ? 

A.  The  brigade  that  was  marching  in  advance  was  hatted,  waiting  for 
the  other  to  close  up ;  the  other  was  staying  back  in  order  to  give  the  men 
with  the  Gatling  guns  time  to  get  up  the  hill — the  brigade  in  the  rear 
wouldn't  go  on  and  leave  the  men  with  the  guns  back  there  unprotected. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  847 

We  had  to  halt  several  times,  during  our  march,  on  that  account.     Halted 
the  head  of  the  column,  and  let  the  others  close  up. 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  and  Colonel  Norris  sit  down  and  have  a  con- 
versation together,  upon  a  bank  or  a  log?     Do  you  recollect  that? 

A.  I  don't  think  they  exactby  sat  down.  I  think  they  surrounded,  or 
stood  around,  a  log  or  stone,  with  one  foot  on  it,  or  grouped  together — 
pretty  close  together — and  four  or  five  of  us  lounged  around,  waiting  for 
those  to  close  up.  I  couldn't  specify  the  exact  position  I  was  in.  There 
was  nothing  said  without  my  hearing  it,  unless  some  whispering,  and  I 
didn't  notice  any. 

Q.  Did  the  carriage  remain  back  ? 

A.  Some  little  distance  back  of  where  we  were.  The  driver  came  up 
close  to  us,  when  Colonel  Norris  went  to  get  in  again.  The  carriage  ap- 
proached us.     I  don't  know  exactly  the  time  ;  and  he  went  away. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Norris  say  anything  about  Captain  Audi's  having  an 
order  for  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  I  didn't  hear  Captain  Aull's  name  mentioned.  Never  heard  of  such 
a  man  until  long  afterwards. 

Q.  Did  he  sa}r  anything  to  General  Brinton  about  returning  and  joining 
Colonel  Guthrie  at  Torrens  ? 

A.  I  didn't  hear  anything  about  joining  him.  General  Brinton  asked 
questions  about  where  the  other  troops  wei'e.  Talked  to  Norris,  and  made 
inquiries  where  the  other  troops  were,  and  why  they  didn't  come  to  his 
relief,  and  how  disappointed  they  were  that  they  didn't  come,  and  matters 
of  that  kind. 

Q.  Did  he  tell  Colonel  Norris  that  General  Latta  had  given  an  order  to 
Captain  Aull. 

A.  I  didn't  hear  anything  of  the  kind.  Didn't  hear  anything  said  about 
orders. 

Q.  Were  you  present  during  the  whole  of  the  time  that  they  were  to- 
gether ? 

A.  I  was  not  more  than  four  paces  away  all  the  time  they  were  together. 
If  anything  was  said  that  I  didn't  hear,  it  must  have  been  purposely  said 
in  an  undertone  to  avoid  being  overheard. 

Q.  Did  you  know  Mr.  Stewart,  who  accompanied  Colonel  Norris  ? 

A.  Didn't  know  him.     Never  heard  of  the  man  before. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  person  in  the  group  not  an  officer  in  the  command  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  recognize  Major  Stewart  here  as  being  the  man  who  came 
up  with  Colonel  Norris? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  didn't  recognize  him.  If  that  was  the  man,  he  looked 
very  different  on  that  occasion. 

Q.  Did  you  see  him  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  of  seeing  him  before. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  of  seeing  any  person  ? 

A.  I  saw  a  man  in  the  carriage  with  Colonel  Norris. 

Q.  Did  he  accompany  you,  or  did  he  come  up  afterwards  and  join  the 
group  ? 

A.  He  must  have  kept  in  the  background — might  have  kept  back  be- 
hind us — didn't  crowd  up  into  the  group. 

Q.  But  did  Brinton  and  Colonel  Norris  have  an}'  conversation  by  them- 
selves ? 

A.  Didn't  appear  to  have  any. 

Q.  Or  in  an  undertone  that  could  not  be  heard  by  the  others  ? 

A.  Didn't  hear  anything  of  the  kind  going  on.     There  appeared  to  be 


848  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

no  effort  to  conceal  what  they  were  saying  from  any  of  the  staff.     They 
talked  above  an  ordinary  tone  of  voice. 

Q.  Have  you  given  all  the  conversation  that  took  place  as  near  as  you 
recollect  it  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  give  the  exact  wording  of  the  conversation,  as  1  never 
expected  to  be  questioned  about  it ;  but  the  whole  tone  and  manner  of  the 
conversation  was  as  I  have  stated — asking  for  information  on  both  sides, 
and  an  expression  of  disappointment  on  the  part  of  General  Brinton,  why 
the  troops  had  not  joined  him,  his  intentions  as  to  procuring  rest  and  food 
for  his  troops,  and  his  desire,  in  answer  to  Colonel  Norris'  question  what 
he  should  do,  that  Norris  should  go  back  and  assist  in  getting  provisions 
to  him,  and  if  there  had  been  any  order  given  it  should  certainly  have  been 
made  known  to  me  at  once. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Will  you  state  to  this  committee  what  transpired  with  the  troops 
during  that  night  in  the  round-house,  and  what  took  place  there  during 
the  night — about  their  going  out  of  the  round-house — you  were  there.  I 
believe  you  said  that  you  were  about  the  last  man  leaving  it,  didn't  you  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  orders  given  me  require  me  to  be  the  last  man  to  leave. 

Q.  If  you  please,  just  state  to  this  committee  what  transpired  during 
the  night  about  their  leaving  the  round-house,  and  what  condition  the 
troops  were  in  when  they  left  it,  and  what  condition  the  round-house 
was  in  ? 

A.  Commencing  with  after  we  were  stationed  in  the  round-house,  the 
mob  commenced  to  gather  around,  and,  in  a  short  time,  they  began  to  fire 
pistols,  and  throw  stones  into  the  windows,  smashing  all  the  windows,  and 
breaking  the  furniture  inside  with  the  missiles  they  threw  in.  Shot  the 
sentinels  at  the  gate,  wounded  other  men  inside,  most  of  them  not  seriously. 
We  didn't  know  at  that  time  whether  they  were  seriously  injured  or  not. 
Finally,  a  large  number  made  their  appearance  with  muskets, .and  com- 
menced firing  with  rifle  balls. 

Q.  That  was  the  crowd  outside  ? 

A.  The  crowd  outside.     Along  about  dusk  this  thing  got  warm. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  this  immediately  before  retiring  from  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Saturday  evening  about  dusk.  That  had  begun  to  get  right  hot, 
balls  commenced  to  come  in  very  thick  and  heavy,  and  some  of  the  rioters 
emboldened  by  our  not  returning  the  fire,  which  we  were  ordered  by  Gen- 
eral Pearson  not  to,  had  come  up  to  the  gates  pointing  out  at  the  head  of 
Twenty-eight  streets,  and  commenced  sticking  their  pistols  through  the 
gates,  and  shot  two  sentries  stationed  there. 

Q.  Soldiers  standing  there  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  they  Philadelphia  soldiers  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  shot  those  two  men.  They  were  dragged  away  by  their 
comrades.  Still  they  would  not  allow  us  to  fire.  While  this  was  going  on, 
we  staff  officers  busied  ourselves  in  making  preparations  for  the  slaughter 
of  the  crowd,  which  we  thought  was  bound  to  come,  and  was  the  proper 
thing  to  do  to  extinguish  the  rioters,  and  stationed  soldiers  at  the  different 
windows,  and  got  the  artillery  in  proper  position — brass  pieces  and  two 
Gatlings — gave  instructions  to  the  infantry  not  to  fire  until  the  artillery 
opened,  knowing,  of  course,  the  artillery  wouldn't  fire  without  orders  from 
proper  authority.  When  the  fire  got  prett}'  hot  and  the  sentries  were  .shot 
down,  General  Brinton  got  pretty  warm  about  it,  and  insisted  upon  being 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  849 

allowed  to  fire,  and  went  up  to  one  of  the  offices  where  General  Pearson 
made  his  head -quarters. 

Q.  Did  you  go  to  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  Went  to  General  Pearson.  I  followed  him  in,  and  he  explained  the 
necessity  of  being  allowed  to  open  fire  on  the  rioters,  that  he  could  not 
stand  this  thing  any  longer,  that  the  men  were  being  shot  down  in  cold 
blood,  and  now  was  the  time ;  and  Pearson  says,  "  No,  no ;  we  must  hold 
on  a  little  longer ;  the  thing  must  quiet  down  a  little  ;  don't  let  us  have 
any  more  bloodshed" — some  such  thing  as  that.  General  Brinton  replied, 
that  it  was  only  getting  worse,  the  longer  we  put  off  the  worse  it  would  be, 
and  Pearson  said,  "  No  ;  we  might  kill  more  innocent  people.  There  might 
be  some  innocent  women  and  children  killed,"  and  made  replies  of  that 
kind  to  justify  himself  in  not  allowing  the  firing,  which  the  staff  officers 
standing  by — I  think  about  four  in  number  were  present  besides  the  gen- 
eral— they  were  of  opinion  it  ought  to  be  done,  and  still  he  would  not  allow 
it,  and  several  of  us  made  some  remarks  on  the  subject — several  of  the 
staff  officers. 

Q.  Be  kind  enough  to  state  what  those  remarks  were  ? 

A.  They  were  to  the  effect,  that  if  we  were  going  to  do  any  shooting, 
now  is  the  time  to  do  it,  and  the  remark  I  made  to  him  was,  if  we  were 
going  to  kill  anybody — at  first  I  said  there  were  no  women  and  children 
in  that  crowd. 

Q.  Was  that  remark  made  to  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  I  made  this  to  General  Pearson,  in  the  presence  of  General  Brinton 
and  some  two  or  three  or  four  other  officers. 

Q.  You  were  addressing  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  I  addressed  General  Pearson,  right  over  General  Brinton's  shoulder — 
alongside  of-  him.  My  rank  did  not  justify  it.  but  my  old  arm3r  rank  did, 
and  I  presumed  to  advise  him.  Says  I,  "If  we  are  going  to  do  any  killing, 
these  are  the  men  to  kill.  There  are  no  women  and  children — they  are  all 
active  rioters;"  and  he  replied,  "  No,  don't  fire.  You  do  not  know  who 
you  will  hurt;  the  artillery  will  shoot  clear  through  the  crowd."  Just  at 
that  time  the  men  in  charge  of  the  Gatling  gun  again  moved  it  nearer 
the  gate,  and  he  saw  the  motion  outside,  or  heard  the  wheels  of  the  gun, 
and  he  jumped  up  and  went  to  the  window  and  motioned  not  to  fire.  "  Don't 
fire,  don't  fii*e,  don't  fire,"  he  said  ;  "if  they  fire,  the  balls  might  shoot  some 
innocent  woman  on  a  doorstep  a  mile  away  down  street."  That  disgusted 
me  so,  I  sneeringly  remarked,  if  they  were  afraid  of  killing  people  so  far  off 
as  that,  let  us  fire  with  infantry,  that  won't  hurt  any  a  mile  away,  by  shoot- 
ing out  of  a  second  story  window;  and  he  said,  "No,  no  ;  don't  fire  ;  it  will 
all  quiet  down  ;  you  will  kill  some  innocent  people."  Then  I  turned  away  in 
disgust,  and  left  him.  He  went  down  stairs,  and  was  about  three  quarters  of 
the  opinion  to  go  down  in  the  shadow  of  the  building  and  give  the  com- 
mand to  fire  anyhow.  I  changed  my  mind,  for  fear  that  the  Pittsburgh 
troops  might  be  coming  around  the  corner.  I  am  sorry  afterwards  that 
I  did  not  give  the  order. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  service  during  the  late  rebellion  ? 

A.  Yes ;  five  years  and  one  week. 

Q.  What  rank  ? 

A.  I  went  in  as  a  private  and  came  out  as  a  colonel  and  brigade  com- 
mander. 

Q.  As  a  military  officer,  what  should  you  have  done  under  the  circum- 
stances ? 

A.  I  should  have  opened  fire  with  every  weapon  we  had,  at  just  about 
dusk,  from  the  most  available  points  at  the  time  that  General  Brinton 
54  Riots. 


850  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

asked  him  to  allow  him  to  do  so.  The  mob  was  so  dense  at  that  time  they 
could  hardly  have  got  out  of  each  others  wajT.  They  were  composed  of 
ver}-  different  material  from  the  mob  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  where  the 
first  conflict  occurred,  the  better  class  having  disappeared,  and  the  worst 
came  to  the  front.  The  criminal  classes,  vagrants,  bummers,  and  tramps 
of  every  kind,  and  such  men  as  we  call  night  owls — never  seen  in  day  time, 
were  conspicuous  in  front,  urging  each  other  on.  A  class  of  the  popula- 
tion that  would  benefit  the  community  by  fertilizing  the  soil.  I  think  at 
that  time,  if  we  had  killed  those  men,  it  would  have  silenced  the  whole  riot. 

Q.  As  a  military  man  and  having  military  experience,  do  you  believe 
that  General  Brinton  had  force  enough  there  to  have  cleared  that  track 
and  taken  possession  of  the  railroad  property. 

A.  At  that  time,  if  we  had  acted  at  that  time,  at  dusk,  we  would  had  no 
more  trouble. 

Q.  Do  you  believe  that  if  General  Brinton  had  the  privilege  to  have  let 
his  command  fire  on  that  mob,  could  he  have  taken  possession  of  the  track 
and  of  the  railroad  property  ? 

A.  Yes ;  if  General  Pearson  had  allowed  us  to  fire  at  the  time  General 
Brinton  wished  to  do  so,  we  would  have  destroyed  the  mob,  and  could 
have  taken  possession  of  anything  around  that  neighborhood.  All  that 
would  have  been  left  of  the  mob  would  not  have  made  any  fight. 

Q.  I  understand  you  to  say  in  your  testimony,  that  the  round-house  was 
on  fire  before  General  Brinton's  command  left  it  ? 

A.  Yes;  all  the  buildings.     We  not  only  occupied  the  round-house, but 
several  other  buildings  that  form  a  yard  between  them. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Wings  of  the  round-house  ? 

A.  There  were  shops.  There  is  a  round-house,  and  engine  houses,  and 
machine  shops,  and  there  was  a  wood-working  shop,  and  a  car  repair  shop, 
and  an  upholstery  shop,  and  then  the  company's  offices.  They  are  all 
connected  together,  and  form  a  small  yard  in  between  them. 

Q.  Were  they  attached  to  the  round-house  ? 

A.  One  came  in  direct  contact  with  the  round-house,  or  within  two  or 
three  feet  of  it,  and  another  within  ten  feet  of  it,  and  there  was  a  space 
wide  enough  for  two  teams  to  pass  between  them.  We  had  artillery  in 
this  yard  and  in  towards  the  gates,  and  the  different  detachments  of  troops 
occupied  the  different  buildings — men  were  stationed  at  the  windows. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  One  more  question,  and  I  believe  I  am  done.  What  kind  of  disci- 
pline were  the  troops  under  while  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  I  considered,  for  militia,  uncommonly  good  discipline.  They  obeyed 
every  order  I  heard  given.  I  will  say  this  :  very  much  to  my  surprise, 
from  the  time  I  left  Philadelphia,  there  never  was  an  officer  or  soldier 
under  me  that  refused  to  obey  an  order  I  gave  him.  Further  than  that,  I 
would  say,  their  obedience  to  the  order  not  to  fire,  under  the  aggravating 
circumstances  in  the  round-house  and  on  the  street  the  next  day,  when 
they  were  fired  at  constantly  with  pistols,  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
exhibitions  of  good  discipline  I  ever  witnessed  in  all  my  military  experi- 
ence.    That  is  a  test  of  discipline. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  arrangement,  or  any  effort  made,  to  furnish  the 
troops  with  provisions  at  Torrens  station,  or  at  any  other  place,  after  you 
left  the  round-house  ? 

A.  The  first  I  knew  about  the  provision  business,  was  what  I  have  said 
about  Colonel  Norris  and  General  Brinton  talking,  and  then,  again,  in  the 
evening,  when  Major  Barr  overtook  us,  near  the  poor-house.     He  was  sent 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18TT.  851 

back  to  arrange  about  provisions,  and  we  got  provisions  in  the  night.     We 
got  some  provisions  at  the  poor-house. 

Q.  What  was  the  messenger's  name  in  the  carriage  with  you — that  rode 
in  the  carriage  with  you  ?  Did  you  not  say  there  was  a  party  rode  in  the 
carriage,  when  you  met  General  Brinton  ?  Who  was  with  Colonel  Norris  ? 
A.  I  do  not  know  who  the  gentleman  was  that  was  with  Major  Norris. 
I  was  not  acquainted  with  him,  and  never  saw  him  before.  Do  not  know 
anything  about  it. 

Q.  Do  you  know  if  he  got  out  of  the  carriage  and  walked  up  with  you? 
A.  Did  not  see  him  get  out  of  the  carriage.     I  could  not  say  positively 
that  he  got  out  of  the  carriage  at  all.     He  might  have  done  so.     I  did  not 
look  back  to  see. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee: 
Q.  Did  you  say  that  the  troops  had  orders  not  to   fire  upon  the  men 
that  were  following  them,  firing,  on  Sunday  morning. 

A.  That  was  in  order  not  to  bring  on  a  conflict  as  long  as  we  could 
avoid  it — to  pay  no  attention  to  them.  They  were  firing  with  pistols,  and 
I  did  not  reply  to  them,  until  they  commenced  to  fire  with  rifles — a  num- 
ber of  men. 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  give  orders  to  that  effect? 

A.  I  do  not  know  who  the  orders  came  from.  I  got  orders  from  my 
brigade  commander,  General  Loud. 

Q.  That  the  troops  were  not  to  fire  upon  the  mob  that  were  following 
on? 

A.  It  was  not  so  much  on  the  mob  following,  as  people  on  the  sidewalk, 
and  in  the  doors  and  windows  of  the  houses,  firing  with  small  pistols  ? 
Q.  At  the  time  there  was  firing  by  the  troops  ? 

A.  After  a  time,  when  the  rioters  in  different  places,  under  cover,  gen- 
erally, at  the  windows,  and  behind  signs,  and  around  corners  of  buildings, 
commenced  firing  with  rifles,  then  we  returned  that  fire.  In  some  cases 
the  men  standing  on  the  sidewalk  deliberately  pulled  out  pistols,  and  fired 
at  the  rear  of  the  column,  just  as  we  got  by  there.  In  one  case  I  saw  a 
man  standing  within  four  feet  of  a  policeman  on  one  side  of  him,  and  a 
squad  of  policemen,  about  ten  or  twenty  feet  on  his  other  flank — saw  this 
man,  who  was  in  citizen's  dress,  take  a  revolver  and  fire  into  our  ranks,  and 
no  reply  was  made  to  him. 

Q.  No  effort  made  by  the  police  to  interfere  with  him? 
A.  No  ;  they  looked  on  as  if  it  was  a  dog  fight. 
Q.  Did  that  shot  hit  any  of  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  One  shot  I  know  took  effect.  They  fired  just  as  the  rear  of  the  col- 
umn was  getting  by. 

Q.  At  the  police  station  ? 

A.  It  was  right  near  a  police  station  or  an  engine-house. 
Q.  Where  the  police  were  standing  ? 

A.  A  group  of  them  standing  there.  It  was  a  municipal  building.  I 
think  it  must  have  been  a  fire  station  from  the  appearance  of  it.  I  looked 
back — we  had  just  got  by — and  I  judge,  from  the  appearance  of  the  build- 
ing in  Philadelphia,  that  it  was  a  fire  station.  I  was  told  since  that  it  was. 
Those  policemen  were  in  uniform — quite  a  number  of  them — certainly  seven 
or  eight.  There  might  have  been  a  dozen  of  them,  and  no  large  crowd 
near  to  interfere  with  them  in  case  they  had  chosen  to  arrest  the  man.  I 
heard  other  firing  at  the  same  time,  which,  I  believe,  has  been  testified  to 
by  others  as  being  done  by  policemen.  I  did  not  actually  hear  a  police- 
man fire.  There  was  mo.e  than  one  man  fired — firing  from  the  other  side. 
I  noticed  this  one  man,  particularly. 


852  Report  op  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Where  did  this  firing  come  from,  parties  on  the  sidewalks  or  from 
houses  ? 

A.  Some  from  sidewalks,  houses,  and  doorways  and  cellars,  from  down 
street,  in  our  rear,  men  from  the  corners  of  the  streets  we  had  just  passed 
from  behind  projecting  signs,  in  front  of  stores,  boxes  in  front  of  stores. 
Saw  some  of  them  shoot. 

Q.  By  pistols  or  muskets  ? 

A.  Those  that  fired  from  the  rear  were  firing  with  muskets.  All  that  I 
saw  fire  from  doorways  were  pistols.  Those  from  the  windows  were  partly 
muskets  and  partly  pistols. 

Q.  Were  the  police  drawn  up  in  line  as  you  passed  them  ? 

A.  Just  standing  on  the  cnrb-stone — that  would  naturally  put  them  in 
line — they  did  not  appear  to  be  drawn  up  purposely. 

Q.  What  was  the  conduct  of  the  troops  as  they  retired  from  the  round- 
house ? 

A.  They  went  out  in  as  good  order  as  from  parade — regular  formation. 
The  only  men  out  of  place  were  three  sharp  shooters  I  had  under  my  charge 
in  the  upper  story  of  the  building  to  keep  men  away  from  the  cannon  in 
the  street.  I  was  ordered  to  keep  that  gun  quiet  until  the  troops  got  out 
of  the  building.  I  had  a  detachment  of  men  there  that  I  held  until  nearly 
all  the  troops  went  out,  and  then  dismissed  all  but  three  of  them  to  rejoin 
their  companies,  and  those  three  men  remained  out  there  Sunday  until  the 
last  moment,  and  1  got  down  opposite  the  passage-way  through  the  build- 
ing, and  as  the  last  file  of  men  marched  out  of  the  building — the  last  file 
of  the  division  marched  out — I  signaled  for  them  to  fire  and  come  down. 
I  fired  at  the  corner  of  the  building  around  which  the  rioters  were  sharp- 
shooting,  to  get  at  the  cannon.  It  chipped  off  the  corner  of  the  building, 
and  we  made  a  run  for  it  and  got  off  before  they  made  a  shot  at  us,  and  the 
building  that  it  was  from  was  blazing  at  the  time. 

Q.  Tiie  round-house  ? 

A.  The  round-house  and  this  office  building,  smoke  pouring  from  the 
building  at  the  time. 

Q.  Could  you  have  remained  in  that  round-house  for  any  length  of  time 
after  the  time  you  retired,  in  your  opinion  ? 

A.  Ten  minutes  afterwards  every  man's  clothes  would  have  been  burnt 
off  him  if  he  had  stayed  there.  As  we  marched  around  we  made  a  sort  of 
half  circle.'  We  went  out  Twenty-fifth  street  afterwards,  went  north  to 
Penn  street,  and  then  east  along  Penn  street,  and  as  we  passed  Twenty- 
sixth,  Twenty-seventh,  and  Twenty-eighth  opposite  the  buildings,  a  square 
away,  we  saw  the  buildings,  and  that  the  fire  had  made  great  progress. 
The  buildings  were  in  complete  blaze.  Could  not  have  stayed  there  ten 
minutes. 

Q.  Was  your  command  supplied  with  ammunition  to  hold  out  against  a 
mob? 

A.  We  had  very  little  ammunition  then.  During  the  night  or  just  to- 
wards morning,  I  went  around  and  made  inquiry  among  the  men  and  found 
most  of  them  had  from  three  to  seven  cartridges  left.  Here  and  there  I 
found  a  man  who  had  a  large  number,  one  man  as  many  as  twenty-eight, 
that  had  been  obtained  by  some  sharp  practice — he  would  not  tell  me  how. 
He  would  chuckle  over  it  because  he  was  an  old  soldier  and  knew  how  to 
take  care  of  it. 

Q.  Was  there  a  considerable  amount  of  men  that  followed  you  as  }tou 
retired  from  the  round-house  out  Penn  avenue  ? 

A.  When  we  looked  back  at  some  of  the  street  corners,  quite  a  crowd 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  853 

would  make  their  appearance.  They  would  not  follow  directly  on  the 
street,  they  would  run  down  side  streets  and  come  up  cross  streets  and 
come  up  on  the  corner  at  us.  If  we  made  a  show  to  fire  they  would  disap- 
pear— they  would  seem  to  follow  the  streets  parallel  with  Penn  street. 

Q.  Where  did  Colonel  Norris  overtake  your  command  ? 

A.  A  short  distance  east  of  Sharpsburg,  on  the  hill-side,  in  the  edge  of 
the  timber,  I  think,  about  a  mile  from  Sharpsburg.  I  do  not  know  the  ex- 
act distance. 

Q.  He  got  out  of  the  carriage  and  walked  along  with  the  general.  How 
far  did  he  march  with  }^our  command  before  lie  stopped  ? 

A.  The  head  of  the  column  had  stopped  when  he  arrived. 

Q.  Was  General  Brinton  marching  at  the  time  or  was  he  walking  along  ? 

A.  General  Brinton  was  resting  at  the  side,  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  over- 
looking the  stream.  He  sat  down  on  something  at  the  side  of  the  hill. 
Colonel  Norris  approached  and  he  got  up  to  meet  him.  General  Brinton 
had  been  marching  at  the  head  of  the  column,  and  halted  at  the  head  of  the 
column,  in  order  to  get  time  for  the  guns  to  pull  up. 

Q.  Was  the  entire  command  at  rest  when  Colonel  Norris  reached  there  ? 

A.  The  leading  brigade  was  resting.  The  other  was  marching  to  over- 
take  the  leading  one.  On  account  of  difficulty  in  hauling  the  guns,  quite 
a  gap  intervened  between  one  brigade  and  the  other. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Norris  walk  with  General  Brinton  with  his  command 
for  any  distance  ? 

A.  When  the  brigade  with  the  guns  overtook  us  the  order  was  given  for 
the  whole  column  to  move  forward.  By  that  time  Brinton  and  Norris 
closed  their  conversation,  and  we  walked  along  a  short  distance.  We  all 
walked  along  together  a  little  ways  talking,  and  he  decided  to  go  back, 
and  the  carriage  turned  around  and  Norris  got  in  and  rode  back. 

Q.  What  was  the  distance  he  marched  with  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  I  could  not  state  the  exact  distance.  I  do  not  remember  the  exact 
distance.  It  was  not  a  great  distance.  Did  not  pay  much  attention  to 
that. 

Q.  When  General  Brinton  and  Colonel  Norris  met,  was  there  any  con- 
siderable excitement  in  the  party  ? 

A.  The  only  excitement  was  on  the  part  of  Colonel  Norris.  He  was 
very  much  excited,  and  seemed  to  be  full  of  expressed  emotion.  We  were 
all  very  cool.  We  got  over  our  excitement  and  cooled  off.  Got  out  of 
the  fire,  and  we  were  not  half  as  much  excited  as  outsiders. 

Q.  What  was  the  language  used  by  Colonel  Norris  at  that  time  to  Gen- 
eral Brinton  ? 

A.  Expressed  great  gratification  at  seeing  him  sound  and  well — some- 
thing to  the  effect  that  he  never  expected  to  see  him  again,  and  glad  to  see 
him — an  expression  of  great  gratification,  great  friendliness. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  say  to  Colonel  Norris  he  would  be  damned  if 
he  would  go  back  to  Torrens  and  form  a  junction  with  Colonel  Guthrie? 

A.  There  was  no  language  of  that  kind  used  on  any  one's  part,  no  vio- 
lent language  of  any  sort,  no  obstinate  language,  everything  was  pleasant, 
in  the  friendliest  manner,  the  whole  conversation  the  whole  time  they  were 
together. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  present,  within  hearing  distance,  during  the  time  that 
Colonel  Norris  and  General  Brinton  were  together  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  whole  time.  They  could  not  have  said  anything  unless 
they  had  whispered  without  my  hearing,  and  I  saw  no  sign  of  whispering. 


8M  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

I  might  add  that  we  were  all  very  much  interested  in  what  Colonel  Norris 
had  to  say,  what  was  going  on  in  Pittsburgh,  what  was  the  situation  in  the 
city,  and  Colonel  Norris  described  the  events  that  had  occurred,  so  far  as 
he  had  seen  or  heard  what  was  going  on  in  Pittsburgh,  and  we  were  in- 
tensely interested  in  listening. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  errand  had  Colonel  Norris — what  specific  reasons,  if  any,  did 
he  make  known  that  he  came  for? 

A.  I  did  not  hear  him  specify  any  particular  reason  for  his  coming.  I 
supposed,  as  a  matter  of  course,  he  came  out  to  see  where  we  were,  and 
hear  what  was  necessary  to  be  done,  the  proper  thing  for  a  staff  officer  to 
do  ;  ascertain  the  whereabouts  and  condition  of  the  troops.  He  seemed 
to  want  to  know  what  we  wanted  and  what  could  be  done  for  us. 

Q.  Did  he  say  he  had  been  sent  there  by  anybody — been  ordered  to  go 
out  and  find  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  Didn't  hear  him  say  anything  of  the  kind.  I  assume,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  that  he  had  been  sent  to  see  what  had  become  of  us. 

Q.  That  you  presumed  ? 

A.  Yes;  that  is,  military  custom  did  not  require  any  statement.     The 
proper  duty  of  a  staff  officer,  when  any  troops  are  scattered  is  to  hunt  them 
up  and  see  what  is  the  matter  with  them. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  hear  General  Brinton  say  what  he  intended  to  do,  and  what 
course  he  intended  to  pursue  ? 

A.  He  said  he  wanted  to  get  a  place  to  give  the  men  a  chance  to  sleep, 
and  get  his  men  something  to  eat.  They  were  entirely  exhausted,  and  re- 
marked that  they  were  fit  for  nothing  until  they  had  that. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Norrs  ask  him  to  go  back  to  Sharpsburg,  where  he  could 
be  supplied  with  ammunition  and  rations  near  the  railroad? 

A.  Didn't  hear  anything  of  that  kind  said.  It  would  have  aroused  me 
if  I  hack  There  was  no  ammunition  at  Sharpsburg,  and  no  way  to  get  it 
there.     It  would  have  been  an  absurd  suggestion. 

Q.  The  reason  I  ask  that  question,  there  was  some  testimony  heretofore, 
that  he  had  been  asked  to  go  back  to  Sharpsburg  on  the  railroad,  where 
he  could  be  supplied  with  rations  and  ammunition.  I  want  to  know  whether 
there  was  any  suggestion  of  that  kind  on  the  part  of  Norris  or  any  one 
else? 

A.  I  did  not  know  how  we  could  get  ammunition  to  Sharpsburg  if  we 
could  not  get  it  to  the  round-house.'  They  might  get  it  to  us  in  the  country 
just  as  well.     They  had  to  wagon  it  wherever  they  took  it. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Norris  propose  to  furnish  you  with  ammunition  or  ra- 
tions— propose  to  furnish  General  Brinton  with  ammunition  or  rations  for 
his  command,  or  say  anything  about  ammunition  or  rations? 

The  word  "  proposal  "  hardly  covers  it.  He  said  he  wanted  to  know  of 
General  Brinton  if  he  wanted  to  go  back  for  supplies,  or  whether  he  wished 
him  to  stay  with  him.  And  General  Brinton  said  he  thought  it  was  better 
to  go  back  for  supplies.  He  particularly  reeded  provisions  right  away. 
The}'  might  have  used  the  word  "  supplies  "  two  or  three  times,  but  he 
laid  great  stress  on  the  fact  that  the  men  were  nearly  starved.  That  was 
spoken  of  two  or  three  times.  We  were  in  a  pretty  desperate  condition 
for  something  to  eat;  hadn't  eaten  anything  for  twenty-four  hours.  I 
know  that  made  an  impression  on  my  mind  and  on  my  stomach. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  time  was  it  when  Colonel  Norris  arrived  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  S55 

A.  "When  Colonel  Norris  arrived  it  was  along  about  ten  o'clock.  It 
might  have  been  from  half  past  nine  to  half  past  eleven. 

Q.  You  had  something  at  the  Union  depot  within  twenty-four  hours  ? 

A.  1  had  not.  I  sat  down  to  the  meal  after  the  others  had  had  their 
sandwiches,  just  before  two  o'clock,  and  was  called  away  when  I  was  put- 
ting the  first  mouthful  in  my  mouth.  I  never  got  back.  I  was  sorry  my 
politeness  kept  me  from  putting  it  in  my  pocket. 

Q.  Where  did  you  get  your  first  provisions? 

A.  Along  in  the  afternoon  a  man  overtook  us  in  a  buggy  with  some 
loaves  of  bread,  which  General  Brinton  purchased,  and  broke  up  in  pieces 
and  gave  to  the  men.     Some  of  the  men  didn't  get  any. 

Q.  Did  anybody  in  Sharpsburg  furnish  your  men  with  provisions  and 
water  as  your  men  passed  through? 

A.  The  men  helped  themselves  to  the  water. 

Q.  Any  of  the  citizens  furnish  provisions  ? 

A.  Some  one  came  out  that  evidently  recognized  one  of  our  captains, 
and  came  along  to  inquire  for  him,  and  handed  him  a  bundle  of  cakes  and 
crackers,  which  he  scattered  around  among  a  dozen  or  twenty  men — per- 
haps it  might  have  been  twenty-five.  The  men  that  got  the  crackers  and 
cakes  broke  them  up  and  passed  them  around.  There  was  only  a  few  got 
those. 

Q.  In  marching  out  Penn  street,  after  you  left  the  round-house,  at  what 
gait  did  the  troops  march? 

A.  They  marched  rather  slower  than  ordinary  quick  marching  time,  on 
account  of  pulling  the  guns,  which  necessitated  their  moving  slow. 

Q.  Was  there  any  haste  at  any  point  in  the  line  of  march  ? 

A.  There  was  a  sort  of  break  or  stampede  at  one  point  before  they 
reached  the  arsenal,  where  there  was  an  unusual  amount  of  firing.  There 
was  a  sudden  fusilade  of  musketry  and  pistols  out  of  the  doors,  and  out 
of  the  windows.  A  great  many  came  from  the  second  story  windows  at 
one  time,  or  windows  having  the  ordinary  outside  blinds. 

Q.  Shutters? 

A.  Slat  shutters.  Most  of  the  houses  at  that  time  became  two  stories 
high.  The  shutters  were  bowed,  and  there  came  a  volley  of  pistol  balls 
and  some  rifle  balls,  and  some  from  the  rear.  More  than  half  of  all  the 
men  that  were  hit  during  the  commotion,  were  hit  within  five  minutes,  in 
that  block.  The  firing  was  so  sudden  and  unexpected,  and  two  men  were 
killed  at  the  time,  and  one  mortally  wounded,  and  several  others  wounded 
slightly,  that  the  men  instinctively  stopped.  That  was  in  the  second  bri- 
gade, in  the  rear.  The  others  were  beyond  it,  immediately  where  this  firing 
took  place.  I  believe  I  mentioned  that  all  the  attacks  were  made  on  the 
men  in  the  rear.  They  would  wait  until  we  just  passed  before  they  fired, 
and  fired  from  behind,  alongside  of  the  rear  column.  The  first  brigade 
continued  to  march  on.  Our  brigade  halted,  and  the  men,  by  common 
impulse,  without  any  order,  commenced  to  fire  in  these  windows,  from 
which  the  smoke  came.  Of  course,  it  stopped  the  firing  from  the  win- 
dows. Some  of  the  men  fired  from  back  down  the  street,  and  we  opened 
the  Gatling  gun  and  fired  down  the  street.  The  moment  we  commenced 
firing  with  that,  we  could  not  see  a  living  thing  down  the  street.  Saw  a 
dead  horse,  and  two  or  three  dead  men,  some  smashed  signs,  and  then  we 
succeeded,  by  loud  talking,  in  getting  the  men  to  cease  firing,  and  just  at 
that  moment  I  noticed  that  the  first  brigade,  or  the  first  regiment,  was 
double-quicking  the  men  in  the  rear  to  their  regiment,  to  close  up  the  gap 
that  had  occurred  in  the  straggling  marching,  and  that  had  an  appearance 
as  though  they  were  not  marching  away.     The  men  at  the  head  of  the 


856  Report  of  Committee.  [Xo.  29, 

column  were  marching  in  ordinary  quick  time,  and  in  marching,  the  men 
would  straggle  out.  It  is  very  important,  in  a  fight,  that  the}-  should  be 
together  and  touch  elbows,  and  they  were  closing  up,  and  some  men  in  our 
brigade  suddenly  remarked,  or  raised  the  cry,  that  "the  first  is  running 
away ! "  in  the  frightened  tone  of  voice.  It  had  that  effect,  and  several 
others  took  it  up  and  looked  around,  stopped  firing,  and  saw  that  the  first 
brigade  w'as  a  block  away  from  them,  and  with  a  common  impulse,  there 
was  a  sort  of  stampede  or  rush  after  them.  The  officers  rushed  around  in 
front  and  could  not  stop  them,  and  when  the}*  overtook  the  first  brigade, 
they  ran  up  into  them  in  confusion.  That  was  all  the  stampede  there  was. 
It  was  settled  in  a  few  minutes  and  got  into  shape  again. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  orders,  written  or  verbal,  urging  General  Brin- 
ton  during  the  time  he  was  in  the  round-house,  or  after  he  retired  from 
there,  within  twenty-four  hours,  from  General  Latta,  as  to  his  course  to  be 
pursued  after  he  left  the  round-house? 

A.  I  do  not  know  as  I  am  a  competent  witness  on  that.  I  heard  it 
second  hand. 

Q.  Just  what  you  know  of  your  own  personal  knowledge? 

A.  I  didn't  see  the  order.  I  was  informed  through  my  brigade  com- 
mander that  the  orders  were  to  go  east  out  Penn  street,  that  was  in  reply 
to  my  expression  of  opinion  that  we  ought  to  go  to  the  Union  depot  and 
get  our  ammunition  and  supplies  there.  He  told  me  General  Brinton  had 
orders  to  go  east  out  of  Penn  street  when  we  left.  Of  course,  like  a  good 
soldier,  I  shut  up.     I  supposed  that  was  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  order. 

Q.  Any  orders  to  General  Guthrie  to  your  knowledge  ? 

A.  I  did  not  hear  of  any.  All  that  was  explained  to  me  was  that  the 
order  was  to  go  east  at  Penn  street  when  we  left. 


»n 


James  H.  Stewart,  re-called  : 

By  Mr.  Means: 

Q.  Were  you  an  officer  in  command  of  a  regiment  or  brigade — a  field 
officer  or  commissioned  officer? 

A.  I  was  not,  sir. 

Q.  I  mean  a  commissioned  officer  at  that  time  ? 

A.  No,  sir.     I  was  not. 

Q.  What  position  did  Colonel  Xorris  occupy  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know,  I  understood  on  the  Governor's  staff.  I  don't  know 
whether  he  held  a  commission  or  not. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  he  was  commissioned  or  not  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  did  not. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  arrangement  that  was  made  through  the  colonel 
to  have  the  troops  rationed  at  any  place  or  at  an}'  time  ? 

A.  Of  the  first  division  ? 

Q.  Of  Colonel  Brinton's  command  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  know  something  about  it.  I  know  we  used  every  effort — do 
you  want  me  to  explain  why  ? 

Q.  I  want  to  know  the  wh}rs  and  the  wherefores. 

A.  Every  effort  was  made  to  ration  Brinton's  command,  whilst  he  was 
opposite  to  the  round-house.  We  used  everything  in  our  power  to  do 
that.  I  mj'self  had  secured  an  engine  from  Cassatt,  the  vice  president  of 
the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  and  some  gentlemen  communicated  with  the 
Governor.  Colonel  Farr  and  Colonel  Quay,  and  quite  a  number  of  us,  car- 
ried on  some  tubs  of  sandwiches,  and  I  having  learned  that  the  fire  had 
takm  place  on  Liberty  street,  we  then  telegraphed  out,  and  found  it  was 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  857 

west  of  Twenty-eighth  street,  consequently,  we  could  not  get  the  rations, 
and  we  abandoned  that.  I  afterwards  went  out  myself  to  the  general,  car- 
ried an  order,  both  written  and  verbal.  I  then  returned  to  the  Union 
Depot  hotel.  Every  person  connected  with  us,  was  very  anxious  to  get 
the  general's  command  furnished  with  provisions. 

Q.  Then  the  sum  and  substance  of  it  was,  you  didn't  succeed  in  furnish- 
ing them  with  rations  ? 

A.  We  could  not,  it  was  utterly  impossible. 

Q.  Were  there  any  other  arrangements  made  to  furnish  General  Brinton's 
command  with  rations,  after  they  arrived  at  the  round-house,  and  after 
they  got  away  from  it  ? 

A.  We  would  have  furnished  him,  if  we  had  known  where  the  general 
was. 

Q.  I  ask  the  question,  and  I  expect  an  answer  plain,  whether  you  did 
or  didn't  ? 

A.  Whether  we  had  sent  any  rations  to  them? 

Q.  Whether  you  did  furnish  them,  and  whether  there  was  an  arrange- 
ment made  to  get  rations  to  them  ? 

A.  We  had  made  arrangements — if  he  had  turned  his  column  back  from 
where  he  was,  beyond  Sharpsburg,  we  had  made  arrangements  to  send  ra- 
tions up  by  the  West  Pennsylvania  road. 

Q.  Where  to  ? 

A.  To  Sharpsburg.     I  supposed  we  might  meet  him  there. 

Q.  Then  you  had  no  definite  place  that  you  expected  to  furnish  these 
troops  rations  at  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.   Does  the  West  Pennsylvania  road  run  through  Sharpsburg  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Now,  Mr.  Stewart,  in  short,  what  arrangements  did  you  make  to  fur- 
nish them  with  rations  at  all  ? 

A.  Where  do  you  mean  ? 

Q.  At  any  place  after  they  left  the  round-house. 

A.  After  they  left  the  round-house? 

Q.  Yes. 

A.  We  made  no  arrangements,  for  the  very  simple  reason,  that  as  I  said, 
we  could  not  find  out  where  General  Brinton's  command  was.  You  will 
remember,  the  telegraph  lines  were  cut.  We  learned  accidentally,  that  the 
general  was  retreating,  and  we  would  have  used  every  effort  in  our  power 
to  get  the  command  furnished  with  rations,  and  could  have  done  it,  if  he 
had  turned  the  head  of  his  column  back.  And  in  this  connection,  I  want 
to  just  state  here,  that  so  far  as  the  First  division  is  concerned,  they  were 
a  valorous  set  of  troops,  and  did  good  service  for  the  county  of  Allegheny, 
used  every  effort  that  they  could.  I  believe,  that  so  far  as  my  own  per- 
sonal knowledge  is  concerned,  that  General  Brinton  did  everything  that 
he  possibly  could  to  help  along  the  trouble  that  occurred.  He  was  posted 
there  in  the  round-house  all  night,  and  I  do  not  blame  him,  really. 

Q.  Do  you  mean  just  what  3'ou  said  :  that  General  Brinton  did  all  he 
could  to  help  along  the  trouble  that  occurred  ? 

A.  Oh,  no. 

Q.  I  wish  you  would  explain  this  ;  give  an  explanation. 

A .  What  I  want  to  say  is  this  :  the  general  in  command  did  everything 
he  possibly  could  to  protect  the  citizens  of  Allegheny  county. 

Q.  And  suppress  the  riot  ? 


858  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  And  suppress  the  riot. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  And  the  ralroad  property  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  I  would  like  jtou  to  be  a  little  more  explicit — a  little  more  definite  in 
regard  to  these  rations.  When  you  intended  to  transport  the  rations  to 
these  troops,  and  how  you  intended  to  get  them  there,  and  if  you  intended 
to  get  them  there  at  all  ? 

A.  In  the  first  place,  we  didn't  know  where  the  first  division  were  re- 
treating to.  We  understood  that  the}'  had  left  the  round-house,  and  were 
going  north.  We  then  could  have  made — did  make — some  arrangements 
to  send  rations  to  them,  as  I  said  before  in  my  testimony. 

Q.  What  arrangements  did  you  make — put  them  on  cars,  or  take  them 
by  wagons — how  did  }rou  intend  to  transport  them  over  there  ? 

A.  If  he  had  come  back  south  of  the  Allegheny,  we  would  have  sent 
them  out  the  West  Pennsylvania  road — if  he  had  made  a  junction  with 
Guthrie,  as  we  wanted. 

Q.  As  who  wanted  ? 

A.  General  Latta. 

Q.  Did  you  say  as  you  wanted  ? 

A.  I  didn't  say  as  I  wanted. 

Q.  As  the  commander-in-chief  wanted  ? 

A.  The  Adjutant  General;  the  commander-in-chief  was  not  there. 

Q.  General  Brinton,  or  who  ? 

A.  If  General  Brinton  had  come,  and  made  a  junction  with  Colonel 
Guthrie,  we  could  have  fixed  the  rations  for  him — could  have  done  so  if 
he  had  staj^ed  in  Sharpsburg. 

Q.  Now,  in  what  way  could  General  Brinton  have  made  that  connection 
with  Colonel  Guthrie  ? 

A.  How  do  you  mean  ? 

Q.  By  what  road  did  he  or  could  he  have  made  it? 

A.  When  he  left  the.  round-house,  it  was  as  easy  for  him  to  go  to  Guth- 
rie's command  as  it  was  to  march  out  to  Sharpsburg. 

Q.  As  you  appear  to  know  something  about  these  arrangements,  I  would 
like  to  know  what  arrangement  was  made  to  get  General  Brinton's  com- 
mand any  ammunition  ? 

A.  What  arrangement  ? 

Q.  Yes  ;  or  if  any  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  General  Brinton's  command  had  been  exhausted 
of  ammunition.  We  could  have  furnished  him  with  all  the  ammunition 
that  he  wanted  ;  as  Colonel  Norris  told  him,  if  he  would  turn  back  the 
head  of  his  column,  and  make  a  junction  with  Guthrie,  we  could  furnish 
him  with  both  ammunition  and  rations. 

Q.  Now,  do  you  know  that  Colonel  Guthrie  had  ammunition,  and  plenty 
of  it? 

A.  He  had  enough  for  his  troops. 

Q.  How  do  you  know  that  he  had  ? 

A.  Having  been  out  there  in  the  morning,  before  daylight,  furnishing 
Colonel  Rodgers'  command  with  some  ammunition,  I  happened  to  know 
that  Colonel  Guthrie  had  plenty  of  it,  and  then  we  had  more  of  it  at  the 
Union  Depot  hotel,  and  could  have  furnished  the  general's  command  with 
all  the  ammunition  that  he  wanted. 

Q.  Had  you  any  arrangements  by  which  you  would  transport  that  am- 
munition to  General  Brinton's  command — from  the  round-house,  I  mean  ? 

A.  After  he  left  the  round-house  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  859 

Q.  From  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  O,  yes;  we  could  if  we  knew  exactly  where  General  Brinton  was. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  arrangements  made  to  do  that? 

A.  Well,  we  knew  just  exactly  how  we  were  handling  our  own  stuff 
there. 

Q.  You  did  not  know  exactly  what  you  were  doing? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  know  from  the  commander-in-chief  that  General  Brinton 
was  short  of  ammunition  ? 

A.  From  the  commander-in-chief?  The  commander-in-chief  was  not 
there.  The  Adjutant  General  was  there.  I  knew  from  what  General 
Brinton  had  told  us  on  his  route  north  of  the  Allegheny  that  he  was  short 
of  ammunition. 

Q.  Did  General  Latta  know  that,  to  your  knowledge  ? 

A.  Not  until  we  returned  from  seeing  General  Brinton. 

A.  And  when  General  Brinton  had  marched  north,  you  say  then  you 
supposed  him  to  be  retreating,  and  }rou  gave  up  all  hopes  of  furnishing  any 
provision  or  anything  else — when  General  Brinton,  you  say,  went  north, 
out  Penn  avenue — I  believe  it  is  north  ? 

A.  North-east;  yes,  sir. 

Q.  Then,  after  you  found  he  crossed  the  Allegheny  river  you  gave  up  all 
hopes  and  quit  making  any  efforts  to  furnish  him  with  either  provision  or 
ammunition  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  we  did  not.  I  believe  that  every  effort  was  made  to  furnish 
his  men. 

By  Mr.  Lin^sey : 

Q.  I  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  Stewart  in  what  capacity  he  was  acitng? 

A.  As  a  volunteer  aid  of  the  Adjutant  General. 

Q.  And  did  what  he  directed  you  to  do  simply  ? 

A.  At  what  time? 

Q.  While  you  were  acting  as  volunteer  aid  ? 

A.  You  don't  want  me  to  tell  everything  I  know  ? 

Q.  No,  sir ;  my  question  is,  you  did  what  he  directed  you  to  do  ? 

A.  Ever3'thing,  of  course. 

Q.  That  was  all? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  did  not  assume  to  do  anything  on  your  own  responsibility  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  was  not.     I  had  been  a  major  on  the  staff  of  General  Pearson. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Of  the  National  Guard  ? 

A.  Of  the  National  Guard. 

Q.  And  you  went  out  with  Colonel  Norris  because  you  were  directed  to 
go  out  there  by  the  Adjutant  General  ? 

A.  Directed  to  go  by  the  Adjutant  General. 

A.  And  all  you  know  about  ammunition  or  provisions  is  what  you  were 
directed  to  do  in  relation  to  it  ? 

A.  Of  course  that  is  all. 

Q.  In  your  testimony  heretofore  you  stated  that  Brinton  made  a  remark 
that  he  would  be  God  damned  if  he  would  return  to  Pittsburgh  again. 
Are  you  certain  he  made  that  remark  and  used  that  language  ? 

A.  I  am  under  oath,  am  I  not? 

Q.  Refresh  your  nietnory  and  see  whether  he  made  that  remark  ? 


860  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  The  general  knew  Colonel  Norris  better  than  he  knew  me,  and  of 
course,  was  speaking  to  him. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Mr.  Yutzy  asks  you  whether  you  are  certain  that  he  made  that 
remark  ? 

A.  I  most  positively  assert  that  General  Brinton  made  that  remark. 

Major  Lewis  D.  Baugh,  re-called: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  with  General  Brinton's  command  on  Sunday 
morning  on  their  retreat  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  I  was  not. 

Q.  State  what  knowledge  you  have  of  the  dispatches  sent  by  General 
Brinton  to  General  Latta  during  the  night  of  Saturday  ? 

A.  I  cannot,  without  my  memorandum.  I  was  present  when  the  dis- 
patches came  in,  several  of  them,  two  of  them  brought  in  by  a  scout,  I 
think. 

Q.  From  whom  ? 

A.  From  General  Brinton. 

Q.  To  General  Latta? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  were  in  General  Latta's  office  ? 

A.  I  was  in  General  Latta's  office. 

Q.  When  two  of  them  were  brought  in  ? 

A.  I  think  one  or  two,  I  cannot  recollect.  I  was  there  when  the  scout 
came  in. 

Q.  When  the  first  dispatch  was  brought  in  ? 

A.  I  think  so,  yes,  sir.  I  came  in  the  room  and  found  him  there.  If  I 
had  a  report  here  I  could  talk  more  plain. 

Q.  You  mean  the  Adjutant  General's  report  ? 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Can  you  state  the  nature  of  the  dispatch  ? 

A.  If  I  saw  the  book  I  could  state  which  dispatch  it  is. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  other  one  than  those  that  are  published  in  the  Adju- 
tant General's  report  ? 

A.  I  don't  recollect  of  seeing  any  other.  I  was  in  General  Latta's  head- 
quarters off  and  on  during  the  evening,  being  cut  off  from  my  division,  ami 
and  naturally  went  to  the  next  head-quarters,  and  I  was  in  there  during 
the  evening,  trying  to  get  my  rations  out  to  the  troops.  I  was  commissary 
of  the  first  division,  acting  quarter-master  at  the  time,  I  had  some  ammuni- 
tion there  as  well  as  rations,  and  I  was  in  the  room  and  out  of  it  until 
pretty  near  midnight,  and  then  I  attempted  to  join  General  Brinton  by 
myself,  and  went  up  street  in  citizen's  clothes. 

Q.  Did  you  succeed  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  could  not  get  to  the  round-house,  found  that  I  would  get 
shot  very  likely  by  our  own  men  as  I  was  in  citizens  clothes,  and  looked 
about  as  much  like  a  rioter  as  any  of  the  rest  of  them.. 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  complain  of  being  short  of  ammunition  in  any 
of  those  dispatches  ? 

A.  I  think  he  did,  short  of  ammunition  and  short  of  provisions. 

Q.  Do  you  recollect  what  he  said  about  it  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  do  not,  because  it  is  all  written  down,  and  I  had  the  report. 

Q.  Are  all  the  dispatches  that  you  read  or  saw,  as  coining  from  General 
Brinton  that  night,  published  in  the  Adjutant  General's  report? 

A.  I  think  they  are.     There  may  be  some  more  that  I  did  not  see.     I 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  861 

read  it  over,  and  found  it  pretty  near  as  I  knew.  I  tried  my  best  to  get 
provisions  to  him,  and  I  delivered  ammunition — four  boxes — to  somebody, 
to  take  out  to  some  other  station  to  some  other  troops. 

Q.  Torrens  station  ? 

A.  Torrens  station,  I  think  it  was.  T  recollect  going  down  in  the  cellar 
of  the  hotel  and  getting  them  out ;  it  was  pretty  hard  work  for  some  one 
or  two  people,  besides  myself,  to  lift  them  up.     The  elevator  was  stopped. 

Q.  You  were  the  commissary  of  General  Brinton's  staff? 

A.  Yes,  sir;  I  am  regular  commissary  of  the  First  division — General 
Brinton's  division. 

Q.  And  as  such  were  in  consultation  with  the  general  during  the  night  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  supplies  being  provided  to  General  Brinton's 
command  during  the  night,  or  at  Torrens  station? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  not  that  I  know  of.  There  were  some  supplies  I  sent  down 
there,  but  whether  they  reached  or  not  I  do  not  know ;  I  don't  think  they 
did.  Some  started  out  there.  The  supplies  went  out  in  a  wagon  ;  I  did 
not  send  those  out — out  to  the  round-house.  When  General  Brinton. 
started,  he  directed  me  to  remain  there  and  make  arrangements  to  ration 
the  troops  in  the  evening  and  following  morning.  I  made  the  arrange- 
ments, and  after  getting  through  with  that  arrangement  I  went  on  the 
track,  and  found  there  had  been  a  fight. 

Q.  You  say  you  were  not  with  General  Brinton  when  Colonel  Norris 
reached  him  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  When  did  you  see  General  Brinton  after  that  ? 

A.  I  think  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  as  near  as  I  can  recol- 
lect, without  having  any  watch  on  me. 

Q.  Of  Sunday  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  say  anything  about  having  seen  Colonel  Norris? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that  he  did — I  do  not  recollect  it. 

Q.  Did  he  tell  you  anything  about  Colonel  Norris  having  been  to  see 
him  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  he  did.  As  soon  as  I  found  they  had  left  the  round- 
house, I  heard  they  had  gone  to  the  arsenal.  I  heard  Captain  Breck  say 
to  somebody  that  they  had  gone  to  the  arsenal.  I  drove  there,  and  found 
they  were  not  there,  and  somebody  said  they  had  gone  to  the  right.  I 
followed  out,  and  crossed  the  railroad  track,  and  came  to  the  hospital,  and 
down  to  the  hotel  again.  I  found  they  had  gone  to  Sharpsburg.  I  hired 
another  carriage,  and  drove  out  to  Sharpsburg  ;  and  when  I  got  to  Sharps- 
burg, I  was  bothered  which  road  to  take,  and  I  darsen't  ask  anybody.  I 
found  the  mark  of  the  shoes  that  the  column  had  moved  in  the  road,  and 
I  followed  up  that  road  some  distance. 

Q.  General  Brinton  did  not  mention  the  fact  of  Colonel  Norris  having 
met  him  that  day  ? 

A.  I  don't  recollect  of  it. 

Q.  Did  he  say  anything  about  having  received  any  orders  from  General 
Latta  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  he  asked  me  for  orders  as  soon  as  I  got  there.  I  told  him 
I  had  none.     Then  I  went  back  to  General  Latta  for  the  orders. 

Q.  Why  did  you  go  back  ? 

A.  He  wanted  orders. 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  send  you  back  for  orders  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 


862  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Where  did  you  go  ? 

A.  Drove  down  the  river  road  to  the  bridge,  about  opposite  to  the  Monon- 
gahela  House ;  crossed  there,  and  went  to  the  Monongahela  House,  and 
went  to  General  Latta's  room,  and  found  him,  and  delivered  a  note  to  Gen- 
eral Latta. 

Q.  From  whom  ? 

A.  General  Brinton. 

Q.  What  did  General  Latta  say  in  reply  ? 

A.  Asked  where  General  Brinton  was,  and  I  told  him  back  on  the  hills 
about  the  poor-house,  as  near  as  I  could  tell,  being  a  stranger  there,  then 
he  gave  me  written  orders  to  give  to  General  Brinton. 

Q.  When  did  you  tell  this  to  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  When  he  gave  me  the  written  orders,  I  asked  him  about  provisions, 
and  he  says,  I  was  commissary  and  it  was  my  business  to  feed  them. 
Says  I,  "  Yes,  but  it  is  your  business  to  give  me  some  stuff."  They  had 
not  time,  and  they  left  me  there.  Major  Lazarus,  one  of  the  special  officers, 
was  in  the  room  all  the  time,  and  there  was  a  captain  of  the  first  regiment. 
.  I  took  them  down  with  me,  and  turned  around  to  Lazarus,  and  says  I, 
"  You  read  these  orders.  In  case  I  do  not  reach  General  Brinton,  or  you 
see  him  first,  give  him  these  orders."  Then  there  was  two  of  us,  in  case 
one  got  picked  up  then  the  other  would  deliver  the  orders.  When  I  crossed 
the  river  at  the  West  Pennsylvania  depot,  he  drove  down  and  delivered 
the  orders.  As  soon  as  I  got  out  in  the  morning,  I  overhauled  General 
Brinton  and  gave  him  the  written  order. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  those  orders  were  ? 

A.  If  I  had  a  report  here,  I  could  tell  you,  sir. 

Q,.  They  are  published  in  the  Adjutant  General's  report? 

A.  Yes,  sir.     The  substance  was  to  proceed  to  Altoona. 

Q.  What  is  the  date  of  the  order — can  you  give  that  ? 

A.  Sunday  night,  about  nine  o'clock,  when  I  received  it. 

Q.  You  may  give  the  substance  of  the  order,  as  near  as  you  can  recol- 
lect ? 

A.  To  proceed  to  Altoona,  and  Mr.  Creighton  would  furnish  transporta- 
tion. When  I  went  back  General  Latta  gave  me  orders  that  General 
Brinton  should  have  it  to-night.  I  went  out,  and  jumped  in  a  wagon,  and 
started  over. 

Q.  While  you  were  at  the  Monongahela  house,  did  General  Latta  say 
anything  about  General  Brinton  having  disobeyed  his  orders  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  Did  he  say  anything  to  you  about  having  sent  orders  to  General 
Brinton  ? 

A.  Not  to  me.     Didn't  hear  him  say  a  word  about  it. 

Q.  Did  he  mention  having  sent  Colonel  Norris  or  Captain  Aull  with 
orders  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  didn't  say  a  word  to  me  about  it.  1  took  General  Brinton 
a  note  in,  and  handed  it  to  him,  and  he  then  dictated  an  order.  The  order 
was  written  out,  and  handed  to  me,  and  delivered  to  General  Brinton. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  Colonel  Norris  had  returned  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  anything  about  him. 

Doctor  J.  E.  Mears,  re-called  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 
Q.  State  whether  you  were  at  the  Union  depot  on  Saturday  morning, 
when  Colonel  Norris  was  sent  by  General  Latta  and  General  Brinton. 
A.  I  was,  sir. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  863 

Q.  You  may  state  what  conversation  took  place  between  General  Latta 
and  Colonel  Norris  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  that  I  can  state  positively  the  conversation.  I  came 
to  the  hotel  about  eight  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning,  went  to  General 
Latta's  room,  and  reported  that  the  troops  had  left  the  round-house,  having 
learned  that,  fact  at  the  hospital,  where  I  had  spent  a  portion  of  the  night, 
and  said  to  him  that  I  proposed  to  purchase  some  medical  stores,  and  join 
him  at  once,  and  asked  him  where  I  should  go  to  join  him,  and  he  told 
me  to  go  to  the  arsenal.  At  that  time,  Colonel  Norris  was  making  prepa- 
rations to  join  General  Brinton  also.  What  their  conversation  was,  I  can- 
not state  positively,  or  what  the  nature  of  the  instructions  given  to  him 
were.  I  knew  that  he  was  going  to  see  General  Brinton,  and,  at  the  time, 
my  impression  was  that  he  was  going  to  see  him  in  a  friendly  way.  I 
knew  that  he  was  not  officially  connected  with  the  National  Guard,  and 
the  impression  I  had  arrived  at,  at  that  time,  was,  he  was  simply  going  out 
to  see  him  in  behalf  of  General  Latta,  as  a  friend  of  General  Brinton,  to 
see  what  had  happened  and  what  condition  they  were  in,  but  I  didn't 
understand,  at  the  time,  that  he  was  going  officially  to  him. 

Q.  Was  Captain  Aull  there,  at  the  time  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  state  positively.  I  went  into  the  dining-room  of  the 
hotel,  and  had  a  conversation  with  Captain  Breck.  That  I  remember,  but 
I  don't  remember  of  meeting  Captain  Aull,  at  the  time. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  major,  Saturday  ? 

A.  1  didn't,  sir.     I  may  have  seen  him  not  to  know  him. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Colonel  Norris  when  he  started  in  the  carriage? 

A.  I  didn't;  because  Colonel  Norris  started  before  I  did.  He  took  a 
hack,  and  I  was  going  to  a  drug  store  to  get  some  medical  stores,  and  also 
going  to  a  livery  stable  to  get  a  conveyance,  and  Colonel  Norris  left  the 
hotel  before  I  had  left  Pittsburgh.  As  I  said  in  my  testimony  before,  I 
met  once,  after  he  had  seen  General  Brinton. 

Q.  State  what  conversation  you  had  with  him  ? 

A.  I  took  with  me,  at  the  suggestion  of  Captain  Breck,  a  man  who  had 
acted  as  scout  during  the  night,  a  member  of  Murphey's  cavalry,  1  believe. 
He  went  with  me  on  account  of  my  being  a  stranger  in  Pittsburgh,  and 
showed  me  the  way  to  the  arsenal.  When  we  reached  the  arsenal  and  found 
the  troops  were  not  there,  and  when  I  was  denied  admittance  by  the  guard 
at  the  gate,  or  refused  to  be  permitted  to  go  near  the  gate  or  have  conver- 
sation with  him,  I  drove  on,  and  the  crowd  knew  nothing  at  all  about  the 
country  beyond  that  point,  so  that  the  way  was  ascertained  by  asking  per- 
sons, of  course  very  cautiously,  so  as  not  to  let  them  know  what  our  object 
was.  I  followed  the  command  by  watching  the  road  and  seeing  the  foot- 
marks across  the  bridge  going  through  Sharpsburg,  and  got  through 
Sharpsburg  and  passed  into  the  country,  turned  to  the  left,  and  I  should 
think,  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  point  at  which  I  met 
Colonel  Norris  returning  to  the  city  He  was  in  a  carriage  with  another 
person  whom  I  did  not  know,  and  to  whom  I  didn't  pay  particular  atten- 
tion. I  got  out  of  the  buggy  and  halted  them.  They  didn't  seem  to  be 
very  desirous  to  be  halted,  because  it  was  not  desirable  that  it  should  be 
known  who  they  were  in  that  portion  of  the  country.  I  asked  the  colonel 
where  the  command  was,  and  he  told  me  it  was  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  be- 
yond, on  the  hill.  That  was  the  only  conversation  I  had  with  Colonel 
Norris.  As  I  said  before,  he  wasn't  desirous  of  stopping  very  long  to  give 
me  any  information.  His  words  and  manner  was  such  as  indicated  that  it 
was  not  desirable  that  we  should  be  seen  conversing  together,  or  holding 
any  communication  which  would  indicate  that  they  were  in  any  way  asso- 


864  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

ciated  or  connected  with  the  troops,  as  there  were  persons  along  the  road 
that  had  followed  up  the  command.  I  joined  the  troops,  certainly  no  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  beyond.     I  found  them  resting  in  good  order. 

Q.  When  you  joined  the  troops  and  met  General  Briuton,  did  he  say 
anything  about  having  received  any  orders  from  Colonel  Norris  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  he  didn't. 

Q.  Did  he  say  what  he  intended  to  do  ? 

A.  I  asked  him  the  question,  and  he  replied  that  he  was  going  to  the 
poor-house  to  get  a  place  to  rest  his  command,  and  also  to  get  food,  and 
I  asked  him  whether  he  knew  where  the  poor-house  was,  and  what  his  in- 
formation was,  and  he  said  that  a  citizen  or  some  person  at  Sharpsburg 
had  directed  him,  and  told  him  to  go  there,  that  he  could  get  food  there, 
and  get  an  opportunity  to  cook  his  rations. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Norris  say  anything  to  you  as  surgeon  of  the  division 
about  having  the  column  halted  at  any  point  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;  he  didn't. 

Q.  To  dress  any  wounds  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  not  a  word.  It  was  as  much  as  I  could  do  to  get  him  to 
halt  them  enough  to  ask  him  what  I  regarded  as  a  very  important  ques- 
tion, where  the  command  was,  that  I  should  join  him. 

Q.  Did  he  say  anything  about  what  his  business  had  been  to  the  com- 
mand ? 

A.  Not  a  word  ;  no,  sir. 

Q.  Was  there  anybody  in  the  carriage  with  him  ? 

A.  There  was  a  person,  sir,  whom  I  didn't  know.  They  were  sitting — 
both  of  them — back  in  the  corner  of  the  carriage  very  closely. 

Q.  Would  you  recognize  the  person  now  ? 

A.  No,  sir.  I  didn't  see  anybody  in  the  room  whom  1  should  recognize 
as  being  with  Colonel  Norris.  I  didn't  closely  examine  the  person.  My 
business  was  with  Colonel  Norris,  because  I  knew  him,  and  desired  simply 
to  get  the  information  from  him. 

Q,  Did  you  know  Colonel  Norris  ? 

A.  I  knew  him  by  sight,  having  met  him  with  the  Governor's  staff  on 
one  or  two  occasions.     I  had  seen  him  at  the  hotel  before. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned,  to  meet  to-morrow  morning,  at 
Reading,  Pennsylvania. 


Reaping,  April  19, 1878. 

The  committee  met  at  the  Mansion  house,  at  eleven  o'clock,  a.  m.  Mr. 
Lindsey  in  the  chair.  All  members  present  except  Messrs.  Reyburn,  Lar- 
rabee,  and  Yutzy. 

George  S.  Goodheart,  a  firmed: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  whether  or  not  you  were  coroner  in  July  last,  at  the  time  of  the 
difficulties  here  among  the  railroad  employes  ? 

A.  I  was  coroner  ;  yes,  sir  ? 

Q,.  Still  holding  that  position  ? 

A.  Still  hold  that  position.  I  was  elected  at  the  same  time  that  Samuel 
J.  Tilden  was  elected — elected,  I  say,  that  is  my  opinion. 

Q.  Can  you  state  what  day  the  first  difficulty  among  the  railroad  em- 
ploye's broke  out  here,  or  commenced  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  865 

A.  No ;  I  cannot.  I  cannot  state  the  day.  I  presume  it  was  within  a 
week  or  somewheres  about  the  16th — 15th  or  16th  of  Jul}7.  I  would  date 
it  about  a  week  anterior  to  the  time  these  men  were  killed,  which  was  on 
the  23d,  Monday.  The  excitement  ran  very  high  throughout  the  day  of 
Sunday. 

Q.  Will  you  please  give  us  a  history  of  how  it  first  started,  and  then 
trace  the  extent  of  the  difficulty  and  troubles  along  up  until  you  come  to 
the  date  of  the  conflict  between  the  strikers  and  the  militia  ? 

A.  Well,  I  don't  know  that  I  can  answer  that  question  with  much  accu- 
racy. There  had  evidently  been  for  some  time  before  considerable  con- 
tending between  these  engineers  who  were  suspended  and  the  Reading 
Railroad  Company.     It  is  that,  I  presume,  that  led  to  the  difficulty. 

Q.  What  time  were  the  engineers  suspended  by  the  railroad  company  ? 

A.  That  is  more  than  I  can  say. 

Q.  Was  it  some  time  prior  to  this  difficulty — outbreak? 

A.  Yes  ;  certainly  it  would  be  prior  to  this. 

Q.   How  many  of  them  had  been  suspended? 

A.  That  I  cannot  say — a  large  majority  of  them,  I  think,  that  were  on 
the  road  were  suspended. 

Q.  Were  there  a  large  number  of  them  suspended,  and  were  without  em- 
ploy in  and  about  the  city  of  Reading  ? 

A.  It  was  generally  so  supposed. 

Q.  And  the  first  dissatisfaction  was  among  that  class  of  men,  was  it  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  those  who  sympathized  with  them.  There  were  differences 
of  opinion  among  the  citizens  here.  Many  sympathized  with  the  railroad 
company,  and  many,  also,  with  these  employes,  and  the  feeling  during  the 
day  of  Sunday  was  very  much  against  the  Reading  Railroad  Company. 

Q.  That  was  Sunday,  the  22d  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  22d,  and  on  Monday  the  general  impi-ession  was  here,  with 
those  that  I  had  interviews  with,  that  property  and  shops  would  be  set 
fire  to  that  night. 

Q.  The  railroad  shops  ? 

A.  Yes;  during  the  day  of  Sunday,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  excitement 
on  the  street  here,  on  Penn  street,  and  a  great  many  people  congregated 
out  about  the  corner  of  Sixth  and  Penn  and  Seventh  and  Penn. 

Q.  What  class  of  people  generally  gathered  ? 

A.  They  were  mostly  workingmen,  men  thrown  out  of  employment. 

Q.  Men  from  the  manufacturing  establishments  ? 

A.  Manufacturing,  yes,  sir  ;  mechanics  and  laboring  classes,  principally. 

Q.  How  large  a  number  assembled  ? 

A.  I  presume  I  saw  as  many  as  fifty  to  seventy-five,  probably  one  hun- 
dred at  times  daring  the  day  on  Sunday. 

Q.  What  day  was  the  railroad  bridge  across  the  Schuylkill  burned  ? 

A.  It  was  burned  that  same  night. 

Q.  Sunday  night  ? 

A.  Yes ;  sometime  during  the  night,  about  midnight,  I  think. 

Q.  This  assembly  of  men  on  Sunday,  was  it  composed  of  railroad  men — 
were  they  actually  engaged  in  running  trains  then — or  was  it  men  who  had 
been  discharged  ? 

A.  I  am  not  prepared  to  answer  that  question,  because  I  know  very  few 
of  the  engineers  on  the  road.  I  do  not  know  that  I  can  point  out  a  single 
man  of  them. 

Q.  Did  the  Reading  railroad  continue  to  run  their  trains  ? 

A.  They  did  on  Sunday,  I  think,  and  a  part  of  the  day  on  Monday.  On 
Monday,  towards  evening,  some  of  the  trains  were  stopped  hei*e  in  the  city 
55  Riots. 


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868  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  was  the  only  plausible  reason  he  gave. 
He  didn't  believe  in  going  out  and  being  a  target  to  fire  at. 

Q.  Did  he  make  any  effort  to  arrest  the  parties  who  were  in  the  dis- 
turbance during  Monday? 

A.  None  that  I  can  learn. 

Q.  Did  he  make  any  effort  at  any  time  ? 

A.  I  think  not. 

Q.  Did  he  call  for  any  posse  to  assist  you  in  any  way  ? 

A.  He  swore  in  the  next  day  quite  a  number  of  deputy  sheriffs,  but  on 
Monday  I  don't  think  he  called  on  any.  He  issued  his  proclamation  and 
called  and  put  it  up,  I  think,  in  the  evening,  about  five  or  six  o'clock. 

Q.  On  Monday  ? 

A.  On  Monday. 

Q.  Now,  can  you  give  us  the  substance  of  the  proclamation  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  cannot.     I  didn't  see  it. 

Q.  Didn't  see  it? 

A.  No. 

A.  Was  there  any  call  made  for  the  militia  to  come  out,  by  the  sheriff, 
to  preserve  the  peace  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  the  militia  happened  to  come  here  ? 

A.  Well,  it  was  said  afterwards  that  they  came  here  by  the  order  of 
General  Bolton. 

Q.  Monday  night — go  on  and  describe  the  situation  of  affairs,  if  you 
will — where  the  crowd  was,  and  what  took  place  on  Monday  night? 

A.  The  main  crowd  was  up  at  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  Penn,  and 
where  there  are  always  quite  a  number  of  men  congregated,  particularly 
at  that  hour,  shortly  before  dusk,  and  about  that  time.  There  had  been 
large  crowds  there  for  some  weeks  or  so,  who  frequently  congregated  there, 
and  on  that  night,  as  a  matter  of  course,  it  would  be  expected  there  would 
be  more,  in  consequence  of  the  transactions  that  took  place  during  the 
day.  People  went  there  to  see  the  excitement,  and  so  on,  and  it  was  with 
a  great  deal  of  difficult}',  as  I  understood  from  the  testimony  of  Chief 
Cullen,  that  they  could  keep  the  pass- way  clear,  to  allow  people  to  pass  up 
and  down  the  street.  I  think,  if  I  mistake  not,  Mr.  Cullen  had  nearly  all 
his  force  there.  He  was  chief  of  police,  and  once  or  twice,  I  think,  he 
stated  he  got  the  pass-way  cleared.  It  was  soon  blocked  up  again.  Just 
about  dusk,  or  a  little  after,  it  appears  that  General  Reeder  arrived  with 
some  men  at  the  outer  depot.  Mr.  Paxton,  in  communication  with  him, 
told  him  where  the  rioters  were,  and  where  one  of  the  cars  were  that  they 
wished  to  release  from  the  mob.  That  was  at  the  commencement  of  the 
cut  there.  The  general  oi"dered  his  men  right  there  to  release  that  car, 
and  I  suppose,  passing  through  the  cut.  He  concluded  to  force  his  men 
right  through.  I  don't  know  what  acquaintance  he  had  with  the  surround- 
ings of  the  cut,  but  it  strikes  me  very  forcibly,  even  now,  and  has  all  along, 
that  if  he  had  sent  a  dozen  men  on  either  side  of  that  cut,  and  his  main 
body  of  men  through  the  cut,  that  there  would  hardly  have  been  a  drop 
of  blood  shed.  As  these  troops  moved  up  the  cut,  they  were  met  with 
volleys  of  stones  and  missiles,  pistol-shooting,  &c,  from  above  either  side, 
as  they  were  passing  along  ;  and,  indeed,  I  cannot  see  how  the}'  got  through 
there  and  escaped  with  so  little  injury  as  they  did.  It  looks  to  me  almost 
:i  miracle.     Have  you  observed  the  cut — have  you  been  up  there  ? 

Q.   Only  in  passing  through  it. 

A.  The  testimony  came  in  that  they  would  throw  stones  large  enough — 
well,  too  large  for  one  man  to  handle — take  two  men — at  one  time  two 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  869 

men  were  seen  to  get  hold  of  a  large  stone,  and  push  it  right  over,  appar- 
ently on  to  them.  They  were  treated  in  that  way,  until  they  got  to  the 
lower  end  of  the  cut,  and  they  marched  up  the  tracks  on  either  side,  I 
think,  principally,  on  the  west  side.  When  they  got  about  two  thirds  of 
the  way  through  the  cut,  they  fired  forward,  killing  a  number  of  men  right 
at  the  corner  of  Penn  and  Seventh.  One  man  was  killed  about  two 
squares — better  than  two  squares — below.  He  was  on  his  way  up  town, 
somewhere.     A  man  by  the  name  of  Trace,  I  believe. 

Q.  A  citizen  of  the  city  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  a  citizen.  Two  or  three  men  were  killed  on  the  southeast 
cornir  or  near  the  southeast  corner  of  the  street,  near  the  gutter.  One  or 
two  of  them  were  on  the  sidewalk.  I  think  it  veiy  remarkable,  indeed, 
that  these  men  would  come  through  there,  and  when  they  met  with  these 
missiles  on  either  side  of  them,  that  they  would  fire  forward,  and  being 
attacked  as  they  were,  it  would  appear  as  though  they  would  fire  in  almost 
any  direction  for  relief,  and  get  out  as  speedily  as  possible. 

Q.  After  they  passed  through  the  cut,  did  they  encounter  the  mob  at 
the  end  of  the  cut  ? 

A.  Some  of  them.  Those  that  were  throwing  these  missiles,  on  either 
side,  I  dare  say,  didn't  organize  in  front  of  them;  but  there  was  some  of 
the  parties — some  of  the  same  mob — there. 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  there,  after  they  had  passed  through? 

A.  No  ;  not  after  they  had  passed  through. 

Q.  What  sti-eet  did  they  come  out  on,  in  passing  through  the  cut  ? 

A.  Out  on  Penn  street,  and  then  down  Penn. 

Q.  There  was  no  firing,  as  they  passed  through  the  cut  ? 

A.  No  ;  not  after  they  had  got  on  to  Penn,  west  of  Seventh. 

Q.  Did  the  troops  accomplish  what  they  were  sent  to — started  to  accom- 
plish— gaining  possession  of  the  car  ? 

A.  Yes;  they  did  that. 

Q.  How  long  did  the  troops  remain  in  the  city,  then  ? 

A.  Well,  during  the  night,  I  think.     I  think  they  left  the  next  morning 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  they  went  to  from  there  ? 

A.  No;  I  don't;  but  1  learned  that  they  had  gone  back  to  Allentown 
or  Easton. 

Q.  Were  any  troops  left  at  Reading,  at  all  ? 

A.  Yes ;  there  was  some  left  at  the  outer  depot. 

Q.  To  guard  railroad  property  ? 

A.  To  guard  the  property  of  the  railroad  company. 

Q.  Was  there  any  disturbance  occurred  after  that  Monday  night? 

A.  None,  that  I  could  learn. 

Q.  Was  the  mob  dispersed  by  the  firing  that  took  place  ? 

A.  Effectually. 

Q.  Did  they  ever  rally,  or  come  together  again  ? 

A.  No  ;  no  rallying  there. 

Q.  I  wish  you  would  give  us  the  number  of  killed — the  number  that  was 
actually  killed — so  far  as  you  can  ? 

A.  There  were  ten  killed — then  another  one  subsequently  died,  about 
six  or  eight  weeks,  I  think,  afterwards — Corbett — from  the  wounds  re- 
ceived at  the  same  time. 

Q.  Making  eleven  in  all  ? 

A.  Making  eleven  altogether. 

Q..  Were  these  all  citizens,  or  a  portion  of  them  soldiers  ? 

A.  They  were  all  citizens — no  soldiers. 


870  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Were  any  of  them  actually  engaged,  or  were  they  citizens  who  had 
congregated  there  out  of  curiosity? 

A.  The  larger  part  of  them  were  there  out  of  curiosity.  Two  of  those 
that  were  killed  were  said  to  have  had  something  to  do  with  this  matter, 
and  were  not  innocent.  The  others — that  is.  taking  it  for  granted  that 
they  were  innocent,  by  being  there,  which  the  law,  I  believe,  doesn't  grant, 
either — may  be  said  to  have  been  innocent.  Trace  was,  perhaps,  the  least 
censurable  of  any  of  them,  for  he  was  far  away  from  the  scene  where  this 
was  transacted. 

Q.  I  understand  you  to  say  this :  of  the  killed  there  were  only  two  who 
were  actually  engaged  in  the  riots  ? 

A.  I  would  say,  whose  record  was  not  altogether  clear — free  from  cen- 
sure. 

Q.  Now,  how  many  persons  were  wounded,  so  far  as  you  could  ascertain  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  ascertain  ;  but  I  presume  there  were  as  many  as  six  or 
eight  more  that  were  wounded — probably  more. 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  many  of  the  soldiers  were  wounded  ? 

A.  No ;  I  didn't  learn,  but  I  understand — I  think  that  there  were  but 
two  or  three  that  were  in  any  ways  seriously  hurt — none  mortally. 

Q.  Now  you  may  state  what  efforts  were  made  by  the  sheriff  on  Tues- 
day— Monday  night  and  Tuesday  to  preserve  the  peace  ? 

A.  The  only  effort  that  he  made  then  that  I  know  of  was  that  he  sent 
notice  to  quite  a  number  of  the  citizens  to  call  at  his  office  and  be  sworn  in  as 
deputy  sheriffs.     What  instructions  they  received  from  him  I  don't  know. 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  many  offered  themselves  or  responded  to  his  notice  ? 

A.  I  don't  know,  but  I  understood  there  was  some  five  or  six  hundred 
citizens  that  were  sworn  in  by  him  or  his  deputy. 

Q.  What  efforts  did  the  mayor  make,  if  any,  to  preserve  the  peace  during 
the  entire  disturbance  ? 

A.  The  mayor  was  not  here  at  the  time,  but  returned  the  night,  I  think, 
shortly  before  these  troops  left.  He  afterwards  went  out  to  the  depot  and 
was  in  communication  with  General  Reeder,  if  I  mistake  not.  I  don't 
think  that  anything  further  was  done  to  suppress  the  mob,  for  everything 
was  quiet  then. 

Q.  The  chief  of  police  was  on  the  ground  was  he  ? 

A.  He  was  on  the  ground,  and  I  think  manfully  did  his  duty. 

Q.  How  many  police  were  on  duty  at  the  time  in  the  city  ? 

A.  I  suppose  there  were  about  twentj^-five  or  thirty,  I  forget  the  number. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  authority  the  mayor  has  in  case  of  riot  and  dis- 
turbances, given  by  the  charter  of  the  city  or  the  laws  relating  to  the  city  ? 

A.  I  have  never  read  them.  I  have  never  read  the  charter  of  the  city; 
but  my  own  judgment  would  tell  me  that  he  had  power  of  suppressing — 
the  same  power  of  suppressing  a  riot  that  a  sheriff  would  have. 

Q.  Was  that  matter  discussed,  or  taken  into  consideration  b}r  the  citi- 
zens at  the  time  ?  Did  you  hear  any  expression  by  legal  gentlemen  as  to 
what  the  power  of  the  mayor  was  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that  I  did  ;  but  the  matter  was  discussed  prett}^  freely 
among  citizens,  and  some  seemed  to  think  that  the  mayor  ought  to  have 
suppressed  the  riot.     I  presume  he  would  if  he  had  been  here. 

Q.  Did  he  arrive  here  before  the  firing  took  place  in  the  cut  ? 

A.  No. 

().  Not  until  after? 

A.  Not  until  afterwards. 

Q.  Did  the  chief  of  police  make  any  arrests,  to  your  knowledge,  prior  to 
the  conflict  between  the  troops  and  the  mob  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  181*7.  871 

A.  No;  they  made  no  arrests  so  far  as  I  could  learn.  It  seems  they 
were  under  the  impression  that  they  were  almost  entirely  powerless  with 
the  meager  number  they  had  to  arrest  them. 

Q.  They  didn't  feel  strong  enough  to  cope  with  the  mob  without  greater 
assistance  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  "Were  any  arrests  made  that  afternoon  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  a  great  many  arrests. 

Q.  By  what  authority — by  whom  ? 

A.  Well,  by  the  chief  of  police — they  made  the  most  of  the  arrests. 

Q.  Were  any  arrests  made  by  the  sheriff? 

A.  I  think  not.     I  don't  know  of  any. 

Q.  The  arrests  then  were  mostly  made  by  the  chief  of  police  on  warrants 
issued  by  the  mayor  ? 

A.  I  think  they  were  issued  by  the  mayor. 

Q.  What  was  done  with  those  persons  who  were  arrested? 

A.  Some  of  them  were  taken  up  to  jail.     Others  were  released  on  bail. 

Q.  How  many  have  been  tried  ? 

A.  I  suppose  there  were  between  forty  and  fifty  that  were  tried — they 
were  to  have  been  tried.     Whether  they  have  all  been  or  not,  I  don't  know. 

Q.  How  long  is  this  cut  ? 

A.  Well,  it  is  nearly  two  squares. 

Q.  How  soon  after  the  soldiers  were  in  did  they  begin  to  attack  them  ? 

A.  Within  about  probably  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes. 

Q.  Did  they  continue  to  fire  on  them  then  until  they  got  down  on  to  Penn 
street,  where  the  cut  runs  down  level ? 

A.  No,  not  quite.  I  don't  think  there  were  any  stones  thrown  after  they 
had  passed  Court  street,  within  just  half  a  square  from  Penn. 

Q.  The  firing  didn't  commence  until  they  got  on  to  the  cut? 

A.  No  ;  it  was  before  the  firing  on  the  soldiers  you  mean  ? 

Q.  Yes,  sir  ? 

A.  It  was  not,  I  think,  until  after  they  passed  Court  street — about  that. 

Q.  It  was  still  in  the  cut  ? 

A.  Still  in  the  cut. 

Q.  Then  they  got  out  of  the  cut  on  to  level  ground,  and  then  it  was  that 
the  firing  was  done,  and  when  the  mob  was  dispersed. 

A.  Yes  ;  there  was  firing  done  there,  and  at  Penn  street.  They  couldn't 
fire  up  and  down  Penn  street  without  being  very  close  to  it. 

Q.  And  this  stone  that  took  two  men  to  throw  down — did  that  hit  any- 
body ? 

A.  That  is  more  than  I  know ;  not  directly,  evidently,  or  it  would  have 
killed  them. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Was  the  sympathy  of  the  people  of  the  city  of  Reading  with  the 
strikers,  the  discharged  employes  of  the  Reading  railroad  ? 

A.  Well,  there  was  sympathy  on  both  sides,  evidently ;  and  during  the 
da}7,  on  Monday,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  quite  a  number  of  the  people 
sympathized  with  the  strikers,  rather  than  with  the  railroad  company. 

Q.  You  say  on  both  sides.  Now,  I  would  like  to  know  what  you  mean 
by  both  sides  ? 

A.  I  mean  the  Reading  Railroad  Company  and  the  dismissed  engineers 
of  the  road. 

Q.  Then,  in  your  opinion,  the  sympathy  of  the  people  of  Reading  was 
with  the  employes  of  the  Reading  railroad  in  striking  and  destruction  of 
property  ? 


872  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29 , 

A.  No  ;  I  couldn't  say  that. 

Q.  My  question  was  simply  this  :  that  I  wanted  to  know  if  the  citizens 
of  the  city  of  Reading  were  in  sympathy  with  the  strikers,  or  the  dis- 
charged employes  of  the  Reading  road  ? 

A.  I  should  say  no  ;  although  they  had  a  good  many  to  sympathize  with 
them  here  in  the  city. 

Q.  Well,  then,  Mr.  Goodhart,  were  they  simply  discharged  employes  of 
the  Reading  road  that  participated  in  this  destruction  of  property  ? 

A.  That  question  I  cannot  answer,  because,  as  I  stated  before,  I  don't 
know  any  of  the  engineers  of  the  road  now. 

Q.  Did  there  appear  to  be  any  tramps  or  any  strangers  connected  with 
this  party  who  were  with  the  engineers  or  employes  of  the  Reading  road  ? 

A.  So  far  as  I  know  they  were  all  strangers  to  me,  and  I  have  very  lit- 
tle hesitation  in  saying,  that  a  good  many  of  them  were  strangers,  coming 
here  from  a  distance. 

Q.  From  a  distance  and  from  other  sections  of  the  country  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir.  I  think  a  number  of  them  were  strangers,  not  citizens  of 
the  place,  nor  had  they  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Reading  Railroad  Com- 
pany. 

Q.  To  your  knowledge,  do  you  know  whether  or  not,  the  mayor  of  the 
city  of  Reading  ordered  out  his  police  to  suppress  these  rioters  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge. 

Q.  When  the  mayor  was  not  here,  was  there  any  person  in  authority  ? 

A.  The  chief  of  police.  Chief  Cullen,  he  has  stated,  took  his  men  up  to 
the  corner  of  Seventh  and  Penn  that  evening,  and  I  presume  did  his  ut- 
most to  clear  the  pass-way  there,  and  suppress  the  mob.  What  effect  it 
would  have  had  upon  them  had  they  arrested  two  or  three  or  half  a  dozen 
of  these  men  I  am  not  prepared  to  say,  it  might,  possibly,  have  dispersed 
the  mob. 

Q.  Well,  then,  Mr.  Goodhart,  in  your  opinion,  what  amount  of  men 
would  it  have  taken  to  suppress  this  mob  and  restore  order  and  peace  ? 

A.  I  should  think  that  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  men  would 
have  done  it,  properly  armed. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  other  property  was  destroyed  beside  the  destruction  of  the 
bridge  ? 

A.  There  was  a  few  houses  that  were  burned. 

Q.  Any  freight  in  them  ? 

A.  I  think  there  was  some,  and  then  there  was  some  property  destroyed 
right  on  the  road  here  in  the  city. 

Q.  Private  property  ? 

A.  No  ;  that  was  cars  loaded,  and  there  was  one  car  filled  with  tobacco, 
that  was  broken  into  and  a  great  deal  of  it  being  carried  away. 

Q.  Was  there  any  property  beside  railroad  property  destroyed  ? 

A.  No,  I  think  not  ;  not  that  I  know  of. 

Q.  What  day  was  the  other  property  destined — before  or  after  the  de- 
struction of  the  bridge? 

A.  That  was  afterwards. 

Q.  The  bridge  then.  I  understand,  was  the  first  thing  ? 

A.  No.  These  cars,  at  this  side  of  the  bridge,  were  the  first,  I  under- 
stood, that  were  burnt,  afterwards  the  bridge,  and  then,  on  Monday — this 
was  on  Saturday  night — and  on  the  Monday,  there  was  some  property 
destroyed  on  Seventh  street ;  coal  trains  were  arrested,  and  the  coal  was 
dumped  down  right  on  the  track,  at  different  places.  The  watchman's 
house  was  turned  upside  down. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  873 

Q.  Now,  I  understand  you  to  say  that  the  citizens,  some  of  them,  sym- 
pathized with  the  railroad  employes  who  had  been  discharged,  and  some 
sympathized  with  the  railroad  company  ?  That  is  the  way  you  put  it,  I 
believe  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Well,  now,  was  there  any  sympathy  manifested  by  the  citizens  of  Read- 
ing for  those  strikers  or  employes  after  they  began  to  destroy  property — 
or,  in  other  words,  in  sympathy  with  the  destruction  of  property  ? 

A.  None  whatever,  that  I  could  learn. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  There  was  no  disposition  on  the  part  of  the  rioters,  Mr.  Goodhart, 
if  I  understand  you,  to  destroy  any  property  except  that  which  belonged 
to  the  Reading  railroad  ? 

A .  Yes  ;  j  ust  so. 

Q.  Not  outside  of  it  ? 

A.  Not  outside  of  it. 

Q.  Where  did  you  get  your  information  in  regard  to  Mr.  Mullin  having 
proffered  his  services  to  the  sheriff? 

A.  Got  it  from  his  own  testimony. 

Q.  Before  you  at  the  coroner's  inquest  ? 

A.  Before  me ;  yes,  sir,  and  through  Mr.  Wootten,  also.  He  testified 
to  the  same  thins;. 


'a' 


E.  F.  Evans,  xivorn : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  You  were  mayor  of  the  city  of  Reading  during  the  past  summer  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  You  may  tell  us,  if  you  please,  where  you  were  when  the  difficulties 
in  J  uly  occurred  ? 

A.  On  the  Friday  morning  preceding  the  riot  in  this  city,  which  occurred 
on  the  Monday,  or  rather  the  burning  of  the  bridge,  took  place  on  Sunday 
night.  What  was  known  as  the  riot,  followed  on  Monday  night,  and  the 
firing  of  the  troops,  and  so  forth.  I  left  this  city  for  four  or  five  days,  and 
went  down  to  Ocean  Grove,  following  the  example  of  the  Executive  of  the 
State,  the  mayor  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  mayor  of  Scranton,  to  spend  a 
few  days  there,  intending  to  return  the  following  week,  and  at  that  time  I 
did  not  dream  or  apprehend  of  any  danger  here  with  a  strike  or  anything 
of  that  kind.  On  the  following  Monday  morning,  at  the  Grove,  I  received 
a  telegram  about  half  past  ten  or  eleven  o'clock,  from  the  chief  of  police 
of  this  city,  that  a  number  of  cars  were  on  fire.  At  that  time  it  said  noth- 
ing of  the  bridge,  in  fact  that  had  not  been  fired,  I  believe,  at  that  time. 
I  picked  up  my  things,  and  left  in  the  first  train,  which  was  shortly  after 
twelve  o'clock.  After  reaching  Allentown  that  night,  at  probably  seven 
o'clock,  I  was  informed  that  the  train  had  been  taken  off  the  East  Penn 
road,  and  I  could  not  reach  home.  I  then  telegraphed  to  Mr.  Wootten.  I 
stated  my  position  in  the  telegram  that  I  could  not  get  home.  He  then 
ordered  a  train  to  bring  me  over — a  special  car  and  engine  was  placed  at 
my  disposal — and  we  started  out  and  ran  here,  probably  at  half  past  ten 
or  eleven  o'clock.  That  was  on  Monday  evening — on,  I  believe,  the  23d,  if 
I  mistake  not ;  at  any  rate,  it  was  Monday  evening. 

Q.  Monday  evening  was  the  23d  ? 

A.  I  reached  this  city  after  the  firing  had  taken  place,  and  these  men 
had  been  wounded.  I  came  in  from  the  depot  and  came  down  to  my  office, 
issued  a  proclamation  requesting  our  citizens  to  uphold  the  authorities  of 
the  city.     Had  it  published  that  night,  or  rather  in  the  morning  paper.     I 


814  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

then  went  up  to  the  depot  and  remained  there  until  two  or  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  requesting  during  that  time  that  if  there  was  any  trouble, 
the  military  being  out  there,  that  they  should  take  charge,  my  police 
officers  then,  five  or  six  of  them  being  wounded,  and  they  had  been  on 
duty  Sunday  night,  and  all  day  Monday  and  Monday  night.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day,  then — I  think  it  was  the  following  day — I  swore  in  probably 
from  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  furnish- 
ing them  with  maces,  to  go  on  duty  if  any  further  danger  was  apprehended. 
There  was  but  little  occurred  after  Monday  night.  I  believe  the  tracks 
were  torn  up  in  some  places  on  Seventh  street,  but  not  to  any  extent. 
Didn't  amount  to  anything,  and  that  was  about  the  closing  of  what  I — we 
did  everything  we  could  after  I  returned  home — the  city  authorities — to 
suppress  any  further  violence  or  outbreak. 

Q.  And  succeeded  in  preserving  the  peace  ? 

A.  After  that  there  was  nothing  occurred. 

Q.  Did  the  citizens  respond  heartily  to  your  call  ? 

A.  As  a  general  thing,  as  I  have  stated,  probably  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-five or  one  hundred  and  fifty  were  sworn  in,  and  they  were  willing  to  do 
duty  when  called  upon. 

Q.  Was  there  any  question  about  your  authority  to  call  out  a  posse  of 
citizens  ? 

A.  It  was  voluntary.  It  was  supposed,  that  the  sheriff,  having  unlimited 
power,  should  have  acted,  whether  in  my  absence  or  not,  particularly  in 
my  being  absent,  and  should  have  called  on  parties  up  there.  I  do  not 
know  when  he  reached  here.  There  was  a  train  or  engine  sent  for  him  to 
bring  him  back  to  the  city.  He  resides  somewhere  below  the  city.  Of 
course,  hearsay  evidence  does  not  amount  to  anything,  but  they  said  he 
didn't  act  as  promptly  as  he  should  have  done.  That  is  what  I  heard  after 
I  reached  home.  When  I  reached  home  on  Monday  evening,  I  learned  he 
had  issued  a  proclamation  sometime  that  evening. 

Q.  Everything  was  quiet  on  Friday,  as  I  understand  you,  when  you  left? 

A.  I  didn't  apprehend  any  danger  at  all.  There  was  nothing  spoken  of 
riot  or  any  outbreak,  or  anything  of  the  kind  — didn't  dream  of  such  a  thing. 

Q.  Was  there  any  larger  number  of  idle  men,  discharged  men,  in  the  city 
at  that  time  than  usual  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of.  I  passed  around  portions  of  the  city,  the  greater 
part  of  it,  and  I  found  nothing  that  would  be  necessary  to  call  into  order 
the  police  officers  after  I  returned  home. 

Q.  How  large  a  police  force  had  you  at  the  time  ? 

A.  That  I  cannot  exactly  tell.  At  that  time  it  was  reduced,  either  be- 
fore or  after  that,  I  think,  however,  before  that — amounting  to  some  twen- 
ty-six or  twenty-nine  men. 

Q.  Did  you  make  any  arrests  after  ? 

A.  There  were  quite  a  number  of  arrests  made.  I  think  in  all  to  be  prob- 
ably fifty — forty  or  fifty,  or  along  there. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  what  the  cause  of  the  outbreak  was  ? 

A.  Only  from  heresay. 

Q.  What  did  the  men  themselves  assign?  What  did  they  give  as  their 
reasons  ? 

A.  I  didn't  converse  with  any  of  the  men  on  the  subject. 

Q.  Did  you  form  any  opinion  of  yourself? 

A.  In  reference  to  the  outbreak  ? 

Q.  In  reference  to  the  cause  of  the  outbreak. 

A.  I  didn't.  Nothing  more,  than  I  presume  it  was  stimulated  by  the 
action  taken  in  other  portions  of  the  country.     There  was  then  an  out- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  875 

break,  I  believe,  in  some  portions  of  Maryland,  if  I  mistake  not,  near  Bal- 
more,  and  perhaps  in  Pittburgh,  or  near  there. 
By  Senator  Torbert : 

Q.  The  bridge  was  burned  down  before  you  returned  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;   I  believe  Stokely  left  the  same  da}r  1  did,  and  also  the 
Scranton  man. 

At  this  point,  the  committee  adjourned  till  half-past  one  o'clock,  this  af- 
ternoon. 


AFTERNOON  SESSION. 

Reading,  April  19,  1878. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment.     All  members  present, 
except  Messrs.  Reyburn,  Larrabee,  and  Yutzy. 

Peter  Cullen,  sworn  : 

By  Mi\  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  where  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  reside  1022,  Centre  avenue. 

Q.  Were  you  connected  with  the  police  officers  of  the  city  of  Reading 
in  July  last  ? 

A.  1  was. 

Q.  In  what  capacity  ? 

A.  Chief  of  police. 

Q.  State  what  day  the  first  disturbance  or  assemblage  of  strikers  in  an}' 
considerable  number  occurred? 

A.  That  was  on  Sunday  night,  July  22. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  difficulty  threatened  before  that,  to  your  knowl- 
edge ? 

A.  There  didn't  appear  to,  in  a  general  way,  going  round  the  streets — 
the  principal  streets.  There  had  been  a  great  deal  of  talk.  Parties  gath- 
ering, would  talk  quietly.  Some  were  excited  ;  that  is,  on  the  news  re- 
ceived from  Pittsburgh.  That  seemed  to  start  them  up  some,  but  there 
was  not  anything  particular  done  until  Sunday  night,  on  22d,  when  the 
mob  went  out  to  the  outer  depot,  or  the  new  depot  of  the  Philadelphia 
and  Reading  Railroad  Company,  and  the  first  intimation  I  had  that  a  mob 
had  gone  out  there ;  in  fact,  I  did  not  expect  anything  serious.  The  first 
intimation  I  had,  was  standing  at  the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Penn,  and  I  was 
informed  that  the  crowd,  or  mob,  had  gone  out  to  the  depot,  and  were  at 
the  depot.  That  they  were  there,  hooting  and  yelling,  and  throwing  stones 
before  the  engines,  and  pulling  down  engineers,  and  so  forth.  I  imme- 
diately started  out  this  street,  to  go  to  the  depot,  and  I  got  as  far  as 
Fifth  and  Elm,  and  found  that  box  35  fire-alarm  sounded,  and  I  also  saw 
the  flame  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Coinpairy's  property. 
Saw  flames  near  Fifth  street  bridge,  between  the  depot  and  the  bridge,  just 
about  a  square  off — not  more  from  the  depot ;  and  I  took  Fifth  street  route, 
and  then  saw  the  crowd  had  gone  over  into  the  cut,  and  on  to  the  track  of 
the  Lebanon  Valley  road,  and  I  saw  the  cars  were  on  fire.  As  I  got  to 
Fifth  and  Elm,  I  found  Chief  Engineer  Boyer  going  out  in  his  usual  style, 
and  I  proceeded  to  the  fire,  and  when  I  got  there,  I  found  there  were  a 
good  many  people  there.  The  cabooses  were  on  fire  and  burning  on  the 
tracks  at  that  time.     There  didn't  appear  to  be  any  disturbance  of  any 


S1(\  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

kind,  but  the  crowd  was  very  large.  That  was  Sunday  evening,  July  22, 
and  the  crowd  was  large,  and  somewhat  excited  ;  but  there  was  no  fight- 
ing. There  was  nothing  in  the  way  of  any  disturbance  going  on  at  that 
time,  as  the  work  had  been  done,  which  it  appears  the  rioters  had  accom- 
plished— which  was  intended.  That  was  to  burn  the  cars.  I  saw  Chief 
Engineer  Boyer  then,  and  asked  him  about  the  fire  department  going  into 
service,  and  he  said  he  had  been  stopped,  companies  had  been  stoned,  and 
wrere  not  allowed  to  go  into  service.  We  consulted  together,  and  told  him 
we  would  do  all  in  our  power  to  get  the  fire  department  into  service.  He 
was  willing  to  do  anything ;  and  then  G.  A.  Nichols,  the  vice  president  of 
the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  road,  he  came  there,  and  myself  and  Chief 
Engineer  Boyer  and  Mr.  Nichols  talked  about  this  matter  together,  and 
Nichols  asked  me  how  many  officers  I  had  there.  I  looked  around,  and 
found  I  had  about  six  or  seven  officers,  and  Mr.  Nichols  asked  me  if  we 
had  all  revolvers  and  pistols.  I  told  him,  I  was  not  so  sure  about  that.  I 
thought  the  most  of  the  men  had.  I  had,  and  I  thought  most  of  the  men  had. 
I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  this  matter  was  a  very  serious  disturbance, 
and  we  agreed  that  I  would  get  the  entire  police  force  together,  and  to  go 
immediately  to  the  scene  of  the  riot,  and  to  get  the  fire  department  in  the 
service,  and  instructed  the  men  on  the  ground  to  do  all  in  their  power  to 
assist  Chief  Engineer  Boyer,  of  the  fire  department,  and  keep  the  peace,  so 
far  as  was  in  their  power  to  do  so,  until  I  could  get  back  with  the  balance  of 
the  force.  I  got  as  many  of  the  men  together  as  I  possibly  could,  and  in- 
structed them  to  proceed  at  once  to  Chief  Engineer  Boyer,  to  render  him 
such  aid  as  was  in  their  power  to  do  so ;  and  we  found  by  the  time  I  had 
got  around,  or  not  quite  around — and  found  a  box  on  Jefferson  street  had 
sounded  an  alarm,  and  the  cry  was  raised  that  the  Lebanon  Valley  bridge 
was  on  fire,  and  I  saw  the  illumination,  which  showed  that  the  bridge  was 
on  fire.  I  proceeded  to  the  telegraph  office,  and  telegraphed  to  Mayor 
Evans  to  come  home  at  once,  that  the  cabooses  were  burning,  and  that 
there  was  serious  trouble  apprehended,  and  the  state  of  affairs  at  that  time 
was  very  bad  in  the  city.  The  whole  population  was  very  much  excited, 
and  there  were  a  great  many  of  the  people  in  the  city,  in  the  confusion,  run- 
ning round  in  the  streets,  in  all  directions.  Everything  seemed  to  be  con- 
fused. When  I  found  the  bridge  had  been  on  fire,  instructed  the  officers 
to  go  to  the  bridge,  and  they  did  so  ;  but  when  they  got  out,  that  work  of 
destruction  had  been  completed,  so  far  as  the  bridge  was  concerned.  The 
city  that  night  was  in  a  continual  state  of  excitement,  and  the  property  of 
the  Reading  Railroad  Company  seemed  to  be  in  danger,  if  not  the  cit}'  of 
Reading,  and  matters  went  on  in  that  way,  and  also  on  the  following  day, 
(Monday.)  The  mob  kept  together.  They  stopped  engines,  and  were 
drinking  around  and  disorderly,  and  they  seemed  to  have  a  great  many 
sympathizers  in  the  city  at  the  time.  I  sent  out  for  two  hundred  men. 
There  were  two  prominent  gentlemen  in  Reading,  Captain  E.  P.  Boas  and 
Henry  S.  Eckart,  that  called  upon  me  at  the  office,  and  asked  what  could 
be  done.  I  told  them  I  was  willing  to  do  anything,  but  we  wanted  more 
help,  and  this  thing  done  right,  and  they  agreed  at  once  that  they  would 
be  responsible  for  two  hundred  men.  They  would  see  that  they  were  paid, 
and  they  would  equip  them  and  give  them  all  seven-shooters  and  cartridges, 
and  so  forth.  I  then  detailed  a  number  of  men — cannot  tell  the  exact  num- 
ber— to  go  out  in  the  different  parts  of  the  city,  and  to  prevail  upon  par- 
ties to  come  to  the  city  hall,  and  to  go  on  duty  to  help  squelch  the  riot. 
I  waited  and  waited,  and  all  in  vain,  and  the  reports  that  came  in  by  the 
different  officers  was  that  they  could  not  get  anybody  to  assist.  They 
would  only  laugh,  and  make  different  kinds  of  remarks  ;  they  didn't  want 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  877 

their  heads  shot  off,  and  they  were  going  against  their  friends,  and  it  was 
a  workingman's  fight,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  This  was  immediately  after  dinner,  on  Monday,  the  23d,  and  I  onl}' 
found  there  was  one  man  I  could  get  in  the  whole  city  to  respond  to  the 
call  of  two  hundred  men.     I  inquired  about  the  sheriff  that  night. 

Q.  State  what  inquiries  you  made  of  the  sheriff? 

A.  I  first  went  to  the  residence  of  the  sheriff,  where  he  lived,  on  South 
Sixth  street — that  was  about  twelve  o'clock,  or  half-past  twelve,  Sunday 
night — and  they  informed  me  that  he  was  not  in  the  city.    He  had  been  down 
home,  somewheres  near  or  in  the  neighborhood  of  Pottstown — a  little  this 
side.     I  didn't  know  what  to  do  at  the  moment,  so  I  called  on  Judge  Ha- 
genman  and  told  him  the  state  of  affairs,  and  how  the  city  was,  and  how 
the  town  was  in  danger  of  being  destroyed,  that  the  torch  of  incendiaries 
had  been  applied  to  the  property,  and  all  that,  and  I  asked  what  might  be 
best  to  do  under  the  circumstances.     I  told  him   Sheriff  Yorgy  was  not 
home,  and  he  advised  me  at  once  to  try  to  get  Yorgy  to  come  to  the  city 
as  quick  as  possible.     I  immediately,  then,  went  to  the  office  of  Mr.  Pax- 
ton,  the  master  machinist  of  the  P.  and  R.  Railroad  Company,  and  I  met 
him  at  his  office.     That  was  on  Monday  morning,  about  one  or  half-past 
one  o'clock.     It  might  have  been  in  the  neighborhood  of  two.     1  asked 
him  whether  he  would  accommodate  me — whether  he  could  send  a  telegram 
for  Sheriff  Yorgy  to  come  on  at  once  to  the  city,  that  there  was  a  riot  here, 
and  a  large  mob  had  gathered  here  and  were  destroying  the  property  of 
the  P.  and  R.,  and  the  city  of  Reading  was  in  danger.     Mr.  Paxton  was 
willing  to  do  anything,  and  had  the  telegram  sent.     I  also  asked  Mr.  Pax- 
ton  if  he  would  furnish  a  special  engine  to  bring  the  sheriff  on  to  Reading, 
as  it  was  very  important.     Mr.  Paxton  did  so,  and  had  an  engine  furnished 
to  the  sheriff,  and  he  had  also  a  conveyance  from  the  sheriff's  house  to  the 
engine.     The  sheriff  arrived,  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  early  in  the 
morning,  about  daylight,  or  thereabouts.     I  went  to  the  sheriff's  office  on 
that  Monday  moiming,  and  found  him  in  his  office  in  the  court-house.     I 
went  to  consult  him  as  regards  the  situation,  and  making  arrangements  to 
see  what  could  be  done.     Told  him  it  was  necessary  to  act  at  once,  and  act 
promptly,  and  to  get  at  least  five  hundred  men  if  he  possibly  could.     He 
seemed,  at  that  time,  willing,  and  said  he  had  sent  for  William  B.  Albright. 
He  wanted  to  consult  with  him  as  regards  the  matter,  and  he  showed  all 
signs  of  willingness  to  act  and  perforin  his  duty  on  that  occasion.     I  told 
him  I  was  willing  to  do  anj-thing  to  aid,  help,  or  assist  in  the  matter,  and 
to  have  this  thing  wiped  out ;  and  I  came  back  to  the  office,  then,  on  that 
morning,  and  waited  there  with  the  intention  of  reporting  to  the  sheriff, 
and  about  nine  or  ten  o'clock  on  that  morning  Mr.  J.  E.  Wootten,  the  super- 
intendent, at  that  time,  I  believe,  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad 
Company,  and  he  informed  me  at  the  city  hall  that  the  sheriff  had  backed 
out,  and  was  not  going  to  act ;  that  he  would  not  do  anything.     I  was  very 
much  surprised  to  hear  that  answer,  as  he  had  seemed  to  be  willing  in  the 
morning,  and  matters  were  getting  worse  all  the  time.     On  that  Monday 
evening,  at  six  o'clock,  I  took  the  entire  police  force. 

Q.  Now,  starting  with  the  Monday  evening,  you  give  a  full  history  here 
in  this  evidence?     [Indicating  testimony  taken  before  coroner's  inquest.] 

A.  From  there  on,  as  to  what  occurred  ? 

Q.  A  full  history  you  give  here  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  is  about  correct  there  as  to  the  trouble. 

Q.  State  whether  this  is  evidence  given  by  you  before  the  coroner's  in- 
quest ? 


878  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Yes  ;  that  is  all  correct. 

Q.  This  is  your  evidence,  given  under  oath  ? 

A.  That  is  evidence  given  under  oath  before  Coroner  Goodhart  at  the 
city  hall,  immediately  after  the  trouble. 

Testimony  offered  in  evidence  is  as  follows : 

On  Monday  evening,  at  six  o'clock,  I  started  out  with  the  force  for 
Seventh  and  Penn  streets,  where  a  large  crowd  had  collected.     I  informed 
the  officers  that  we  would  have  to  go  there,  and  do  our  duty.     I  found  that 
nearly  all  the  officers  had  pistols.    Marched  them  to  Seventh  and  Penn.    Saw 
thousands  of  people  there.    Many  strangers  whom  I  had  never  seen  before. 
There  were  people  in  all  directions.     The  pavements  and  walls,  as  far  as  I 
could  see  along  Seventh  street,  were  lined  with  people,  and  the  crowd  ex- 
tended up  and  down  Penn  street ;  and  I  got  into  the  crowd  at  Seventh  and 
Penn  streets.     I  called  upon  the  crowd  to  disperse,  but  the  people  paid  but 
little  attention  to  me.     I  then  ordered  the  force  up,  for  the  purpose  of  press- 
ing the  force  back,  which  they  did,  and  I  succeeded  in  clearing  the  pavements. 
Cleared  the  whole  corner  and  crossings,  and  I  kept  the  passage  open  on  one 
side  for  a  certain  length  of  time  to  allow  parties  to  pass,  as  also  the  street  cars. 
A  large  number  were  forced  up  the  cut  in  driving  them  away,  most  of  whom 
were  strangers,  which  made  the  crowd  there  much  larger.     I. then  drew  the 
force  up  in  line  from  Bechtol's  corner  over  toward  the  TJbil  house.     I  was 
expecting  an  attack  at  that  time  from  the  party  in  the  cut.     I  noticed  then, 
that  they  disconnected  the  engine,  and  commenced  running  it  up  towards 
us,  as  also  the  freight  car,  and  I  expected  that  they  intended  to  attack  our 
police  force.     They  came  forward  to  within  sixty  or  seventy -five  yards  of 
us.     They  saw  our  lines  were  firm  and  solid,  and  they  then  stopped.     I  re- 
mained in  that  position  for  some  time  with  the  force.     I  found  then  that 
the  party  I  had  at  first  dispersed,  had  come  in  around  me  in  all  directions. 
Things  then  became  quiet  in  the  cut,  and  the  people  remained  there.     I 
then  formed  the  force  north  and  south,  with  the  right  resting  on  Breneiser's 
corner.     I  had  all  the  police  force  that  was  at  my  command.     1  had  them 
along  the  one  track.     I  then   detailed  men  to  open  the  crossings,  which 
they  succeeded  in  doing.     That  position  enabled  ns  to  keep  the  crossings 
clear,  and  to  allow  street  cars  to  pass.     The  crowd  was  very  large  during 
all  this  time.     There  were  thousands  there.     The  first  disturbance  that  I 
heard,  was  on   Sunday  evening  about  nine  o'clock.     I  heard  they   had 
stopped  a  train,  and  that  they  had  things  their  own  way.     There  had  been 
gatherings  on  Saturday  evening,  but  there  was  nothing  of  a  serious  nature. 
There  were  no  arrests  made  until  Tuesday.     I  had  twenty-six  or  twenty- 
eight  men  on  the  force  at  my  command.     I  consulted  on  Monday  with  some 
of  the  officials  of  the  road,  also  on  Sunday.     They  made  no  report  to  me 
of  threatened   destruction  of  their  property.     I  was  at  the  filing  of  the 
caboose  on  Sunday  evening,  and  had  seven  or  eight  men  there.     I  received 
information  of  a  disturbance  at  the  depot,  and  went  there — the  alarm  struck 
before  I  got  there.     I  saw  the  light  from  Fifth  and  Elm  streets.     I  was 
not  at  the  Lebanon  Valley  railroad  bridge.     I  met  Howard  Boyer  at  the 
first  fire.     He  told  me  his  carriage  had  been  stoned,  that  the  mob  would  not 
let  him  put  any  water  on  the  fire.     I  consulted  with  Howard  Boyer,  and 
we  concluded  that  it  would  be  best  not  to  interfere.     We  had  no  idea  who 
the  parties  were  who  were  implicated  in  this  matter — they  were  not  all 
strangers — some  of  them  have  since  been  arrested.     I  applied   for  special 
power.     I  was  authorized  by  two  citizens  to  raise  a  special  force  of  two 
hundred  men.     I  sent  the  members  of  my  force  out  to  endeavor  to  en- 
list men  to  do  special  duty  up  to  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  but  failed 
to  obtain  any.     There  was   no  person  here  who   had  appointing  power. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  879 

Persons  laughed  at  our  policemen  when  they  asked  for  help.     Five  officers 
of  the  force  were  seriously  wounded  on  Monday  evening.     I  received  in- 
formation on  Monday  evening,  at   Seventh  and  Penn,  that  troops  were 
coming.     Half  an  hour  afterwards  heard  that  troops  had  arrived  at  the 
outer  depot.     I  was  not  present  at  their  arrival,  was  not  requested  to  be 
there,  had  no  communication  with  them.     Did  not  know  who  ordered  them 
here,  or  for  what  purpose  they  had  come.     The  first   I  heard,  was  two 
pistol  shots  from  above  Court  street.     I  didn't  see  any  bricks  thrown,  as 
I  had  enough  to  do  at  Seventh  and  Penn.     I  couldn't  see  anything  but  the 
people,  as  everything  was  a  solid  mass.     I   saw  some  of  the  killed  and 
wounded,  and  helped  to  carry  some  of  them  off.     I  knew  Mr.  Weaver,  who 
was  killed.     The  first  I  saw  of  the  soldiers,  was  when  they  passed  down 
Penn.     I   saw  no  wounded  soldiers  then,  but   have  seen   several  since. 
During  Sunday  night  and  Monday  I  felt  that  my  force  was  entirely  ineffi- 
cient, from  the  large  crowds  which  were  gathering  and  the  excitement.     I 
had  a  consultation  with   Sheriff  Yorgej'  in  his  office  in   the  court-house, 
soon  after  his  arrival.     I  had  telegraphed  for  him  to  come  at  quarter  past 
two  o'clock  on  Monday  morning.     1  telegraphed  from  the  depot,  after  try- 
ing at  several  other  places.     I  had  arranged  with  Mr.  Paxon  to  furnish  a 
special  train  to  bring  him  up.     He  arrived  about  five  o'clock.     I  informed 
the  sheriff  of  the  condition  of  affairs  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
Told  him  it  would  be  necessary  for  him  to  summon  a  thousand  men,  or 
thereabouts.     He  told  me  he  had  intended  to  do  it,  but  it  would  take 
some  time.     1  was  certain  he  intended  to  do  it,  but  he  told  me  had  sent 
for  William  B.  Albright,  and  was  waiting  for  him.     I  telegraphed  him  that 
I  wanted  help.     Two  hours  after  my  interview,  Mr.  Wootten,  of  the  Read- 
ing railroad,  called  upon  me  and  said  that  Sheriff  Yorgey  refused  to  act, 
which  very  much  surprised  me.     There  was  no  force  called  out  until  to- 
day.    I  placed  myself  in  communication  with  the  mayor,  telegraphed  to 
him  at  a  quarter  past  twelve,  A.  m.,  on  Monday,  July  23.     I  informed  him 
of  the  condition  of  affairs.     Asked  him  to  come  home  at  once,  that  tracks 
were  being  torn  up,  freight  cars  had  been  burned,  &c.     I  was  told  that  the 
telegraph  office  at  Ocean  Grove  had  closed.     The  mayor  arrived  in  Read- 
ing on  Monday  night.     The  men  on  the  police  force  obeyed  my  commands 
whenever  I  asked  them  to  do  so. 

I  heard  two  pistol  shots  in  the  cut,  and  immediately  afterwards  I  heai'd 
a  volley.  Those  balls  did  not  come  down  our  way,  of  airy  account.  The 
next  volley  came  into  us,  as  well  as  the  third  volley.  I  realized  the  situ- 
ation at  once.  The  people  commenced  running  in  all  directions.  I  re- 
quested all  of  them  to  get  out  of  the  way.  I  was  struck  by  a  ball  on  my 
left  breast,  while  on  duty  at  Seventh  and  Penn.  I  was  expecting  that  the 
military,  upon  their  arrival,  would  report  to  some  of  the  civil  authorities. 
All  the  information  that  I  received  was,  that  the  troops  had  arrived  at  the 
outer  depot. 

There  were  shots  fired  on  Penn  street.  Know  that  shots  were  fired 
down,  as  I  was  in  the  party.  At  about  half  past  seven  in  the  evening,  was 
informed  of  the  arrival  of  troops  at  the  outer  depot.  Things  looked  "very 
serious  that  night  after  the  militia  arrived.  They  reported  to  me  at  Fifth 
and  Penn.  I  found  the  people  were  greatly  excited  in  regard  to  the  shoot- 
ing, and  I  kept  them  away  from  the  soldiers  as  well  as  I  could.  There 
were  no  riotous  disturbances  in  this  city  after  that,  except  the  tearing  up 
of  the  tracks.  I  do  not  know  who  ordered  the  soldiers  to  come  here. 
Was  satisfied  they  were  coming,  but  did  not  expect  that  they  were  coming 
in  the  way  in  which  they  did. 

On  being  re-called,  Chief  Cullen  said  (while  the  cars  were  burning)  I 


880  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

consulted  Mr.  Boyer  in  regard  to  the  situation,  and  asked  him  whether  it 
wouldn't  be  better  to  attack  the  party  and  try  to  get  the  fire  department 
into  service.  I  had  only  seven  or  eight  men  with  me  that  evening,  and  the 
crowd  was  very  large.  When  I  was  there  every  person  was  quiet,  and  the 
cars  were  burning  on  the  track.  There  was  no  breach  of  the  peace  there, 
so  far  as  I  saw.  When  I  asked  Mr.  Boyer  whether  it  wouldn't  be  better  to 
make  an  attack,  I  believe  he  answered,  "  Yes."  He  told  me  he  was  not 
armed,  and  I  said  that  under  the  circumstances  I  would  go  into  town  and 
get  as  many  men  together  as  1  possibly  could  for  the  purpose  of  doing  my 
entire  duty  ;  but  before  I  was  half  way  through  I  noticed  that  box  No.  7 
struck  an  alarm,  and  immediately  afterwards  I  saw  a  light  looming  up 
along  the  Lebanon  Valley  railroad,  and  I  knew  there  would  be  trouble, 
and  I  told  my  men  to  go  out  and  do  everything  in  their  power  to  assist 
Mr.  Boyer  to  get  the  department  into  service.  At  that  time  a  number  of 
the  police  were  taking  lunch,  and  I  had  difficulty  to  get  them  together.  By 
that  time  box  No.  7  struck  again,  and  I  saw  the  fire  looming  up  at  the  Leb- 
anon Valley  bridge.  After  I  got  as  many  of  the  force  together  as  I  could 
to  go  out  there,  I  went  to  the  telegraph  office  and  telegraphed  to  Mayor 
Evans  to  come  home  at  once,  telling  him  of  the  situation.  Then  I  went 
to  the  City  hotel  to  see  the  sheriff  and  I  was  told  that  he  had  gone  to  his 
home  in  the  country.  I  then  went  to  see  Judge  Hagenman  at  his  resi- 
dence, as  affairs  were  very  serious.  I  told  him  that  neither  the  mayor  nor 
the  sheriff  was  in  town.  Judge  Hagenman  advised  me  that  the  best  thing 
to  be  done  would  be  to  telegraph  for  the  sheriff  at  once.  I  immediately 
started  out  and  found  the  telegraph  office  closed.  I  went  down  to  Seventh 
and  Chestnut  and  saw  Mr.  Blackman,  and  asked  him  where  the  telegraph 
operator  was,  and  he  told  me  that  he  had  just  gone  home.  He  sent  for  him 
then  and  the  operator  came  to  the  office,  and  I  telegraphed  to  the  sheriff 
at  once  that  there  was  a  mob  here  of  about  two  thousand  persons  and  there 
was  great  excitement,  that  they  were  tearing  up  the  tracks  and  burning  cars, 
and  so  on,  and  that  lie  shouldn't  fail  to  come.  I  then  saw  Mr.  Paxon, 
master  machinist,  and  I  asked  him  whether  he  would  furnish  an  engine  to 
bring  the  sheriff  up  to  Reading  at  once,  and  he  said  he  would,  and  he  also 
engaged  a  conveyance  to  bring  him  to  the  depot,  and  the  sheriff  arrived 
in  Reading,  as  far  as  I  know,  at  about  five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  ad- 
dressed the  crowd  at  Seventh  and  Penn  streets  on  Monday  evening. 
The  feeling  seemed  to  be  all  one  way  among  the  persons  who  had  gathered 
there.  I  approached  Seventh  and  Penn  with  the  police,  in  front  of  Bren- 
eiser's  store,  and  1  announced  to  the  crowd  to  disperse.  I  appealed  par- 
ticularly to  all  good  citizens  to  go  to  their  homes  so  that  we  would  know 
with  whom  we  had  to  contend.  My  voice  was  loud,  so  that  the  people  could 
hear  me  a  considerable  distance  on  Penn  and  Seventh. 

I  had  no  power  to  appoint  persons  on  the  police  force  or  call  out  a  posse. 
Made  an  effort  to  get  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  but  failed  to  get  even 
two  men.  Found  it  diificult  to  get  anybody.  Persons  who  were  asked, 
laughed  and  said  they  didn't  want  their  heads  shot  off.  The  mayor  left 
on  Friday  morning  previous  to  the  disturbance,  when  everything  appeared 
to  be  quiet.  The  city  charter,  I  believe,  empowers  the  mayor  to  raise  a 
posse  the  same  as  the  sheriff.  This  power,  I  believe,  can  not  be  conferred 
upon  the  chief  of  police.  Two  hundred  men,  armed,  would  have  done  a 
great  deal  towards  quelling  the  disturbance. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  the  men  engaged  in  the  riot,  at 
any  time  ? 

A.  I  had,  on  Sunday — Sunday  afternoon,  the  22d  of  July. 

Q.  What  complaints  did  they  make? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  881 

A.  They  were  talking  about  the  Pittsburgh  troubles,  and  that  seemed 
to  be  all  the  go  on  Sunday,  seemed  to  excite  them,  and  they  talked  about 
it,  and  that  was  all  that  was  done,  so  far  as  talking  and  exciting  and  gath- 
ering in  crowds.  I  did  go  into  one  party,  and  they  were  talking  over 
these  troubles.  In  Pittsburgh,  the  riot  was  going  on  at  the  time,  and  I 
had  said  to  them  that  they  would  be  a  great  deal  more  thought  of  and 
respected  by  keeping  out  of  difficulties  of  the  kind,  and  attending  to  their 
business,  than  in  gathering,  and  going  into  riots,  and  one  party  made  the 
remark,  "  That  was  not  bread  and  butter,"  and  that  seemed  to  be  the  feel- 
ing generally  among  the  elements  that  were  going  around  the  streets,  and 
gathering  in  crowds.  The  sympathy  seemed  to  be  considerably  in  favor 
of  riot,  on  the  Sunday  and  Monday,  and  it  onhy  commenced  to  turn  about 
on  Tuesday. 

Q.  What  did  they  appear  to  complain  of — set  out  as  their  grievance  ? 
Did  they  seem  to  have  any  particular  thing  ? 

A.  No  ;  the}*"  did  not  seem  to  say  much  on  the  matter,  so  far  as  that  was 
concerned,  as  I  know  of,  but  the  whole  feeling  seemed  to  originate  from 
the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers,  and  the  feeling  in  the  city  of 
Reading  was  very  strong  in  favor  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive 
Engineers ;  at  least  two  thirds  of  the  city,  as  near  as  I  could  calculate, 
they  seemed  to  sympathize  with  the  men's  dispute  between  the  company 
and  themselves,  and  that  feeling  seemed  to  follow  in  reference  to  the 
troubles  commencing  here. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  that  dispute  was  ? 

A.  As  near  as  I  understand,  and  so  far  as  I  was  informed,  the  Philadel- 
phia and  Reading  requested  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers 
that  they  would  have  to  quit  the  organization  called  the  Brotherhood  of 
Locomotive  Engineers,  and  to  apply  to  something  similar  of  their  own, 
which  would  be  beneficial,  and  as  much  derived  from  it  as  what  they  would 
have  received  from  their  own,  and  that  the  company  would  not  have  them 
in  their  employ  unless  they  complied  with  those  terms.  I  heard  that  spoken 
of.  I  cannot  say  to  that  officially,  because  I  don't  know  it.  That  seemed 
to  be  the  general  talk. 

Q.  Had  there  been  a  large  number  of  them  discharged  by  the  company 
prior  to  this  disturbance  ? 

A.  Well,  they  were  all  either  discharged  or  else  quit.  I  believe  the  men 
quit.  I  don't  think  there  were  any  discharged.  I  believe  the  men  all  quit, 
that  is,  the  engineers  and  firemen,  and  a  great  many  brakemen  quit,  and  I 
believe  some  conductors  quit. 

Q.  Was  it  the  engineers  that  had  been  discharged — the  idle  employes 
of  the  railroad  here  that  first  started  this  disturbance  ? 

A.  It  appears  so,  that  is,  some  parts  of  them — not  all.  There  were  some 
men  of  their  brotherhood  implicated  in  these  troubles  from  the  first  start- 
out,  others  did  not  appear  to  have  much  to  say  or  do  as  far  as  we  know. 

Q.  What  class  of  men,  so  far  as  you  could  judge,  were  engaged  in  the 
actual  destruction  of  property,  and  burning  of  the  bridge  ? 

A.  I  have  knowledge  of  two  of  the  party  that  I  had  caused  the  arrest 
of.  One  of  them  was  a  railroad  man  employed  by  the  company,  and  the 
other  man  had  nothing  at  all  to  do  with  the  railroad  company,  so  far  as  I 
knew  ;  who  used  to  boat  on  the  canal,  and  perhaps  he  would  be  brought 
into  their  employ  in  that  wa}\     I  believe  he  was  a  boatman. 

Q.  Was  this  one  employed  by  the  railroad  company  at  the  time  ? 

A.  He  was  one  of  the  men  that  quit  the  employ  of  the  company. 

Q.  What  in  your  judgment  was  the  actual  cause  of  the  riot  here  ? 

A.  I  do  not  believe  we  would  have  had  a  riot  in  Reading,  if  the  troubles 
56  Riots. 


882  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

had  not  started  in  Pittsburgh.  That  is  my  opinion  of  it,  and  I  would 
judge  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  and  from  what  I  know,  that  the  troubles 
originated  in  this  city  from  the  dispute  between  the  P.  and  R.  engineers 
and  the  company.  That  seemed  to  be  at  the  bottom  of  it,  because  some 
of  their  men  participated  in  private  meetings,  held  in  this  city  previous  to 
the  outbreak  which  we  knew  of. 

Q.  And  the  news  from  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  from  the  outbreak  there 
stimulated  the  movement  ? 

A.  That  stimulated  the  movement,  or  give  it  a  start.  That  seemed  to 
start  them  up,  and  made  them  quite  lively  on  having  some  disturbance. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  the  damage  done  to  the  railroad  property  was. 
What  it  was  estimated  at,  including  the  bridge  and  the  burning  cars  ? 

A.  I  can't  say  exactly;  but  it  may  have  been — it  was  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  anywheres  between  $150,000,  it  may  have  been  more,  or  a  little 
less,  may  have  gone  probably  about  that.  The  loss  of  the  bridge  was 
somewheres  in  the  neighborhood  of  $100,000.  I  believe  there  was  some 
ten  or  twelve  freight  cars  burned,  and  some  cabooses  burned.  There  were 
telegraph  poles  cut  down,  tracks  burned  up,  engines  damaged  to  some 
extent,  and  so  on.  The  actual  amount,  of  course,  I  am  unable  to  say; 
but  I  suppose  somewheres  in  the  neighborhood  of  $150,000,  may  be  less 
and  may  be  more. 

Q.  I  understood  you  to  say  that  this  bridge  was  on  fire  before  you 
reached  the  place  with  your  police  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;  the  party,  when  they  made  this  start  to  go  to  the  Lebanon 
Valley  road  from  the  depot,  after  they  had  the  engine  stop  there,  &c,  and 
committed  their  depredations,  they  started  out  on  the  tracks  goirig  right 
from  us,  and  they  commenced  setting  the  cars  on  fire  right  straight  along. 
There  were  a  number  of  freight  cars  standing  between  the  Fifth  street 
bridge,  where  the  first  cars  had  burned,  and  the  Lebanon  Valley  bridge, 
and  they  had  them  set  on  fire,  and  they  appeared  to  keep  on  right  straight 
ahead,  until  the  whole  thing  was  in  flames.  There  did  not  appear  to  be 
any  disturbance  we  know  of,  in  all  that  movement.  It  seemed  to  be  a  con- 
cocted and  well  understood  plan. 

Q.  Was  there  any  sympathy  with  the  strikers  manifested  by  any  of  your 
police  force  ? 

A.  Well,  I  can't  say  about  that.  To  the  best  of  my  knowledge  there  was 
not.  They  did  not  express  this  in  my  presence.  If  there  was,  I  have  no 
knowledge  of  them  expressing  themselves  as  being  in  sympathy  with  the 
rioters,  that  I  heard  of. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  trouble  in  getting  them  to  obey  orders,  or  do  any- 
thing you  required  of  them  to  do  to  preserve  the  peace? 

A.  No,  sir;  they  did  just  as  I  told  them,  I  had  no  trouble  whatever. 
They  were  willing  to  just  obey  any  order  that  was  given  in  the  performance 
of  their  duty. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  communication  between  the  railroad  employe's 
of  the  city  of  Reading,  anl  any  of  the  railroad  employe's  of  the  city  of 
Pittsburgh  during  ttiis  strike? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  do  not.     1  have  no  knowledge  at  all  on  that  subject. 

Q.  You  said  in  your  testimony,  that  had  it  not  been  for  the  troubles  at 
Pittsburgh,  you  would  not  have  had  any  trouble  at  Reading.  Now  I  want 
to  know  how  you  know  that  ? 

A.  The  reason  I  know  that,  is  owing  to  telegrams  being  brought  here  to 
the  city  of  Reading,  and  posted  on  bulletin  boards. 

Q.  To  whom  were  those  telegrams  sent  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1871.  883 

A.  The  telegrams  I  have  referred  to,  were  sent  uo  the  Eagle  office,  they 
were  on  the  bulletin  boards  of  the  Eagle  office. 

Q.  To  the  editor  of  the  Eagle  ? 

A.  I  can't  tell  who  they  were  sent  to,  but  I  saw  them  on  the  bulletin 
boards. 

Q.  What  was  the  import  of  those  telegrams  ? 

Q.  Well,  they  were  about  the  trouble  there,  and  about  firing — the  trouble 
in  Pittsburgh,  in  a  general  way,  showing  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  and  fight- 
ing, and  riot  going  on  there. 

Q.  In  short,  those  telegrams  were  to  the  effect  that  the  rioters  had  pos- 
session of  the  railroad  property  at  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  believe  that  was  about  the  way  it  worded,  or  something  like  that. 
I  cannot  say  positively  the  exact  wording  of  the  telegram. 

Q.  I  just  want  this  for  information? 

A.  Certainly,  I  understand,  I  will  answer  all  questions. 

Q.  I  just  want  to  know  this,  that  if  there  was  an  understanding — did 
you  as  an  officer,  in  the  absence  of  the  mayor  of  the  city  of  Reading,  be- 
lieve that  there  was  an  understanding  between  these  rioters,  in  the  city  of 
Reading,  and  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  There  may  have  been,  but  I  do  not  know  it.  I  have  no  knowledge  of 
that  at  all.  As  regards  any  understanding  between  the  parties  here,  and  the 
parties  in  Pittsburgh,  I  do  not  know.  The  only  reference  I  had  in  regard 
to  the  trouble  in  Pittsburgh,  is,  as  I  stated,  that  I  believed  that  had  it  not 
been  for  the  trouble  there,  the  probability  is,  we  might  not  have  had  any 
here,  because  the  news  coming  here,  seemed  to  stimulate  the  matter. 

George  S.  Goodhart,  recalled  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  State  whether  this  is  the  testimony  taken  before  you  at  the  coroner's 
inquest  held  here  in  Julv  last?     [Indicating  paper.] 

A.  It  is  ;  yes,  sir;  I  took  it  down. 

Q.  You  reduced  it  to  writing  yourseif  ? 

A.  I  did,  myself. 

Q.  The  witnesses  here  were  all  sworn  ? 

A.  Sworn. 

Q.  This  is  the  testimony  of  John  E.  Wootten,  as  it.  was  taken  down  by 
you  ?     [Indicating.] 

A.  Yes,  sir  ;   verbatim. 

The  testimony  of  John  E.  Wootten,  taken  at  the  coroner's  inquest,  offered 
in  evidence,  and  is  as  follows : 

John  E.  Wootten,  General  Manager  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad 
Company,  sworn  : 

I  called  at  Sheriff  Yorgej^'s  office  at  about  nine  and  a  half  o'clock  on 
Monday  morning,  23d  July,  and  said  to  the  sheriff  that  I  had  come  to  see 
him  for  the  purpose  of  asking  him  to  take  some  means  for  the  protection 
of  the  property  of  the  railroad  company,  and  for  the  suppression  of  the 
mob  then  threatening  to  destroy  not  only  the  railroad  company's  property 
but  that  of  the  citizens  of  Reading.  The  sheriff  said,  "  Well,  what  can  I 
do  ?"  I  asked  him  if  he  had  learned  of  the  destruction  of  the  Lebanon 
Valley  bridge  and  of  the  burning  of  the  company's  cars.  He  said  that  he 
had.  I  replied  that  he  should  issue  his  proclamation,  and  call  out  a  force 
for  the  suppression  of  violence  and  incendiarism.  "  Yes,  I  know  that,  but 
the  men  when  called  upon  would  not  come."  I  then  told  him  that  in  such 
an  event  I  would  engage  to  furnish  him  with  a  sufficient  force  to  suppress 


884  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

the  mob,  and  if  he  willed  it,  the  force  would  be  well  armed.  He  replied 
"  Yes,  but  the  rioters  also  have  arms?"  I  then  said,  ".Do  I  understand 
you  to  say  that  nothing  can  be  done  by  you  to  check  the  riotous  and  in- 
cendiary spirit  that  now  threatens  to  destroy  so  much  property,  and  for 
which  damage  the  county  is  liable?"  He  replied  by  saying  that  he  did 
not  see  that  he  could  do  anything.  I  said,  "  Suppose  you  advise  with 
counsel  in  relation  to  the  matter."  He  replied  that  he  had  had  a  talk  with 
Judge  Sassaman  about  it.  I  asked  what  he  said.  The  sheriff  replied  that 
he  did  not  know  what  course  would  be  taken. 

I  then  left  the  office,  and  in  the  corridor  I  met  Reverend  B.  R.  Miller,  who 
said  that  the  existing  condition  of  affairs  at  Reading  required  immediate 
action,  and  that  he,  for  one,  was  ready  for  any  call  that  might  be  made 
upon  him  to  assist  in  the  suppression  of  the  mob.  I  replied  that  I  was 
very  glad  to  hear  him  say  so,  and  told  him  that  I  had  just  called  upon  the 
sheriff,  who  was  disinclined  to  act,  and  that  I  would  make  another  appeal 
to  the  sheriff  if  he  would  accompany  me  to  his  office,  which  he  did.  I  then 
told  the  sheriff  that  Mr.  Miller  had  made  a  tender  of  his  services  for  the 
suppression  of  disorder,  and  that  I  thought  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in 
getting  as  many  more  of  our  citizens  as  he  might  want.  To  which  he  re- 
plied that  he  didn't  know  yet  what  he  would  do  in  the  matter,  and  after 
somewhat  of  a  repetition  of  my  previous  conversation  with  him,  in  the 
presence  of  Mr.  Miller,  I  left  the  sheriff's  office  and  proceeded  to  the  office 
of  Chief  of  Police  Cullen.  Immediately  after  the  interview  with  the  sheriff 
I  went  to  Philadelphia  and  conferred  with  President  Gowen.  At  the  time 
of  my  interview  with  the  sheriff,  so  far  as  I  knew,  no  one  had  anjT  intima- 
tion that  any  troops  were  coming.  The  troops  were  sent  at  the  order  of 
General  W.  J.  Bolton.  After  my  arrival  in  Philadelphia,  I  telegraphed 
General  Bolton  that  Beading  was  entirely  without  protection. 

Q.  State  whether  this  is  the  testimony  of  Reverend  B.  R.  Miller,  as 
taken  down  by  you,  at  the  time  ?     [Indicating  paper.] 

A.  It  is  so. 

Testimony  of  Reverend  B.  R.  Miller  offered  in  evidence,  and  is  a  s  fol 
lows  : 

Reverend  B.  R.  Miller,  affirmed,  said  : 

My  story  is  a  short  one.  Coming  from  my  home,  on  Monday  morning, 
Julv  23,  I  saw  an  unsettleel  state  of  affairs  at  Seventh  and  Penn.  Of 
course,  I  knew  what  had  been  going  on  the  night  before,  and  I  stopped, 
and  then  passed  on  about  my  business.  I  saw  Mr.  Wootten  enter  the  sher- 
iff's office,  and  followed  him,  and  I  said,  when  he  came  out,  "This  is  a 
great  scare,  and  if  the  sheriff  will  give  me  arms  and  ammunition,  I  will 
raise  fifty  men,  and  quell  the  riot  before  night,"  and  he  said,  "  Come  in, 
and  we  will  see  him."  Mr.  Wootten  said  to  the  sheriff,  "  Here  is  a  volun- 
teer, will  raise  men  for  you."  The  sheriff  said,  "  I  would  rather  not  do 
anything  about  that,"  and  wouldn't  entertain  the  proposition  at  all,  and 
Mr.  Wootten  turned  around  on  his  heels,  perfectly  disgusted,  and  left  the 
office.  This  was  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  didn't 
know  the  soldiers  were  coming  until  I  met  them  on  the  platform.  Don't 
know  who  ordered  them  through  the  cut.  When  I  offered  to  raise  men,  I 
thought  that  was  the  time  to  work,  but  the  sheriff  wouldn't  elo  anything. 

Q.  State  whether  this  is  the  testimony  of  Sheriff  George  R.  Yorgey,  as 
taken  down  by  you  ? 

A.  It  is. 

Testimony  of  George  R.  Yorgey  offered  in  evidence,  and  is  as  follows  : 


Leg.  Doc.]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  885 

George  R.  Yorgey,  sworn  : 

I  am  the  high  sheriff  of  Berks  county.  Noticed  no  collision  between 
the  militia  and  citizens  or  disorderly  persons  on  Monday  night.  Was  in 
my  office  at  the  time,  and  remained  in  the  office  until  eleven  o'clock  that 
night — Monday  night.  No  officer  of  the  militia,  nor  any  person  called  upon 
me  between  those  hours  at  my  office  to  quell  this  riot.  I  had  no  notice, 
whatever,  that  any  troops  would  arrive  on  that  night.  Was  not  aware  that 
any  troops  were  here  until  I  heard  the  firing,  and  after  they  told  me.  I 
was  never  consulted  in  reference  to  the  military  at  all.  I  never  ordered 
them  nor  knew  nothing  about  them  being  ordered.  They  never  formed 
any  part  of  my  posse.  Daniel  Francis  and  the  watchman  of  the  court- 
house were  with  me  in  my  office.  I  was  waiting  for  orders  which  detained 
me  until  eleven  o'clock.  After  the  firing,  I  inquired  to  know  the  result 
and  what  had  been  done.  Was  told  that  the  crowd  had  dispersed.  I  did 
not  visit  the  scene  of  disaster.  I  was  there  once  on  Monday,  saw  the 
crowded  condition  of  the  streets,  and  witnessed  the  riotous  proceedings. 
Saw  this  when  I  posted  up  my  proclamations  on  the  four  corners.  I  should 
have  been  informed  of  the  coming  of  the  troops,  but  was  not  informed.  I  do 
not  know  whose  business  it  was  to  tell  me.  I  informed  the  railroad  officials 
where  they  might  find  me  if  they  wante'd  me  to  call  out  the  posse  comita- 
tus.  I  telegraphed  this  to  Mr.  Gowen,  Monday  afternoon  about  four  o'clock, 
shortly  before  I  issued  my  proclamation,  and  1  received  no  answer  from 
Mr.  Gowen.  The  militia  came  here  without  my  knowledge,  and  I  had 
nothing  to  do  with  them  after  they  were  here.  In  the  forenoon  things 
were  middling  quiet,  and  in  the  afternoon  I  had  my  proclamations  struck 
off.  I  was  not  in  the  city  on  Sunday  night,  and  came  up  from  my  Doug- 
lass township  farm  Monday  moiming  at  five  o'clock.  I  heard  the  news 
Monday  morning,  and  in  the  evening  at  five  issued  my  proclamation.  I 
did  not  think  I  should  have  issued  my  proclamation  early  on  Monday 
morning  instead  of  waiting  until  nearly  night.  In  the  forenoon  of  Mon- 
da}',  Mr.  Wootten  called  on  me  and  offered  to  furnish  me  with  men.  I  did 
not  issue  my  proclamation  sooner  because  I  could  not  get  ready  any  sooner. 

Peter  Cullen,  re-called : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  State  what  the  conduct  of  the  militia  under  the  command  of  General 
Reeder  was  during  their  stay  in  Reading,  so  far  as  you  are  able  to  judge. 

A.  Well,  the  conduct  of  General  Reeder  and  his  troops  was  good,  so 
far  as  I  know.  They  behaved  well,  and  obeyed  the  commands  of  the  offi- 
cers, I  know.  Immediately  after  the  firing,  he  marched  his  command  right 
in  front  of  the  Mansion  house ;  and  he  asked  me  what  was  best  to  be  done, 
or  something  to  that  effect,  in  a  general  way  to  inquire  about  things,  and 
I  told  him  that  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Company  seemed  to  be  the 
property  in  danger,  and  I  suggested  to  him  that  it  would  be  a  good  idea  to 
go  to  the  new  depot,  and  I  furnished  a  guide  to  escort  his  command  to  the 
depot.  It  was  then  dark,  probably  half  past  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
and  a  great  many  of  the  mob  followed  down.  The  streets  were  filled  with 
people  at  that  time,  and,  undoubtedly,  there  were  a  great  many  of  the  riot- 
ers there — I  know  there  were — and  he  had  his  command  formed  here  in 
front  of  the  Mansion  house,  Fifth  and  Penn,  and  there  were  some  of  the 
men  going  to  attack  the  soldiers  with  their  sleeves  rolled  up,  and  some 
had  brickbats  in  their  hands.  One  man  I  had  requested  one  officer  to  ar- 
rest, and  he  was  locked  up,  and  he  was  going  to  attack  the  soldiers  of 
Reeder's  command,  but  Reeder's  command  was  all  soldierly,  and  had  a 
good  line  of  battle  when  they  formed  in  front  of  the  Mansion  house,  after 


886  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

their  fight  in  the  cut ;  they  seemed  to  have  perfect  discipline  all  through- 
out. 

Q.  Were  there  any  other  troops  here  whose  conduct  was  not  as  good  as 
General  Reeder's  ? 

A.  The  Sixteenth  regiment  was  here.  I  saw  some  of  the  members  of 
the  Sixteenth  regiment  on  the  streets,  walking  about  loosely,  and  one  of 
the  members  I  asked  him  where  he  was  going  to,  and  got  into  a  conversa- 
tion with  him,  and  I  saw  he  was  away  from  his  command,  and  I  asked 
him  why  he  did  not  stay  with  his  command,  and  he  told  me,  he  was  not 
going  to  fire  on  his  fellow  workmen — that  he  didn't  come  here  to  do  that. 
He  showed  me  his  hand,  and  says  he,  "Do  you  see  that  I  am  a  working- 
man  myself?     I  am  not  going  to  fire  on  any  workingman." 

Q.  Who  commanded  the  Sixteenth  regiment  ? 

A.  I  can't  say  positively  about  that.  I  believe  Colonel  Good  is  com- 
mander, or  was  the  commander. 

Q.  Did  you  meet  him,  or  have  any  conversation  with  him  ? 

A.  I  did  not  come  in  contact  with  any  of  the  officers  of  the  Sixteenth 
regiment  then. 

Q.  Knew  nothing  of  his  conduct  but  what  was  soldierly  ? 

A.  Never  heard  anything  but  what  was  right  on  the  part  of  the  officers 
of  the  regiment ;  and,  undoubtedly,  a  large  portion  of  the  Sixteenth  regi- 
ment was  right.  And  I  had  received  positive  information  that  members 
of  the  Sixteenth  regiment  had  been  dealing;  out  ammunition  amongst  the 

o  o  O 

rioters  in  the  crowds  on  the  street  during  the  day  time. 

Q.  Of  what  day  ? 

A.  That  was  on  Tuesday,  the  24th  of  July. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  convei'sation  with  more  than  one  of  the  regiments  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  spoke  to  several,  as  they  were  walking  about,  and  they  did 
not  seem  to  care  about  being  connected  with  the  military  at  all.  They 
were  walking  round  independent — didn't  seem  to  care  whether  they  had 
any  duty  to  perform  as  soldiers.  I  did  not  see  very  many  of  them.  I 
saw,  probably,  five  or  six  in  that  way ;  but  I  heard  a  number  of  reports  in 
regard  to  their  giving  out  ammunition.     I  have  that  from  worthy  sources. 

Q.  Did  you  call  the  attention  of  the  commanding  officer  to  that  fact? 

A.  I  had  word  sent  to  that  effect  to  the  officer  at  the  depot,  but  whether 
it  was  communicated  to  him,  1  am  unable  to  say.  But  I  did  send  word  out 
to  the  depot  that  some  of  the  men  had  been  in  amongst  the  crowd  of 
rioters  dealing  out  ammxmition.  That  made  the  worst  feeling  of  all  that 
occurred — the  soldiers  giving  their  ammunition  away,  and  mingling  around 
with  the  rioters,  and  being  awaj^  from  their  command.  I  cannot  tell 
whether  they  were  away  from  their  command  with  leave.  I  suppose,  cer- 
tainly, they  ought  not  to  have  leave  given  in  a  crisis  of  this  kind,  and  I 
judge  they  must  have  been  absent  without  leave. 

Q.  How  long  was  the  regiment  here  ? 

A.  The  Sixteenth  were  here,  I  believe,  about  a  day  and  a  half,  to  the 
best  of  my  knowledge. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  I  would  like  to  know  from  whom  you  received  the  fire — or  if  you  did 
receive  any — at  the  cut  at  Penn  street,  I  believe  yon  call  it  ? 

A.  Seventh  and  Penn. 

Q.  You  received  a  volley  of  musketry,  or  pistol  shots,  or  something 
there.     Whom  did  you  receive  it  from? 

A.  From  the  military.    I  had  a  police  force  right  on  our  tracks. 

Q.  It  was  at  Seventh  and  Penn,  if  I  am  rightly  informed  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots  July,  1871.  887 

Q.  That  is  a  part  I  bad  already  forgotten,  but  it  came  into  my  mind  a 
wbile  ago,  tbat  wbile  you  bad  tbat  police  force  there,  you  received  a  vol- 
ley fired  by  somebody  there  at  that  point.  I  would  like  to  know  who  it 
was  from  ? 

A.  To  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  it  was  from  the  soldiers. 

Q.  Of  what  command  ? 

A.  General  Reeder's  command.  The  soldiers  came  down  through  the 
cut,  and  the  first  firing  we  heard,  there  were  some  parties  said  they  are 
firing  blank  cartridges.  The  first  firing  I  heard  was  pistol  shots,  that  was 
the  starting  of  the  fire,  but  the  crowd  was  very  large  on  both  sides  of  the 
cut,  and  the  cut  was  pretty  well  filled  with  the  rioters — with  the  mob,  and 
the  first  I  heard  was  pistol  shots,  and  then  I  heard  louder  shots  that  seemed 
more  like  gun  shots,  and  rifle  shots.  There  were  several  of  them,  and  im- 
mediately afterwards,  there  was  a  regular  volley  fired  right  down  in  the 
crowd. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  been  in  active  service  in  the  army  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  have  been  three  years  and  nine  months. 

Q.  And  from  what  you  know  of  being  there,  did  you  consider  that  this 
shooting  was  musketry,  or  was  it  pistol  shots  ? 

A.  It  was  musketry,  it  was  rifle  firing — there  was  pistol  firing  and  rifle 
firing.    The  shots  were  sharp  enough,  that  I  knew  they  were  minie  balls. 

Q.  Could  you  tell  whether  there  was  a  volley  or  skirmishing  ? 

A.  First,  there  were  a  few  shots  fired  that  went  over  our  heads.  Then 
a  second  volley  was  fired — a  heavy  volley,  and  just  took  a  low  range. 

Q.  You  were  there  at  that  time,  if  I  am  righly  informed,  endeavoring  to 
clear  that  track,  and  keep  that  cut  open  ? 

A.  Keep  the  crowd  open,  trying  to  disperse  the  crowd  at  that  time. 

Q.  That  is  the  time  you  received  the  volley  ? 

A.  That  is  the  time  we  received  the  volley.  The  military  did  not  see 
the  police  force,  nor  did  the  police  force  see  the  military.  It  was  just  dusk, 
and  about  that  time  the  crowd  was  very  large,  and  they  came  marching  into 
the  cut,  and  were  at  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  Penn,  right  on  the  railroad 
tracks,  and  they  got  very  close  upon  us  before  we  kuew  it,  owing  to  the 
large  crowd. 

Q.  If  I  understand  you,  the  military  fired  on  the  party,  not  knowing 
who  they  were  firing  on  ? 

A.  They  were  brick-batted  and  stoned,  and  pistol  shots  fired  on  the  sol- 
diers in  the  cut  before  they  fired,  and  from  the  best  information  I  have, 
and  in  that  way  I  judge  they  did  it  in  self-defense. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  You  don't  think  that  they  knew,  or  had  any  intention  of  firing  on 
the  police? 

A.  No;  I  don't  believe  that.  About  the  place  where  the  military  com- 
menced firing  was  in  the  cut,  between  Court  street  and  Washington  street 
bridge,  or  about  there,  and  the  crowd  or  mob  was  all  up  along  that  place, 
from  Walnut  street,  for  two  squares  above  in  the  street,  and  on  the  side- 
walk, and  all  along  the  walls  of  the  cut,  and  it  appears  the  military  came 
in  through  the  cut,  and  when  they  got  in  they  were  attacked,  and  the  pistol 
shots  fired,  and  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge  the  shots  came  from  the  wall 
of  the  cut,  right  above,  over  the  soldiers'  heads. 

Q.  That  is  what  I  wanted  to  know — if  you  believed  that  the  firing  was 
done  in  self-defense  ? 

A.  That  is  the  way  I  looked  at  it.  I  looked  at  it  in  that  light.  They 
did  it  in  self-defense,  and  the  pistol  shots  seemed  to  come  from  the  wall. 


888  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

That  was  pretty  close — only  half  a  square  from  the  place  where  the  firing 
took  place. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned,  to  meet  at  the  call  of  the  chair- 
man. 


Harrisburg,  May  2,  1878. 

The  committee  met  at  half  past  seven  o'clock,  p.  m.    Mr.  Lindsey  in  the 
chair.     All  members  present. 

Colonel  A.  Wilson  Norris,  re-called  : 

Q.  Colonel,  you  may  state  briefly  the  facts  and  details  in  reference  to 
your  visit  to  General  Brintou,  on  Saturday  morning,  of  July  22? 

A.  Well,  I  can  onty  state  the  substance,  probably,  of  what  I  stated  be- 
fore. When  I  discovered  in  the  morning  that  General  Brinton  had  escaped 
from  the  round-house,  I  believe  the  information  was  first  brought  by  Cap- 
tain Aull,  of  the  Grays,  and  afterwards  we  ascertained  through  Captain 
Breck.  There  were  no  officers,  I  think,  at  the  time,  but  Colonel  Stewart 
and  myself,  and  I  volunteered  to  go  to  find — in  fact,  I  was  not  an  officer. 
I  would  like  that  stated.  I  volunteered  to  go  and  find  General  Brinton. 
I  was  moved  to  this  action  out  of  my  regard  for  General  Brinton,  person- 
ally, and  for  his  command,  a  great  many  of  whom  were  my  friends,  and 
for  public  reasons,  which  I  thought  paramount  to  all.  I  thought  it  was 
very  necessary  to  effect  the  junction  with  Colonel  Guthrie  and  the  other 
troops  that  were  to  join  him,  and  I  said  to  General  Latta,  that  if  he  would 
procure  me  a  carriage,  I  would  endeavor  to  find  him.  At  this  time,  or  a 
little  before,  the  order  that  is  contained  in  the  Adjutant  General's  report, 
and  which  closes,  I  believe,  with  an  allusion  to  me,  and  with  a  suggestion 
to  General  Brinton  to  consult  with  me,  was  written  and  handed  to  Captain 
Aull,  and  at  the  same  time  was  read  to  me,  so  that  I  could  understand  the 
purport  of  it.  Captain  Aull  then  left  with  the  same  purpose  of  reaching 
Brinton.  When  I  volunteered  to  go,  Colonel  Stewart  said  he  would  ac- 
company me,  and  rose  off  the  bed  where  he  was  lying,  and  when  tbe  car- 
riage came,  we  started  and  rode  through  the  mob,  which  was  chiefly  on 
Liberty  street — I  believe  it  is  called.  We  passed  right  up  Liberty  street, 
over  the  hose,  and  through  the  mob.  There  was  no  other  way  for  us  below 
them  at  that  time,  and  after  going  a  feAV  squares  we  passed  down  to  the 
street  below.  I  do  not  know  what  the  name  of  it  is — I  think  Penn  street ; 
and  we  went  in  pursuit  of  General  Stewart  to  the  arsenal.  By  that  time 
we  had  reached  the  skirts  of  the  mob,  and  had  gotten  beyond  it,  we  found 
numbers  of  men  along  the  way,  but  no  indications  of  any  great  crowd 
having  been  there.  We  then  discovered  Captain  Aull,  and  he  told  us  that 
General  Brinton  and  his  command  had  gone  on  before  towards  Sharpsburg, 
I  believe,  or  in  that  direction.  I  do  not  remember  distinctly  where  he  said. 
We  continued  our  pursuit  of  him  ;  inquired  here  and  there  from  little 
groups  of  men  that  were  discovered  along  the  way. 

Q.   What  was  Captain  Aull  doing  at  the  arsenal? 

A.  Well,  I  don't  know..  He  had  his  buggy  there,  and  had  evidently 
been  making  some  inquiry,  I  suppose.  I  didn't  know  at  the  time  what  he 
was  doing. 

Q.  Did  you  leave  him  at  the  arsenal  ? 

A.  Yes;  left  him  near  there.     We  drove  on. 

Q.   Was  lie  driving  when  you  left  him  1 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*77.  889 

A.  No,  sir ;  I  think  when  we  saw  him  he  was  out  of  his  buggy.  His 
buggy  was  a  short  distance  away  from  him — at  least  I  thought  it  was  his 
buggy.     I  don't  know  whether  it  was  or  not ;  I  didn't  ask  him. 

Q.   Proceed  ? 

A.  We  then  followed  General  Brinton  across  the  bridge,  and  inquired 
at  the  end  of  the  bridge  if  anybody  had  followed  him  across  the  bridge. 
We  thought  perhaps  the  mob  had  pursued  him.  He  stated  that  nobody 
crossed  the  bridge  after  him — the  toll  man.  We  followed  through  the  town, 
where  everything  was  peaceful,  and  there  was  no  indications  of  any  mob,  and 
found  General  Brinton's  command  perhaps  a  half  a  mile  beyond  Sharpsburg. 
The  carriage  drove  up,  and  I  hallooed  to  some  officer,  I  don't  remember  who 
he  was,  and  he  directed  the  command  to  be  opened,  and  we  drove  through 
and  I  joined  General  Brinton.  We  got  out  of  the  carriage  before  he  stopped 
his  command,  as  my  recollection  is,  and  then  I  joined  him  and  continued 
to  walk  with  him.  There  were  some  of  his  officers  around,  of  course. 
I  couldn't  swear  positively  as  to  whom  were  all  there,  and  my  first  saluta- 
tion to  General  Brinton  was  congratulating  him  upon  his  escape,  and  then 
made  some  remarks  about  where  in  the  name  of  Heaven  he  was  going,  or 
something  of  the  kind.  He  was  going-  in  the  wrong  direction,  and  then 
the  conversation  ensued  about  the  order,  in  which  I  said  that  an  order  had 
been  prepared,  signed  by  Captain  Aull.  I  may  have  said  an  officer.  I 
may  not  have  mentioned  Captain  Aidl ;  but  I  think  I  did — pretty  sure  I 
did — because  very  likely  when  I  knew  he  had  gone  with  the  order,  and 
that  he  had  it  that,  I  did  say  so.  General  Brinton  said  that  he  couldn't 
take  his  command  back  in  the  condition  they  were  in,  and  he  wouldn't 
take  his  command  back.  He  said  perhaps  if  he  had  a  positive  order  he 
might  go,  which  implies  at  once — I  don't  think  he  will  deny  that — that  he 
was  pursuing  the  wrong  direction.  He  then  commenced  to  talk  to  me 
about  his  ammunition  and  provisions,  and  I  suggested  to  him  to  levy 
mail  on  the  country,  to  assess  the  provisions  if  his  troops  were  in  that 
condition.  He  said  he  wouldn't  do  that,  he  would  have  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  people  in  the  country  down  upon  him.  That  I  am  positive 
he  said.  I  then  suggested  that  he  should  go  back  to  Sharpsburg,  sajang 
that  he  could  hold  his  position  there.  I  didn't  say  this  as  an  order,  perhaps, 
but  it  was  in  our  conversation.  Of  course,  I  had  no  right  to  give  it  as 
an  order,  and  I  did  not.  And  he  said  he  was  not  satisfied  with  the  disposi- 
tion of  the  people  at  Sharpsburg.  That  they  were  even  worse  there  than 
they  weie  at  Pittsburgh.  I  thought  that  rather  strange,  because  I  had 
seen  a  ti-ain  standing  there,  and  people  sitting  in  their  yards,  as  we  drove 
through.  I  am  sure  he  said  that.  He  said,  further,  that  he  had  been  fired 
on  from  that  train — at  least,  I  so  understood  it.  It  may  have  been  from 
the  cars  in  the  city — I  may  have  gotten  the  two  mixed,  so  far  as  that  is 
concerned.  He  said,  too,  that  I  told  him  where  he  first  tmmed  off  to  unite 
with  Colonel  Guthrie.  And  he  said  he  had  been  followed  by  at  least  a 
thousand  armed  men  to  that  point,  and  they  had  men  over  in  the  direction 
of  Colonel  Guthrie.  I  asked  him  whether  I  should  go  with  his  command, 
or  go  back.  He  said  he  would  prefer  that  I  would  go  back,  and  endeavor 
to  get  provisions  and  ammunition  for  him.  Of  course,  there  had  been  a 
running  conversation  about  provisions  and  ammunition,  and  his  men 
looked  as  though  they  needed  it.  The  most  of  this  conversation  passed 
between  us  while  we  were  walking  along,  and  I  am  certain  it  couldn't  have 
been  heard  by  all  of  his  officers,  because  Brinton  and  I  went  side  by  side 
— it  could  have  been  heard,  a  good  deal  of  it.  I  have  no  doubt  these 
gentlemen  are  perfectly  honest  in  saying  they  didn't  hear  me  say  it.  I 
am  sure  some  of  them  know  that  what  I  have  stated  to-night  they  did 


890  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

hear.  We  then  had  a  talk  about  whether  I  should  stop  there,  or  whether 
I  should  go  back.  And  he  said  he  would  go  on  a  short  distance,  and  re- 
main there — I  think  he  said  about  a  mile,  on  a  hill.  I  forgot  to  say  that 
when  I  first  met  him,  in  speaking  about  his  designs  in  leaving  the  city,  he 
said  he  wanted  to  get  the  river  between  him  and  the  mob,  and  to  reach 
the  hills  and  entrench  ;  and  that  was  his  object  in  going  across  the  river, 
so  that  he  conld  feed  his  troops  and  revive  them.  When  I  closed  the  con- 
versation with  him,  he  said  then  he  would  go  a  short  distance  beyond — 
— and  I  think  he  said  half  a  mile — and  remain  there.  That  he  didn't  re- 
main, I  only  know,  of  course,  from  hearsay — that  he  was  not  there. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Captain  Aull  when  he  started  with  the  order  ? 

A.  Did  I  see  him  when  he  started? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  did  he  go  prior  to  your  starting  ? 

A.  Possibly  half  an  hour,  probably  more — may  have  been  more.  I 
couldn't  swear  to  that  positively.  He  started  before  I  did.  When  Cap- 
tain Aull  started,  I  suppose  he  went  out  with  his  buggy,  and  we,  in  the 
meantime,  had  to  get  a  carriage.  It  simply  was  an  effort  to  duplicate  the 
attempt  to  reach  Brinton,  and  I  volunteered  to  go,  as  I  said,  simply  for 
that  reason.     I  had  no  other  object  in  the  world. 

Q.  You  saw  the  order  handed  to  him  by  General  Latta,  did  you  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  did. 

Q.  Did  3'ou  read  the  order  ? 

A.  The  order  was  read  to  me,  sir.  The  order,  as  you  observe,  contained 
a  suggestion  to  General  Brinton  to  consult  with  him  in  regard  to  the  situa- 
tion in  Pittsburgh.  Of  course,  we  had  a  running  general  conversation 
about  what  had  happened  in  Pittsburgh.  The  general  asked  him  about 
the  hotel — whether  it  had  been  burned,  and,  when  I  left,  he  handed  me, 
and  several  of  the  officers  handed  me,  their  checks,  which  were  afterwards 
delivered,  I  believe,  by  one  of  the  officers  of  the  staff  or  one  of  the  gentle- 
men, over  to  Major  Baugh. 

Q.  When  you  overtook  Captain  Aull,  at  the  arsenal,  did  you  have  any 
conversation  with  him,  as  to  where  he  was  going  then  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  didn't. 

Q.  Had  you  then  learned  where  Brinton's  troops  were  ? 

A.  Nothing  positive,  sir.  I  don't  know  whether  Captain  Aull  knew 
positively.  He  just,  I  supposed,  had  ascertained  in  some  way  from  in- 
quiries made  along  the  road. 

Q.  When  you  reached  General  Brinton,  you  say  you  indicated  to  him 
the  fact  that  Captain  Aull  had  delivered  an  order,  or  an  officer  had  deliv- 
ered an  order  ? 

A.  An  officer  had  an  order  to  effect  this  junction. 

Q.  You  are  not  certain  whether  you  named  Captain  Aull  or  you  named 
an  officer  ? 

A.  I  am  not  positive  about  it,  but  I  feel  very  sure  that  I  did,  because 
of  the  fact  that  Captain  Aull  had  the  order  that  had  been  read  to  me,  and 
that  he  had  started  in  advance  of  me,  and  all  that,  and  it  strike's  me  that  I 
would  say  so.  I  cannot  see  why  I  should  not.  Of  course  I  may  not  have 
done  it. 

Q.  Did  you  communicate  to  him  the  fact  of  having  seen  Captain  Aull 
at  the  arsenal  ? 

A.   I  don't  know  that  I  did,  sir. 

Q.  Or  that  you  left  an  officer  at  the  arsenal  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  891 

A.  I  don't  know  that  I  did  that.  I  may  have  done  so,  without  having 
any  recollection  of  it. 

Q.  Was  any  other  person  with  you  in  the  carriage,  except  Mr.  Stewart  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  nobody  accompanied  us  except  the  driver.  It  was  an  ordi- 
nary cab,  and  the  driver  was  on  the  outside. 

Q.  When  you  reached  General  Brinton's  force,  did  the  driver  drive  you 
to  General  Brinton? 

A.  I  think  not  all  the  way.  I  think  I  got  out  before  we  reached  him. 
I  may  not  have  done  so.  I  wouldn't  be  sure  about  that,  but  am  pretty 
sure  we  got  out  before  we  reached  General  Brinton  and  joined  him,  walk- 
ing up  to  him. 

Q.  When  you  left  the  carriage,  did  Stewart  leave  the  carriage  with  you  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  he  acoompairy  you  to  General  Brinton? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  stop  himself? 

A.  lie  didn't  stop.  My  recollection  is  that  the  general  didn't  stop  his 
command  until  his  surgeon  came  up  and  asked  him  to  stop,  to  take  a  ball 
from  the  shoulder  of  one  of  the  men.  Then  they  stopped,  and  the  place 
where  we  stopped  was  along  a  small  ravine,  where  several  of  the  officers 
and  ourselves  sat  down. 

Q.  Then  you  walked  beside  him  for  some  little  distance  before  he 
stopped  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  think  I  must  have  walked  three  fourths  of  a  mile  or  a  mile. 
I  say  that,  from  the  fact  that  we  had  to  go  back  to  find  our  carriage,  and 
our  carriage  stopped  about  the  place  we  left  it,  and  I  think  it  was  fully 
three  quarters  of  a  mile  or  a  mile  before  we  joined  it.  I  know  we  became 
a  good  deal  alarmed  about  it,  and  were  afraid  that  we  had  lost  him,  and  it 
was  during  our  walk  back  we  met  I  think  Dr.  Mears. 

Q.  Did  you  and  General  Brinton  walk  side  by  side  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Where  was  Stewart  during  that  time  ? 

A.  Stewart  was  walking  by  my  side,  and  perhaps  on  the  other  side  of 
General  Brinton  a  portion  of  the  time.  I  am  pretty  positive  he  was  pres- 
ent during  nearly  everything  that  was  said. 

Q.  Were  there  any  officers  walking  with  General  Brinton  when  you  over- 
took him  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  think  there  were. 

Q.  Did  they  continue  to  walk  along  ? 

A.  Well,  I  think  probably  they  did — some  of  them. 

Q.  Did  you  know  the  officers  ? 

A.  I  remember  General  Loud  being  there.  I  remember  Colonel  Wilson 
being  there ;  but  whether  they  were  around  when  everything  was  said  I 
didn't  know.  I  remember  seeing  Mr.  Pettit.  I  remember  seeing  Dale  Ben- 
son, but  not  with  them.  I  think  I  met  him  on  my  way  back.  I  know  I 
shook  hands  with  him. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  of  seeing  Surgeon  Mears  ? 

A.  I  recollect  about  Surgeon  Mears  directly.  I  recollect  him  bringing 
up  some  bread,  after  we  had  left  the  command  on  our  way  back — that  is,  the 
person  I  took  for  Surgeon  Mears.  I  have  met  him  since,  but  I  don't  think 
I  knew  him  then. 

Q.  After  you  had  walked  some  distance,  General  Brinton  halted,  I  under- 
stand you  to  say  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  standing  there  in  conversation  ? 


892  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Well,  I  don't  suppose  we  had  a  ten  minutes'  conversation  there. 

Q.  Did  you  remain  standing  all  the  time  ? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  think  we  sat  down,  or  sort  of  lolled  on  a  bank  or  some- 
thing of  the  kind.  I  don't  think  we  stood,  because  we  were  all  pretty  tired. 
I  know  I  was  dreadful  tired.  That  was  the  chief  cause  of  my  alarm  when 
we  went  back  to  find  the  carriage,  because  I  was  satisfied  I  could  never 
reach  Pittsburgh.  I  had  been  up  for  two  nights,  and  was  worn  out.  The 
ride  was  a  dreadful  one. 

Q.  In  communicating  to  him  that  an  officer  had  been  sent  out  with  an 
order,  you  communicated  to  him  the  substance  of  the  order  you  saw  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  was  as  I  explained  to  him.  I  didn't  say  it  in  those  words, 
probably,  simplv  the  substance  of  those  orders,  and  they  were  to  effect  a 
junction  with  Guthrie.  The  whole  object  was  to  have  the  troops  con- 
centrated, and  it  was  with  that  purpose  that  I  went  out.  There  was  no 
earthly  purpose  for  me  to  go  and  find  General  Brinton,  other  than  that. 

Q.  In  communicating  that  to  him,  did  you  tell  him  that  General  Latta 
had  requested  you  to  communicate  the  order  to  him  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  think  I  did. 

Q.  Did  you  tell  him  you  had  been  sent  for  that  purpose  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Did  he  make  any  reply  ? 

A.  Yes;  he  said  what  I  have  said,  that  if  he  got  a  positive  order,  he 
would  take  his  command  back.  I  can  say,  too,  without  any  reservation, 
that  there  was  no  reason  under  heaven  why  General  Brinton  should  not 
have  stopped  with  his  command  at  Sharpsburg.  There  was  not  a  symp- 
tom of  the  riot  within  two  miles,  after  we  left  the  skirts  of  it,  at  the 
arsenal.  We  rode  on,  and,  of  course,  we  met  groups  of  men,  but  there 
were  none  of  them  that  numbered  thirty,  and  he  was  followed  up  by 
nobody  from  Sharpsburg  but  a  small  collection  of  boys,  that  were  in  the 
rear  of  his  column,  more  out  of  curiosity  than  anything  else,  and  that  was 
the  reason  I  suggested  his  taking  up  the  position  there,  because  I  knew, 
and  I  said  to  him,  we  could  have  access  to  him  there  very  easily,  because 
the  trains  were  then  running,  and  I  had  seen  a  train  standing  there,  and  it 
moved  off  as  we  passed  toward  Allegheny,  and  my  idea  was,  that  if  he 
wanted  provisions  and  ammunition  we  could  more  easily  get  it  there  for 
him  than  at  any  other  point,  and  I  said  that  he  could  protect  that  bridge 
against  any  force.  Any  one  who  knows  the  bridge  would  be  aware  of  that. 
It  is  an  open  bridge,  and  those  two  guns  would  have  protected  it  against 
any  force  coming  in  that  direction. 

Q.  Did  you  meet  any  officer  of  General  Brinton's  command  on  your 
return  to  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  That  had  been  with  him? 

Q.  Any  one  that  had  remained  in  the  city  during  the  night  ? 

A.  Major  Baugh. 

Q.  Where  did  you  meet  Major  Baugh  ? 

A.  I  saw  Major  Baugh  at  the  Monongahela  house. 

Q.  What  time  ? 

A.  That  night,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  meet  him  when  you  were  returning  to  Pittsburgh  anywheres 
about  the  arsenal,  or  on  the  way  going  to  General  Brinton's  command  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  I  did.  I  met  one  officer,  and  1  thought  he  was  Doctor 
Mears — he  had  the  bread  in  a  bucket — and  I  don't  think  we  met  anybody 
else,  because  I  cannot  remember  this  circumstance,  and  if  we  had  met 
them,  I  would  have  recollected  it.  We  were  followed,  just  after  the  doctor 
accosted  us,  by  a  man  on  horseback,  who  endeavored  to  have  us  inter- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  893 

cepted  three  or  four  times — came  up  to  the  carriage — and  when  we  got 
into  Pittsburgh,  evidently  tried  to  have  us  intercepted  by  the  mob,  and 
we  drove  through  the  alleys  to  escape  him,  and  we  were  more  concerned 
about  that  than  anj'thing  else  at  that  time,  and  I  think  if  we  would  have 
met  anybody,  it  would  have  impressed  itself  upon  my  mind,  and  I  don't  recol- 
lect meeting  anybody  after  we  crossed  the  bridge.  That  I  am  quite  sure. 
We  didn't  discover  this  man  until  we  got  across  the  bridge,  and  we  dis- 
covered it  by  his  coming  up,  and  hiaking  inquiries,  and  making  some  re 
marks. 

Q.  After  you  crossed  the  bridge,  you  don't  remember  of  meeting  Major 
Baugh  ? 

A.  I  don't,  sir. 

Q.  Who  made  the  inquiries  of  you  ? 

A.  Major  Baugh  ? 

Q.  Yes,  sir? 

A.  I  don't  have  the  slightest  recollection  of  that.  I  think  the  one  officer 
we  took  for  Surgeon  Mears.  I  think  he  was  pretty  nearly  where  this  man 
accosted  us. 

Q.  When  Major  Baugh  came  to  the  hotel  in  the  evening,  did  you  learn 
the  object  of  his  mission  ? 

A.  What — to  General  Latta  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  No,  sir;  I  couldn't  say  that  I  did. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  conversation  between  him  and  General  Latta  ? 

A.  I  may  have  heard  it  without  having  any  recollection  of  it. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  General  Latta  gave  him  any  orders  or  not  ? 

A.  I  really  don't  know  that,  sir. 

Q.  That  is  all,  unless  j^ou  desire  to  state  something  further. 

A.  I  have  nothing  to  say,  sir,  I  believe,  except  what  I  have  said.  I  sim- 
ply would  ask  these  gentlemen  to  be  called  who  heard  me,  because  when  I 
went  back  I  made  a  statement  which,  in  substance,  is  what  I  said  here, 
and  I  may  have  said  it  a  little  different,  but  substantially  the  same,  to 
Colonel  Guthrie  ;  and  Captain  Aull  is  here  himself,  and  he  knows  that  I 
was  present  when  the  order  was  given,  and  Colonel  Stewart  was  present 
with  me  all  the  time,  and  I  simply  would  like  to  have  them  called  for  that 
reason,  to  show  that  my  two  statements  are  consistent. 

Colonel  P.  N.  Guthrie,  re-called  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  You  may  state  what  Colonel  Norris  stated  to  you  on  his  return  from 
General  Brinton's  command,  in  relation  to  his  conversation  with  General 
Brinton  ? 

A.  Well,  Mr.  Chairman,  I  would  like  to  start  out  a  little  further  back 
than  that,  because  Major  Norris  stated  nothing  to  me  of  his  own  will,  only 
at  my  request.  I  would  like  to  state  here  that  when  Captain  Aull  left  my 
regiment  to  enter  the  town,  he  was  sent  by  me  with  instructions  to  General 
Latta,  to  this  effect :  that  I  didn't  believe,  at  that  hour,  it  was  possible  for 
the  troops  from  Walls  station  to  reach  me  ;  and  that  it  was  useless  for  me 
to  remain  at  the  stock-yards  ;  and  to  report  fully  to  General  Latta  the 
condition  in  which  my  regiment  was  placed  ;  that  we  were  doing  nothing, 
and  of  no  particular  service  to  the  railroad  or  to  the  public  peace,  and 
neither  the  railroad,  at  that  hour,  was  threatened,  nor  the  public  peace. 
Captain  Aull  having  gone  in  and  witnessed  the  departure  of  General  Brin- 
ton from  the  round-house,  and  conveyed  that  information  to  General  Latta, 
receiving  an  order  from  General  Latta,  to  be  conveyed  to  General  Brinton, 


894  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

one  copy  of  which  was  to  be  conveyed  to  me,  and  reaching  me  at  an  hour 
of  the  day — I  do  not  remember  what — with  the  information  that  he  had 
not  readied  General  Brinton,  I  deemed  it  of  the  greatest  importance 
that  I  should  know,  of  my  own  knowledge,  what  was  the  intention  of  the 
Adjutant  General,  and  what  was  the  condition  of  the  forces.  I  waited 
at  the  stock-yards  until  I  was  satisfied  by  the  actual  appearance  of  the 
troops  from  Walls  station,  and  from  knowledge  that  I  had  received  by  send- 
ing one  of  the  men  from  my  regiment  but  in  search  of  General  Brinton, 
that  there  was  no  possibility  of  that  junction.  I  then  came  into  town 
fully  impressed  with  the  necessity  that  there  should  be  some  understand- 
ing between  General  Brinton's  troops  and  mine,  which  was  the  only  regi- 
ment left  in  Allegheny  county,  or  in  the  vicinity  of  Pittsburgh  and  Al- 
legheny, after  General  Brinton  had  crossed  the  river  at  Sharpsburg.  I  came 
in  there  to  ascertain  information  from  General  Latta.  I  met  Colonel  Nor- 
ris,  and  I  asked  him  the  question.  At  first  he  gave  me  no  particular 
information.  Afterwards,  when  I  asked  him  again,  he  told  me  that  he  and 
Major  Stewart  had  gone  out  in  search  of  General  Brinton,  and  had  reached 
him  at  a  point,  I  understood,  across  the  Sharpsburg  bridge.  That  he  had 
represented  to  General  Brinton  that  an  order  had  been  issued  by  General 
Latta,  which  was  an  order  to  him,  General  Brinton,  through  Captain  Aull, 
instructing  General  Brinton  to  form  a  junction  with  me.  When  that 
junction  was  formed,  General  Brinton  was  to  judge  himself  of  the  circum- 
stances, and  govern  himself  accordingly.  It  was  my  belief,  that  if  that 
juuction  had  been  formed,  the  troops  could  have  come  into  Pittsburgh, 
and  reached  the  vicinity  of  that  disturbance  in  time  to  have  saved  property. 
I  asked  Major  N orris,  particularly,  if  he  had  seen  General  Brinton  and  had 
conversed  with  him.  He  said  he  had.  I  asked  him  what  the  reply  was, 
and  he  said  that  General  Brinton  was  not  able  to  come  in.  I  asked  him 
again  what  General  Brinton's  reply  was.  He  shrugged  up  his  shoulders, 
and  still  did  not  give  me  the  verbal  reply  of  General  Brinton.  Sometime 
afterward,  in  conversation  with  Colonel  Norris,  he  told  me  that  General 
Brinton  had  refused  to  form  that  junction  with  him,  that  is,  to  return  from 
the  position  that  he  was  then  in.  There  is  no  "  its  "  and  "  ands  "  in  the 
matter,  in  my  mind.  My  impression  is  distinct  and  clear  that  Colonel 
Norris  told  me  he  had  met  General  Brinton  and  he  had  had  that  conver- 
sation with  General  Brinton.  Hehad  urged  upon  General  Brinton  that  he 
would  comply  with  what  were  the  instructions  of  this  order,  though  Gen- 
eral Brinton  had  not  received  it.  That  General  Brinton  had  refused  to 
comply  with  that  order.  I  would  further  state  to  the  committee  here,  that 
a  copy  of  that  order  that  was  intended  for  General  Brinton  reached  him  on 
Sunday.  I  brought  it  back  into  the  city  on  Sunday  afternoon  to  General 
Latta,  and  I  delivered  it  myself,  personally,  to  General  Brinton,  at  his  head- 
quarters at  the  hospital,  in  Pittsburgh,  after  the  return  to  Pittsburgh. 

Q.   What  day? 

A.  Well,  nearly  a  week — just  a  week.  I  gave  it  personally  to  General 
Binton. 

Q.  The  31st  of  July,  was  it  not? 

A.  I  guess  so.  It  was  after  General  Brinton  had  gone  back  to  the 
junction  and  then  returned  to  Pittsburgh  with  the  Governor.  General 
Brinton  told  me  at  that  time,  that  that  was  the  first  information  he  had  of 
that  order. 

Q.  The  copy  was  delivered  to  you  by  Captain  Aull,  was  it,  colonel  ? 

A.  Captain  Aull  failed  to  reach  General  Brinton,  for  reasons  which  I 
Will  let  Captain  Aull  state  to  you  himself. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  895 

Q.  I  do  not  quite  understand  your  statement,  whether  it  was  the  original 
or  a  copy  that  was  delivered  ? 

A.  The  original  order.  There  was  one  copy  of  that  order,  the  original 
order  is  probably  on  file  in  the  head-quarters.  Copies  of  the  order  were 
given  to  Captain  Anil,  one  for  General  Brinton  and  one  for  myself. 

Q.  You  brought  it  into  the  city  and  kept  it  in  your  possession  all  the 
time,  until  you  delivered  it  to  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  I  kept  it  in  my  possession  until  I  delivered  it,  personally,  to  General 
Brinton,  at  the  hospital  grounds,  after  the  return  to  the  city. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  General  Latta  was  notified  that  General  Brin- 
ton had  not  received  the  order? 

A.  1  cannot  say.  1  do  not  remember  whether  I  stated  that  fact  to  General 
Latta  or  not.  I  do  not  believe  I  did.  I  went  into  town  fully  impressed 
that  General  Brinton  would  not  join  me,  and  that  some  other  arrangement 
of  troops  must  be  made,  and  I  do  not  know  whether  I  stated  to  General 
Latta  that  General  Brinton  would  not  join  me,  and  that  he  must  make 
some  other  arrangement,  or  whether  I  stated  to  him  that  Captain  Anil  had 
been  unable  to  reach  General  Brinton.  At  all  events,  the  original  order 
General  Brinton  never  received  until  the  31st,  I  believe  it  was. 

Captain  W.  F.  Aull,  re-called  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Just  state,  if  you  please,  what  your  conversation  was  with  Colonel 
N orris,  and  why  you  did  not  reach  General  Brinton  with  the  order  given 
to  you  by  General  Latta  Sunday  morning,  the  22d  July  ? 

A.  Colonel  Guthrie  has  stated  that  he  sent  me  in  for  a  personal  conver- 
sation with  General  Latta,  and  I  just  state  here  that  in  passing  Twenty- 
sixth  street,  I  think  it  was,  that  as  I  approached  Twenty-sixth  street,  I 
saw  the  people  massed  around  the  corners  of  the  building,  looking  round 
up  the  street,  as  if  something  was  going  on,  and  I  asked  two  or  three  par- 
ties what  it  was,  and  they  said  the  troops  were  out.  I  drove  across.  They 
undertook  to  stop  me,  saying  I  had  better  look  out,  or  I  would  get  shot, 
that  they  had  the  Gatling  guns  up  there,  and  they  would  shoot  down  street. 
1  drove  across  the  sti'eet  and  saw  no  indications  of  anybody  shooting.  I 
drove  on  and  went  around  the  square  from  there,  where  I  could  see  the 
troops  more  closely,  and  they  passed  on  out  Penn  street.  I  waited  until 
I  saw  they  had  the  Gatling  guns  along  with  them,  and  I  drove  then,  as 
rapidly  as  possible,  to  the  Union  depot.  I  was  not  aware  that  General 
Latta  had  not  yet  received  the  information  of  their  leaving  the  round- 
house, until  I  went  in,  and,  I  think  General  Latta  will  remember,  I  was  a 
little  slow  to  tell  him,  from  the  fact  that  I  supposed  he  knew  about  it,  and 
when  1  told  him  they  had  got  out  of  the  round-house,  and  after  getting  out 
upon  the  street  with  their  Gatling  guns,  he  jumped  up  and  appeared  very 
much  pleased,  said,  "  Thank  God  they  are  out.'1  I  knew  then  that  that 
was  the  first  information  he  had  received.  He  then  turned  to  some  officers 
present,  and  they  commenced  to  congratulate  each  other  that  they  had  got 
out,  and  he  told  me  to  take  a  seat  and  remain.  I  sat  down.  A  few  moments 
afterwards,  a  party  that  I  didn't  know  at  the  time,  but  who  afterwards 
turned  out  to  be  a  man  by  the  name  Surgeon  Wilson,  who  had  been  acting 
the  part  of  a  spy  for  General  Latta,  reported  that  they  were  out  of  the 
round-house,  and,  I  think,  reported  that  they  were  going  to  the  arsenal.  A 
few  moments  afterwards  another  party  came  in,  and  reported  that  they 
had  gone  to  the  arsenal,  and  were  now  quartered  in  the  arsenal.  That 
I  am  positive  of.  I  heard  that — that  they  were  quartered  in  the  arsenal. 
That  appeared  to  afford  a  great  deal  of  relief  to  the  officers  present,  and 


89G  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

General  Latta  immediately  began  to  dictate  an  order  to  his  clerk,  Mr. 
Russell,  I  believe.  I  waited  until  he  had  written  the  order,  and  he  either 
wrote  out  a  duplicate  or  wrote  out  two  orders,  I  don't  remember  which.  I 
am  not  clear  as  to  whether  they  were  two  different  orders  or  duplicate 
orders.  At  any  rate  he  gave  me  an  order  ;  but  before*  he  gave  it  to  me  he 
had  along  talk  with  Colonel  N  orris,  took  him  into  a  private  room,  or 
talked  with  him  first.  He  then  read  the  order  in  my  presence,  that  he 
afterwards  handed  to  me,  giving  Colonel  Norris  instructions  to  reach  Gen- 
eral Brinton.  My  instructions  were  to  return  to  my  regiment,  and  that 
General  Brinton  being  quartered  in  the  arsenal,  I  should  take  the  order, 
which  I  received,  to  deliver  it  to  him  there,  then  deliver  the  other 
order  to  Colonel  Guthrie.  When  I  reached  the  arsenal,  I  found  the  troops 
were  not  quartered  there,  and  I  went  to  two  or  three  different  parties  at 
the  arsenal  for  fear  that  they  were  trying  to  deceive  me,  that  probably 
they  were  in  the  arsenal.  I  walked  round  the  fence,  and  looked  in  where- 
ever  I  could  see,  wherever  I  had  the  opportunity  to  see  in,  to  convince  my- 
self positively  that  they  were  not  there,  before  I  would  go  any  further ; 
but  finally,  I  being  convinced  that  they  had  gone  out  Butler  street, 
as  the  sentinel  informed  me,  I  started  back  to  my  buggy,  and  just  as  I 
was  approaching  the  street  that  crosses  Butler  street  at  right  angles,  Col- 
onel Stewart  and  Major  Norris  came  driving  across  the  street,  and  I 
hailed  them,  and  told  Colonel  Norris  that  they  had  gone  on  out  Butler 
street,  that  I  had  information  enough  to  convince  me  of  that,  and  imme- 
diately turned  round  and  started  on,  without  asking  for  any  further  in- 
formation. He  drove  on  out  Butler  street.  I  got  into  my  buggy  and 
started  after  them.  I  drove  on  as  far  as  Sharpsburg  bridge,  and  made 
numerous  inquiries  of  parties  along  the  street  how  far  they  were  ahead  of 
me,  and  what  the  prospects  would  be  of  overtaking  them.  When  I 
reached  Sharpsburg  bridge  I  was  told  they  must  be  at  least  two  miles 
ahead  of  me,  and  they  had  struck  out  into  the  country,  towards  Butler 
county.  I  supposed  I  stood  or  sat  in  the  buggy  for  fully  two  or  three 
minutes,  meditating  whether  I  would  follow  or  take  the  other  order  to 
Colonel  Guthrie  first.  I  concluded,  at  last,  that  I  would  first  take  the 
order  to  Colonel  Guthrie.  I  had  two  orders  to  deliver,  and  I  concluded  I 
would  take  the  order  to  Colonel  Guthrie,  and  if  he  advised  me  to,  to  strike 
across  the  country,  and  reach  General  Brinton  with  the  other  order.  I 
drove  straight  to  East  Liberty,  and  reported  to  Colonel  Guthrie  what  I 
had  seen,  and  handed  him  the  order  that  1  had  been  authorized  to  deliver 
to  him.  I  also  stated  to  him  that  I  had  an  order  for  General  Brinton,  and 
stated  the  circumstances  under  which  I  had  not  delivered  it.  I  asked  him 
the  question  if  I  should  strike  across  the  country  from  there,  right  directly 
across  the  river,  the  direction  I  knew  they  were  in,  or  whether  I  would 
remain  where  I  was.  He  replied,  "  Give  me  that  order  and  I  will  go  to  the 
city  and  see  General  Latta  myself,"  and  I  handed  him  the  order  and  I  never 
saw  it  afterwards.  Colonel  Guthrie  then  left  the  regiment  and  went  to  the 
city,  as  he  has  stated. 

Q.  When  did  you  see  Colonel  Norris  next  after  leaving  him  at  the 
arsenal  ? 

A.  I  am  not  exactly  clear  on  that.     I  think  I  saw  him  Friday.     I  saw 
him  at  the  Duquesne  club-rooms. 

Q.  Well,  did  you  see  him  within  a  week  ? 

A.  No,  sir ;  it  was  some  time  afterwards  before  I  saw  him  again. 


Leg.  Doc]  "Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  897 

Norman  M.  Smith  re-called  : 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  You  may  state  the  facts  in  relation  to  the  conversation  that  occurred 
between  General  Brinton  and  Colonel  N orris,  or  what  you  know  in  relation 
to  it? 

A.  Mr.  Chairman,  the  only  evidence  I  can  give  is  corroborative.  I  met 
Colonel  Norris  immediately  after  his  return  from  his  trip  to  General  Brin- 
ton's  command.  Met  him  in  front  of  the  Union  Depot  Hotel,  immediately 
after  he  got  out  of  his  carriage,  I  think.  He  stated  to  me  that  he  had  car- 
ried the  orders  to  General  Brinton.  That  Colonel  Norris  has  already  said 
to  you,  that  he  carried,  and  also  said  that  General  Brinton  had  refused  to 
obey  them,*and  return  to  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  time  was  it  you  met  him  ? 

A.  Well,  it  is  pretty  hard  for  me  to  give  the  hour  exactly.  I  had  been 
up  for  three  or  four  days  and  nights.  I  think,  though,  it  was  between  nine 
and  ten  o'clock.  I  will  not  be  positive  about  that.  It  might  have  been 
earlier,  and  it  might  have  been  later.  I  think,  though,  between  nine  and 
ten  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Q.  Did  he  state  exactly  where  he  found  him  ? 

A.  He  said  he  had  followed  him  beyond  Sharpsburg,  and  dismounted 
from  his  carriage,  and  had  marched  on  foot  with  him  for  some  distance. 
Had  communicated  the  order  that  he  has  stated.  Had  conversed  with  him 
for  some  time,  and  that  General  Brinton  had  refused  to  return  to  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Did  he  say  anything  about  his  refusal  to  join  Colonel  Guthrie? 

A.  While  I  said  return  to  Pittsburgh  I  meant  to  join  Colonel  Guthrie — 
that  was  implied.  That  after  they  joined,  that  is,  it  was  in  our  minds,  after 
they  had  united  their  commands,  that  they  were  to  return  to  Pittsburgh  ; 
but  when  I  said  refused  to  return  to  Pittsburgh,  I  meant  refused  to  join 
Colonel  Guthrie,  or  rather  to  execute  the  order  that  Colonel  Norris  had 
to  carry. 

Q.  Did  he  say  anything  about  the  condition  of  General  Brinton's  troops? 

A.  Perhaps  he  may  have  mentioned  it  in  a  general  wajr,  but  I  do  not  re- 
collect that  he  specified  it  particularly. 

Q.  That  was  not  spoken  of? 

A.  I  think  not.  At  least  that  did  not  impress  itself  on  my  mind,  if  it 
was  mentioned. 

Q.  Anything  said  about  getting  provisions  to  them? 

A.  Well,  there  probably  was,  but  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  what  it  was — 
that  was  a  matter  that  was  paramount  in  all  our  minds,  the  matter  of  pro- 
visions for  the  troops  had  been  concerning  me,  particularly,  from  the  even- 
ing before,  and  continued  to  concern  me  until  the  next  evening,  until  I 
secured  some  provisions  and  got  them  to  the  troops. 

Q.  Is  that  all  that  you  know  in  relation  to  what  occured  between  Colo- 
nel Norris  and  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  That  is  all,  I  believe,  sir. 

Colonel  Norris :  I  would,  like  to  say,  when  I  got  back  to  the  hotel,  Mr. 
Cassatt  was  there,  and  I  believe  Mr.  Bennett,  of  Allegheny,  and  we  had  a 
conversation  then  about  supplying  General  Brinton's  command  with  pro- 
visions and  ammunition,  and  an  arrangement  was  there  made,  I  myself 
giving  the  directions  where  he  was  to  convey  the  provisions  to  him,  and 
that  provisions  did  ultimately  reach  him.  That  conversation  was  heard, 
I  believe,  by  Colonel  Hassinger. 

Colonel  Smith:   If  I  may  be  permitted — I  was  speaking  of  the  time  I 
met  Colonel  Norris.     I  was  present  at  that  conversation,  at  the  Mono 
hela  house,  and  can  verify  what  the  colonel  said  at  that  time. 
57  Riots. 


89S  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Colonel  D.  L.  Hassinger,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Linclsey : 

Q.  You  understand,  I  believe,  the  subject  of  evidence  to-night.  Will 
you  go  on  and  state  what  knowledge  you  have  on  the  subject  ? 

A.  I  was  at  the  Monongahela  house  when  Colonel  N orris  and  Major 
Stewart  returned,  and  I  heard  just  about — he  reported  that  he  had  caught 
up  with  General  Brinton  on  his  way  out  beyond  Sharpsburg  bridge,  that 
he  got  out  of  the  carriage  and  walked  along,  and  bad  the  conversation, 
and  spoke  about  the  order  which  had  been  sent  to  him  through  Captain 
Aull,  and  he  said  he  gave  him  the  substance  of  the  order,  and  General 
Brinton  had  refused  to  obe}'  him.  t 

Q.  Can  you  give  the  language  of  Colonel  Norris — the  exact  words  that 
Colonel  Norris  used  ? 

A.  Well,  I  don't  know  that  I  can,  exactly.  I  do  not  recollect  that  part 
of  it. 

Q.  You  don't  pretend  now,  in  your  statement,  to  give  the  language  ? 

A.  No.  I  have  not  heard  any  of  the  evidence  at  all  that  was  before  the 
committee,  except  sitting  here  for  a  few  minutes. 

Q.  You  are  a  member  of  the  National  Guard? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  What  regiment  ? 

A.  Assistant  Adjutant  General  of  the  State. 

Q.  Had  you  been  at  Pittsburgh  during  the  riot — the  entire  progress  of 
it? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Were  you  with  General  Latta  ? 

A.  I  was  with  him  most  of  the  time  that  be  was  there.  On  that  morn- 
ing I  had  started  out  when  I  heard  that  the  troops  were  out  of  the  round- 
house. I  went  out  as  far  as  the  arsenal,  and  when  I  got  there  I  found  that 
they  had  gone  in  another  direction.  I  was  afoot,  and,  I  think,  returned 
to  the  hotel. 

Q.  You  were  at  the  hotel  when  the  colonel  arrived  ? 

A.   Yes,  sir. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  Colonel  Norris  communicated  that  fact  to 
General  Latta  that  you  have  just  related  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  be  did.     General  Latta  was  in  the  room  at  the  time. 

Q.  In  your  presence  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  That  is  all  you  know  in  relation  to  the  conversation  that  occurred 
between  them,  is  it? 

A.  That  is  about  all,  sir;  yes,  sir. 

General  James  W.  Latta  re-called  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  1  would  like  you  to  state,  general,  just  what  Colonel  Norris  stated 
to  you  on  his  return  from  General  Brinton's  command  ? 

A.  1  did  detail  that,  sir,  about  as  fully  as  I  recollect  it,  describing  the 
room  and  situation  and  surroundings.  I  will  go  over  it  again  if  you  de- 
sire. 

Q.  I  want  to  ask  you  one  other  question.  Did  you  learn  on  Sunday 
that  Captain  Anil  bad  not  reached  General  Brinton  with  that  order? 

A.  1  did  not  find  it  out,  sir,  until  nearly  a  week  afterwards. 

Q.  When  Major  Baugh  came  to  the  hotel  on  Sunday,  was  anything  said 
to  him  by  you  about  whether  Captain  Aull  had  reached  the  command  or 
not? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Rtots,  July,  18*77.  890 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  And  he  did  not  communicate  anything  of  the  kind  to  j-ou  ? 

A.  No,  sir. 

Q.  When  you  gave  the  order  to  Major  Baugh,  you  had  no  knowledge 
whatever  of  whether  Captain  Aull  had  reached  General  Brinton  with  the 
first  order  or  not  ? 

A.  I  had  not,  sir.     I  supposed  he  had.     I  took  that  for  granted. 

Captain  Aull:  Will  General  Latta  add  that  he  gave  me  no  instructions 
to  report  back  ? 

The  witness :  I  did  say  that  in  my  report. 

Major  General  R.  M.  Brinton  re-called : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  1  wish  you  to  state,  general,  whether  at  any  time  during  3'our  stay 
in  Pittsburgh  any  attempt  was  made  by  any  of  the  officials  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Company  to  control  your  movements,  or  the  movements 
of  your  troops  in  any  way  ? 

A.  No,  sir  ;•  there  was  no  attempts  made  by  any  officers  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad  Company,  to  my  knowledge,  to  dictate  or  interfere  in  the 
slightest  with  the  movements  of  the  troops.  I  remember  at  one  time,  just 
after  the  firing  occurred  at  Twenty-eight  street,  that  General  Pearson  was 
in  Mr.  Pitcairn's  office,  and  Mr.  Cassatt  was  there,  one  of  the  vice  presi- 
dents of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  and  I  asked  permission  of  General 
Pearson  to  clear  the  streets,  and  to  follow  the  crowd  to  the  arsenal,  and  he, 
more  in  his  manner  than  anything  else,  appealed  to  Mr.  Cassatt,  and  Mr. 
Cassatt  said  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  movements  of  the  troops,  I 
know  nothing  about  that  whatever.  I  can  say  that  at  no  time  did  they  at- 
tempt, to  my  knowledge,  to  interfere  in  any  waj*-  with  the  movements  of 
the  troop*. 

Q.  Will  you  state  from  whom,  or  by  whom,  the  provisions  were  delivered 
to  your  troops,  on  the  hill  beyond  Sharpsburg? 

A.  After  our  arrival  in  Pittsburgh,  or  previous  to  our  arrival,  I  tele- 
graphed to  Pittsburgh  for  provisions,  to  General  Pearson,  and  he  pro- 
cured them  from  the  Union  depot,  that  is,  a  sandwich  and  a  cup  of  cotfee. 
After  that,  we  were  in  the  round-house,  and  I  made  repeated  appeals 

Q.  I  speak  of  the  provisions  that  were  brought  after  you  went  beyond 
Sharpsburg,  on  the  hill,  when  you  were  encamped  there — from  whom  you 
received  the  provisions,  that  is,  who  delivered  them  to  you  ? 

A.  I  had  a  note  from  Mr.  Cassatt,  about,  I  should  think,  ten  or  eleven 
o'clock  that  night,  that  is,  Sunday  night,  saying  that  he  had  procured  for 
us  a  lot  of  hams  and  provisions,  &c,  and  had  sent  them  out.  I  thought, 
at  the  time,  that  Mr.  Cassatt  had  left  Pittsburgh,  but  I  found  that  he  had 
not,  and  he  bad  also  sent  two  parties  from  Sharpsburg,  merchants  there, 
who  said  that  they  had  an  order  from  Mr.  Cassatt  to  give  us  whatever  they 
had  in  their  stores,  and  they  gave  me  an  inventory  of  it,  and  said  it  was 
at  my  disposal,  and  that  Mr.  Cassatt  had  given  them  orders,  and  that  he 
would  be  responsible  for  it,  and  I  might  say  the  only  provisions  I  did  re- 
ceive from  the  time  we  went  to  Pittsburgh,  until  we  arrived  at  Blairsville, 
came  througn  his  energies. 

Q.  Who  delivered  the  line  from  Mr.  Cassatt  to  you? 

A.  My  impression  was,  or  is,  it  was  Mr.  Smith — Colonel  Smith,  I  think — 
who  brought  it  there  that  night.  There  is  one  point  I  should  like  to  cor- 
rect. 1  won't  detail  any  of  the  conversation,  further  than  to  allude  to  my 
evidence,  whieh  I  gave  before.  Y"ou  have,  with  Colonel  Norris,  stated 
that  I  wanted  to  cross  the  river  and  intrench.     That  I  did  not  say,  and, 


900  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

moreover,  it  would  have  been  impossible,  because  I  had  not  any  means  of 
intrenching — no  tools,  or  anything  of  the  kind.  He  said  he  saw  no  crowd, 
at  all,  following  to  Sharpsburg,  and  that  we  should  have  remained  there, 
in  his  idea.  I  merely  refer  to  a  dispatch  which  General  Latta  sent  to  the 
Governor  at  that  time,  and  which  he  must  have  received  information  either 
from  Captain  Aull  or  Colonel  Norris,  as  it  was  sent  by  telegram.  It  was 
directed  to  Governor  Hartranft,  dated  July  22,  p.  36,  in  which  he  says, 
among  other  things  :  "  The  first  division,  after  stiff  fighting  for  about  four- 
teen hours,  have  retired  to  a  point  near  Sharpsburg,  pursued  vigorously 
by  a  mob,  to  the  high  bridge  at  that  point,  under  a  hot  fire  pretty  nearly 
all  the  way,  but  they  effectually  checked  the  attack."  Colonel  Norris  re- 
turned, he  said  that  there  was  no  mob  following  us  whatever. 
Q.  Go  on,  general  ? 

A.  In  regard  to  our  not  stopping  in  Sharpsburg,  and  that  ammunition, 
&c,  could  reach  us,  I  want  to  state  that  we  went  on  a  point  of  the  railroad 
below  Sharpsburg,  where  we  could  procure  provisions,  and  where  we  were 
in  direct  communication  by  rail  with  Pittsburgh,  the  same  railroad  which 
runs  through  Sharpsburg,  and  therefore  we  lost  nothing  by  not  stopping 
in  Sharpsburg.  In  regard  to  receiving  the  provisions  winch  Colonel  Nor- 
ris promised  us  if  we  would  remain  there,  the  provisions  never  came,  ex- 
cept by  the  hands  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company.  The  evidence 
which  Colonel  Norris  has  given  in  regard  to  the  situation  we  were  in,  &c, 
of  course  is  entirely  different  from  what  I  have  already  stated,  and  from 
what  the  officers  who  were  immediately  surrounding  us  when  he  joined  us 
said.  They  being  on  the  spot,  it  was  not  hearsay  evidence  on  their  part, 
but  it  wa^  what  they  actually  heard,  and  they  have  sworn  that  they  were 
sufficiently  near  to  hear  every  word  that  was  passed  at  the  time,  but  if  it 
is  necesary,  I  can  produce  those  offic3rs  to  corroborate  it. 
Q.  We  have  had  that. 

Colonel  Norris:  I  wish  to  ask  Colonel  Smith,  whether  the  provisions 
were  not  sent  in  pursuance  of  the  arrangements  made  after  my  conversa- 
tion with  Mr.  Cassatt  and  Mr.  Bennett  ? 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 
You  may  state  that,  Colonel  Smith. 

Colonel  Smith:  As  has  already  been  stated,  Mr.  Cassatt  and  Mr.  Ben- 
nett, and  others,  had  a  consultation  at  the  Monougahela  house,  about  noon 
of  Sunda}7.  Mr.  Bennett  and  Mr.  Cassatt  left  the  hotel  together,  Mr.  Cas- 
satt, at  least,  and  I  think  Mr.  Bennett  with  him,  went  to  Allegheny,  to  ar- 
range with  bakers,  and  other  people  there,  to  prepare  sandwiches  and  other 
provisions  to  send  out.  I  left  the  Monongahela  house  about  three  o'clock, 
and  had  this  understanding  with  Mr.  Cassatt,  who  was  to  take  the  road  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river,  with  the  wagons  of  provisions.  I  was  to  move 
up  on  the  south  side,  as  stated  in  my  examination  in  chief.  I  proceeded 
by  certain  routes  across  the  Allegheny  river,  and  at  iEtna,  I  met  Mr.  Camp- 
bell Herron,  and  I  stated  the  necessities  of  the  troops,  and  asked  him 
whether  he  could  assist  me  in  procuring  provisions  for  them.  I  had  in 
mind  the  conversation  and  action  taken  place  at  the  Monongahela  house, 
between  Mr  Cassatt  and  others.  Mr.  Herron  said  that  the  store  belong- 
ing to  their  furnace,  their  property,  had  some  provisions  in  it,  and  he  sent 
for  his  manager,  Mr.  Chalfant,  and  witli  him  I  arranged  to  load  up  what- 
ever provisions  they  had,  as  soon  as  it  became  dark,  and  that  they  should 
be  sent  on  to  the  camp  of  General  Brinton's  command.  My  arrangement 
with  Cassatt,  was  to  wait  at  General  Brinton's  camp  until  I  heard  from 
him — either  saw  him  or  heard  from  him.  After  that,  I  was  to  proceed  to 
execute  the  orders  I  carried  from  General  Latta,  which  has  almuty  been 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*77.  901 

stated  here  tc  the  committee.  I  waited  there  until  about  ten  o'clock, 
when  a  man  by  the  name  of  Bradley,  a  livery  stable  keeper — he  had  charge 
of  hauling  the  provisions  out  there — came  into  camp,  and  reported  two 
wagon  loads  within  a -short  distance,  and  in  the  meantime,  Mr.  Chalfant 
had  reported  there,  that  a  wagon  containing  hams,  and  some  other  provis- 
ions, which  we  turned  over  to  the  commissary  of  General  Brinton's  com- 
mand. I  believe  thereis.no  question  about  that,  but  all  these  arrange- 
ments were  made  in  pursuance  of  the  understanding  arrived  at  between 
Mr.  Cassatt,  and  Mr.  Bennett  and  others,  at  the  instigation  of  Colonel 
Norris,  after  his  return  from  visiting  General  Brinton's  command  in  the 
morning. 

At  this  point  the  committee  adjourned,  to  meet  at  the  call  of  the  chair- 
man. 


Explanatory  IVote  by  the  Reporter  of  the  Committee. 

Owing  to  an  urgent  desire  on  the  part  of  the  committee  to  have  the  tes- 
timony— taken  in  shorthand — transcribed  and  printed  as  rapidly  as  possi- 
ble after  the  order  to  print  was  made  by  the  Legislature,  a  number  of  men 
were  put  to  work  on  it,  each  man  taking  a  portion,  irrespective  of  dates. 
As  fast  as  transcribed,  these  portions  were  printed.  This  will  explain  the 
mingling  of  dates.  Furthermore  and  unfortunately,  in  the  hurry  and  con- 
fusion of  such  quick  work,  some  of  the  copy  was  mislaid  or  lost  before 
reaching  the  printer's  hands,  necessitating  a  re-dictation  by  myself  from 
the  original  notes.     This  will  explain  the  consequent  delay. 

SAM'L  B.  COLLINS, 
Official  Reporter  of  Legislature. 

Philadelphia,  September  SO,  1878. 


F.  B.  Gowen,  sivorn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  your  residence  and  official  connection  with  the  Reading  Rail- 
road Company  ? 

A.  1  reside  at  Mount  Airey,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and  am  presi- 
dent of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Railroad  Company,  and  have  been 
so  since  the  spring  of  1869. 

Q.  We  wish  you  to  state  now  whether  there  was  any  difficulty  on  the 
Reading  railroad  during  the  riots  last  July  ;  and  if  so,  give  us  the  circum- 
stances ? 

A.  There  was  a  difficulty  at  Reading,  on  the  line  of  the  Reading  railroad. 
We  did  not  originate  that,  nor  was  it  participated  in  by  any  one  then  in  the 
employ  of  the  company,  so  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  ascertain.  In  other 
words  the  riotous  attacks  on  property  at  Reading,  which  culminated  in  the 
burning  of  a  large  bridge  over  the  Schuylkill  river,  in  the  city  of  Reading, 
were  not  the  acts  of  any  one  of  the  then  employes  of  the  company,  nor,  so 
far  as  we  have  been  able  to  learn,  was  there  any  single  man  then  in  the 
employ  of  the  company  absent  from  his  post  at  that  time,  nor  was  there 


902  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

then  any  strike  of  any  kind  whatever  among  any  of  the  then  employes  of 
the  company. 

Q.  Did  the  road  continue  to  run  during  the  troubles  '( 

A.  The  road  was  stopped  for  one  clay — absolutely  for  a  little  over  twenty- 
four  hours — the  main  line  of  the  road  was  stopped — all  the  branches  were 
running.  The  main  line  was  stopped  at  Reading,  by  the  tearing  up  of  the 
track,  and  also  the  Lebanon  Valley  railroad  was  stopped  for  a  long  time, 
in  consequence  of  the  burning  of  the  bridge,  which  took  place  on  the  night 
of  the  day  on  which  the  disturbance  occurred  elsewhere  in  Reading. 

Q.  Was  this  destruction  of  property  caused  by  former  employes  of  the 
road  ? 

A.  Almost  entirely.  It  was  caused  by  a  mob  that  was  composed  prin- 
cipally, I  believe,  of  former  employes  of  the  company,  or  led  by  them — 
organized  by  them — and,  of  course,  participated  in,  or  witnessed  by  a  great 
crowd  of  people,  many  of  whom  may  not  have  been  at  all  active  partici- 
pants, but  merely  spectators. 

Q.  State  whether  you  had  reason  to  believe  there  would  be  any  difficulty  ; 
and  if  so,  what  steps  you  took  to  prevent  it  ? 

A.  Early  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  as  early  as  March,  at  least,  we  had 
reason  to  believe  that  the  society  called  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive 
Engineers  was  arranging  to  make  some  kind  of  an  attack  upon  the  com- 
pany, somewhat  similar  to  that  one  which  occurred  on  the  Boston  and 
Maine  railroad  and  the  Central  railroad  of  New  Jersey,  and  we  had  also 
reason  to  believe  that  there  was  then  being  organized  throughout  the  coun- 
try, somewhat  under  the  shadow  of,  or  in  some  way  connected  with  the 
Locomotive  Brotherhood,  another  society,  which  was  to  embrace  all  the 
trainmen  employed  upon  the  railroad*  generally,  and  we  thought  that  the 
proper  way  to  prevent  such  action  having  a  disastrous  effect  upon  our  com- 
pany and  its  property  would  be  to  state  to  those  who  belonged  to  this  so- 
ciety that  they  could  no  longer  remain  in  our  employ;  and  upon  a  demand 
being  made  upon  us  by  a  committee  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive 
Engineers  for  an  advance  in  wages  of  twenty  per  cent.,  which  we  believed 
to  be  the  preliminary  step  for  testing  the  question  of  power,  we  notified 
all  the  engineers  and  firemen,  who  belonged  to  the  Brotherhood  of  Engin- 
eers, that  they  could  not  remain  in  the  service  of  the  company  and  be  mem- 
bers of  that  organization  at  the  same  time;  but,  as  we  understood,  that 
that  organization  had  a  beneficial  fund  from  which  the  members  derived 
some  benefit,  we  proposed  to  give  them  a  fund  of  the  same  kind  to  which 
the  company  also  would  be  a  contributor,  as  well  as  themselves,  so  that  no 
man,  in  leaving  that  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers,  would  loose 
the  money  value  of  his  membership.  When  we  issued  thie  circular,  between 
three  and  four  hundreed  men,  principally  engineers  and  firemen,  and  a  few 
others  who  left  in  sympathy  with  them,  left  the  service  of  the  company. 
That  was  in  the  month  of  April.  That  has  been  spoken  of  as  a  strike, 
but  it  was  no  strike,  because  these  people  who  joined  it  knew  that  they  could 
not  remain  in  the  service  of  the  company,  and  it  was  different  from  a  strike 
where  persons  simply  stop  work  for  the  purpose  of  enforcing  a  demand  for 
higher  wages.  A  great  number  of  those  persons  who  left  the  service  of  the 
company  in  April,  still,  I  think,  remained  under  the  impression  that 
they  could  force  the  company  to  take  them  back,  and  they  organized 
themselves  more  closely  at  Heading,  and  had  a  series  of  meetings  at 
which  they  took  in  a  great  many  others  that  didn't  belong  to  the  Broth- 
erhood of  Locomotive  Engineers.  They  had  regular  meetings  in  some 
hall  there,  and  maintained  a  position  or  attitude  of  hostility  to  the  com- 
pany.     Their  object  being  to  embarrass  the  company  in  the  transaction  of 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots  July,  18*1*1.  903 

its  business,  so  that  the  company  would  be  forced  to  take  them  back  ;  but 
as  the  company  didn't  take  them  back,  as  they  desired,  from  day  to  day, 
and  week  to  week,  and  month  to  month,  they  became  very  sore  on  the 
subject,  and  I  believe  that  the  riot  at  Reading — indeed,  although  I  can 
only  speak  from  hearsay  evidence ;  but  as  I  took  part  as  a  lawyer  in  the 
cases  that  grew  out  of  it,  I  derived  a  great  deal  of  information  as  to  the 
reason  of  it.  I  believe  that  when  the  news  came  to  Reading  of  the  gen- 
eral outbreak  upon  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  at  Mirtinsbarg,  a 
number  of  those  former  employes  of  the  company  assembled  at  a  hall  in 
one  of  their  meetings,  and  determined  that  they  would  have  to  do  some- 
thing of  the  kind,  such  as  the  burning  down  of  the  bridge  and  the  tearing 
up  of  the  track,  and,  resulting  from  that,  this  attack  was  made  upon  the 
company,  which  I  believe  was  confined  entirely  to  such  employes  as  had 
left  the  service  of  the  company,  and  among  them  such  followers  or  sym- 
pathizers as  could  be  got  into  a  crowd  on  such  an  occasion  ;  but  I  believe 
that  none  of  the  employes  of  the  company  had  anything  to  do  with  it,  or 
took  any  part  in  it. 

Q.  Prior  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  riot,  had  you  filled  the  places  of  all 
those  men  who  had  left  your  services  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  their  places  were  filled  within  two  or  three  or  four  days  of  the 
time.  Indeed,  there  was  no  interuption  in  the  business  of  the  road  result- 
ing from  those  engineers  leaving  us  in  the  month  of  April,  except  that  we 
stopped  the  movement  of  the  coal  trade  one  day  so  that  all  the  engineers 
who  remained  in  our  service  connected  with  the  coal  trade  might  be  on 
hand  in  case  we  didn't  have  enough  new  ones,  so  that  all  the  trains  we  call 
schedule  trains,  that  is  passenger  trains  and  freight  trains,  might  be  moved 
promptly.  The  whole  tiling  was  over  in  two  or  three  days.  The  places  of 
those  who  left  were  immediately  supplied.  We  pi'omoted  a  great  many 
firemen  competent  to  take  the  places  of  the  engineers.  I  am  sure  that 
within  a  week  or  ten  days  after  they  commenced  to  leave,  there  was  no 
longer  any  vacancy  in  our  service  not  filled. 

Q.  Was  there  any  difficulty  in  finding  men  ? 

A.  None  whatever.  It  was  rather  remarkable  we  had  them  so  quickly, 
so  rapidly.  Of  course,  anticipating  this  disturbance,  we  were  quietly  on 
the  lookout  for  men. 

Q.  Were  the  new  men  you  employed  experienced  engineers? 

A.  Yes;  and  it  was  more  remarkable  still.  Our  business  is  a  peculiar 
one.  It  is  very  much  more  difficult  for  an  engineer  from  another  road  to 
take  hold  of  a  heavy  coal  train  on  a  down  grade,  than  to  handle  a  passen- 
ger or  a  common  freight  train  on  an  ordinary  grade.  But  there  were  very 
few  accidents.  There  were  a  few  such  as  might  result  from  the  inexperi- 
ence of  men  unaccustomed  to  that  kind  of  business;  but  they  were  remark- 
ably few.  Of  course  we  had  to  be  very  vigilant.  The  company  went  to 
some  expense  in  order  to  guard  against  accident. 

Q.  Were  any  of  those  new  men  j^ou  got  men  who  had  been  discharged 
from  other  roads  ? 

A.  I  cannot  answer  that  question  positively,  for  the  reason  that  I  don't 
know  it;  but  I  should  judge  from  the  habit  or  custom  of  the  company  in 
that  respect,  that  no  new  man  was  taken  into  the  service  of  the  company 
who  didn't  bring  a  certificate  of  good  character.  I  am  sure  no  one  would 
have  been  taken  that  was  discharged  from  any  cause  that  affected  his 
ability  or  knowledge  as  an  engineer. 

Q.  Then  I  understand  3'ou  to  say  that  3-011  had  no  difficulty  in  securing 
plenty  of  engineers  ? 

A.  None  whatever.     You  will  understand,  of  course,  that  while  quite  a 


904  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

number  of  firemen  left  our  service,  a  great  many  other  firemen  in  our  ser- 
vice were  competent  to  take  an  engine,  and  a  number  of  those  were  pro- 
moted. 

Q.  Have  you  any  knowledge  of  the  number  of  new  men  employed  ? 

A.  I  think  the  entire  number  of  engineers  and  firemen  could  not  have 
been  more  than  about  from  three  hundred  to  three  hundred  and  fifty — 
probably  not  so  many.  I  think  about  three  hundred  or  three  hundred  and 
fifty  would  cover  all  of  those  two  classes — engineers  and  firemen. 

Q.  What  steps  were  taken  by  the  company  to  punish  the  rioters  at  Read- 
ing? 

A.  We  left  that,  to  some  extent,  to  the  civil  authorities  of  Reading.  In 
connection  with  them,  prosecutions  were  commenced  against  a  great  num- 
ber. Two  of  them  who  were  known  to  have  actually  set  fire  to  the  bridge, 
or  participated  in  the  actual  burning,  who  ran  away,  were  arrested  at  a 
distance,  and  plead  guilty. 

Q.  Were  they  men  who  had  been  in  the  employ  of  the  companjr  ? 

A.  One  of  them  had  been  at  one  time. 

Q.  In  what  capacity  ? 

A.  I  think  as  a  brakeman,  and  he  had  left  the  service  of  the  company, 
at  the  time  the  locomotive  engineers  left,  and  at  this  meeting  I  spoke  of 
as  taking  place  at  the  hall  in  Reading,  he  had  been  promised  by  the  Broth- 
erhood of  Locomotive  Engineers  to  be  paid  so  much  a  month,  if  he  left 
the  service  of  the  company.  The  other  one  had  never  been  in  the  service 
of  the  company — not  that  I  am  aware  of. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  steps  were  taken  by  the  civil  authorities  at  Read- 
ing to  suppress  the  riot  at  that  time  ? 

A.  There  was  very  little  done  at  the  time.  I  think  that  all  disturbance 
at  Reading  could  have  been  prevented,  if  the  sheriff  of  the  county  had 
shown  the  slighest  amount  of  pluck  or  appreciation  of  his  position.  He 
had  full  knowledge — in  fact,  he  was  informed  that  it  was  to  take  place, 
but  he  did  nothing  practically,  except  when  it  was  too  late,  to  issue  a  pro- 
clamation that  amounted  to  nothing. 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  long  before  it  took  place  that  this  information 
was  communicated  to  him  ? 

A.  Information  was  communicated  to  him  of  the  intended  rising.  He 
was  told  of  the  facts  in  the  possession  of  the  part}^  informing  him,  and  an 
offer  was  made  to  him  of  men  to  act  as  a  posse  comitatus,  about  eight  or 
ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  day  in  which  the  trouble  culminated.  He 
did  nothing  until  late  that  afternoon.  I  am  quite  confident  that  a  deter- 
mined man,  armed  with  the  law,  in  the  position  of  the  sheriff  of  Berks,  at 
Reading,  with  twenty  men — ten  times  which  number  lie  could  have  gotten 
from  the  citizens — could  have  prevented  the  whole  disturbance. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  he  made  any  call  for  help  from  the  State? 

A.  I  am  not  aware  that  he  did,  nor  am  I  really  aware  of  the  means  used 
to  bring  the  military  to  Reading,  or  who  first  made  the  call  for  them.  I 
know  the  military  were  sent  there  by  the  orders  of  some  one  in  the  military 
department  of  the  State,  who  had  authority  upon  that  subject,  and  the  dis- 
urbance  was  finally  quelled  by  the  action  of  the  military,  which  unfortu- 
nately led  to  the  killing  of  several  persons. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  reduction  of  wages  on  your  road  prior  to  Jn\y  ? 

A.  I  think  there  had  been  no  reduction  of  wages  on  the  road  for  months 
before  that.  Then'  had  been  two  reductions  of  wages  within  the  last  few 
years. 

Q.  Since  18*73 — the  time  of  the  panic? 

A.  Yes. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187 T.  905 


Q.  How  large  ? 

A.  Each,  I  think,  was  ten  per  cent.  The  engineers  on  the  Reading  rail- 
road have  been  for  a  great  number  of  years  paid  according  to  the  length 
of  service.  We  have  four  grades,  the  first  }^ear  the  men  get  the  lowest 
grade,  and  after  they  have  been  in  the  service  of  the  company  four  years, 
they  get  the  highest  grade.  That  was  due  entirely,  not  to  his  knowledge 
as  an  engineer,  but  to  his  length  of  sei'vice  as  an  employe  in  the  company. 
Tt  was  understood  that  the  men's  wages  should  increase  with  the  length 
of  time  they  remained  with  us.  When  any  man  left  us,  and  came  back, 
again  he  had  to  go  down  and  come  up,  as  the  lowest  men. 
Q.  Did  that  apply  to  any  other  employes  but  the  engineers  ? 
A.  It  applied  to  the  firemen. 

Q.  Can  yon  give  the  wages  that  the  brakemen  and  firemen  and  engineers 
were  getting  per  day. 

A.  I  cannot  give  it  exactly.  I  think  at  the  time  of  this  disturbance  the 
highest  grade  engineers  were  paid  $2  97  per  day.  I  think  the  firemen 
were  getting  about  $1  50  to  $1  60  per  day.  In  the  coal  trade  on  the 
Reading  railroad  there  were  opportunities  for  engineers,  during  the  busy 
seasons,  to  earn  more  than  six  days  per  week.  Since  the  strike,  or  shortly 
after  this  trouble  occurred,  in  April,  as  a  mark  of  our  appreciation  of  the 
fidelity  of  those  who  remained  with  us  and  resisted  the  temptation  to  leave 
when  the  Brother.iood  of  Engineers  left — a  good  many  of  them,  indeed, 
were  members  of  the  Brotherhood  that  stayed  with  us — we  made  a  new 
oracle  of  engineers,  which  no  new  men  thereafter  could  enter,  except  after 
five  years  of  service,  and  we  put  all  the  faithful  men  who  remained  with 
us  in  that  grade,  and  gave  them  $3  23.  We  have  also  that  system  among 
the  conductors  of  the  passenger  trains.  They  are  paid  according  to  length 
of  service,  and  there  is  an  amount  of  their  pay  kept  back  from  them,  and 
invested  for  their  benefit  which  increases  with  length  of  time. 
Q.  What  were  the  wages  of  the  brakemen  ? 
A.  I  think  from  $1  50  to  $1  60. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 
Q.  Were  you  at  Reading  during  the  riots  ? 
A.  I  was  not  there. 

By  Mr.  Means : 
Q.  Did  any  of  those  firemen  or  engineers  who  left  you   at  that  time, 
ever  make  application  to  come  back  ? 

A.  A  great  many,  and  it  was  a  very  sad  thing. 

Q.  Was  there  a  man  by  the  name  of  Clarke  who  made  that  application 
to  you  personally  ? 

A.  I  cannot  give  their  names,  but  a  great  many  have  made  application 
personally. 

Q.  Didn't  you  tell  him  that  he  had  done  wrong  in  being  led  away  by 
the  Brotherhood? 

A.  1  know  of  a  great  many  such  cases.  A  great  many  I  knew  expressed 
a  willingness  to  come  back. 

Q.  And  acknowledged  to  you  that  they  had  done  wrong,  and  after  their 
places  had  been  filled  by  other  parties,  wanted  to  be  again  in  the  employ 
of  the  road  ? 

A.  A  great  many — I  can  hardly  give  you  the  number.  The  point  with 
the  company  was  this:  we  had  taken  on  three  hundred  new  men,  and  the 
first  duty  was  to  them.  And  most  of  those  new  men  are  excellent  men. 
Some  of  them  went  to  the  expense  of  moving  their  families  hundreds  of 
miles.  Many  of  the  old  men  have  written  and  asked  to  come  back,  saying 
that  they  did  wrong,  and  saying  that  they  were  threatened.     Many  of 


906  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

them  have  been  very  seriously  crippled,  Irv  reason  of  not  receiving  the  pay 
promised  them.     I  think  that  they  promised  sixty  dollars  a  month  to 
evexy  man  who  quit  the  service  of  the  company. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 
Q.  From  what  source? 
A.  The  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 
Q.  The  money  didn't  come  ? 

A.  They  got  very  little.  From  what  I  understand  from  a  number  of 
them,  I  don't  think  they  got  enough  to  make  more  than  ten  dollars  a 
month — hardly  that. 

Adjourned,  to  meet  at  eight  o'clock  this  evening. 


SAME  DAY. 

Friday,  March  22,  1878—8,  p.  m. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  re-assembled  at  eight  o'clock, 
p.  m.,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testimony. 

Robert  M.  Brinton,  sworn: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  reside  at  1301  South  Broad  street,  Philadelphia. 

Q.  You  are  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania? 

A.  Commanding  the  First  Division  National  Guard  of  Pennsylvania. 

Q.  What  is  y cur  rank  ? 

A.  Major  General. 

Q.  State  where  you  were  when  the  news  of  the  troubles  at  Pittsburgh, 
on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  reached  you,  and  what  your  movements 
were  afterwards  ? 

A.  I  was  at  my  office  in  Washington  avenue  about  six  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  when  I  received  a  note  from  Mr.  Thompson,  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania railroad,  saying  that  General  Latta  had  telegraphed  me  some  in- 
structions in  regard  to  the  riot  at  Pittsburgh.  I  proceeded  to  my  home, 
where  I  found  a  message  asking — from  Colonel  Scott,  of  the  Pennsylvania 
railroad,  saying  that  he  had  a  message  asking  me  to  come  to  the  Pennsyl- 
vania railroad  office  to  confer  with  him.  I  did  so  and  found  him  there. 
He  handed  me  a  message  from  General  Latta,  saying  that  troops  were 
needed,  and  wanted  to  know  how  soon  I  could  have  a  regiment  ready  to 
proceed  to  Pittsburgh.  I  suggested  to  him  that  if  any  troops  were  needed 
the  whole  division  should  be  sent.  I  afterwards  received' a  communica- 
tion from  General  Latta  to  put  the  division  under  arms  and  be  ready  to 
move  at  a  moment's  notice,  to  report  to  General  Pearson,  at  Pittsburgh.  I 
telegraphed  to  General  Pearson  my  instructions  from  General  Latta,  and 
immediately  ordered  the  division  to  assemble,  sending  out  officers  to  notify 
the  different  commands.  It  was  summer  time,  and  a  great  many  of  the 
men  were  absent.  It  was  nine  o'clock  before  I  received  the  last  message 
from  General  Latta,  ordering  me  to  report, tand  about  two  o'clock  we  had 
some  six  hundred  men  at  the  Pennsylvania  depot. 

Q.  On  what  day  ? 

A.  In  the  morning  of  Saturday.  I  received  the  message  on  Friday 
night.  I  kept  up  communication  with  General  Pearson,  informing  him  of 
the  number  of  men  I  had,  and  where  1  was  on  the  road.     We  had  no  am- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187*7.  907 

munition  with  the  exception  of  a  few  rounds  that  the  First  regiment  had. 
At  Harrisburg  we  received  some  ammunition  and  two  Gatling  guns,  which 
we  attached  to  our  train.  We  went  through  to  Pittsburgh  in  eleven  hours, 
arriving  there  about  one  o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon.  There  I  met 
General  Pearson,  who  ordered  me  to  disembark  the  troops.  I  reported  to 
him  and  General  Latta  in  the  Union  Depot  Hotel.  The  troops  were  rested 
and  given  coffee  and  sandwiches,  and  I  ordered  an  additional  ten  rounds 
of  ammunition,  making  twenty  in  all. 

Q.  Distributed  ? 

A.  Yes,  among  the  men.     General    Pearson  ordered   me  to  have  the 
troops  ready  to  move  to  Twenty-eighth  street.     At  that  time,  I  told  them 
in  coming  up,  I  had  seen  the  hills  covered  with  people,  and  I  asked  them 
in  the  event  of  their  ordering  me  out,  to  go  out  with  me,  and  look  over  the 
ground.    I  was  an  entire  stranger  there,  and  I  thought  they  must  be  misin- 
formed in  regard  to  having  cleared  the  hill,  as  they  said  General  Brown's 
brigade  had.     I  also  met  Mr.  Cassatt  at  the  depot,  and  I  said  in  the  event 
of  our  going  down  and  clearing  the  tracks,  can  you  move  your  trains.     He 
said  we  can ;  we  have  crews  already  engaged  to  take  out  double-headers. 
General  Peai-son  then  ordered  me  down  to  Twenty-eighth  street.     I  or- 
dered one  brigade  to  go  down  Liberty  street.     General  Pearson  then  told 
me  to  go  clown  the  railroad,  which  1  did,  dragging  the  Gatling  guns.     We 
arrived  at  the  crossing  near  Twenty-eighth  street,  going  through  rows  of 
men,  who  were  hooting  and  howling  at  us.     Previous  to  this,  while  I  was 
yet  in  the  Union  depot,  1  had  been   approached   by  several  parties,  who 
wanted  to  know  if  I  would  fire  on  poor  workingmen.     I  didn't  give  any 
decided  answer,  not  desiring  any  conversation  with  them.     I  called  the 
brigade  companies  and  several  of  the  regimental  companies  together,  and 
told  them  no  matter  what  was  done  to  us — even  if  they  spit  in  our  faces — I 
didn't  want  a  shot  fired,  but  if  they  attempted  any  personal  violence,  we  had 
the  right  to  defend  ourselves,  and  we  should  do  it.    That  was  the  order  from 
which  the  firing  commenced.    We  got  down  near  to  the  Twenty-eighth  street 
crossing.  There  was  a  large  concourse  of  people  there,  far  back  as  you  could 
see,  back  on  the  railroad,  and  we  were  stopped.     Sheriff  Fife  and  his  posse 
were  ahead  of  us,  and  I  believe  he  attempted  to  read  the  riot  act,  at  least 
I  heard  him  saying  something;  but  he  disappeared,  and  I  didn't  see  any 
more  of  him  or  his  deputies.     General  Pearson  was  with  us.     We  could  not 
force  our  way  through  without  using  some  force,  and  I  asked  General 
Pearson  whether  he  had  any  instructions  to  give.     He  hesitated  a  moment, 
and  then  said  that  the  tracks  must  be  cleared.     The  crowd  then  had  pressed 
in  between  the  column  of  fours,  and  I  ordered  the  fours  put  into  lines  back- 
ward, and  face  the  rear  rank,  about  to  push  the  crowd  back  from  either 
side,  and  form  a  hollow-square. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  How  did  you  inarch  ? 

A  The  right  in  front — the  First  regiment  was  in  fi-ont.  The  crowd  gave 
back.  We  had  a  little  difficulty  in  getting  them  back  to  the  line  of  the 
cars.  Quite  a  number  of  cars  were  there — the  Twenty-eighth  street  cross- 
ing was  blocked.  The  men  standing  there  had  evidentby  made  up  their 
minds  to  stay,  saying  that  the  railroad  company  had  nothing  to  do  woi- 
it,  that  they  were  not  occupying  anything  but  public  ground.  I  then 
derecl  two  small  companies,  out  finding  them  insufficient,  I  ordered  up  a11; 
other  command  with  arms  aport,  and  attempted  to  push  the  crowd  back 
but  finding  it  impossible,  I  gave  orders  to  charge  bayonets,  which  they 
did,  and  I  saw  one  or  two  men  bayoneted.  The  crowd  at  that  time  com- 
menced firing  on  us,  not  only  stones  but  pistol  balls,  and  the  men,  acting 


908  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

on  the  orders  already  given  to  defend  themselves,  commenced  firing — firing 
a  few  shots  at  first,  which  gradually  went  along  the  whole  line.  At  that 
time,  I  had  not  over  three  hundred  men.  The  second  brigade  had  been 
left  back,  to  guard  the  yard  where  the  engines  were  to  start  from. 

Q.  Give  us  the  position  of  your  men  at  that  time  ? 

A.  At  that  time,  the  rear  rank  was  faced  about.  The  Washington  Grays 
and  the  Weccaco  Legion  were  in  double  rank,  and  were  occupying  the 
space  between  the  two  ranks  of  the  First  regiment  facing  east,  trying  to 
force  their  way  back  along  the  railroad  from  the  Twenty-eighth  street  cross- 
ing, and  the  First  regiment  was  keeping  the  crowd  back  from  the  railroad 
from  the  hill,  and  also  from  the  car-shops. 

Q.  Had  you  the  front  and  rear  ranks  of  any  companies  on  each  side  of 
the  railroad  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  In  open  order,  one  facing  to  the  rear  and  the  other  to  the  front  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  then  a  command  in  front  of  them  in  the  direction  of  the  rail- 
road ? 

A.  A  command  on  their  flank — the  right  flank — facing  eastward. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  On  the  railroad  ? 

A.  Yes.  The  firing  lasted  about  a  minute — not  over  that,  and  the  crowd, 
the  moment  the  firing  commenced,  or  shortly  afterwards,  dispersed  and 
went  in  every  direction.  I  gave  the  order  to  cease  firing,  and  nry  staff  oili- 
cers  had  the  firing  stopped,  and  the  ranks,  which  were  somewhat  broken, 
were  re-formed,  and  I  sent  a  staff  officer  to  report  to  General  Pearson.  I 
thought  he  was  on  the  ground,  because  it  was  not  certainly — my  opinion 
is,  that  in  three  minutes  after  he  gave  me  the  order  to  clear  the  tracks,  the 
firing  commenced.  In  the  meantime,  the  Pittsburgh  troops  on  the  hill — 
I  had  not  discovered  them  before — quite  a  number  of  them  threw  down 
their  arms  and  left.  I  went  up  the  hill  a  very  short  distance,  and  I  saw 
what  was  going  on  there,  and  I  hunted  for  General  Pearson ;  finally,  I  re- 
ceived a  note  from  him,  saying  he  was  at  Mr.  Pitcairn's  office  at  the  outer 
depot,  and,  that  if  I  wished  to  communicate  with  him,  to  send  a  staff  officer, 
which  I  did — Colonel  Wilson — and  he  came  back  and  said  that  General 
Pearson  desired  to  see  me.  I  turned  the  command  over  to  General  Matthews, 
and  reported  to  General  Pearson  at  the  office  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad 
at  the  outer  depot — Mr.  Pitcairn's  office.  I  said  to  General  Pearson  at  the 
time,  that  I  thought  we  ought  to  continue  to  drive  the  crowd.  I  under- 
stood that  they  had  gone  to  the  arsenal.  Several  men  came  up  to  me  and 
said  that  the  crowd  had  gone  to  the  United  States  arsenal  to  arm  them- 
selves, and  I  thought,  when  I  found  that  they  had  gone  away,  that  they 
would  probably  get  arms  and  ammunition,  and  I  proposed  to  General  Pear- 
son that  we  should  follow  the  crowd.  He  hesitated  some  time  about  it, 
and  finally  I  grew  more  imperative  in  my  question,  and  I  said,  you  must 
do  something,  I  cannot  allow  my  men  to  stand  on  the  track  with  the  crowd 
pushing  around  me,  and  not  be  allowed  to  fire.  We  will  either  have  to  move 
from  there  or  attack  the  crowd.  Finally,  he  said  that  the  Second  brigade 
had  been  moved  into  the  round-house  and  machine  shops,  because  he  was 
afraid  that  they  would  be  burned,  and  then  he  told  me  to  move  my  whole 
force  in,  amounting  to  six  hundred  men,  which  I  did  just  at  dusk  in  the 
evening.  We  moved  in  there.  They  told  me  to  occupy  one  round-house 
and  the  machine  and  upholstery  shops  and  the  lumber-yard,  and  that,  Gen- 
eral  Brown  would  move  into  the  other  round-house  at  Twenty-eighth 
street,  and  I  was  not  aware  he  was  not  there  until  1  saw  the  flames.     As 


Leg.  Doc.J  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  909 

soon  as  I  went  there,  the  crowd  commenced  trying  to  get  into  the  yard, 
and  I  had  a  guard  detailed  and  put  out,  and  two  of  them  were  shot,  one 
through  the  arm  and  one  other  through  the  leg,  while  on  their  beats.  I  then 
got  down  the  Gatling  guns  and  prepared  to  fire  them,  but  thought  it  would  be 
courtesy  to  communicate  with  General  Pearson,  and  tell  him  what  I  was  going 
to  do ;  which  1  did,  and  he  prohibited  me  from  doing  so.  The  crowd  were  fir- 
ing pistol  balls  in  at  us,  and  a  few  rifle  balls  and  a  considerable  number  of 
stones.  1  went  to  General  Pearson,  and  said, "  I  cannot  stand  it,  we  must  de- 
fend ourselves."  He  said  he  would  go  to  the  mayor  and  see  him,  which  would 
do  more  good  than  our  bullets  would,  as  he  had  a  great  deal  of  influence 
over  the  elements  predominant  then,  and  said  that  he  did  not  want  to  take 
life  unnecessarily,  &c,  at  the  same  time  we  were  short  of  ammunition  and 
rations,  only  having  twenty  rounds,  and  if  we  were  going  to  be  in  a  state  of 
siege,  1  though  we  ought  to  have  a  sufficient  amount.  General  Pearson 
said  he  would  go  and  see  that  we  got  provisions  and  also  ammunition,  and 
left,  saying  he  would  be  back  in  an  hour.  He  went  through  the  lumber- 
yard, and  left  us.  At  the  same  time  he  told  me  to  open  any  dispatches 
that  came  for  him,  and  I  asked  if  he  had  any  new  instructions.  He 
said,  "  I  want  you  lo  hold  the  place,"  and  after  he  left  I  proposed  to  hold 
it  in  the  way  1  thought  proper,  by  firing  into  the  mob  at  the  gates,  which 
drove  them  away  from  there,  so  that  presently  there  were  only  pistol  bul- 
lets and  a  few  straggling  musket  balls.  We  continued  to  hold  it  in  that 
way  without  receiving  any  communications  from  the  other  world.  I  ex- 
pected General  Pearson  back  every  moment.  I  didn't  want  to  take  it  on 
myself  to  move  out  there,  or  do  anything.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing Colonel  Suowden,  of  the  Third  regiment,  called  into  the  round-house, 
and  directed  my  attention  to  what  he  considered  a  piece  of  artilleiy.  It 
was  quite  dark  at  the  time.  We  watched  it  for  probably  fifteen  minutes, 
when  a  cloud  cleared  away,  and  we  decided  it  was  a  piece  of  artillery, 
around  which  were  quite  a  number  of  men  who  were  training  the  piece. 
I  immediately  ordered  Colonel  Snowden  to  get  fifty  men  out,  and  told  him 
to  lower  their  pieces  and  fire  low,  and  I  gave  the  order.  They  had  got 
the  piece  finally  into  a  position  to  suit  themselves,  and  a  man  had  hold  of 
the  lanyard.  I  gave  the  order  to  fire,  and  when  the  smoke  cleared  away 
eleven  of  them  were  lying  there. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  The  mob  had  it  ? 

A.  Yes;  it  was  a  brass  field-piece  that  they  had  captured  from  Hutch- 
inson's battery,  I  believe.  During  the  whole  night  we  had  a  skirmish 
with  those  people.  They  ran  cars  down  loaded  with  oil,  and  attempted  to 
set  fire  to  the  building,  but  fortunately  some  jumped  the  track  and  blocked 
the  others.  The  next  morning  they  ran  down  cars  from  the  Allegheny 
side,  which  came  down  with  their  own  gravity,  but  we  finally  threw  a  pile 
of  car  wheels  on  the  track,  and  upset  the  cars.  The}7  were  burning.  They 
were  loaded  with  whisky,  or  the  most  of  them  with  high  wines.  We  put 
out  those  fires  by  fire  extinguishers,  and  also  by  a  hose  that  we  had  there. 
We  finally  discovered  that  the  building  part  of  the  Sixth  division  was 
on  fire,  and  it  communicated  with  the  building  we  were  in  by  the  oil 
sheds.  They  got  on  fire,  and  the  building  we  were  in  got  on  fire.  During 
the  night  I  had  communication  with  General  Latta,  finding  General  Pear- 
son did  not  return,  and  told  him  in}7  situation,  and  received  orders  from 
him — or  suggestions  they  were  afterwards  styled — in  the  first  place  to 
hold  on  vigorously,  but  in  case  I  was  obliged  to  let'«,ve  there,  to  go  out 
Penn  avenue  east  towards  Torrens  station,  and  that  there  would  be  re- 
inforcements sent  to  us  not  later  than  six  o'clock  in  the  morning ;  that 


910  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

part  of  the  command — three  hundred — who  had  failed  to  join,  were  at 
Walls  station,  and  would  join  Colonel  Guthrie  at  Torrens,  and  that  they 
would  join  us.  We  waited  until  ten  minutes  of  eight  o'clock,  when  the 
smoke  got  so  great  that  the  men  could  scarcely  breathe,  and  we  went 
through  the  machine  shops.  We  couldn't  go  out  of  the  gate,  the  regular 
gate,  on  account  of  the  cars  that  had  been  upset  there  and  were  burning, 
and  i  went  out,  I  think,  Twenty-third  street — I  am  not  very  familiar  with 
the  streets — with  the  intention  not  to  leave  Pittsburgh,  but  to  go  to  the 
United  States  arsenal,  whei'e  I  certainly  could  get  ammunition  and  possi- 
bly something  to  eat,  as  we  had  nothing  but  a  sandwich  and  a  cup  of  coffee 
since  leaving  Philadelphia,  and  through  the  excitement  and  the  loss  of 
two  nights'  sleep,  the  men  were  very  much  fatigued  and  thoroughly  worn 
out.  We  went  out  towards  the  arsenal,  and  probably  had  gone  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  out  Penn  avenue,  when  we  were  attacked.  I  was  at  the  head  of 
the  column,  and  didn't  see  the  force  that  was  attacking  us,  but  I  sent  a 
staff  officer  immediately  to  the  rear.  The  firing  was  all  at  the  rear,  and  I 
think  four  men  were  killed  and  some  ten  or  twelve  wounded. 

Q.  On  3-our  retreat  from  the  round-house? 

A.  Yes ;  these  men  were  shot  from  street  cars,  and  from  out  of  houses, 
and  from  behind  chimneys.  There  was  not  any  regular  organized  body, 
or  a  f  oiy  sufficiently  large  to  attack,  until  we  got  nearly  to  the  arsenal, 
when — the  Catling  guns  1  had  placed  between  the  two  brigades,  so  that 
we  could  use  them  either  in  rear  or  at  the  front — when  we  opened  with  one 
of  them,  and  dispersed  the  mob.  We  got  to  the  arsenal,  and  I  went  ahead 
to  see  the  commandant  there,  and  went  inside  the  gate,  and  went  to  his 
house  and  saw  him,  and  told  him  who  I  was,  and  that  my  men  were  thor- 
oughly worn  out,  and  asked  permission  to  form  in  the  yard.  The  men 
were  very  thirsty,  and  the  grounds  were  shady,  and  I  thought  we  would 
wait  there  until  1  had  orders  from  General  Pearson.  But  we  received 
positive  orders  from  the  commandant  that  we  could  not  come  in.  I  did 
not  want  any  altercation  with  him,  so  I  proceeded  on  eastward.  I  had  re- 
ceived a  communication  from  General  Latta  during  the  night,  saying  that 
he  had  made  every  attempt  to  feed  us,  and  that  it  had  been  impossible,  and 
I  therefore  thought  that  the  best  thing  to  do  was  to  get  something  to  eat. 
We  had  arrived  within  a  short  distance  of  Sharpsburg,  when  they  told  us 
if  we  came  over  there  we  could  be  fed.  I  concluded  to  do  so,  and  went 
over  there,  and  just  as  we  got  into  the  town,  we  were  informed  that  two  of 
the  Fourteenth  regiment,  who  had  been  on  the  hill,  had  been  wounded 
seriously  there  by  our  shots,  and  that  the  people  had  no  friendly  feeling 
for  us,  and  then  i  concluded  we  had  better  go  on  and  wait  for  provisions, 
which  I  proceeded  to  do,  when  we  were  met  by  two  gentlemen,  who  joined 
us,  one  belonging  to  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  I  believe,  who  said  we 
could  be  fed  a  little  lower  down,  at  Claremont,  where  they  gave  us  coffee 
and  rations  ;  but  the  rations  they  brought  were  berries — not  very  suitable 
things  for  soldiers  to  eat.  We  proceeded  to  Claremont,  and  there  awaited 
orders. 

Q.  Claremont  hospital  or  the  work-house  ? 

A.  They  are  both  together — that  is  the  work-house  or  home  they  call  it 
— it  is  the  poor-house.  We  were  fed,  1  presume,  from  both  houses — they 
both  sent  us  out  provisions.  It  has  been  said  that  we  were  ordered  to 
Torrens,  and  disobeyed  orders  in  not  going  there;  but  the  orders  I  received, 
in  regard  to  Torrens,  came  just  one  week  after  the  orders  were  sent.  I  got 
them  one  week  afterwards  from  Colonel  Guthrie,  who  handed  them  to  me. 
Colonel  Norris  is  reported  to  have  given  us  some  orders,  which  1  positively 
deny.    I  never  received  them  in  any  way,  shape,  or  form.    On  the  contrary 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  911 

Major  Baugh,  whom  I  left  at  the  Union  depot,  with  General  Latta,  reported 
to  me  out  there.  I  asked  him  "  have  you  any  orders,"  and  he  said  "no;  I 
have  not."  I  said  then  you  will  have  to  go  right  back  to  Pittsburgh,  and 
get  me  some  orders. 

Q.  Who  was  it? 

A.  Major  Baugh. 

Q.  What  time  did  he  leave  General  Latta? 

Q.  I  cannot  say;  but  he  joined  me  about  two  o'clock — two  and  a  half 
o'clock. 

Q.  On  Sunday  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  In  the  afternoon? 

A.  Yes.  It  has  also  been  said  that  we  marched  in  a  very  rapid  way  out 
that  street.  It  is  about  four  miles,  and  I  left  at  ten  minutes  after  eight, 
and  arrived  at  Sharpsburg  a  little  after  ten,  which  amounts  to  two  miles  an 
hour,  and  in  the  army  three  miles  was  considered  fair  marching.  The  orders 
we  received  afterwards  from  General  Latta  were  to  proceed  to  Altoona, 
which,  as  soon  as  I  could  procure  transportation,  I  attempted  to  do,  and 
arrived  at  Blairsville,  where  I  received  a  dispatch  from  Mr.  Garner  saying, 
I  had  better  not  come  there,  because  he  had  made  some  arrangements  with 
the  rioters.  I  telegraphed  that  my  orders  were  imperative,  and  that  I  was 
coming,  provided  I  could  get  transportation.  I  got  to  Blairsville  junction. 
I  could  not  get  transportation  any  further.  1  immediately  telegraphed 
General  Latta,  Colonel  Scott,  and  the  Governoi'.  I  disembarked  my  troops, 
and  remained  there  until  I  got  orders  to  go  back  to  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  It  was  on  Saturday  night  you  were  ordered  by  General  Pearson  to 
enter  the  round-house?     What  time  did  General  Pearson  leave  you? 

A.  About  half  past  eight  o'clock. 

Q.  What  did  he  leave  for  ? 

A.  For  the  purpose  of  seeing  the  mayor,  for  the  purpose  of  getting  us 
rations  and  ammunition. 

Q.  Did  he  leave  you  in  general  command  after  he  left? 

A.  Yes.  His  instructions  to  me  were  to  open  any  dispatches  which 
might  come  for  him,  and  hold  on  until  I  return,  his  words  were. 

Q.  Hold  on  until  I  return  ? 

A.  I  think  those  were  his  words. 

Q.  It  was  a  verbal  order  ? 

A.  Yes.  He  was  standing  in  front  of  the  company  shops — inside  the 
yard. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  from  him  again  that  night  ? 

A.  I  didn't  hear  from  him  until  about  one  week. 

Q.  In  his  absence,  would  you  have  full  command  yourself? 

A.  I  didn't  consider  I  had  full  command,  because  he  said  he  would  be 
back  in  an  hour,  and  I  was  waitiug  for  him  to  return.  When  I  found  he 
didn't  return,  I  opened  communication  with  the  Adjutant  General  of  the 
State  for  him. 

Q.  What  orders  did  you  receive  from  him  ? 

A.  I  received  orders  to  hold  on  vigorously,  that  I  would  be  reinforced 
by  Colonel  Guthrie's  command,  and  that  Colonel  Rodgers'  men  would 
certainly  join  me  before  six  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Q.  Did  it  occur  to  you  to  march  out  with  your  command  at  any  time — 
out  of  the  round-house — and  disperse  the  mob  gathered  there  ? 

A.  That  was  discussed.  I  talked  that  over  wTith  my  staff  officers,  at  any 
rate,  but  we  were  ordered  to  remain  there,  and  I  didn't  know — I  expected 
General  Pearson's  return,  and  that  he  would  bring  us  information  about 


912  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

what  was  occurring  outside.     Wc  had  no  information  of  any  kind  what- 
ever.    We  couldn't  tell  whether  there  were  ten  thousand  armed  men  in 
the  town,  or  five  hundred  thousand.     We  knew  that  the  force  we  had  there 
was  fully  armed  and  had  artillery,  and  we  were  outnumbered  five  to  one. 
Q.  Who  was  it  you  sent  to  the  Adjutant  General? 

A.  A  man  named  Sergeant  Wilson,  of  the  Jefferson  cavalry,  who  was 
disguised. 

(4.  Did  he  bring  you  any  report  as  to  the  number  of  the  mob  ? 
A.  He  didn't  bring  me  any  reports  as  to  how  many  there  were,  and 
even  if  he  had,  I  couldn't  trust  to  a  man  simply  passing  through  a  crowd, 
because  they  were  on  every  side.  He  said  that  the  mob  had  vowed  that 
they  would  burn  us  out  or  up — if  they  couldn't  capture  the  place  that 
they  could  burn  us,  and  they  were  making  arrangements  to  do  that. 
Q,.  What  time  did  they  begin  to  fire  the  cars? 

A.  The  first  I  saw  of  the  fire — I  didn't  know  whether  they  were  cai's  or 
buildings — but  whatever  they  were,  the  first  light  I  saw  was  about  eleven 
o'clock.     I  may  be  mistaken  in  that,  but  I  think  it  was. 

Q.  Could  you  see  anything  of  the  number  engaged  in  the  burning — the 
actual  burning  ? 

A.  No ;  I  couldn't  see  anything  of  the  burning,  because  the  buildings 
were  on  the  other  side — the  Twenty-eighth  street  round-house  was  below 
us,  and  the  buildings  were  above. 
Q.  Above  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 
A.  I  mean  west — nearer  the  Union  depot. 
Q.  Didn't  they  burn  east  of  you,  also  ? 

A.  They  might  have  burned  east,  but  the  first  light  I  saw  was  there, 
and  it  seemed  too  far  down  for  the  cars. 

Q.  The}^  kept  burning  down  towards  the  Union  depot  ? 
A..  I  don't  know.     I  couldn't  see  from  where  I  was  anything,  except  the 
illumination  in  the  sky. 

Q.  .Nor  how  many  men  were  engaged  in  the  burning? 
A.  No  ;  on  Liberty  street  and  the  street — I  don't  know  the  number  of 
it — which  would  have  run  through  the  depot  had  it  been  prolonged — we 
could  see  men  marching  up  and  down  that  street,  and  could  hear  them 
giving  commands  along  Penn  street,  which  ran  parallel  with  Liberty 
street,  and  we  could  see  wagon  loads  of  men  coming  in  all  the  time. 
Q.  Did  you  send  out  any  scouts  ? 

A.  I  sent  out  two  men  of  the  Hutchinson  battery,  but  they  never  re- 
turned. They  said  they  would  carry  a  dispatch  to  General  Latta,  and  I 
wrote  a  note,  but  never  heard  of  them  afterwards.  This  scout  returned, 
whose  idea  was  that  there  were  a  great  many, but  he  couldn't  tell  anything 
more  than  that,  as  he  walked  through  the  crowd.  He  could  not  tell 
whether  there  were  five  thousand  or  twenty  thousand  in  the  city — he 
could  only  see  the  street  they  were  in.  I  thought  if  he  could  get  back 
General  Pearson  might. 

Q.  You  didn't  deem  it  safe  to  undertake  to  attack  the  crowd  during  the 
night '( 

A.  I  thought  I  would  be  superseding  my  orders  if  I  attempted  it.  I 
was  ordered  to  remain  there.  At  no  time  was  I  in  command  in  Pitts- 
burgh, 

Q.  In  the  absence  of  General  Pearson,  you  were  the  highest  in  rank,  or 
the  senior  general,  were  you  not? 

A.  Yes ;  but  1  was  ordered  by  him  to  remain  where  I  was.  It  was  not 
left  discretionary  with  me. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877  913 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Is  General  Pearson  your  senior  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  In  his  failure  to  return,  would  you  not  be  justifiable  in  acting  on 
your  own  judgment  ? 

A.  I  communicated  then  with  General  Latta,  and  received  a  reply  from 
him,  saying  they  had  made  every  attempt  to  provision  us  and  get  us  am- 
munition, and  that  it  was  impossible,  and  knowing  there  were  three  regi- 
ments in  Pittsburgh,  and  not  knowing  their  demoralization — I  didn't 
know  they  were  so  much  demoralized  as  they  were — if  they  couldn't  com- 
municate with  us,  I  thought  there  must  be  a  very  strong  force  opposed  to 
us,  and  my  orders  were  to  remain  where  I  was. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  From  General  Latta  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  time  did  you  get  those  orders  from  General  Latta? 

A.  I  received  two  communications  from  him  by  the  same  man.  One  of 
them,  I  think,  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  the  other  about  one  o'clock.  I 
asked  the  man  to  out  again,  and  he  said  he  would  not  attempt  it,  that  he  had 
been  stopped  before,  and  that  it  was  at  the  risk  of  his  life.  He  would  not 
attempt  to  go  out  again. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  As  a  military  man,  you  received  a  command  from  your  senior,  to  hold 
your  position,  and  you  wouldn't  have  felt  like  doing  anything  else  but  to 
hold  your  position — you  would  have  been  liable  to  a  court-martial,  if  you 
had  disobeyed  that  order  ? 

A.  I  would. 

Q.  The  responsibility  rested  with  your  senior  ? 

A.  I  told  General  Latta,  in  my  note,  which  may  have  had  some  influence 
in  his  orders  to  me,  that  my  men  were  terribly  worn  out,  and  had  not  had 
anything  to  eat  for  over  twenty-four  hours,  and  had  not  had  any  sleep  for 
two  nights,  and  I  didn't  think  it  would  have  been  a  wise  thing  with  the 
amount  of  ammunition  we  had  to  attack  that  mob  that  night. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  General  Latta  had  no  power  as  a  commanding  officer,  had  he  ?  His 
duties  as  Adjutant  General  were  simply  to  marshal,  and  bring  together 
the  forces  of  the  State — the  militia  forces,  and  when  General  Pearson  was 
relieved  or  was  absent,  you  would  be  the  next  general  in  command — would 
you  not? 

A.  That  is  one  way  of  viewing  it.  I  would  be,  probably.  A  staff  officer 
does  not  command  troops ;  but  General  Latta  was  acting  under  the  Gov- 
ernor or  in  his  place,  and  you  notice  in  the  Governor's  message,  he  blames 
me  for  disobedience  of  orders  which  I  never  received,  saying  I  had  re- 
fused to  return  to  Pittsburgh  by  orders  of  General  Latta. 

Q.  Did  you  understand  that  General  Latta  was  commander-in-chief. 

A.  I  did.  I  would  have  obeyed  any  command  that  General  Latta  had 
sent  to  me ;  and  not  only  that,  I  solicited  his  commands — I  asked  him  what 
I  should  do. 

Q.  What  induced  you  to  leave  the  round-house  on  Saturday  morning  ? 

A.  The  round-house  was  on  fire,  and  the  men  were  choking  with  smoke 
when,  we  left  there,  and  it  was  not  more  than  twenty  minutes  after  we  left, 
when  the  whole  thing  was  a  cinder. 
53  Riots. 


914  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  How  large  a  crowd  did  you  encounter  when  you  left  the  round- 
house ? 

A.  When  we  left,  we  came  out  in  perfect  order.  The  moment  we  came 
out  the  crowd  fled,  and  we  had  no  difficulty  until  we  had  gone  some  three 
or  four  squares.     The  crowd  had  disappeared. 

Q.  Couldn't  you  have  formed  then,  after  driving  the  crowd  ? 

A.  There  was  no  crowd  to  drive  at  that  time.  We  didn't  see  any  crowd 
except  the  crowd  which  ran.  My  idea  was  to  go  to  some  place  where  the 
men  could  get  something  to  eat.  The  Third  regiment  had  three  rounds 
of  ammunition,  and  I  thought  certainly,  at  the  United  States  arsenal  we 
could  get  ammunition,  and  the  men  could  be  fed,  or  we  should  certainly 
get  ammunition,  and  get  water. 

Q.  Did  it  occur  to  you  that  it  would  be  good  policy  to  go  to  the  Union 
depot  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  two  of  my  staff,  Colonel  Wilson  and  Colonel  Pettit,  both 
advised  me  to  go  ;  but  I  told  them  my  orders  are  to  go  east  out  Penn  avenue, 
and  I  am  going  to  obey  my  orders. 

Q.  Those  were  the  orders  you  received  from  General  Latta  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  But  your  own  judgment  directed  you  to  take  the  other  course,  and  go 
to  Union  depot  ? 

A.  It  did. 

Q.  If  you  had  been  acting  on  your  own  judgment,  should  you  have  gone 
there? 

A.  If  I  had  it  to  do  over  again,  I  should  go  there. 

Q.  That  was  your  judgment  at  that  time? 

A.  Yes ;  but  I  thought  the  next  best  thing  was  to  go  to  the  arsenal.  I 
would  then  be  carrying  out  my  orders,  and  would  remain  where  General 
Latta  could  further  instruct  me. 

Q.  You  had  gone  some  distance  before  the  firing  commenced  on  your 
troops  —that  firing  from  the  house  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  ever  ascertain  who  fired — have  you  ever  been  able  to  learn 
the  names  of  the  parties  ? 

A.  We  ascertained  a  few.  We  killed  a  few,  and  I  think  that  a  police- 
man fired  on  us.  Mr.  Lennig,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Washington 
(frays  at  the  time,  and  who  is  a  member  of  the  bar  here,  when  he  went 
back  to  Pittsburgh,  identified  this  man,  and  talked  to  him,  and  the  man 
acknowledged  it — that  he  did  fire. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Where  did  this  policeman  fire  ?    When  you  went  by  the  station-house  ? 

A.  We  went  by  the  station-house,  but  I  didn't  see  them  fire,  but  Mr. 
Lennig  saw  them  fire  near  the  cathedral. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  policeman  fire  yourself  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  Mr.  Lennig? 

A.  He  saw  a  policeman  fire,  and  identified  him  when  he  went  back  to 
Pittsburgh  the  second  time. 

Q.  When  you  arrived  at  the  arsenal,  did  you  enter  at  the  gate  ? 

A.  I  entered  at  the  gate.  The  sentry  there  allowed  me  to  enter,  and 
showed  me  where  Mayor  Buffington  was  to  be  found,  and  I  went  to  his 
quarters  and  saw  him. 

Q.  Was  he  up  at  the  time? 

A.  He  was  up.     lie  came  out  of  the  house. 

Q.  How  was  he  dressed  when  he  came  out  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  915 

A.  In  citizen's  di-ess.  I  asked  whether  he  was  the  commandant  there, 
and  he  said  he  was.     He  was  in  citizen's  clothes. 

Q.  Was  he  fully  dressed  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  tell  him  your  name  ? 

A.  My  name  and  where  we  had  been,  and  told  him  I  wanted  to  bring 
the  men  in  there.  He  said  we  couldn't  come  there,  and  I  asked  him  where 
we  could  encamp. 

Q.   You  are  positive  about  giving  him  your  name  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  And  rank? 

A.  Yes ;  I  had  an  officer  with  me  who  will  corroborate  it. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Whereabouts  did  you  meet  him  ? 

A.   Right  at  his  house. 

Q.  At  the  door? 

A.  He  came  on  to  the  steps  of  a  little  porch  and  stepped  down  to  the 
ground. 

Q.  Whereabouts  is  his  house  situated  from  the  gate  as  you  enter? 

A.  Probably  two  hundred  feet  from  the  gate. 

Q.  On  the  right  side  of  the  road  leading  down  through  the  grounds  or 
the  left  ? 

A.  It  is  about  two  hundred  yards  from  the  street  where  we  marched  out 
— where  the  sentry  gate  is.  A  path  led  down,  and  Major  Buffington 
turned  on  his  heel,  and  didn't  take  the  trouble  to  say  he  was  sorry,  but 
immediate^  turned  on  his  heel  and  left. 

Q.  Where  did  he  go  ? 

A.  Back  to  his  house. 

Q.  Did  he  afterwards  come  up  to  the  gate  ? 

A.  I  never  saw  him  afterwards. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  wounded  at  the  gate  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  we  had  some  three  or  four  men  carried  in  there,  and  Lieutenant 
Ash  had  his  leg  amputated  and  died  there. 

Q.  Did  he  tell  you  that  he  would  take  care  of  the  wounded  ? 

A.  No  ;  he  never  made  any  remark  to  me  of  that  kind. 

Q.  Did  Lieutenant  Lyon  make  any  such  remark  ? 

A.  I  never  knew  such  an  officer  was  there. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  inside  of  the  grounds  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  I  was  there  over  two  minutes — maybe  I  was  longer. 
The  firing  was  quite  heavy  after  I  got  in  there,  and  I  went  down  to  join 
my  command. 

Q.  How  were  you  dressed  when  you  met  Major  Buffington? 

A.  In  a  blouse  and  a  cap,  with  two  stars  on  it,  and  blue  pants.  One  of 
my  shoulder  straps  during  the  night  had  been  torn  down,  and  it  hung,  and 
I  took  it  off. 

Q.  Was  the  other  on  ? 

A.  No ;  I  had  taken  both  off  when  I  found  one  of  them  was  torn. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  request  did  you  make  of  Major  Buffington  when  you  went 
there  ? 

A.  I  told  him  we  had  been  in  the-  company's  shops  all  night,  and  that 
we  were  burned  out,  and  that  the  men  were  out  of  ammunition,  and  that 
I  wanted  something  to  eat,  and  wanted  to  form  my  men  there  until  I  could 
get  some  further  orders. 


916  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  You  wanted  to  form  your  men  in  the  arsenal  grounds  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  he  refuse  ? 

A.  Most  peremptorily,  and  said  that  we  could  not  come  there.  I  asked 
where  I  could  encamp  or  could  bivouac,  and  he  said  that  I  couldn't  come 
in  there,  but  could  go  somewhere  else.  I  said  I  was  a  total  stranger  in 
the  city,  and  wanted  somebody  to  direct  me — nothing  more  than  a  civil 
question,  and  he  said  he  didn't  know,  that  I  would  have  to  go  away,  and 
turned  on  his  heel  and  left. 

Q.  What  excuse  did  he  make,  if  any,  for  refusing  you  admission  ? 

A.  I  think  that  he  had  very  tew  men  there.  The  purport  was  that  he 
was  afraid  we  might  draw  the  fire  of  the  mob.  That  was  the  impression 
left  on  my  mind. 

Q.  Did  he  say  anything  about  a  large  amount  of  valuable  ammunition 
and  stores  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  recollection.  He  might  have  said  so  ;  but  I  don't  recol- 
lect.    I  know  he  said  he  had  no  ammunition  for  us. 

Q.  Did  he  say  he  had  artillery  ammunition,  but  no  ammunitiun  for  in- 
fantry ? 

A.  I  do  not  recollect  that  he  did. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Did  3'ou  rap  at  the  door  or  call  at  the  door,  and  meet  him  outside, 
or  did  he  come  out  before  you  arrived  at  the  house  ? 

A.  Two  men  were  at  the  gate,  and  one  ran  ahead,  and  I  think,  told  him. 
I  think  he  r*apped  at  the  gate. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  Lieutenant  Lyon? 

A.  I  do  not  remember  seeing  him. 

Q.  1  understood  jou  to  say  that  you  called  at  Colonel  Scott's  office, 
and  was  there  shown  the  communication  from  General  Latta  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  got  my  dispatch  over  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  lines. 

Q.  Was  it  directed  to  Colonel  Scott  or  to  you  ? 

A.  To  me. 

Q.  It  went  over  their  line  ? 

A.  Yes;  all  the  time  I  was  away  we  used  their  wires. 

Q.  Did  jrou  receive  any  orders  from  any  one  else  before  you  left  Phila- 
delphia, than  from  General  Latta? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  communication  from  General  Latta  at  Pittsburgh, 
while  you  were  in  the  round-house,  after  General  Pearson  left  you,  before 
you  sent  a  communication  to  him  ? 

A.  There  was  a  communication,  which  came  over  the  wires,  directed  to 
General  Pearson.  A  dispatch  which  I  did  not  understand,  saying  some- 
thing about  when  the  troops  arrive,  make  disposition  for  them — a  dispatch 

could  not  understand,  directed  to  General  Pearson,  from  General  Latta. 

Q.  That  was  from  General  Latta? 

A.  Yes;  but  immediately  after  that  the  wires  were  cut,  and  we  had  no 
other  conimuneiation. 

Q.  Did  3011  send  a  communication  to  General  Latta  by  a  messenger, 
before  you  received  the  orders  from  him  to  hold  the  round-house  ? 

A.  1  did.  It  was  by  the  messenger  whom  I  sent  to  General  Latta  that 
I  received  those  orders. 

Q.  That  was  in  reply  to  your  communication  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  There  was  no  other  communication  from  General  Latta? 

A.  I  sent  him  two.    The  first  communication  was — the  purport  of  it  was — 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  917 

that  General  Brinton  had  left  there,  and  that  we  were  suffering  for  ammu- 
nition and  for  rations,  and  also  had  but  two  friction  primers.  I  have  a 
copy  of  this,  and  one  of  the  Sunday  papers,  I  believe,  copied  it. 

Q.  That  was  the  first? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  the  original  of  that? 

A.  I  think  I  can  give  the  original — I  can  give  you  the  original  of  one. 
The  Sunday  Republic  published  it. 

Q.  What  was  the  second  communication — the  one  you  received  and  re- 
plied to  frum  General  Latta  ? 

A.  I  received  a  reply  to  both  from  General  Latta. 

Q.  Give  us  the  nature  of  the  second  communication  ? 

A.  I  cannot  remember  the  exact  phraseology  of  it. 

Q.  Give  it  in  substance,  as  near  as  you  can  ? 

A.  It  was  a  mere  reiteration,  asking  for  ammunition,  and  asking  for 
rations — saying  that  we  must  be  provisioned — that  the  troops  were  in  a 
terrible  state,  nearly  starved,  and  suggesting  in  one  of  the  dispatches,  how 
they  could  get  in  there  with  their  engines,  that  they  might  run  down  and 
we  would  try  to  have  the  gates  ready  for  them  to  come  in,  and  the  engine, 
I  believe,  was  subsequently  loaded,  and  the  engineer  refused  to  take  it. 

Q.  Did  you  try  to  convey  the  idea  to  General  Latta,  that  your  troops 
were  unfit  for  duty  ? 

A.  No ;  I  conveyed  the  idea,  or  attempted  to,  that  they  were  worn  out, 
not  being  properly  cared  for  or  rationed,  and  that  I  had  no  sufficient 
amount  of  ammunition.     I  tried  to  convey  that  idea. 

Q.  That  they  were  demoralized  ? 

A.  No — I  did  not. 

Q.  Could  there  have  been  such  a  construction  placed  on  your  message? 

A.  No;  I  don't  think  so.     A  few  of  my  men  were  not  in  the  best  condi- 
tion, morally,  but  very  few.     I  only  placed  them  in  another  part  of  the 
building;.     I  designated  those. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  3rou  designate  those  in  your  message  to  General  Latta  ? 

A.  I  probably  did. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Were  they  officers  or  men  ? 

A.  A  few  of  the  men — none  of  the  officers.  But  so  far  as  the  men  were 
fatigued  or  worn  out,  I  tried  to  convey  that  in  the  strongest  terms. 

Q.  For  the  purpose  of  getting  supplies? 

A.  For  the  purpose  of  getting  something  to  eat  and  ammunition. 

Q.  Did  General  Latta  say  anything  in  his  communications  to  you  that 
you  were  left  in  command  of  the  round-house,  and  that  you  were  expected 
to  act  on  your  own  discretion? 

A.  No;  on  the  contrary,  he  gave  me  specific  orders  what  to  do,  and 
when  I  left  where  to  go. 

Q.  Did  you  expect  to  receive  further  orders  from  General  Pearson  when 
you  received  your  communications  from  General  Latta? 

A .  I  cannot  say  that  I  expected  to,  although  I  would  not  have  been 
surprised  to  have  received  them. 

Q.  Did  you  consider  it  your  duty  to  take  command  of  the  force  and  to 
act  at  your  own  discretion  after  General  Pearson  had  left  you  and  you 
were  not  able  to  communicate  with  him  ? 

A.  No  further  than  I  did,  because  communications  should  have  come 
the  other  way.  I  was  ordered  to  do  a  certain  thing,  and  it  was  possibly 
superseding  my  duty  to  send  out  an  officer  after  orders.     It  would  proba- 


918  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

bly  have  been  more  soldierly  for  me  to  stay  there  and  receive  communica- 
tions from  my  superior  than  to  send  after  them. 

Q.  Didn't  you  consider  it  proper,  as  a  military  man,  to  exercise  your 
own  discretion  in  an  emergency  of  that  kind,  and  take  the  responsibility 
of  it? 

A.  No  ;  I  do  not  think  I  did,  nor  do  I  yet.  The  responsibility  rested 
on  me  to  obey  orders,  and  as  I  had  no  means  of  ascertaining  what  was 
going  on  outside,  I  resolved  to  hold  that  place  as  far  as  I  could,  and  didn't 
move  out  until  the  men  were  nearly  choked  with  the  smoke.  We  held  it 
for  two  hours  longer  than  we  were  ordered  to  hold  it. 

Q.  Was  the  round-house  on  fire  when  you  left  it  ? 

A.  It  was. 

Q.  And  the  shops  adjoining  the  round-house? 

A.  Yes ;  the  machine  shops  adjoining  the  round-house  were  entirely  on 
fire.  The  roof  was  on  fire  and  the  floors  were  saturated  with  oil  and  Gen- 
eral Matthews  sent  to  me  two  or  three  limes  saying  that  the  smoke  was  so 
intense  that  they  could  scarcely  stay  there.  Then  L  moved  them  out  into 
the  yard. 

Q.  The  floors  were  saturated  with  oil? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  was  not  twenty  minutes  after  leaving  the  place  until  it  was 
a  cinder. 

Q.  How  did  that  place  become  saturated  with  oil — by  the  mob  ? 

A.  No ;  the  employes  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  put  it 
there  while  greasing  the  engines. 

Q.  Did  any  whisky  or  nigh  wines  run  down  into  the  round-house  while 
3rou  were  there  ? 

A.  Some  whisky  ran  into  the  cellar  of  the  office  while  we  were  there. 
It  was  lower  than  the  pavement,  and  when  they  threw  the  cars  off  the  track 
there,  some  barrels  got  down  on  the  pavement. 

Q.  Did  it  run  down  into  the  cellar  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  into  the  cellar  or  basement  where  the  telegraph  batteries  were 
stationed. 

Q.  Was  the  office  connected  with  the  round-house  or  the  building  you 
were  in  ? 

A.  They  were  some  of  the  buildings  we  were  in,  but  not  connected 
although  not  over  three  or  four  feet  off  them. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Colonel  Norris  on  your  march  from  the  round-house  to 
Claremont  ? 

A.  I  saw  Wilson  Norris  after  we  had  passed  Sharpsburg,  between  there 
and  Claremont. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  orders  from  him? 

A.  I  have  no  recollection  of  receiving  any  orders  from  him,  and  I  have 
questioned  my  staff  who  were  around  me  at  the  time,  and  they  have  none. 

Q.  Neither  verbal  or  written  ? 

A.  Neither  verbal  or  written. 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  orders  from  any  one  else  before  you  reached 
Sharpsburg  or  Claremont? 

A.  No. 

Q.  No  orders  from  anj^  one  to  go  to  Torrens  station  during  Sunday? 

A.  Whilst  in  the  round-house,  to  proceed  east  out  Penn  Avenue,  to- 
wards Torrens,  from  General  Latta.  I  did  not  go  there  for  this  reason: 
Colonel  Guthrie  was  to  be  at  the  outer  depot  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  we  waited  there  until  ten  minutes  after  eight,  waiting  for  him  two 
hours  and  ten  minutes.  The  suggestions  which.  General  Latta  gave  me 
were  based  on  Colonel  Guthrie's  being  at  Torrens  station,  but  considered 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187?.  919 

I  would  only  be  exchanging  places  with  Colonel  Guthrie,  and  for  that  rea- 
son I  concluded  to  go  to  the  arsenal.  In  the  second  place,  General  Latta 
or  the  authorities  had  said  it  was  impossible  to  ration  us.' 

Q.  Did  you  receive  any  communication  from  General  Latta,  or  any  other 
superior  officer,  before  you  got  to  Blairsville  ? 

A.  Yes ;  from  General  Latta,  to  proceed  to  Altoona,  which  we  immedi- 
ately proceeded  to  do. 

Q.  Through  whom? 

A.  Through  Major  Baugh,  whom  I  sent  back  to  General  Latta  for  in- 
structions— sent  him  back  to  Pittsburgh. 
By  Senator  Reyburu  : 

Q.  On  Saturday  afternoon,  when  the  firing  commenced — where  did  it 
commence  ? 

A.  The  firing  commenced  from  the  Weccaco  Legion. 

Q.  Facing  east  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  It  was  the  first  firing  from  the  troops  ? 

A.  The  first  firing  came  from  there. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  From  what  direction  did  the  stones  and  other  missiles  come  ? 

A.  They  came  from  every  direction. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Was  there  any  pistol  firing  from  the  side  of  the  hill  ? 

A.  After  the  firing  commenced  it  was  very  hard  to  detect  in  which  direc- 
tion it  came.  It  seemed  to  come  in  all  directions,  and  the  stones  were 
striking  against  the  muskets  of  the  men  as  they  held  them  up.  It  was 
very  hard  to  detect  where  the  firing  came  from. 

Q.  Was  there  any  positive  order  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  didn't  hear  it,  and  I  didn't  give  it,  and  I  don't  think  there  was, 
further  than  the  general  order  I  gave,  if  we  were  attacked  that  we  should 
defend  ourselves. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  General  Pearson  present  when  the  firing  took  place? 

A.  I  think  he  was — not  that  I  saw  him,  but  he  gave  me  the  order  to 
clear  the  tracks,  and  the  time  was  so  short  after  he  gave  the  order  before 
the  firing  commenced,  that  I  do  not  see  how  he  could  arrive  at  Mr.  Pit- 
cairn's  office  before  the  firing  took  place,  although  I  didn't  see  him  myself. 
He  gave  me  those  orders,  and  I  ordered  the  Weccaco  Legion,  which  had 
about  seventy-five  yards  to  go,  and  the  whole  time  didn't  occupy  over 
two  minutes. 

Q.  How  was  he  dressed  ? 

A.  I  think  in  full  uniform — my  impression  is  that  he  was.  I  think  he 
was. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  full  uniform? 

A.  Blouse  and  cap — regular  fatigue  uniform. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Suppose  he  had  turned  around  immediately  after  giving  you  the 
order  and  gone  to  Mr.  Pitcairn's  office,  could  he  have  got  there  before  the 
firing  took  place  ? 

A.  I  do  not  think  so,  but  I  may  be  mistaken. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  he  wear  a  hat  or  a  cap  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  you,  sir.  It  really  didn't  make  sufficient  impression 
on  me,  but  I  think  he  had  a  cap  on.     That  is  my  impression,  because  I 


920  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

knew  him   in   the  army  a  long  time,  and   he  always  used  to  wear  a  cap 
there. 

Q.  Had  he  a  sword  and  belt  on  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  a  sword  and  belt  on. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  late  war  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  rank  did  you  occupy? 

A.  I  went  out  as  a  private  in  the  Second  Pennsylvania  cavalry,  and 
afterwards  was  promoted  to  different  grades  to  major  of  a  regiment,  and 
brevet  lieutenant  colonel  at  Five  Forks.  I  served  two  years  as  personal 
aid  to  General  Griffin,  of  the  Fifth  Army  Corps. 

Q.  When  did  you  go  out? 

A.  In  September,  1861,  and  left  the  army  in  June,  1866. 

Q.  What  rank  did  you  hold  when  you  left? 

A.  I  was  major  and  brevet  lieutenant  colonel. 
Adjourned,  to  meet  at  two  o'clock  to-morrow.    . 


Philadelphia,  Saturday,  March  28,  1878. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  re-assembled  in  the  St.  Cloud 
hotel,  at  two  o'clock,  p.  m.,  this  day,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testi- 
mony. 

J.  Ewing  Mears,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside? 

A.  At  No.  1429  Walnut  street,  in  this  city. 

Q.  What  is  your  profession  ? 

A.  That  of  a  physician. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  a  member  of  the  National  Guard,  and  if  so, 
what  position  you  held  at  the  time  of  the  riots? 

A.  I  was  the  division  su  geon  of  the  First  division,  National  Guard, 
under  command  of  General  Brinton. 

Q.  State  whether  you  accompanied  the  command  of  General  Brinton  to 
Pittsburgh,  and  on  what  day  ? 

A.  I  left  the  city  of  Philadelphia  on  the  morning  of  Saturday,  the  21st 
of  July,  in  company  with  General  Brinton.  and  arrived  at  Pittsburgh 
shortly  after  the  middle  of  the  day  of  Saturday. 

Q.  Go  on  and  relate  just  what  occurred  after  your  arrival  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  whether  I  can  state  it  as  you  wish,  without  questions 
from  yourself.  After  our  arrival  at  Pittsburgh,  the  troops  were  disem- 
barked, and  orders  were  given  with  regard  to  their  march  up  towards  the 
round-house,  and  I  was  ordered  by  General  Brinton  to  establish  the  divi- 
sion hospital  in  the  mail-room  connected  with  the  railroad  station.  It  was 
nearly  opposite  to  the  outer  telegraph  station,  as  the  depot  existed  prior 
to  its  destruction.  Before  the  command  left  the  depot,  1  had  assigned  to 
the  different  brigades  and  regiments  medical  officers,  taking  from  some 
regiments  officers  who  were  in  access  of  the  needs  of  the  regiments ;  in 
other  words,  I  distributed  medical  officers  to  the  different  commands,  in 
accordance  with  the  orders  of  General  Brinton. 

<v>.  Did  you  accompany  the  command  at  Twenty-eighth  street? 

A.  I  didn't. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  921 

Q.  Where  were  you  yourself? 

A.  I  was  at  the  depot.  My  orders  from  General  Brinton  were,  to  estab- 
lish the  division  hospital  at  the  depot,  to  which  the  wounded,  if  any  hap- 
pened to  be  wounded,  could  be  sent. 

Q.  Did  you  send  out  surgeons  with  the  command — as  you  distributed 
them,  they  went  out  ? 

A.  Yes ;  there  were  two  surgeons  with  the  First  regiment,  one  surgeon 
connected  with  the  Second  brigade,  and  one  surgeon  who  was  not  acting 
as  such  among  the  other  companies. 

Q.  Did  you  remain  at  the  Union  depot  during  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  No ;  I  remained  there  until  ten  o'clock,  then  I  left  the  depot,  the 
object  being  to  join  the  command  in  the  round-house,  if  possible.  I  had, 
in  the  meantime,  met  the  surgeon  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  Doctor 
Murdock,  who  was  also  surgeon  of  the  West  Penn  hospital,  and  he  in. 
formed  me  that  some  of  the  wounded  of  the  division  were  in  the  hospi- 
tal, and  offered  his  services  to  me  to  assist,  and  also  on  behalf  of  the  staff, 
the  use  of  the  hospital.  In  view  of  this  fact,  and  as  I  had  also  completed 
my  duty  at  the  depot  by  sending  all  of  the  wounded  to  Philadelphia  prior 
to  ten  o'clock,  I  left  the  depot  to  start  to  join  General  Brinton  in  the  round- 
house, but  being  unable  to  do  so  by  reason  of  the  mob,  I  went  to  the  hos- 
pital, where  I  found  some  of  the  command. 

Q.  How  many  wounded  were  brought  to  the  Union  depot  ? 

A.  Fifteen. 

Q.  Of  the  militia  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  They  were  sent  to  Philadelphia? 

A.  Yes ;  I  obtained  from  Mr.  Cassatt  a  special  car  for  that  purpose. 

Q.  How  wore  the  different  men  wounded  ? 

A.  The  majority  were  wounded  by  small  Smith  &  Wesson  balls — balls 
that  belong  to  the  ordinary  pocket  revolver,  and  the  gun  shot  wounds  were 
all  in  the  lower  extremities. 

Q.  Were  any  wounded  with  stones  or  clubs  ? 

A.  They  were  wounded  both  with  bullets,  and  also  with  clubs  and  stones, 
the  majorit}^  being  wounded  with  bullets,  and  as  they  stated,  the  wounds 
being  given  to  them  by  persons  under  the  cars,  the  result  of  that  being  that 
the  wounds  were  in  the  lo..er  extremities.  Some  had  scalp  wounds,  re- 
ceive J  from  clubs  and  stones,  and  some  of  the  wounds  in  the  lower  extrem- 
ities were  also  from  clubs  or  stones.  I  should  say  that  I  moved  the  hos- 
pitital  from  the  mail-room,  which  I  had  taken,  into  the  hotel,  and  took  for 
that  purpose  the  two  large  reading-rooms  of  the  hotel.  There  I  dressed 
the  wounds  of  those  sent  to  me,  and  sent  them  home  when  I  finished  the 
work. 

Q.  On  Sunday,  where  were  you  ? 

A.  On  Sunday  morning,  at  seven  and  a  half  o'clock,  I  left  the  West  Penn 
hospital,  and  came  into  the  depot.  I  was  aware  then  that  the  command 
had  left  the  round-house,  that  is,  I  was  so  informed,  and  I  came  into  the 
hotel  for  the  purpose  of  getting  the  medical  stores,  and  also  for  the  pur- 
pose of  getting  means  of  conveyance  to  the  command.  I  had  received  a 
requisition  the  afternoon  before,  from  one  of  the  surgeons  for  lint  and 
medical  stores,  and  I  had  purchased  some  the  night  before  in  a  drug  store, 
at  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  The  details  we  don't  care  for — just  simply  the  number  of  wounded, 
and  if  you  heard  the  firing,  and  was  with  the  command  at  the  time  ? 

A.  I  didn't  hear  the  firing,  and  there  were  more  wounded  than  I  saw, 
because  some  didn't  come  to  the  depot. 


922  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  number  of  the  wounded  altogether  ? 

A.  I  have  endeavored  to  ascertain  that,  but  have  failed  thus  far.  I  un- 
derstood there  were  about  twenty-eight. 

Q.  How  many  were  killed  ? 

A.  As  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  three  were  killed,  two  instantly,  and  one 
died  from  the  result  of  a  gun-shot  wound. 

Q.  Did  you  go  with  the  command  when  it  retreated  out  Penn  avenue, 
and  across  the  river  ? 

A.  I  followed  the  command  as  closely  as  I  could,  and  joined  them  after 
they  had  crossed  the  river. 

Q.  At  what  time  ? 

A.  Ten  and  a  half  o'clock. 

Q.  Were  you  dressed  in  uniform  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  In  citizen's  clothes  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  trouble  in  reaching  the  command  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  was  not  interfered  with,  although  I  drove  through  the  mob.  I 
had  with  me  a  guide,  a  member  of  one  of  the  cavalry  companies  of  Pitts- 
burgh, but  he  knew  nothing  of  the  country  after  passing  the  arsenal.  I 
acted  on  my  own  responsibility.  I  had  received  an  order  from  General 
Brinton  the  evening  before,  about  joining  the  command,  and  was  directed 
to  join  him  in  citizen's  clothes. 

Q.  Did  you  stop  at  the  arsenal  ? 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Major  Burflngton? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Or  Lieutenant  Lyon  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Lieutenant  Ash  ? 

A.  I  didn't  see  him. 

Q.  Did  you  know  that  Lieutenant  Ash  was  there  ? 

A.  I  didn't  at  that  time  ? 

Q.  You  reached  your  command  in  safety  ? 

A.  Yes ;  with  the  stores  I  had  taken  with  me.  I  had  a  wagon  and  a 
horse,  and  I  placed  them  in  the  wagon,  and  took  them  to  the  command. 

Q.  Are  there  any  other  facts  that  you  wish  to  state  ?  State  whether  you 
heard  any  orders  given  by  General  Latta  to  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  I  heard  orders  dictated  to  his  secretary  or  to  an  officer  in  his  room — 
I  did. 

Q.  At  what  place  ? 

A.  At  the  Union  Depot  hotel. 

Q.  At  what  time  ? 

A.  About  eight  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning. 

Q.  What  were  they  ? 

A.  As  near  as  I  can  remember  them — I  was  not  the  officer  supposed  to 
hear  them,  but  they  were  given  in  an  ordinary  tone  of  voice — the  order 
was  congratulatory  to  General  Brinton  on  his  retreat  from  the  round-house, 
as  to  his  generalship  in  getting  out  of  the  round-house,  and  upon  his  march 
out  Penn  square  to  the  arsenal.  That  is  a  portion  of  the  order  I  dis- 
tinctly remember.  Further,  when  I  asked  General  Latta  where  I  should 
join  the  command,  he  told  me  to  go  to  the  arsenal. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  witli  General  Latta  at  that  time? 

A.  I  asked  him  where  the  command  was,  and  how  to  get  there. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  923 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  other  command  given  by  General  Latta  to  General 
Brinton  ? 

A.  I  did  not.  I  met  Major  Norris  returning  from  the  command.  He 
had  joined  them,  and  I  asked  him  where  they  were,  and  he  said  on  the 
hill,  and  that  they  were  going  to  the  poor-house.  He  said  to  me  nothing 
at  all  in  regard  to  any  other  destination.  This  hill,  I  suppose,  was  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  after  the  bridge  had  been  crossed — after  crossing  tin;  river. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  3'ou  have  any  conversation  with  citizens  of  Pittsburgh,  or  come 
in  contact  with  them  ? 

A.  I  did,  on  Saturday  night.  I  had  taken,  fortunately,  a  letter  of  intro- 
duction to  a  druggist  in  Pittsburgh,  and  I  went  to  his  drug  store  to  make 
a  purchase. 

Q.  Just  state  whether  the  citizens  of  Pittsburgh  showed  sympathy  with 
the  strikers  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  most  decidedly. 

Q.  Their  sympathies  were  with  the  strikers  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  they  were  hostile  to  the  troops  ? 

A.  Most  decidedly.  I  had  conversations  with  a  number  of  medical  men, 
and  I  was  surprised  to  hear  them,  as  medical  men,  express  their  sympathy 
with  the  action  of  the  rioters. 

Q.  In  plain  words,  they  said  that  the  strikers  were  doing  right  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  they  approved  their  action. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  In  what  way  did  they  manifest  or  express  sympathy  with  the  riot- 
ers ? 

A.  In  this  way :  they  thought  they  were  taking  the  proper  action  to 
redress  the  wrongs  they  had  suffered. 

Q.  Did  they  say  that  the  strikers  were  taking  proper  action  ? 

A.  They  said  that  they  thought  they  were  doing  right. 

Q.  What  citizens  said  that  ? 

A.  I  do  not  remember  the  names.  I  met  one  gentleman  on  the  street. 
He  was  kind  enough  to  conduct  me  back  to  the  hotel,  it  being  night,  and 
I  not  knowing  the  way.  He  didn't  know  who  I  was  or  my  business,  and 
expressed  himself  very  freely  about  the  matter. 

Q.  Was  he  a  business  man  ? 

A.  I  do  not  know  that.  He  appeared  to  be  a  gentleman — he  was  dressed 
as  such. 

Q.  Living  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  suppose  he  did,  sir. 

Q.  At  the  drug  store,  did  you  meet  any  citizens  more  than  the  druggist 
himself? 

A.  I  didn't,  because  he  advised  me  not  to  stay  there  long — that  it  would 
not  be  desirable  for  them  to  know  who  I  was. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  The  druggist  advised  you  not  to  stay  there  long — that  he  did  not 
want  the  strikers  to  know  you  were  in  his  place  of  business? 

A.  Or  the  citizens  even  to  know  it.  It  was  rather  out  of  regard  for  my 
safety,  than  possibly  for  himself.  I  went  through  the  streets  of  Pittsburgh, 
when  they  were  breaking  into  the  stores  and  seizing  arms,  and  the  citizens 
looked  on  that  indifferently,  and  no  efforts  were  made  to  stop  that. 

Q.  You  went  through  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  in  disguise  for  your  own 
safety,  for  fear  of  bodily  harm  }rou  might  receive 

A.  I  went  into  the  streets  of  Pittsburgh  in  citizens  dress,  in  the  first 


924  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

place,  because  I  had  been  warned  by  General  Latta,  in  regard  to  wearing 
my  uniform.  He  advised  me  to  remove  it.  He  said  it  was  not  safe  even 
for  himself,  or  anybody  connected  with  the  military,  to  apppear  in  uniform. 
That  it  would  probably  attract  the  mob  to  the  hotel.  I  did  it  at  his  sug- 
gestion, and  also,  when  I  reflected  on  it,  for  my  own  safety. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  was  that  drug  store  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  you  where,  it  was  night. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  the  street  ? 

A.  I  do  not.     I  can  go  to  it  in  daytime. 

Q.  Do  }^ou  know  whether  it  was  the  proprietor  of  the  drug  store  with 
whom  you  had  the  conversation  ? 

A.  It  was  the  clerk  ? 
By  Mr.  Larrabee  : 

Q.  Did  you  get  an  introduction  to  the  proprietor? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  Who  was  the  letter  addressed  to  ? 

A.  To  Mr.  Ottinger.     I  took  it,  thinking  I  should  possibly  want  to 
purchase  something. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  You  cannot  give  the  street  ? 

A.  I  didn't  see  it  in  the  daytime  at  all. 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  the  language — what  he  said? 

A.  I  cannot,  because  I  didn't  stop  very  long  at  his  store.  I  had  sent 
him  an  order,  and  asked  that  it  should  be  filled,  and  I  went  for  the  order. 
It  was  not  completed,  and  it  kept  us  a  few  minutes.  Further,  to  show 
the  hostility  to  the  troops,  when  I  was  taking  +he  wounded  to  the  cars, 
the  mob  had  got  into  the  station,  and  were  jeering  us  and  making  use  of 
insulting  remarks,  such  as  to  show  that  they  were  gratified  that  they  were 
going  home  in  that  condition. 

Thomas  A.  Scott,  sworn  : 

By  Mr  Lindsey: 

Q.  State  what  your  official  connection  with  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company  is  ? 

A.  I  am  president  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company. 

Q.  You  have  held  that  position  for  a  number  of  years  g 

A.  I  have  been  connected  with  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Compan}',  in 
various  capacities,  over  twenty-six  years. 

Q.  State,  if  prior  to  the  strike  that  occurred  in  July  last,  you  had  any 
information  that  such  a  strike  was  to  take  place,  or  had  any  reason  to  ap- 
prehend a  strike  ? 

A.  We  had  no  information  on  the  subject.  I  was  on  that  evening  up 
the  river  Delaware  eighteen  miles,  visiting  some  friends — my  daughters' 
family — and  had  gone  to  bed  about  ten  o'clock,  and  heard  nothing  of  the 
strike,  or  anything  connected  with  it,  until  about  eleven  o'clock,  when  one 
of  our  officers  from  West  Philadelphia,  came  up  and  advised  me  that  there 
was  trouble  on  the  road,  and  wanted  me  to  come  to  West  Philadelphia.  I 
did  so,  and  arrived  there  a  quarter  before  twelve,  on  Thursday  night.  At 
that  time  1  had  no  intimation  of  any  possible  trouble  with  any  of  our  peo- 
ple. 

Q.  Had  you  any  knowledge  of  the  existence  of  an  organization  called 
the  Trainmen's  Union  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  had  heard  that  there  was  such  an  organization.  There  was 
some  discontent  about  salaries  and  other  matters  connected  with  railroad 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  925 

management,  and  I  had  an  interview  with  some  engineers  and  firemen  a 
few  weeks  before,  and  went  over  the  whole  subject — went  over  the  whole 
ground  with  them.  I  suppose  it  was  a  committee  of  twenty  or  thirty  al- 
together ;  and  after  hearing  all  that  was  to  be  said  on  both  sides,  we  finally 
agreed  that  it  was  one  of  the  inevitable  things  that  could  not  be  avoided, 
but  would  be  remedied  as  soon  as  the  condition  of  the  country  got  into  a 
more  prosperous  condition.  After  the  committee  retired  from  the  inter- 
view, they  came  back  again  with  a  letter  directed  to  me,  expressing  just 
what  I  said,  in  substance,  to  you ;  therefore  I  had  no  idea  that  there  was 
discontent  among  our  people  likely  to  lead  to  anything  like  the  results  at- 
tained afterwards — like  the  difficulty  that  resulted  in  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  complaints  did  this  committee  make  when  they  waited  on  you? 

A.  They  wanted  to  have  the  ten  per  cent,  restored. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  It  may  have  been  three  or  four  weeks  before  the  difficulty  occurred. 

Q.  It  was  after  the  1st  of  June — after  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction  ? 

A.  After  the  notice  was  given. 

Q.  Did  they  have  any  other  complaint  to  make  than  about  the  ten  per 
cent,  reduction  ? 

A.  They  discussed  the  question  of  privilege  to  ride  over  the  road,  and 
about  being  allowed  for  time  when  oft"  duty,  and  several  things  of  that  char- 
acter, all  of  which  were  discussed  in  the  most  friendly  way  with  the  commit- 
tee, and  I  supposed  that  the  committee  went  away  perfectly  satisfied. 
They  so  expressed  themselves  in  writing  to  me — perfectly  satisfied  with 
the  action  of  the  company. 

Q.  Did  they  make  any  objections  to  the  classification — what  is  called 
the  classification  ? 

A.  They  discussed  that  question  with  me,  and  they  wanted  to  get  some 
changes  made  in  that.  That  had  been  agreed  upon  with  the  engineers  and 
firemen  some  years  before. 

Q.  They  were  satisfied  on  that  point  ? 

A.  Entirely. 

Q.  Had  you  heard  of  any  dissatisfaction  on  that  point  from  any  other 
source  than  from  this  committee. 

A.  I  had  heard  nothing  about  the  question  at  all. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  complaints  made  prior  to  the  one  made  by  this 
committee  on  that  subject  ? 

A.  A  year  or  two  before  the  question  had  been  discussed.  I  have  always 
been  in  the  habit  when  our  people  come  to  state  their  grievances  or  sup- 
supposed  grievances  to  hear  them,  and  discuss  the  matter,  and  do  what 
we  think  right  about  it.  I  believe  I  never  have  declined  to  receive  our 
men,  and  talk  over  matters  connected  with  the  company. 

Q.  After  the  order  was  issued  to  run  double-headers,  did  you  hear  of 
any  dissatisfaction? 

A.  Not  until  this  Thursday  night.  That  that  was  one  cause  of  dissatis- 
faction. 

Q.  How  long  before  that  was  the  order  issued  to  run  double-headers  ? 

A.  I  cannot  give  the  time,  but  it  was,  I  think,  a  few  weeks — but  how 
long,  I  don't  know.  It  is  a  matter  of  detail  management  of  the  respective 
divisions  that  scarcely  ever  comes  to  me  at  all. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  date  it  went  into  effect? 

A.  No ;  I  do  not. 

Q.  From  whom  did  you  get  the  first  information  that  a  strike  existed 
there  at  Pittsburgh  ? 


926  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29 , 

A.  From  Mr.  Charles  E.  Pugh,  one  of  our  superintendents  at  West  Phila- 
delpha,  who  came  up  for  me  to  Andalusia,  or  near  there. 

Q.  What  time  did  he  get  there  ? 

A.  At  a  quarter  before  eleven  o'clock. 

Q.  On  the  19th? 

A.  Yes ;  on  Thursday  night. 

Q.  When  did  you  get  the  next  information  ? 

A.  When  I  got  to  the  depot  at  West  Philadelphia? 

Q.  What  was  the  character  of  that  ? 

A.  That  there  was  an  outbreak  among  the  men  on  all  the  roads  extend- 
ing rapidly  over  all  the  lines  in  the  country,  and  that  there  was  not  a  suffi- 
cient police  force  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  to  manage  the  matter,  and  that 
the  sheriff  had  been  called  out  or  called  upon  by  somebocty  to  organize  a 
posse  comitatus,  and  I  believe  he  did  make  some  effort  about  it. 

Q.  That  he  was  called  upon  by  some  officer  of  your  road  ? 

A.  No  ;  but  by  some  authorities  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  ;  but  that,  I 
cannot  say.  I  was  not  there.  That  they  called  upon  him,  but  just  when 
they  called  upon  him,  I  do  not  know. 

Q.  That  information  was  communicated  to  you  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  by  telegraph. 

Q.  Were  you  informed  that  the  city  authorities  and  the  sheriff  were  not 
able  to  suppress  the  strike  or  the  riot  there  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  was  informed  of  that  fact — that  the  sheriff  had  called  upon 
the  Governor  of  the  State  for  aid. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  get  that  information  ? 

A.  Three  or  four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Q.  From  whom  did  you  get  the  information  ? 

A.  From  our  officers  at  Pittsburgh.     I  -think  probably  from  Mr.  Pitcairn. 

Q.  Had  you  any  communication  with  the  Governor  ? 

A.  Yes;  I  telegraphed  to  the  Governor  after  he  had  been  called  upon 
and  given  the  general  results  of  the  trouble — I  telegraphed.  I  thought  it 
was  very  important  for  him  to  be  back  in  the  city  at  the  earliest  moment 
he  could  come.     That  I  thought  the  peace  of  the  whole  State  was  threatened. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  send  that  telegram  ? 

A.  I  think  that  was  sent  the  next  day  some  time. 

Q.  On  Friday  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  see  General  Latta  before  he  left  for  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Yes.  He  was  there  when  I  got  to  West  Philadelphia.  He  was  very 
much  disturbed.  He  told  me  that  the  Governor,  before  leaving,  had  left 
power  and  authority  with  him  to  exercise  his  authority  in  case  of  disturb- 
ance. I  asked  what  he  proposed  to  do  about  the  matter,  and  he  said  he 
proposed  to  go  to  Pittsburgh,  and  be  governed  by  circumstances.  If  the 
Governor  was  called  upon,  that  he  would  do  what  was  necessary  and  proper 
to  be  done,  under  the  circumstances,  to  preserve  the  order  of  the  State. 
I  think  it  was  about  a  quarter  before  twelve  o'clock  on  Thursday  night 
when  I  saw  him.  I  expressed  to  him  the  importance  of  preserving  the 
highways  of  the  country  intact,  as  I  understood  it  and  believed  it. 

Q.  When  did  you  first  learn  that  they  had  ordered  the  troops  out — when 
the  Adjutant  General  had  ordered  them  out? 

A.  I  understood  about  four  o'clock  Friday  morning  that  the  sheriff  of 
Allegheny  county  had  called  for  troops. 

Q.  And  you  understood  then  that  General  Latta  would  call  them  in  pur- 
suance of  the  call  of  the  sheriff? 

A.  General  Latta  told  me  if  called  on,  that  he  had  abundance  of  troops 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187*7.  92*7 

in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh  to  take  care  of  anything  that  might  arise — under 
General  Pearson. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  communication  with  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  No  ;  if  General  Pearson  asked  me  any  question  about  transportation 
of  troops,  T  told  him  what  was  proper  under  the  circumstances ;  but  I  do 
not  recollect  of  having  any  from  him. 

Q.  Had  you  ever  had  any  strikes  on  that  road  prior  to  this  time  ? 

A.  We  had  a  strike  in  1860,  when  I  was  general  superintendent  of  the 
road — a  small  affair  that  didn't  last  but  a  few  days — principally  among  some 
of  the  engineers  and  some  of  the  shop  men.  But  I  believe  we  had  no 
strike  or  trouble  with  our  people  from  that  time  up  to  the  occurrences  last 
summer. 

Q.  What  steps  were  taken  at  that  time  to  control  it  by  the  company  ? 

A.  Simply  notice  to  the  men  engaged  in  it,  that  if  the  wages  or  arrange- 
ments of  the  company  did  not  suit  them,  to  peaceably  go  away. 

Q.  Was  there  any  attempt,  at  that  time,  to  molest  or  disturb  the  property 
of  the  companj7  ? 

A.  Nothing  at  all,  except  stoppage  of  the  trains. 

Q.  There  never  has  been  any  strike  before  where  there  was  an  attempt 
to  destroy  property  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Can  you  give  us  the  amount,  or  an  estimated  amount,  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  property  at  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Well,  I  think  it  is  in  the  neighborhood — you  mean  what  property  ? 

Q.  Belonging  to  the  company  ? 

A.  About  $2,000,000 — various  things  we  were  interested  in. 

Q.  Does  that  cover  the  merchandise  ? 

A.  Not  at  all. 

Q.  Simply  the  actnal  propert}*'  of  the  company  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  and  it  does  not  cover  the  consequent  loss  from  the  interruption 
of  our  business. 

Q.  But  you  include  the  destruction  of  cars,  and  engines,  and  shops,  and 
tracks  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Do  3rou  know  how  many  cars  were  destroyed  ? 

A.  I  have  not  got  the  number  at  the  end  of  my  fingers,  but  it  is  in  the 
annual  report  of  the  company.  It  is  all  stated  there,  sir.  I  think  it  is 
summed  up  in  that  report,  that  the  probable  loss,  by  reason  of  this  trouble, 
was  about  $5,000,000  to  our  company  and  to  the  community  at  large  in 
Pittsburgh  and  the  community  elsewhere  owning  property  in  transit. 

Q.  In  consequence  of  the  riot  that  existed  there  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  That  includes  the  merchandise? 

A.  Yes ;  it  is  an  estimated  amount  of  what  we  thought  about  the  right 
thing — as  near  as  we  could  get  at  it. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  telegraph  you  at  Blairsville  Junction  that  he, 
General  Brinton,  could  clear  the  tracks  with  the  force  under  his  command  ? 

A.  I  think  General  Brinton  did  telegraph  me  ;  but  I  do  not  recollect 
the  details  of  it  at  all. .  * 

,    Q.  At  Blairsville  Junction  ? 

A.  That  he  thought  with  troops  property  located  he  could  take  care  of 
it. 


928  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  In  the  interview  you  had  with  this  committee,  they  stated  their 
views  on  the  reduction  of  ten  per  cent.  ? 

A.  That  and  several  other  questions  connected  with  it. 

Q.  When  did  this  ten  per  cent,  reduction  take  place  ? 

A.  In  June. 

Q.  Had  there  been  any  prior  reduction  ? 

A.  Yes;  in  18*73,  we  made  a  reduction  of  ten  per  cent following  the 

panic. 

Q.  Then  in  June  you  made  another  reduction? 

A.  Of  ten  per  cent.     It  applied  to  everybody  in  the  company — to  men 
on  the  track,  and  in  the  shops,  and  on  the  engines,  and  in  the  depots,  and 
every  officer  of  the  company. 
By  Mr.  Yutzy : 

Q.  To  all  the  employes  ? 

A.  To  all  getting  above  a  dollar  per  day. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Was  this  last  reduction  made  in  pursuance  of  any  arrangement  with 
any  other  road  ? 

A.  Not  at  all. 

Q.  Was  there  not  a  meeting  of  representatives  of  the  trunk  lines  in 
Chicago  in  May  sometime,  at  which  matters  were  talked  over? 

A.  I  don't  know — I  was  not  there. 

Q.  Was  there  a  representative  of  your  company  pi'esent  ? 

A.  There  may  have  been.  I  don't  know  nor  whether  they  had  up  the 
question  of  compensation  to  the  men.  Our  action  on  the  subject  was 
based  on  the  general  results  of  the  business  of  the  company,  and  the 
necessity  of  some  positive  thing  being  done  in  aid  of  the  company  and  in 
aid  of  the  men  as  well. 

Q.  The  action  of  your  company,  in  this  reduction,  was  solely  by  your- 
selves, without  any  understanding  ? 

A.  With  the  other  trunk  lines  ? 

Q.  Yes. 

A.  None  whatever.     I  think  they  didn't  make  any  reduction  until  July. 

Q.  Didn't  the  New  York  Central  make  a  induction  about  that  time  ? 

A.  I  think  on  the  1st  of  July. 

Q.  And  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  about  that  time  ? 

A.  Somewhere  along  there.     I  don't  know  the  dates  exactly. 

Q.  This  reduction  was  arrived  at  by  yourselves  without  any  understand- 
ing with  other  roads  ? 

A.  Yes ;  we  thought  it  proper  to  be  done.  I  think,  and  believe  now, 
that  we  were  paying  men  then  twenty  per  cent,  above  the  average  price 
paid  for  an  equivalent  amount  of  labor  anywhere  else. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  the  prices  paid  the  trainmen  ? 

A.  I  don't  recollect,  but  I  can  get  you  the  data  if  you  want  them.  I 
don't  recollect  the  details.  Our  wages  differ  a  little  on  different  divisions — 
they  are  not  entirely  uniform.  There  are  some  places  where  the  living  is 
more  expensive,  and  there  the  compensation  is  higher.  They  are  paid  ac- 
cording to  locality.  There  are  some  places  where  the  cost  of  living  is  a 
great  deal  less  than  in  others,  and  a  difference  is  made  in  wages.  Is  is 
always  been  so  both  on  the  track  and  roadway  and  the  trainmen  also. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  arrangements  were  made  at  Chicago  to  pool 
the  earnings  of  the  three  trunk  lines  ? 

A.  An  attempt  was  made. 

Q.  But  never  carried  out? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  929 

A.  No. 

Q.  You  don't  know  whether  this  question  of  wages  was  discussed  at  that 
meeting  ? 

A.  I  don't  know. 

Q.  You  had  no  report  made  to  you  by  the  representative  of  your  road 
who  was  there  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  To  pool  the  entire  earnings  of  the  road  ? 

A.  No ;  the  competitive  business  to  avoid  disagreements,  and  to  put 
all  the  shippers  on  a  perfect  equality,  and  get  a  fair  living  compensation 
for  doing  the  work  to  be  done.  Through  excessive  competition,  very  often 
business  was  done  resulting  in  a  loss  to  the  companies.  They  did  the 
work  for  a  great  deal  less  than  cost,  and  in  doing,  that  with  certain  kinds 
of  traffic,  they  did  violence  and  injustice  to  other  people  at  other  points. 
That  was  one  of  the  troubles  with  the  city  of  Pittsburgh — perhaps  their 
chief  trouble. 

Q.  The  purpose  of  it  was  to  secure  uniformity  of  freights  ? 

A.  And  compensation  to  everybody. 

Q.  To  shippers,  too  ? 

A.  To  shippers.  In  the  early  part  of  last  year,  the  through  business  of 
the  company  was  done  below  actual  cost  to  every  road  that  did  it.  During 
the  first  six  months  of  last  year,  not  a  farthing  was  made  on  through  com- 
petitive freight  b}r  any  line. 

Q.  Was  that  agreed  upon  at  that  meeting  in  Chicago? 

A.  They  made  an  effort,  but  didn't  succeed  in  having  it  carried  out  prac- 
tically. 

Q.  The  trouble  was  in  one  line  cutting  down  freights  ? 

A.  That  is  the  allegation  always — that  somebody  is  cheating  somebody 
else. 

Q.  It  was  attempted  to  carry  it  into  effect  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  For  how  long  a  time  did  you  work  at  it  ? 

A.  Three  or  four  months,  probably,  but  finally  it  all  broke  up.  On  west- 
bound traffic  we  have  an  arrangement  for  a  division  of  the  business  under 
low  established  rates,  by  which  everybody  is  placed  on  a  perfect  equality. 
New  York,  a  certain  price,  Philadelphia  so  much  below  that,  and  Bal- 
timore, so  much  below  that.  Under  that  arrangement,  the  lines  have  been 
doing  very  much  better  than  when  in  open  warfare.  I  believe  now  that 
eveiy  west-bound  shipper  is  placed  on  an  entire  equality. 

Q.  You  have  referred  to  Pittsburgh.  Had  there  been  complaints  by 
shippers  in  Pittsburgh  about  discrimination? 

A.  Always. 

Q.  What  were  the  complaints  ? 

A.  That  through  goods  were  carried  at  a  less  rate  per  ton  per  mile  than 
their  goods,  and  that  we  ought  to  be  able  to  control  that.  I  think  I  have 
tried  diligently  for  the  last  five  years  of  my  life  to  get  an  arrangement  or 
an  agreement  by  which  all  these  questions  could  be  adjusted,  and  these 
discriminations  of  every  character  wiped  out,  and  I  went  even  to  this 
trouble :  I  met  a  committee  of  merchants  and  manufacturers  of  the  city 
of  Pittsburgh,  and  went  over  the  whole  case  with  them.  I  said  to  them  : 
gentlemen,  there  are  times  when  it  cannot  be  controlled.  If  we  succeed  in 
making  this  west-bound  arrangement  we  will  put  all  your  interests  here, 
so  far  as  relates  to  the  western  markets,  on  a  fair  equality  with  everything 
that  comes  into  competition  with  you  from  the  east.  I  said  so  far  as  we 
59  Riots. 


930  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

are  concerned,  we  have  a  strong  desire  to  do  just  what  you  want  done,  and 
to  that  end  we  are  working,  and  we  will  do  anything  we  can  do  to  bring 
it  about ;  and  if  it  should  happen  in  the  future  that  we  must  go  through 
other  and  more  violent  wars  than  we  have  now  passed,  we  will  still  agree 
that  your  trade  in  competition  with  like  trade — that  your  manufacturing 
interests  here  shall  be  protected  by  at  least  ten  per  cent,  less  than  the  ag- 
gregate rates  from  points  east  of  you.  They  expressed  themselves  very 
well  satisfied  with  that  arrangement. 

'  Q.  Can  you  give  us  any  of  the  methods  you  have  tried  for  the  purpose 
of  preventing  those  complaints  by  the  people  of  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  The  general  endeavor  is  to  agree  upon  rates,  and  to  adhere  to  them 
absolutely.  We  never  charge  in  any  case  exceeding  the  rate  charged  from 
a  distant  point.  In  this  arrangement,  I  referred  to, for  the  city  of  Pittsburgh, 
I  told  them,  in  any  possible  state  of  things,  we  would  make  their  rates  ten 
per  cent,  less  than  any  rate  prevailing  from  any  point  east  of  them — Phil- 
adelphia, New  York,  or  Baltimore.  It  sometimes  happened  that  competi- 
tion ruled  so  strong  that  we  carried  things  from  New  York  to  Chicago 
lower  than  we  did  from  Pittsburgh,  and  when  engaged  in  one  of  these  little 
troubles,  the  rates  are  frequently  changed  a  dozen  times  in  a  day.  Our 
aim  always  has  been  to  put  all  the  shippers  on  our  road  and  all  the  inter- 
mediate shippers  on  rates  as  low  as  competition  might  force  at  the  extremes. 
We  think  it  is  right,  and  endeavor  to  do  it.  There  have  been  isolated  cases 
when  it  is  not  done,  as  it  may  happen  that  a  shipper  from  New  York  to-day 
will  have  a  low  rate  on  some  specific  kind  of  goods,  while  the  shipper  from 
Pittsburgh  would  be  paying  the  rate  that  prevailed  the  day  before.  But 
whenever  such  cases  came  to  our  notice  we  gave  a  drawback.  Sometimes 
they  never  came  to  our  notice,  but  have  been  nursed  up,  and  made  a  cause 
of  trouble  and  complaint.  Whenever  we  found  the  difference  too  great  we 
always  paid  them  back. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  By  rebates  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  There  never  has  been  a  time  when  the  price  charged  from  Pittsburgh 
was  greater  than  from  any  point  beyond  ? 

A.  It  never  was  the  policy  of  the  company  that  it  should  be  so,  but  it 
has  frequently  happened  in  isolated  cases  that  such  was  the  case. 

Q.  Has  that  been  the  case  for  any  length  of  time  ? 

A.  Never — not  for  any  length  of  time. 

Q.  For  a  month  at  a  time  ? 

A.  Oh,  no — a  day  or  two. 

Q.  How  did  freights  compare  in  July  last  with  what  they  had  been  for 
three  months  preceeding  that  time? 

A.  They  had  been  extremely  low  the  whole  of  the  year  up  to  that  time, 
and  were  then  extremely  low  on  east-bound  business.  On  west-bound  busi- 
ness on  the  1st  of  July  that  arrangement  was  made  to  have  a  division  of 
the  business. 

Q.   How  were  freights  after  the  strike  was  over  ? 

A.  On  west-bound  business,  the  arrangement  that  went  into  operation 
then  is  in  operation  now.  On  east-bound,  every  two  or  three  weeks  they 
have  the  same  chronic  trouble.  After  making  an  agreement,  they  violate 
it  and  break  down,  but  as  a  general  thing,  the  rates  are  better  now  than 
they  were  a  year  ago. 

Q.  How  did  rates  compare  the  fore  part  of  last  season  with  the  year 
before,  at  the  same  time  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18? 7.  931 

A.  Very  much  lower.  Two  reasons  brought  it  about.  First  a  short  crop 
in  the  fall  of  1876,  when  there  was  very  little  freight  to  come  east — noth- 
ing at  all  equal  to  the  facilities  of  the  various  companies,  the  result  being 
a  scramble  and  competition  to  get  it,  and  prices  ruled  away  below  the  cost 
of  doing  the  work. 

Q.  How  did  the  amount  of  freight  or  tonnage  during  the  months  of  May 
and  June,  1877,  compare  with  the  months  of  May  and  June,  1876? 

A.  It  was  not  so  heavy,  but  after  the  harvest  of  last  year — and  it  was  a 
heavy  crop  all  over  the  west — and  in  consequence  of  the  European  war, 
which  cause  a  demand,  the  roads  had  better  tonnage. 

Q.  Was  their  any  difference  in  the  local  freights  ? 

A.  They  were  greater  in  quantity  all  along  our  line.  The  crops  were  bet- 
ter. 

Q.  How  did  the  local  rates  compare  with  the  previous  year  ? 

A.  They  were  on  the  same  general  basis  as  the  previous  year.     I  don't 
think  there  was  any  change,  unless  we  got  into  those  violent  competitions, 
when  we  would  reduce  our  local  as  well  as  through  rates. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  ship  goods  or  freight  cheaper  from  New  York  to  San  Fran- 
cisco than  from  Pittsburgh  to  San  Francisco,  such  as  steel  or  iron  ? 

A.  I  think  that  has  occurred  a  number  of  times.  The  rates  ai'e  made  by  the 
Union  and  Central  Pacific  roads.  At  New  York  they  come  into  competi- 
tion With  the  Pacific  mail  and  sailing  vessels  around  Cape  Horn,  and  on 
account  of  that  competition,  the  rates  are  made  low. 

Q.  Less  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  than  from  Pittsburgh? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Has  it  been  the  custom  on  your  road  to  get  a  larger  rate  from  New 
York  than  from  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Yes ;  on  our  road  we  get  a  larger  rate  from  New  York  than  from 
Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Do  you  mean  per  ton  per  mile  ? 

A.  No.  I  mean  the  aggregate  rate.  The  Pacific  road  fixes  its  own 
prices  from  Chicago  west-bound-. 

Q.  Can  you  not  ship  freight  at  a  less  rate  per  ton  per  mile  for  a  long 
distance  than  for  a  short  ? 

A.  I  think  we  can,     It  saves  the  intermediate  handling. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  instance  where  iron  or  steel  has  been  shipped 
from  Pittsburgh  to  New  York  and  from  there  to  San  Francisco  by  rail  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Because  the  rates  would  be  cheaper  ? 

A.  No.  I  have  understood  of  one  or  two  cases  where  drugs  were 
sent  from  Pittsburgh  to  New  York,  and  these  came  into  competition  with 
drugs  shipped  by  ocean,  and  were  then  shipped  on  back. 

Q.  Did  the  cheap  rates  at  New  York  arise  from  competition  with  water 
transportation  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  at  sea.  That  only  applies  to  heavy  articles,  about  which  there 
is  no  question  of  time  or  of  insurance.  It  may  apply  to  heavy  drugs;  but 
it  does  not  apply  to  dry  goods  or  groceries,  or  things  like  that. 

Q.  Are  your  local  freight  rates  governed  by  your  through  rates  in  any 
way? 

A.  To  the  extent  that  whenever  through  rates  come  down  below  the  local 
charges  we  reduce  the  local  charges. 

Q.  Proportionately  ? 

A.  No;  but  we  do  not  exceed  on  our  local  business  the  amount  charged 
on  other  roads. 


932  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Do  you  reduce  the  rates  on  local  traffic  when  you  reduce  them  on 
other  traffic  in  equal  proportion  ? 

A.  No.  Say  the  rate  from  Chicago  to  New  York  is  fifty  cents,  and  the 
rate  from  Philadelphia  or  Harrisburg  is  fifty  cents,  and  the  rate  from  New 
York  should  be  reduced  to  forty  or  thirty,  we  reduce  the  other  rate. 

Q.  To  the  same  percentage  ? 

A.  The  same  gross  rate. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Was  there  any  strike  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  among  your  em- 
ployes ? 

A.  There  was  some  striking  among  the  men  on  our  trains. 

Q.  When  did  that  first  break  out ? 

A.  Probably  a  day  or  two  after  the  trouble  at  Pittsburgh.  I  think  the 
trouble  occurred  here  on  Friday  night  or  Saturda}r. 

Q.  Among  what  class  of  your  employes. 

A.  The  trainmen  entirely. 

Q.  Did  it  include  the  engineers  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  The  brakemen,  firemen,  and  conductors? 

A.  Yes  ;  the  trainmen — on  freight  trains. 

Q.  Did  they  interfere  with  your  property  in  any  way  here  ? 

A.  They  declined  to  run  the  trains  out,  and  said  their  lives  were  in  danger, 
and  the  result  was  the  trains  didn't  go  for  several  days.  It  didn't  apply 
to  the  Northern  Central  road  or  the  New  York  division. 

Q.  Did  they  attempt  to  interfere  with  the  property  of  the  road  ? 

A.  Destroy  it  ? 

Q.  Yes  ? 

A.  Not  at  all.  I  think  they  felt  themselves  bound  by  some  organization 
that  seemed  to  have  control  of  them,  not  to  do  anything  or  allow  others 
to  take  their  places,  and,  therefore,  it  was  simply  a  stand  off  policy — the 
trains  didn't  go.     But  they  attempted  no  destruction  of  property  at  all. 

Q.   Did  it  become  necessary  for  you  to  call  on  the  civil  authorities  here  ? 

A.  Yes.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  threatening  all  over  town  in  regard 
to  the  possibility  of  serious  trouble,  and  we  had  some  trouble  at  the  yards 
in  West  Philadelphia.     Engines  were  taken  from  trains. 

Q.  What  steps  did  you  take  for  protection  here? 

A.  I  sent  word  down  to  the  mayor's  office  about  this  difficulty  on  the 
lines  of  the  road,  and  that  we  feared  that  some  effort  might  be  made  to 
destroy  our  property,  and  that,  therefore,  we  wanted  the  protection  due  to 
every  interest  in  our  State  and  city — nothing  more.  He  organized  a  police 
force.  A  great  many  of  the  people  of  the  city  were  alarmed  about  the 
situation  of  affairs,  and,  I  believe,  they  gave  the  mayor  authority  to  take 
on  additional  policemen,  which  he  kept  employed  for  some  days,  until  the 
threatened  trouble  was  all  over.  I  think  his  whole  action  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  police  force  under  him  was  very  efficient  and  thorough. 

Q.  Did  he  respond  promptly  to  that  call  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  succeeded  in  maintaining  order  entirely. 

Q.  There  was  no  trouble  in  maintaining  peace  and  order? 

A.  No  ;  excepting  the  exercise  of  a  great  deal  of  vigilance  and  care  with 
a  strong  force. 

Q.  Was  it  necessary  for  the  policemen  to  make  any  attack  on  the 
crowd  ? 

A.  I  think  nothing  serious.  They  had  several  little  disturbances.  The 
crowd  was  armed  and  threatened  trouble  and  all  that. 

Q.  Did  the  crowd  assemble  in  very  large  numbers  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  181 7.  933 

A.  I  have  been  told  from  two  to  five  thousand  people ;  but  they  persuaded 
them  to  disperse.  I  do  not  think  there  was  any  trouble  at  any  time.  The 
mayor's  policy  was  to  prevent  crowds  from  assembling,  to  prevent  disturb- 
ance, and  in  the  conduct  of  the  whole  matter  I  think  he  showed  great 
wisdom  and  great  efficiency. 

Q.  What  day  did  you  start  your  trains  here? 

A.  From  here  west  ? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  I  think  on  the  27th  or  the  28th. 

Q.  Did  you  meet  with  any  trouble  in  getting  men  to  start  them  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Was  there  any  resistance  made  by  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Not  here. 

Q.  Was  it  necessary  to  have  any  guard  to  protect  the  first  trains  that 
started  ? 

A.  Of  military? 

Q.  Or  policemen  ? 

A.  No.  There  were  men  here  about  the  yards  and  depots  to  see  that  the 
peace  was  preserved,  but  they  made  no  arrests,  I  believe,  in  connection  with 
people  in  leaving  trains.  They  did  make  arrests  of  some  people  for  de- 
stroying some  oil  cars. 

Q.  On  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  ? 

A.  On  the  junction  road. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you,  as  president  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company,  at 
any  time,  make  any  requisition  on  the  State  authorities  for  troops  to  pro- 
tect your  property  ? 

A.  Not  at  all.  The  State  authorities  were  called  out,  as  I  understood, 
on  a  requisition  from  the  county  of  Allegheny. 

Q.  By  the  sheriff? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Have  you  any  knowledge  of  any  officer  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
Company  calling  on  the  Governor  for  troops  .' 

A.  None  whatever.  They,  no  doubt,  suggested  to  the  Governor  of  the 
State  that  it  was  his  duty  to  put  the  force  in  such  a  position  as  to  preserve 
peace  and  order. 

Q.  Did  you  understand  that  you,  as  president  of  a  railroad  company 
or  as  a  citizen,  have  the  right  to  call  on  the  Governor  for  troops,  and  that 
the  Governor  has  a  right  to  respond  to  that  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  In  the  case  of  an  outbreak,  such  as  existed  there,  to  whom  would  you 
apply  for  help  ? 

A.  To  the  civil  authorities  of  the  place,  and  they,  in  their  turn,  are 
obliged,  as  I  understood  the  law,  to  make  the  requisition.  I  do  not  under- 
stand that  I,  as  president  of  a  company,  have  the  right  to  make  a  requisi- 
tion on  the  Governor,  but  I  certainly  have  the  right  to  notify  him.  I  have 
no  right  to  make  a  requisition. 

Q.  You  have  the  right  to  notify  him  under  the  act  of  1864  ? 

A.  I  have  no  reference  to  any  particular  act.  I  never  understood  that 
a  railroad  company  or  a  mining  interest  or  anything  else  had  a  right  to 
make  a  requisition.  I  always  thought  they  had  the  right  to  state  their 
case,  and  ask  that  some  action  should  be  taken,  letting  the  mayor  or  sheriff, 
as  the  case  may  be,  make  his  own  requisition. 


934  Eeport  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  It  has  been  charged  by  some  that  the  troops  were  ordered  by  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company  in  their  movements  ? 

A.  I  think  if  you  will  ask  the  military  officers — General  Brinton — he 
will  tell  3rou  that  he  moved  his  troops  according  to  his  superior  officer's 
directions,  and  not  at  the  direction  of  any  railroad  man.  I  guess  he  was 
careful  to  do  that.  I  certainly  never  asked  them  to  move  troops  to  any 
particular  place  or  to  do  any  particular  thing. 

Q.  But  you  conferred  with  the  officers  or  advised  them  ? 

A .  No ;  I  conferred  with  the  Governor  of  the  State,  and  he  gave  his 
orders  through  his  officers.  I  didn't  give  them  any  orders.  I  did  give 
them  every  facility  they  asked  for,  just  as  we  did  with  the  Government  of 
the  United  States  when  they  got  into  the  rebellion,  wlien  we  stopped  all  our 
business  for  a  time,  and  gave  our  road  completely  to  carry  men  and  equip- 
ments, and  whatever  they  might  require  for  the  field  or  elsewhere.  We 
gave  them  entire  control  of  our  road. 

'  Q.  Do  you  say  you  never  made  any  requisition  on  the  State  authorities 
for  protection  ? 

A.  We  stated  our  case  to  them,  and  said  we  are  in  great  danger,  and 
the  highways  of  the  State  are  in  great  danger,  and  we  want  that  protection 
which  it  is  our  right  to  have. 

Q.  As  every  other  citizen  of  the  State,  you  would  have  the  right  to  de- 
mand protection  ? 

A.  I  think  we  all  pay  for  peace  and  order  to  be  preserved  in  the  State, 
and  it  ought  to  be. 

By  Mr.  Engelbert  : 

Q.  Then  you  never  did  dictate  to  the  Governor,  or  to  any  one  in  his 
absence,  what  to  do  with  the  military  ? 

A.  Not  a  bit.     I  was  especially  careful  not  to  do  anything  of  that  kind. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  if  you  have  been  able  to  ascertain  or  to  gather  facts  sufficient 
to  form  a  judgment  as  to  what  produced  the  strike  ? 

A.  I  think  the  trouble  originated  through  the  discontent  of  men  all 
over  the  country — not  confined  to  railroads.  Every  other  branch  in  some 
how  was  directly  or  indirectly  connected  with  the  outbreak,  looking  for 
•  compensation  of  an  increased  character,  without  regard  to  Avhether  parties 
were  able  to  pay  it  or  not,  and  altogether,  I  think  that  whole  movement 
was  made  up — either  agreed  upon  or  concerted  and  agreed  upon  under 
their  own  mode  of  organization.  I  think  they  took  this  abatement  of  ten 
per  cent,  as  one  pretext  for  making  the  outbreak. 

Q.  What  facts  have  you  that  lead  you  to  believe  it  was  a  concerted 
movement  or  agreed  upon  ? 

A.  Simply  their  action,  and  the  results  spread  before  us  everywhere. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Is  the  pay  of  railroad  employes  less,  as  a  general  thing,  than  that  of 
any  other  ordinary  avocation  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  think  it  is  greater  ;  and  I  think  it  ought  to  be  a  little  greater, 
because  the  men  are  subject  to  risks  in  railroading,  that  they  are  not  sub- 
ject to  in  ordinary  work  ;  therefore,  I  think  it  is  the  duty  of  railroad  com- 
panies to  pay  a  little  more  for  that  service  than  is  paid  for  an  equal  amount 
of  labor  in  the  ordinary  channels  of  life.  I  think  we  pay  twenty  per  cent. 
more  to-day  than  men  receive  in  the  various  other  channels  of  business. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Are  they  subject  to  greater  expense  than  others  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  by  reason  of  going  from  their  homes,  their  extra  cost  of  living 
is  something. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  935 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  And  in  one  sense  yon  call  it  skilled  labor,  in  addition  to  the  risks 
they  run  ? 

A.  Yes;  we  want  men  understanding  their  duties  to  run  our  trains  and 
take  care  of  the  property  and  of  the  people  in  their  charge.     We  want 
that  in  all  the  men,  and,  I  think,  as  a  general  thing,  we  have  as  good  a  set 
of  men  as  was  ever  organized. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Was  there  any  complaint  among  the  men  about  their  not  being  able 
to  work  full  time  ? 

A.  Yes ;  when  the  depression  of  business  came  so  strong,  we  under- 
took to  retain  more  men  in  our  service  than  were  needed  to  do  the  work, 
and  we  did  that  very  often  at  the  request  of  men — of  the  older  men,  in 
order  that  younger  men  might  have  an  opportunity  to  get  some  work  and 
get  a  living  out  of  the  general  result.  Instead  of  men  getting  ten  hours 
work  they  would  probably  get  an  average  of  six,  seven,  or  eight  hours,  and 
in  that  way  the  work  was  distributed  among  a  greater  number  of  people.  ■ 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  did  that  instead  of  discharging  them  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  result  of  that  was  that  it  made  the  average  low,  and  was  a 
cause  of  complaint,  and  when  this  thing  was  all  over,  we  had  simply  to 
compromise  and  in  giving  more  hours  of  work,  consequently,  to  do  with 
fewer  men. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Looking  at  the  matter  from  the  experience  you  have,  was  that  plan 
of  retaining  more  men  than  you  could  give  full  work  to  a  good  one  ? 

A.  jSo;  it  caused  dissatisfaction  to  the  men,  and  caused  them  to  com- 
plain, I  think  unreasonably  and  unjustly  against  the  company,  because  the 
company,  so  far  as  it  was  concerned,  was  perfectly  willing  to  pay  that 
number  of  dollars  for  the  service  done,  but  it  was  distributed  among  so 
many  that  instead  of  their  getting  fifty  dollars,  say,  per  month,  they  would 
get  thirty  or  fort}',  perhaps.  Very  many  of  the  oldest  men  had  their  sym- 
pathies aroused  in  favor  of  men,  and  wanted  them  retained  even  if  they 
could  not  get  full  time,  and  asked  us  to  do  that  thing  in  many  instances  ; 
but  it  resulted  just  in  that  discontent  I  have  mentioned.  Now  we  have 
changed  our  policy,  and  endeavor  to  give  our  men  nearly  as  full  time  as 
we  can,  and  in  that  give  our  oldest  men  and  thoroughly  loyal  men,  of  course, 
the  preference. 

Q.  From  your  experience  and  knowledge  of  the  number  of  railroad  men 
in  the  country,  is  there  a  surplus  ? 

A.  There  is  to-day. 

Q.  There  are  men  out  of  employment  ? 

A.  Yes;  the  depression  in  the  iron  business,  and  coal  business,  and 
lumber  business,  and  everything  else,  makes  less  traffic,  and  a  greatly  de- 
creased number  of  trains.  This  decrease  has  made  a  corresponding  de- 
crease in  the  demand  for  men.  We  hope  one  day  that  it  will  change,  and 
we  can  take  on  all  our  people  and  pay  them  better  wages  than  now  ; 
but  we  cannot  do  it  until  the  country  becomes  more  prosperous  than  now. 

Q.  Did  this  number  of  men  out  of  employment  have  a  tendency  to  pro- 
duce restlessness  among  them,  and  bring  on  the  trouble? 

A.  There  is  no  question  about  that.  It  was  the  want  of  employment 
that  made  the  labor  of  the  country  dissatisfied.  I  think  if  we  could  set 
men  to  work  making  a  living  for  themselves  and  their  families,  I  think 
there  would  be  no  trouble  about  it.  I  think  it  is  the  best  law  that  can  be 
made. 


936  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  It  was  more  that,  in  your  judgment,  that  caused  the  trouble  than 
low  wages  ? 
A.  I  think  so. 

George  R.  Sowden,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  I  live  in  west  Philadelphia,  No.  1421  Locust  street. 

Q.  What  is  your  business  ? 

A.  I  am  a  practicing  lawyer. 

Q.  Go  on  and  state  what  knowledge  you  have  of  the  occurrences  at 
Pittsburgh  last  July,  and  the  movements  of  the  militia  ? 

A.  During  last  summer  I  was  colonel  of  the  Third  regiment  of  infantry, 
connected  with  the  First  brigade  of  the  First  division.  I  was  in  the  brigade 
commanded  by  General  Mathews.  On  the  evening  of  Friday,  Juty  20,  I 
got  a  dispatch  from  him,  asking  me  to  assemble  my  regiment,  and  report 
for  duty  as  soon  as  possible  at  the  West  Philadelphia  depot.  I  got  the 
dispatch  at  Bryn  Mawr.  I  got  to  Philadelphia  at  nine  o'clock,  and  sent 
out  dispatches  to  my  field  officers  and  staff  officers  and  company  com- 
manders, and  I  assembled  part  of  my  regiment  there,  and  at  two  o'clock 
of  Saturday,  July  21,1  went  on  the  train  to  Pittsburgh.  We  reached  there 
about  two  o'clock  on  Saturday.  There  the  troops  were  ordered  out  of  the 
train,  and  we  moved  up  the  railroad  track.  I  was  on  the  left  of  Colonel 
Benson,  and  in  my  rear  was  the  Weccaco  Legion  and  the  Keystone  Battery. 
They  were  dragging  the  Gatling  guns  at  that  time  without  horses,  but  it 
was  found  impossible  to  drag  the  guns  over  the  railroad  ties,  and  men  were 
detailed  from  the  three  regiments  to  assist  in  hauling  the  guns.  I  sent  a 
detail  for  that  puipose.  After  we  got  in  to  the  neighborhood  of  Twenty- 
eighth  street — I  do  not  know  in  the  meantime  what  had  become  of  the 
Second  brigade — I  was  facing  west  on  the  railroad  track  seventy-five  yards 
below  the  crossing  on  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  the  rear  of  my  command 
was  towards  the  hill. 

Q.  Facing  toward  the  hill  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  was  facing  toward  the  Allegheny  river,  forming  a  straight  line. 
Some  little  time  after  I  was  there,  the  crowd  of  rioters  formed  in  front  of 
us,  and  also  on  my  left  flank,  and,  as  I  was  in  a  straight  line,  I  withdrew 
my  left  flank,  so  as  to  connect  and  form  an  angle  with  the  balance  of  the 
brigade,  to  keep  the  rioters  from  coming  in  behind  us.  General  Mathews 
approved  of  the  partial  change  of  front.  At  that  time,  there  was  an  enor- 
mous crowd  of  people  on  the  hill  back  of  us,  and  in  front  of  us,  and  there 
was  a  good  deal  of  noise  and  confusion.  After  we  had  been  there  some 
little  time,  there  was  some  firing  of  pistol  shots ;  and  stones,  and  brick- 
bats, and  clubs,  and  every  thing  of  that  sort  were  fired  at  us,  and,  presently 
firing  began  among  the  troops  on  my  right,  and  also  on  the  other  side 
The  brigade  at  one  time  formed  three  sides  of  a  hollow  square.  The  firing 
by  the  people  began,  as  I  saw,  from  the  hill.  That  was  the  first  I  saw. 
That  was,  the  firing  at  the  troops.  After  some  little  filing  on  their  part, 
the  troops  began  the  return  fire.  My  men  I  didn't  permit  to  fire  until  on 
Saturday  afternoon,  as  I  had  received  no  orders  to  fire,  and  didn't  see  the 
immediate  occasion  for  firing.  I  restrained  my  men  from  firing.  Then, 
after  this  general  firing  on  the  right,  a  great  many  people  on  the  hill  were 
killed,  and  some  of  the  rioters  in  front  on  twenty-eighth  street  were  also 
killed.  In  the  mean  time,  we  were  all  surrounded,  where  I  was,  by  the 
riotei  -s. 

Q.   Did  you  hear  any  command  given  to  fire? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18??.  93? 

A.  No ;  I  did  not.  There  was  no  command  to  fire.  I  got  no  command 
to  fire. 

Q.  Were  there  any  shots  fired  by  the  mob  before  there  was  any  firing  by 
the  militia? 

A.  Yes  ;  a  great  many. 

Q.  Pistol  shots  ? 

A.  Mostly  pistol  shots,  and,  I  think,  there  were  two  or  three  gun  shots 
from  the  side  hill  fired  at  us. 

Q.  What  other  demonstrations  were  made  by  the  crowd,  before  the  fir- 
ing took  place  on  the  soldiers  ? 

A.  I  was  some  distance  from  what  you  call  the  right  of  the  brigade,  on 
Twenty-eighth  street.  I  had  my  hands  pretty  full  where  I  was,  and  didn't 
pay  much  attention  to  what  was  going  on  there.  In  front  of  me  some 
rioters  showed  pistols,  and  wanted  to  go  through  1113'  lines.  I  refused  to 
let  them.  They  threatened  what  they  would  do  with  me  and  my  men,  and 
also  tried  to  seduce  the  men  from  the  lines.  They  were  saying  we  are  all 
workingmen,  and  you  won't  fire  on  workingmen.  In  this  way  they  endeav- 
ored to  break  up  the  morals  and  discipline  of  the  command.  I  drove  them 
away  without  using  violence,  so  far  as  I  could,  and  kept  them  at  a  distance 
of  from  three  or  four  yards. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  What  was  the  general  conduct  of  the  whole  command  ? 

A.  Do  you  mean  of  the  brigade? 

Q.  Your  men  ? 

A.  Tt  was  very  good.  For  raw  troops,  it  was  excellent.  I  have  seen 
troops  in  the  field  that  didn't  behave  nearly  as  well  as  the  men  in  my  com- 
mand. Most  of  them  are  boys,  and,  like  young  colts,  were  a  little  skittish 
at  the  first  fire  ;  but  finding  they  didn't  get  killed,  they  stood  to  their  work 
very  handsomely. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Had  any  of  your  command  ever  seen  actual  service  during  the  late 
war? 

A.  Yes ;  I  have  seen  service,  and  some  of  my  officers  and  some  of  the 
men. 

Q.  What  proportion  of  them  ? 

A.  I  should  say  ten  per  cent,  on  an  average.     Perhaps  more. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  What  was  the  general  conduct  of  the  division  as  a  whole? 

A.  I  cannot  speak  of  that  because  I  didn't  see  the  Second  brigade,  and 
didn't  know  where  it  was;  but  the  general  conduct  of  the  troops  was  ex- 
cellent. 

Q.  From  the  commencement  of  the  trouble  ? 

A.  Yes;  in  my  judgment  there  was  as  good  discipline,  and  order,  and 
soldierly  behavior  on  the  part  of  the  officers  and  men,  as  there  would  be 
in  an  army  in  the  field,  and  much  better  than  I  have  seen  at  times,  in  case 
of  disaster.  I  was  in  the  field  about  two  years,  and  served  under  Gen- 
erals McClellan,  and  Burnside,  and  Hooper,  and  Mead.  I  joined  the  army 
at  Antietam,  and  served  in  the  Pennsylvania  Reserves  at  Fredericksburg, 
with  the  Third  division,  under  General  Reynolds,  and  was  at  Chancellors- 
ville  and  Gettysburg. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  In  what  capacity  did  you  serve  in  the  army? 

A.  First  as  orderly  sergeant,  and  I  was  then  made  first  lieutnnant  and 
captain.  I  was  on  General  Doubleday's  staff  part  of  the  time.  After  this 
general  firing  had  taken  place  on  Saturday  afternoon,  we  were  moved  down 


938  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

into  the  round-house.  Some  reason  was  given  that  we  were  sent  to  guard 
the  property.  We  went  into  the  round-house  about  dusk,  and  a  little  later 
— between  seven  and  eight  o'clock — I  was  following  Colonel  Benson,  and 
was  given  that  part  of  the  house  to  guard  opposite  Liberty  street,  about 
seventy-eight  feet  long,  and  was  instructed  to  put  out  sentries  along  the 
line  and  inside  the  house  to  guard  the  windows,  with  orders  to  keep  the 
mob  outside  back  from  the  windows,  and  observe  their  operations,  and 
not  to  fire  without  orders.  There  was  great  confusion  and  tumult  outside, 
and  a  great  deal  of  yelling  and  screaming,  and  some  firing,  and  we  could 
scarcely  show  ourselves  at  the  windows  until  the  mob  outside  began  to 
throw  bricks  and  direct  pistol  shots  at  us,  but  my  men,  owing  to  the  orders 
I  had  given,  didn't  fire  at  all.  Occasionally  I  went  to  see  if  the  sentinels 
were  on  duty  and  obeying  orders.  About  one  o'clock  I  was  lying  on  a 
board,  when  I  heard  a  sentinel  call  for  the  sergeant  of  the  guard  on  this 
line  of  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  I  immediately  went  over,  taking  a  posse 
with  me,  to  learn  the  cause  of  the  alarm,  when  I  found  a  large  crowd  around 
a  field  piece,  apparently  loading  it,  and  preparing  to  fire.  I  immediately 
sent  my  adjutant  to  notify  General  Mathews — to  notify  him  of  the  fact, 
and  request  his  attendance.  While  my  adjutant  was  going  for  General 
Mathews,  he  met  General  Brinton,  and  brought  him,  and  General  Mathews 
turned  up  at  the  same  time.  We  held  a  council.  The  piece  was  ready  to 
be  discharged,  and  was  pointed  toward  where  I  was  told  the  Second  brigade 
was.  Then  it  was  determined  to  disperse  the  mob.  I  cannot  say  now 
whether  any  intimation  was  given  to  them  at  the  time  to  leave  or  we  should 
fire — I  am  not  positive — but  I  think  there  was. 

Q.  Warning  3*011  mean  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  am  not  positive  ;  but  they  had  a  light,  and  were  about  ready  to 
fire,  when,  by  General  Brinton's  or  Mathew's  orders,  I  drew  some  men  up 
inside  of  the  windows,  and  we  opened  fire  on  them.  They  immediately 
dispersed,  a  number  being  killed  and  wounded.  After  an  interval  they 
came  up  again,  and  we  let  them  come  up;  but  as  soon  as  they  came  up 
to  the  piece,  and  attempted  to  fire,  we  ordered  them  back,  and  when 
they  didn't  go  back,  we  opened  fire.  After  that  time  notice  was  always 
given.  I  suggested  the  propriety  of  going  out  for  the  piece  and  bringing 
it  in,  and  volunteered  to  go  with  my  men  and  bring  it  in  and  spike  it;  but 
our  commanders  thought  it  was  not  worth  while,  as  we  had  it  covered. 
After  the  crowd  had  withdrawn  from  the  piece,  they  got  back  of  board- 
piles  and  small  houses,  and  kept  firing  at  us  all  night.  One  man  fired  an 
explosive  bullet.  Every  now  and  then  it  would  come  in  over  the  heads  of 
the  men  and  strike  something  large — such  as  the  stack  of  a  locomotive — 
and  immediately  explode.  A  number  of  them  had  muskets  and  rifies.  In 
the  meantime  some  cars  out  on  the  right  of  us  had  been  fired,  and  a  num- 
ber of  these  burning  cars  were  sent  down  towards  the  buildings  where  we 
were,  and  lodged  against  some  building  not  filled  with  troops,  and  in  a 
little  while  the  flames  rushed  through  the  window  of  the  first  floor  and 
struck  the  ceiling  of  the  second  floor,  and  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour  or 
so  everything  was  on  fire,  and  about  six  o'clock  everything  was  on  fire  all 
around  us,  and  cinders  were  falling:  as  long  as  my  hand — large  cinders 
from  this  building — and  the  roof  of  this  outside  building  was  entirely  on 
fire,  and  it  had  communicated  to  the  roof  of  the  round-house,  so  that  we 
were  enveloped  with  a  great  deal  of  smoke,  and  in  danger  of  being  en- 
veloped entirely  in  flames. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  How  far  was  this  cannon  stationed  from  the  position  you  held  ? 

A.  About  as  far  as  from  here  across  the  street — about  eighty  feet. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  939 

Q.  In  what  direction  ? 

A.  It  was  facing  about  the  direction  of  the  grain  elevator — in  that  di- 
rection. 

Q.  Down  the  track  ? 

A.  Not  exactly,  but  sort  of  angularly,  so  as  to  strike  the  machine  shops. 
It  was  on  Liberty  street. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Below  you  then  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  but  right  opposite  to  us.  After  we  were  almost  smothered  in 
smoke,  and  these  heavy  cinders  were  falling,  we  fell  in  for  the  purpose  of 
marching  out — where,  of  course,  I  had  no  means  of  knowing — it  was  not 
proper  for  me  to  inquire.  In  the  meantime  we  took  the  ammunition  out 
of  two  or  three  guns  there  and  dampened  them  with  water  so  that  it  could 
not  be  used  against  us.  We  turned  out  the  first  street  and  went  towards 
the  Allegheny  river  and  then  we  struck  for  Penn  street,  I  think,  and  as 
soon  as  we  struck  that  street  and  got  opposite  those  men,  who  were  firing 
all  night,  they  turned  about  face  and  fired  into  our  flanks.  The  firing 
began  as  soon  as  we  got  on  Penn  street,  and  they  kept  firing  into  our  flanks 
all  the  time  until  we  got  to  the  arsenal. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  did  the  firing  come  from  ? 

A.  Fi'om  door-ways,  and  alley-ways,  and  second  story  windows,  and 
doors  of  houses,  and  telegraph  poles,  and  from  every  place  where  a  man 
could  get  behind — where  he  could  fire  without  being  in  any  danger.  I  saw 
men  standing  along  the  side-walks  with  large  navy  revolvers  in  their  coat 
tails  waiting  for  us  to  get  past  a  sufficient  distance  to  fire  into  us. 

Q.  For  what  distance  was  the  firing  kept  up  ? 

A.  I  can  only  give  an  estimate.     I  should  say  a  mile. 

Q.  Firing  out  of  houses — was  there  much  of  that  ? 

A.  A  great  deal  of  that  ?  I  saw  repeated  cases  where  a  man's  ai'm  would 
be  out  of  a  window  firing  at  us  ;  and  generally  when  we  would  pass  a  cor- 
ner there  would  be  a  crowd  there  apparently  peaceable,  but  when  we  got 
past  they  would  immediately  fire  into  us. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  wounded  in  going  out  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.     I  do  not  remember  the  number  of  men  wounded. 

Q.  Was  there  any  jeering  of  citizens  from  the  houses  as  you  passed 
along  ? 

A.  A  great  deal. 

Q.  And  participated  in  by  women  ? 

A.  I  think  I  heard  several  women  abusing  us  and  a  number  of  men 
stating,  that  we  had  killed  their  brothers  and  sons  and  so  on,  and  that  they 
would  kill  us. 

Q.  When  you  arrived  at  the  arsenal,  did  you  go  into  the  grounds  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  You  do  not  know  what  took  place  ? 

A.  Not  of  my  own  knowledge. 

Q.  What  was  the  conduct  of  the  troops  there  under  General  Brinton, 
taking  them  all,  during  Saturday  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  In  my  judgment,  it  was  excellent,  and,  as  we  marched  out  of  the 
round-house  in  the  morning,  1  think  the  men  all  kept  perfect  order..  The 
men  were  dressed  in  regular  files,  and  no  officer,  that  I  saw,  was  not  in 
his  proper  place.  There  was  no  confusion  among  the  troops  until  as  we 
got  near  the  arsenal,  when  there  was  a  movement  made,  coming  from  the 
right,  to  close  up  on  a  double  quick,  and  that  brought  the  Second  brigade 


940  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

in  the  rear  up  on  us,  and  that  sort  of  huddled  up  the  First  brigade,  and 
made  some  confusion  there. 

Q.  Where  was  that? 

A.  Somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  arsenal — probably  two  squares 
from  the  arsenal.  That  confusion  lasted  two  or  three  minutes,  probably, 
and  the  Second  brigade  was  just  put  on  the  right,  and  order  was  immedi- 
ately restored.  At  one  time  there  was  a  little  difficulty  abont  drawing  the 
Gatling  guns,  and  I  know  I  assisted  myself  in  pulling  a  gun  some  distance 
with  my  men. 

Q.  Was  there  any  demoralization  during  the  night  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Not  a  particle — so  far  as  I  saw — not  a  particle. 

Q.  The  discipline  was  good  at  the  time  you  were  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  had  sentinels  on  front,  and  they  observed  their  duty  perfectly, 
and  my  whole  command  was  in  excellent  condition. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  there  any  disobedience  of  orders  on  the  part  of  the  officers  or 
men? 

A.  No  ;  occasionally  there  would  be  a  man  that  didn't  have  any  experi- 
ence in  the  field,  as  there  will  always  be  men  who  will  shirk  their  duty. 
Once  in  a  while  there  would  be  a  man  indifferent  to  his  duty,  but  that  was 
simply  in  isolated  cases  just  as  you  would  see  in  the  army.  I  saw  it  in 
the  army  of  the  Potomac.  As  a  whole  the  discipline  of  the  tooops  in  the 
round-house  was  excellent. 

Q.  You  state  you  thought  there  was  some  musket  firing  or  rifle  firing 
from  the  mob  at  Twenty-eighth  street. 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  musket  firing  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  muskets  or  rifles  in  the  hands  of  the  mob  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that  I  saw — yes  I  did.  1  saw  it  on  Saturday  morning 
after  leaving  the  round-house,  as  we  were  going  up  the  street.  I  saw  these 
men  firing  into  us  all  night.  I  saw  them  have  muskets.  On  Saturday 
afternoon  I  saw  firing  that  must  have  come  from  muskets.  I  know  the 
difference,  and  I  judged  from  the  sound  and  the  smoke.  The  firing 
couldn't  have  been  done  with  pistols. 

Q.  Were  any  of  the  military  struck  by  pistol  or  rifle  shots  before  they 
commenced  firing  on  the  mob  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  command  given  to  fire? 

A.  On  Saturday  afternoon  ? 

Q.  After  this  firing  from  the  mob — following  the  stones  thrown  at  the 
military. 

A.  No;  I  cannot  say  that  I  did.  I  am  positive  I  did  not;  therefore  I 
didn't  fire  nor  order  my  men  to  fire. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  a  command  from  any  officer  to  cease  firing  ? 

A.  I  do  not  remember  any  command  to  cease  firing. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  ? 

Q,  Did  you  see  General  Pearson  at  that  time? 

A.  I  saw  him  once  that  afternoon.  That  is  the  time  we  were  going  up 
from  the  Union  depot  to  the  Twenty-eighth  street  crossing ;  at  'east  I  saw 
a  major  general  I  took  to  be  General  Pearson. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  general  give  a  command  in  this  way  :  "  Order  your 
men  to  fire  ?  " 

A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not. 

Q.  How  was  General  Pearson  dressed? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187T.  941 

A.  If  this  was  General  Pearson,  he  had  a  military  coat  on  with  shoulder 
straps,  and  no  sword. 

Q.  A  cap  ? 

A.  I  think  he  had  a  cap  on. 

Q.  You  saw  no  belt  ? 

A.  I  think  he  had  no  sword  nor  belt. 

Q.  After  you  left  the  round-house  and  were  inarching  along  Penn  ave- 
nue, did  you  see  any  police  officers  fire  at  you  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  didn't  see  any  firing.  I  saw  them  in  front  of  a  police-station, 
and  I  saw  them  with  pistols ;  but  I  know  a  man  that  did  see  them  fire. 

Q.  Did  the}^  make  any  hostile  demonstration  ? 

A.  Yes — no ;  I  cannot  say  that  I  saw  any  hostile  demonstrations,  ex- 
cept in  their  manner.  They  looked  at  us  with  a  forbidding  sort  of  man- 
ner. 

By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Did  they  have  pistols  in  their  hands  ? 

A.  Yes. 

E.  Wallace  Mathews,  sivorn : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  In  Philadelphia — No.  4105  Walnut  street. 

Q.  What  is  your  connection  with  the  National  Guard — what  is  your 
rank  ? 

A.  At  present  I  am  not  in  the  National  Guard.  During  the  July  riots 
I  occupied  the  position  of  brigadier  general,  and  was  in  command  of  the 
First  brigade,  First  division. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  at  Twenty -eighth  street  on  Saturday,  the  21st, 
when  the  collision  occurred  between  the  troops  and  the  mob  ? 

A.  I  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  Twenty-eighth  street,  near  the  railway 
crossing,  in  command  of  my  brigade. 

Q.  State  what  occurred  prior  to  the  firing  ? 

A.  The  troops  had  been  marching  in  column  of  fours,  preceded  by  a  gen- 
tleman in  citizen's  dress,  who  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  the  sheriff  of  the 
county,  and  directly  in  advance  of  us  was  General  Brinton  and  an  officer 
dressed  in  fatigue  uniform — a  major  general — who  was  pointed  out  to  me 
as  General  Pearson.  We  marched  toward  Twenty-eighth  street,  in  which 
was  a  dense  crowd.  The  crowd  was  pressing  upon  both  flanks,  and  was 
very  dense  in  front,  on  Twenty-eighth  street,  at  the  crossing. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  marched  with  the  right  in  front  ? 

A.  Yes.  The  order  of  the  troops  was  as  follows  :  The  First  regiment, 
under  command  of  Colonel  Benson  ;  next  the  Third  regiment,  commanded 
b}'  Colonel  Snowden  ;  third  an  independent  company,  the  Weccaco  Legion ; 
then  followed  the  Gatling  guns,  with  a  detachment  from  some  of  the  dif- 
ferent commands  to  haul  them,  including  one  of  my  independent  companies, 
the  Washington  Grays.  We  marched  in  this  order,  and  we  marched  into 
the  crowd  until  we  couldn't  march  any  further  on  account  of  the  pressure 
ahead  of  us.  Then,  by  direction  or  command  of  General  Brinton,  when 
the  crowd  in  the  neighborhood  of  Twenty-eighth  street  became  so  dense 
that  we  could  not  penetrate  it,  the  fours  were  wheeled  into  line,  facing  our  left 
flank,  that  is,  facing  the  Allegheny  river.  Then,  by  order  of  General  Brin- 
ton, the  brigade  was  marched  directly  to  the  front,  and  across  the  tracks 
slowly,  the  men  with  their  pieces  at  a  carry,  thus  backing  the  crowd  off 
from  the  tracks,  the  purpose  being,  as  I  was  informed,  to  clear  the  tracks. 


942  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

The  crowd  was  pushed  gently  back,  until  they  were  pushed  entirely  off  the 
tracks  that  were  free  from  cars ;  but  there  were  several  open  cars  in  the 
vicinity,  and  we  saw  that  in  attempting  to  clear  the  tracks  we  had  already 
cleared,  perhaps,  four  tracks.  Then,  by  direction  of  General  Brinton,  the 
front  rank  was  left  in  this  place,  and  the  rear  rank  was  brought  to  about 
face,  and  marched  to  the  rear,  thus  clearing  the  few  men  gathered  in  the 
rear. 

Q.  How  far  did  you  march  to  the  rear  ? 

A.  About  twenty  feet. 

Q.  Across  the  tracks  ? 

A.  Yes — twenty  or  thirty  feet — facing  the  hill  so  that  the  front  two 
ranks  were  facing  outward,  opposite  each  other.  Their  backs  were  towards 
the  center.  The  crowd  on  our  right,  that  is  on  Twenty-eighth  street,  wei'e 
very  demonstrative  and  noisy,  and  began  to  press  in  between  the  open 
ranks.  By  General  Brinton's  orders,  the  Washington  Grays  were  brought 
forward  to  drive  out  the  crowd  between  the  two  ranks.  They  proved  to 
be  insufficient.  They  were  only  nine  men  beside  the  officer,  and  the  Wec- 
caco  Legion  was  brought  forward  to  assist  them,  and  General  Brinton 
actively  superintended  the  effort  to  drive  the  crowd  out.  That  is  were  the 
first  melee  occurred  in  driving  out  the  men  who  had  intruded  between  the 
two  ranks.  As  the  general  took  direct  command,  I  didn't  interfere.  Dur- 
ing that  trouble  some  of  the  crowd,  I  believe,  were  hurt  by  ba3ronet  thrusts, 
and  then  commenced  pistol  firing,  and  then  almost  simultaneously  from 
eveiy  direction  came  pieces  of  coal  and  stones  and  all  sorts  of  missiles,  in 
a  great  measure  from  the  hill  and  also  from  the  cars — I  think  some  were 
loaded  with  coal — and  from  Twenty-eighth  street,  mingled  with  pistol 
shots  and  shouting,  so  that  it  was  a  scene  of  confusion  I  never  saw 
equaled.  We  were  without  orders,  and  I  saw  nothing  of  General  Pearson 
there  at  that  time.  General  Brinton  I  saw  occasionally  moving  about  in 
different  places.  I  watched  the  crowd,  because  I  saw  they  were  very  much 
incensed,  fearing  for  my  men.  I  saw  them  in  several  instances  seize  the 
muskets  of  the  men,  and  I  knew  that  many  of  them  were  young  men,  and 
I  feared  if  such  a  movement  as  that  became  general,  they  would  disarm 
my  men.  Consequently,  I  watched  very  closely  the  temper  of  the  crowd, 
until  I  became  convinced  we  couldn't  temporize  any  longer,  and  I  gave  the 
command  to  load. 

B}r  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  How  long  before  the  firing  did  you  give  the  command  to  load  ? 

A.  Not  more  than  one  minute,  I  should  judge ;  and  there  had  been  pis- 
tol firing. 

Q.  From  the  mob  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Before  you  ordered  your  men  to  load  ? 

A.  Yes.  Then,  before  I  could  take  decided  action  in  the  matter,  the 
firing  commenced  somewhere  on  the  right,  as  near  as  I  could  judge,  in  the 
ranks  of  the  Weccaco  Legion,  or  the  artillery  corps,  Washington  Grays. 
I  heard  no  order  to  fire,  and  I  gave  no  order  to  fire.  The  firing  com- 
menced first,  a  single  piece,  and  then  one  or  two  near  together,  and  then  it 
became  general  on  the  right  of  the  First  regiment,  and  ran  down  as  far 
as  the  center  of  the  regiment,  and  as  far  as  the  close.  Immediately  all  the 
officers,  from  all  I  saw — I  remember  Colonel  Benson  and  his  lieutenant — 
Colonel  Clark — together  with  the  staff  officers  and  myself,  attempted  to 
stop  the  firing.  We  rushed  among  the  troops  in  order  not  only  to  make 
ourselves  seen,  but  felt  and  heard,  and  gave  orders  to  cease  firing.  The 
crowd  scattered  entirely  as  soon  as  the  firing  commenced.     We  then  moved 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18T7.  943 

immediately  to  the  right,  covering  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  took  posses- 
sion of  that,  in  other  words,  brought  up  the  Gatling  guns,  by  order  of 
Genral  Brinton,  and  placed  them  on  the  street.  One  to  command  twenty- 
eighth  street,  and  the  other  to  command  the  tracks  eastward.  Then  a 
company  of  the  First  regiment  were  brought — as  the  crowd  attempted  to 
cross  on  to  Twent%y-eighth  street — were  brought  entirely  across  that  street 
in  the  rear,  and  stretched  across  the  street,  in  that  direction,  to  keep  the 
people  back.  Gradually  the  crowd  began  to  get  together  in  knots,  and  as- 
semble in  our  front,  and  some  of  the  more  violent  among  them,  who  seemed 
to  be  under  the  influence  of  liquor  or  partially  intoxicated — some  of  them 
came  up  to  within  three  or  four  feet,  and  shook  their  fists  in  our  faces,  and 
called  us  vile  epithets,  in  order  to  break  our  lines.  I  saw  no  disposition 
on  the  part  of  the  troops,  not  even  the  privates,  to  hurt  anybody,  except 
in  self  defense.  In  some  cases  they  allowed  the  rioters  to  push  through 
their  lines,  and  get  inside.  In  this  way  the  crowd  gathered  in  little  knots, 
and  came  nearer,  and  got  more  and  more  bold,  until  I  gave  directions  for 
one  or  two  companies  commanding  Twenty-eighth  street  to  bring  their 
pieces  to  a  ready,  when  the  crowd  immediately  dispersed,  showing  that 
they  still  feared  any  application  of  lead.  We  then  held  this  position  until 
about  dusk,  when,  by  direction  of  General  Brinton,  I  brought  the  brigade, 
marching  left  in  front,  into  the  round-house.  There  was  no  explanation 
given  me  at  the  time,  so  far  as  I  remember,  why  we  were  taken  into  the 
round-house;  but  it  being  night,  I  presumed  we  were  to  be  quartered  there. 

Q.  By  whose  command  ? 

A.  I  received  my  commands  from  General  Brinton.  We  marched  into 
the  round-house,  and  around  the  circle,  nearly  covering  the  entire  circle, 
the  Third  regiment,  under  Colonel  Snowden,  being  stationed,  as  they  had 
followed  in  line,  opposite  the  Liberty  street  windows  of  the  round-house. 
General  Brinton  and  some  of  his  staff  and  myself,  with  some  of  my  staff, 
then  went  around  the  building,  looked  at  the  windows,  and  determined  to 
put  on  a  strong  guard,  and  I  gave  the  orders  accordingly.  The  detail  was 
made,  and  the  guard  was  stationed  at  those  windows,  and  I  then  attempted 
to  get  a  little  rest,  but,  after  a  few  hours,  about  ten  o'clock,  some  firing 
commenced,  and,  after  the  firing  once  commenced,  there  was  no  such  thing 
as  rest.  I  spent  almost  the  whole  night  in  the  round-house  proper.  Where 
I  attempted  to  rest  was  in  the  building  that  had  been  occupied  as  the  tele- 
graph office  at  the  outer  depot. 

Q.   In  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Immediately  adjoining — three  or  four  feet  from  the  round-house.  We 
had  to  increase  the  guard  after  the  firing  commenced.  Had  to  put  men  at  each 
window  on  the  Libert}^  street  side,  and  on  the  side  of  the  yard  on  that  side 
of  the  building  towards  Twenty-eighth  street.  I  think  we  increased  the 
guard,  perhaps,  twice  during  the  night.  At  one  time  during  the  night, 
about  one  o'clock,  I  received  information  that  a  piece  of  artillery  was  in 
Liberty  street,  and  I  immediately  hastened  to  the  window,  and  saw  a  brass 
piece,  which  I  judged  to  be  a  Napoleon  gun. 

Q.  What  time  was  that? 

A.  About  one  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning.  Several  men  were  standing 
about  it,  and  General  Brinton  was  there,  and  Colonel  Snowden.  I  asked 
if  I  should  send  out  a  detachment  to  capture  the  gun,  and  bring  it  in,  but 
he  didn't  give  me  direct  permission,  but  gave  me  some  encouragement,  and 
I  went  immediately  to  Colonel  Benson  to  consult  him  about  it,  and  asked 
for  a  detail 

Q.  Who  was  Colonel  Benson  ? 

A.  The  commander  of  the  First  regiment.     While  consulting  him  about 


944  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

this  matter,  the  Third  regiment  opened  fire,  as  I  understood,  by  direction 
of  General  Brinton,  on  the  crowd  surrounding  the  piece,  and  from  that 
time  on  there  was  more  or  less  firing.  As  the  mob  would  come  forward 
and  make  a  demonstration  as  if  they  were  going  to  fire  the  piece,  the  men  at 
the  windows  would  fire  on  them,  but,  after  a  time,  they  restrained  firing, 
and  ordered  them  to  go  back ;  and  that  became  a  by-word  through  the 
division,  "  Go  back,  go  back,  one,  two,  three,"  and  then  discharge. 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  at  that  time  from  the  mob  outside  on  the  troops  ? 

A.  Yes;  pistol  firing  and  gun  firing — from  some  sort  of  guns.  From 
that  time  until  morning  there  was  a  good  deal  of  firing.  There  was  one 
party  that  was  firing  an  explosive  bullet,  which  would  come  through  the 
windows  and  strike  and  explode. 

Q.  Explode  after  they  came  into  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  mean  explosive  shells,  fired  from  a  rifle  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  small  things.  One  struck  on  a  column  not  more  than  four  feet 
from  where  I  was.  I  happened  to  be  looking  in  that  direction,  and  I  saw 
it.  First  there  was  a  sharp  crack,  and  then  I  saw  the  smoke  and  some 
white  ashes  drop  down  from  that  spot.  From  that  I  knew  very  well  that 
it  was  an  explosive  bullet.  Further  on  towards  morning,  some  burning 
cars  were  run  in  between  our  troops  and  the  cannon,  and  from  that  time 
on  we  had  very  little  firing  there.  Then  some  cars  were  stopped  on  the 
next  building  from  the  round-house,  towards  Twenty-eighth  street,  and 
that  building  took  fire.  General  Brinton  had  organized  a  fire  brigade,  and 
had  the  fires  put  out.  I  didn't  witness  it  myself,  but  understood  it.  He 
had  put  out  those  burning  cars,  so  the  round-house  was  not  set  on  fire  by 
the  burning  cars ;  but  the  machine-shop  next  took  fire,  and  we  could  not 
find  any  means  to  put  that  out.  The  burning  of  that  decided  our  case,  for 
the  round-house  was  connected  with  that  by  buildings  filled  with  light  kind- 
ling wood  used  by  locomotives  for  firing  up,  and  the  burning  of  that  build- 
ing also  sent  columns  of  smoke  down  into  our  open  round-house  and  cin- 
ders, and  after  a  time  the  building  itself  took  fire.  I  was  then  called  after 
clay  light  into  a  council,  by  General  Brinton,  who  stated  that  he  had  re- 
ceived orders  from  General  Latta,  in  case  of  moving  out  to  go  out  east- 
ward to  Penn  avenue — 1  understood  it.  There  was  a  young  man  there 
from  the  Jefferson  Cavalry,  and  he  told  where  Penn  avenue  was — and  for 
that  matter,  I  knew  nryself — and  when  it  was  decided,  the  general  gave  me 
orders  to  take  my  brigade  out  first.  I  formed  with  Colonel  Benson,  of  the 
First  regiment,  and  Colonel  Snowden,  of  the  Third,  and  the  Weccaco  Le- 
gion, xind  the  Washington  Grays,  with  the  Gatling  guns,  and  we  issued  out 
upon  Liberty  street. 

By  Senator  Reyburn: 

Q.  The  round-house  was  on  fire  ? 

A.  I  think  the  building  itself  was  on  fire.  At  any  rate  it  was  only  a 
question  of  a  few  minutes.  After  those  other  buildings  were  fired  it  could 
not  have  been  saved. 

Q.  Would  it  have  been  possible  for  your  troops  to  have  remained  there  ? 

A.  It  would  not  have  been  possible — not  many  minutes  more. 

Q.  Was  the  round-house  filled  with  smoke? 

A.  The  whole  building   was  so  filled  witli  smoke — the  smoke  was  so 
dense  that  it  was  difficult  to  see. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Before  you  left  ? 

A.  Yes. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  945 

By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  After  coming  out  and  manoeuvering  in  the  street,  your  troops  were 
steady  and  kept  in  good  order  ? 

A.  I  was  at  the  head  of  the  line,  where  I  thought  ray  services  were 
most  required — at  the  very  head  of  the  line,  in  advance  of  the  First  regi- 
ment, nothing  being  ahead  of  me,  excepting  a  small  skirmish  line  of  a 
dozen  men  stretched  across  to  clear  the  street,  and  on  looking  back  I 
never  saw  a  regiment  march  in  better  condition,  even  in  the  streets 
of  Philadelphia,  or  march  in  parade  in  better  order.  They  had  their 
arms  at  right  shoulder,  and  were  in  perfect  order.  After  we  had  been  be- 
sieged there  and  harrassed  all  night,  it  nerved  me,  when  I  looked  back  at 
that  sight,  when  I  saw  those  men  come  out  in  such  gallant  style,  after 
being  harrassed  all  night,  and  unaccustomed  as  they  were  to  fighting.  We 
went  down  Twenty-fifth  street  to  Penn  avenue,  and  out  Penn  avenue  to 
the  arsenal.  From  my  position  at  the  head  of  the  line,  I  didn't  see  any 
firing  in  the  street.  As  we  went  along,  people  on  either  side  were  looking 
at  us,  and  I  was  quite  anxious  about  this  little  skirmish  line,  and  was 
keeping  my  eye  on  them  to  see  that  they  didn't  get  nervous,  and  on  that 
account  may  not  have  seen  as  much  as  the  others.  I  didn't  see  any  firing 
from  our  flanks  or  in  any  direction,  until  we  arrived  at  the  arsenal.  We 
halted  there,  and  I  saw  the  guard  let  General  Brinton  in,  and  I  think  one 
or  two  pressed  in  with  them  ;  but  after  a  time  they  came  back  again. 
During  that  time  there  was  some  firing  in  the  rear.  We  heard  them  hal- 
looing there,  and  1  distinctly  heard  firing  in  the  rear,  which  increased, 
and  then  I  noticed  that  the  troops  in  our  rear  had  become  somewhat  con- 
fused, and  did  not  keep  their  alignment,  and  some  of  them  came  up  into 
my  brigade.  My  brigade  then  took  the  left,  and  Colonel  Benson  put  his 
regiment  in  the  rear,  putting  his  command  on  the  two  sides  of  the  street, 
so  that  they  could  command  the  windows.  Those  on  the  right  side  of  the 
street  commanding  the  windows  opposite,  and  vice  versa. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Did  you  march  in  that  form  ? 

A.  Yes;  and  after  that  we  were  not  disturbed.  We  marched  to  the 
Sharpsburg  bridge,  and  crossed  it,  and  in  Sharpsburg  we  received  a  few 
pieces  of  bread,  and  passed  on  over  the  hill. 

Q.  From  whom  ? 

A.  From  citizens,  I  think. 

Q.  Of  Sharpsburg? 

A.  I  think  so. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Were  your  troops  exhausted  by  want  of  food  ? 

A.  Very  much.  I  didn't  get  even  a  piece  of  bread,  but  I  saw  some  that 
had  that.  I  received  nothing  personally  until  we  passed  a  mile  and  a 
half,  perhaps,  beyond  Sharpsburg,  and  there  I  obtained  a  little  buttermilk. 

Q.  Just  state  in  this  connection  what  rations  the  troops  had  received 
from  the  time  they  left  Philadelphia  to  the  time  that  you  reached  Sharps- 
burg ? 

A.  After  leaving  Philadelphia,  received  nothing  until  we  got  to  Altoona. 
There  the  men  were  served  with  sandwiches  and  coffee — one  or  two  sand- 
wiches and  a  cup  of  coffee  to  each  man.  These  provisions  were  handed 
in  to  the  men.  Then  on  arriving  at  Pittsburgh  they  were  served  with 
similar  things — sandwiches  and  coffee. 

Q.  During  the  night  of  Saturday  you  had  nothing  '( 

A.  We  had  nothing  after  marching  to  Twenty-eighth  street. 
60  Riots. 


946  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.   At  what  time  did  you  get  the  last  rations  1 

A.  About  three  o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon. 

Q.  And  you  did  not  get  anything  after  that  until  you  reached  Sharps- 
burg  ? 

A.  Nothing  at  all-r-excepting  once  in  a  while  a  soldier  had  put  into  his 
haversack  an  extra  piece  of  bread. 

Q.  And  this  was  three  o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon,  until  that  time  on 
Sunday  ? 

A.  Nine  o'clock,  Sunday  morning ;  and  there  was  no  serving  of  rations 
in  Sharpsburg. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  It  was  every  fellow  for  himself? 

A.  Yes :  each  one  foraging  for  himself.  Rations  were  not  served  until 
that  night.  So  far  as  I  saw,  everything  was  paid  for  that  was  received. 
I  know  that  I  paid  for  the  buttermilk  I  received. 

Q.  Did  you  know  or  hear  of  an}'  order  being  given  to  General  Brinton 
by  Colonel  Norris  to  move  to  Toi'rens  station  ? 

A.  I  heard  of  no  such  order. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Or  from  any  one  else  ? 

A.  No ;  I  asked  General  Brinton  frequently  what  his  orders  were,  and 
so  far  as  I  know,  he  told  me  the  orders  he  had.     I  heard  of  no  such  orders. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  If  these  orders  had  been  given,  do  you  think  that  General  Brinton 
would  have  obeyed  them  and  communicated  the  fact  to  you  ?  You  consulted 
together  ? 

A.  We  did.  I  think  he  would  have  told  me  certainly  if  he  had  such 
orders.     There  was  hardly  any  occasion  to  consult  after  we  left  the  city. 

Q.  But  during  Saturday  night  ? 

A.  I  frequently  saw  him,  and  had  he  received  such  orders  I  would  have 
heard  of  them. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  consult  with  him  during  the  march  from  the  round-house  to 
Sharpsburg  ? 

A.  During  the  march,  until  my  brigade  was  put  on  the  left,  I  frequently 
saw  General  Brinton. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Colonel  Norris  ? 

A.  I  didn't  see  him — to  know  him. 

Q.  Do  you  know  him  ? 

A.  No ;  I  saw  a  barouche  later  in  the  day  in  the  vicinity  of  the  arsenal, 
and  I  heard  it  stated  that  Colonel  Norris  was  in  the  barouche. 

Q.  You  stated  that  some  cars  were  run  between  you  and  this  gun  ? 

A.  Yes.  / 

Q.  What  became  of  the  gun  after  that? 

A.  I  saw  it  from  the  windows — from  the  higher  windows — I  went  up 
once  for  that  purpose  to  look  after  that  gun — and  I  found  that  provision 
had  been  made  by  General  Brinton  in  regard  to  it.  I  think  he  had  stationed 
some  men  of  the  Second  brigade  in  the  upper  windows  of  the  office  of  the 
building  near  the  round-house,  and  towards  which  that  gun  was  pointed. 

Q.  To  pick  off  the  gunners  ? 

A.  I  understood  that. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  one  with  a  lanyard  in  his  hand  lire  that  gun  at  any 
time  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots  July,  1877.  947 

A.  I  didn't.  It  would  have  been  too  dark  up  to  daylight  to  see  a  lan- 
yard. 

Q.  Did  you  see  a  light  with  the  gun  ? 

A.  I  didn't.     I  was  with  Colonel  Benson  consulting,  at  that  time. 

Q.  Do  you  know  it  was  a  Napoleon  ? 

A.  No;  I  judged  it  was.     I  could  see  the  gun  distinctly,  yet  Colonel 
Benson  could  not  see  it  at  all.     I  would  like  to  corroborate  the  testimony 
of  Colonel  Snowden  in  regard  to  the  discipline  of  our  troops  in  the  round 
house — of  both  brigades,  so  far  as  I  saw  them. 

Q.  In  short,  was  the  conduct  of  your  troops  commendable  ? 

A.  Perfectly  so. 

Q.  Of  officers  and  men  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Have  you  had  experience  in  the  army  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  entered  the  army  early  in  1861,  in  the  infantry — the  three 
months'  service — and  at  the  end  of  that  time  I  raised  a  battery,  and  served 
as  captain  of  that  battery  for  a  year  and  a  half.  I  was  then  on  detached 
duty  for  awhile,  and  then,  in  the  spring  of  1863, 1  rejoined  the  army  of  the 
Potomac  as  major  of  the  First  artillery — the  same  regiment  my  battery 
was  connected  with — and  served  on  General  Doubleday's  staff,  and  was  in 
active  command  of  three  batteries  in  the  fiek' ,  and  was  with  my  command 
in  the  beginning  of  Chancellorsville,  and  later  on  in  the  battle  I  served  as 
chief  of  corps,  and  after  that  battle  had  command  of  eight  batteries  in  the 
artillery  reserve  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac. 

Q.  With  the  rank  of  major? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Of  artillery  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  communications  sent  by  General  Brinton  to 
General  Latta  while  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  I  heard  him  say  repeatedly  that  he  had  sent  messages  and  received 
messages  from  General  Latta. 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  communications  from  either  one  ? 

A.  I  saw  one,  but  didn't  read  it. 

Q.  Do  you  know  the  nature  of  those  communications  ? 

A.  Nothing  except  as  I  have  stated  that  in  case  of  leaving — this  was 
near  morning,  I  think — in  case  of  leaving,  to  march  out  Penn  avenue — 
whether  it  stated  march  east,  or  go  by  way  of  Penn  avenue,  it  was  some- 
thing about  Penn  avenue.     I  knew  where  that  was. 

Q.  From  your  experience  as  a  military  man,  do  you  consider  that  if  was 
a  prudent  move  to  go  into  the  round-house  with  the  troops  at  that  time? 

A.  It  is  very  easy  to  see  mistakes  after  they  are  made.  I  can  say,  how- 
ever, on  general  principles.,  it  seemed  to  me  at  the  time,  as  it  has  seemed 
since,  that  the  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  disperse  the  mob.  Until  that  was 
done,  there  was  no  safety  in  going  into  the  round-house.  That  the  troops 
needed  rest,  there  can  be  no  question.  Standing  in  the  sun,  many  of  them 
had  fallen  from  sheer  exhaustion  and  the  heat  of  the  sun.  Several  of  the 
men  were  lying  about  there,  and  they  were  applying  water  to  them,  if  they 
could  get  it.  There  was  complaint  from  all  quarters  that  the  men  were  ex- 
hausted, and  some  seemed  to  besunstruck.  In  that  condition,  they  needed 
rest,  and  their  commanding  officers  wanted  to  give  them  rest,  but  it  was 
evident  that  the  mob  must  be  dispersed  before  there  could  be  much  rest 
for  them. 

Q.  Was  not  the  mob  already  dispersed  ? 

A.  It  was  on  the  crossing,  but  they  were  continually  gathering. 


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950  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

He  wanted  to  know  if  he  could  do  anything  for  me,  and  I  said  nothing, 
but  I  would  be  glad  if  he  would  come  out  on  the  rear  platform,  and  say 
something  to  the  boys.     He  did  so,  and  made  a  little  speech. 

Q.  How  did  you  introduce  him  ? 

A.  I  just  said  "boys,  this  is  Governor  Hartranft."     I  pulled  the  bell 
cord,  and  we  went  up  as  far  as  the  round-house,  and  had  the  train  stopped 
there,  and  Mr.  Perkins,  the  master  mechanic,  jumped  aboard,  and  I  spoke 
to  him  for  a  while. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  How  did  the  boys  take  the  remarks  of  the  Governor? 

A.  They  gave  a  cheer.  I  went  on  to  Federal  street  with  him,  and  a  dele- 
gation from  Pittsburgh  met  him  with  carriages,  and  took  him  across  the 
river. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  go  across  the  river  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  With  the  Governor  ? 

A.  No;  in  the  crowd  that  went  over.     Before  I  left,  I  had  his  car  switched 
over  on  the  West  Penn  road. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  is  your  age  ? 

A.  Twenty-five  years. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Were  you  at  Torrens  station  on  Thursday  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  On  Friday  ? 

A.  I  came  by  there  on  Thursday  night  or  Friday  morning. 

Q.  Were  you  there  when  the  sheriff  came  out  ? 

A.  I  was  not. 

By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  At  what  time  were  you  arrested  ? 

A.  I  was  arrested  on  the  30th  of  July,  about  three  and  a  half  o'clock  in 
afternoon. 

Q.  Was  there  any  preliminary  affidavit  made  ? 

A.  I  was  arrested  on  a  bench  warrant,  issued  by  Judge  Ewing. 

Q.  Who  made  the  infoi'mation  ? 

A.  Chauncey  McCoy. 

Q.  Of  what  road  ? 

A.  Of  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago. 

Q.  Have  they  ever  taken  any  steps  to  bring  on  your  trial  ? 

A.  No.     I  have  asked  for  my  trial  repeatedly,  but  have  never  got  it. 

Q.  Have  you  asked  for  your  discharge  ? 

A.  No  ;  because  I  don't  want  a  discharge. 

Q.  Have  you  demanded  a  trial  ? 

A.  My  attorney  has  asked  for  my  trial.     That  is  what  I  wish. 

Q.  Are  you  under  bail  now  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Do  you  go  to  Pittsburgh  and  renew  your  bail  every  time  ? 

A.  When  my  bail  expires  my  bond  is  sent  to  New  York,  and  I  take  it 
to  a  notary  public  and  sign  it,  and  he  puts  his  seal  to  it,  and  I  send  it 
back  to  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  What  is  the  amount  of  it? 

A.  Fifteen  hundred  dollars. 

Q.  What  are  the  charges  made  against  you  ? 

A.  Misdemeanor,  under  your  own  railroad  act  of  March,  18T7. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  951 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  I  wish  you.  would  state  once  more  just  what  is  the  object  of  the  Train- 
men's Union  ? 

A.  It  was  to  resist  this  reduction  of  ten  per  cent.,  and  to  see  if  we 
couldn't  bring  the  company  to  terms,  and  get  them  to  look  into  our  con- 
dition, so  that  anything  of  the  kind  should  not  occur  again.  We  thought 
our  labor  skilled  labor,  and  we  were  running  great  risks,  and  we  thought 
we  ought  to  earn  more  money,  that  instead  of  reducing  it  they  ought  to 
increase  it.  The  object  was  to  get  up  a  union  so  strong  that  the  railroad 
mag-nates  would  have  to  listen  to  us. 

Q.  Did  you  intend  to  strike  ? 

A.  We  did,  if  they  did  not  accede  to  our  demands. 

Q.  What  is  a  strike  ? 

A.  It  is  a  body  of  men  acting  together  for  the  purpose  of  quitting  work 
in  a  body — to  strike,  and  leave  the  work  alone — as  we  understood  it  in  the 
Trainmen's  Union.  We  understood  it  that  every  man  should  leave  his 
work  at  a  given  day  and  hour,  and  go  to  his  home. 

Q.  Go  to  your  homes  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  You  claimed  no  right  then  to  interfere  with  those  who  desired  to 
work  ? 

A.  No  ;  but  we  claimed  the  right  to  use  moral  suasion.  We  didn't 
think  we  had  any  right  to  use  any  violence  at  all. 

Q.  Did  you  claim  any  right  to  interfere  with  railroad  pi'operty  ? 

A.  No  ;  it  didn't  belong  to  us. 

Q.  Prior  to  the  organization  of  the  Trainmen's  Union,  did  you  have 
any  conversation  with  the  officers  of  the  railroad  company  in  relation  to 
this  reduction  of  wages  ? 

A.  No  ;  because  we  didn't  think  it  would  be  advisable. 

Q.  Why  not? 

A.  We  thought  it  better  to  go  ahead,  and  when  we  were  in  shape,  if 
they  refused  we  were  ready  to  act. 

Q.  On  the  27th  day  of  June,  you  sent  out  forty  men  to  notify  all  the 
lodges  to  get  ready  for  a  strike  ? 

A.  On  Sunday,  the  24th  of  June.  Unless  our  demands  were  acceded 
to. 

Q.  Had  you  notified  the  railroad  companies  of  your  demand  that  the 
ten  per  cent,  should  be  restored  before  that  ? 

A.  We  drew  up  these  resolutions — that  is  what  Mr.  Cassatt  spoke 
about — and  submitted  them  by.  a  committee  of  five  to  the  officials  in  Pitts- 
burgh— to  the  local  authorities  there.  They  said  they  did  not  concern 
them,  and  they  didn't  want  anything  to  do  with  them. 

Q.  When  was  that  done  ? 

A.  I  think  on  the  25th. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  mean  the  railroad  authorities  ? 

A.  Yes.  We  then  asked  for  passes  to  come  to  Philadelphia  to  see  Tom 
Scott.  They  wouldn't  give  us  passes,  and  the  boys  didn't  think  they  had 
enough  money,  with  the  ten  per  cent,  reduction,  to  come  to  Philadelphia. 
They  thought  they  could  quell  us  by  discharging  some  of  the  ringleaders, 
and  they  discharged  a  couple  hundred  of  the  boys,  and  this  committee 
were  all  discharged,  and  they  got  around  among  the  men,  and  said  that 
they  did  not  want  them  to  have  anything  to  do  with  those  men,  and  they 
closed  the  telegraph  wires  against  us,  and  everything  of  that  kind.    So,  on 


952  Report  or  Committee.  [No.  29, 

the  morniug  of  the  27th  day  of  June,  we  sent  a  request  for  them  to  meet 
us  in  the  hall. 

Q.  To  whom  did  you  send  it  ? 

A.  To  the  local  authorities — Lang,  Barrett,  Scott,  Pitcairn.  They  didn't 
come.  We  found  we  could  not  get  hold  of  the  telegraph  wires  to  work 
them.  On  the  night  of  the  26th,  on  the  last  train  that  night  they  sent  out 
men  on  the  train — thoroughly  loyal  men,  as  they  called  them — men  that, 
belonged  to  the  Union,  and  we  thought  all  right.  They  carried  the  news 
west  and  east  that  there  would  be  no  strike  in  Pittsburgh,  and  we  knew 
nothing  of  that,  but  found  it  out  afterwards.  On  Wednesday,  .June  27, 
one  of  our  men  jumped  over  the  traces,  and  brought  the  word  he  was  going 
out,  and  he  told  us  what  instructions  his  conductor  had  received  in  regard 
to  the  strike.  Mr.  Barrett,  the  superintendent  of  the  Pan  Handle  road, 
had  told  him  with  the  other  trains  he  had  sent  word  that  night  to  the  men 
that  there  would  be  no  strike  in  Pittsburgh  on  the  27th.  They  told  all 
the  men  to  stay  at  work,  that  the  thing  would  be  arranged  later;  but  it 
never  was  arranged.  All  were  under  the  impression  that  the  bubble  would 
burst  sooner  or  later.  When  the  railroad  officials  say  they  had  no  notice 
of  it,  and  did  not  know  anything  about  the  strike,  why  we  tried  everything 
in  the  world  to  let  them  know. 

Q.  In  what  way  ? 

A.  Why  they  discharged  three  or  four  hundred  of  us,  and  they  certainly 
discharged  us  for  cause.  I  received  a  letter  myself  from  Mr.  Thaw  stat- 
ing that  I  had  lost  the  situation  on  account  of  being  a  member  of  the 
Trainsmen's  Union.  I  was  discharged  somewhere  near  Sunday  the  24th 
of  June. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  discharged  before  you  organized  Trainmen's  Union  lodges 
on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad  in  Virginia? 

A.  I  traveled  all  over  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  and  I  came  back  to 
Pittsburgh — part  of  the  way  over  the  Lake  Shore  and  Michigan  Southern 
and  the  Cleveland  and  Pittsburgh.  Mr.  Thomas  had  been  watching;  for 
me,  and  he  stopped  me.  I  had  not  been  paying  railroad  fares,  so  I  came 
into  Pittsburgh  on  a  freight  train. 

Q.  Were  you  still  an  employe  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  at  that  time. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Who  was  running  in  3rour  place  ? 

A.  An  extra  man.  I  got  back  and  reported  for  duty.  I  went  west  and 
thought  I.  would  lay  off  at  Alliance  and  go  out  to  Chicago,  but  while  at  the 
breakfast  table,  notice  came  that  the  superintendent  of  the  road  wanted  to 
see  me  at  his  office,  and  I  went  over  there  and  had  a  talk  with  him,  and 
the  consequence  was  that  I  was  discharged. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  And  he  gave  you  that  letter  you  spoke  of  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Yes;  or  a  few  days  afterwards,  I  don't  remember  which.  I  don't 
remember  whether  it  was  at  that  time  or  a  few  days  afterwards. 

Q.  Did  you  ask  for  the  letter  ? 

A.  No;  but  a  pass  to  Chicago.  It  is  customary,  when  they  discharge  a 
man,  to  give  him  a  pass  to  where  he  wants  to  go. 

Q.  How  did  he  come  to  give  you  that  letter  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.     I  guess  he  thought  he  could  use  me. 

Q.   Did  you  ask  him  for  it? 

A.  No.  I  guess  he  thought  he  was  doing  me  a  favor,  and  that  1  would 
return  him  the  favor,  if  he  gave  me  the  letter. 


Leg.  Doc.J  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877-  953 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Have  you  a  family  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  a  wife  and  two  children. 

Q.  How  long  have  you  been  married  ? 

A.  Four  years  the  13th  day  of  last  September. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Whjr  did  you  select  Pittsburgh  fjr  the  strike? 

A.  The  19th  of  July? 

Q.  Yes  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.  The  strike  did  not  originate  there.  It  was  not  our 
idea  at  all.  Our  idea  was  to  have  it  all  over  on  the  27th  day  of  June — all 
over  the  country — to  just  stop  the  traffic  all  over  the  country.  We  thought 
the  public  would  look  at  it  as  we  did,  unless  they  could  get  enough  pumpkin 
rollers  and  snake  hunters  to  run  their  roads. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Was  that  the  day  the  strike  took  place  at  Martinsburg  ? 

A.  No;  It  took  place  there  on  the  16th  of  July. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  In  making  arrangements  for  this  strike,  did  you  talk  about  Pittsburgh 
being  a  suitable  place,  or  a  better  place,  for  a  strike,  on  account  of  the 
sympathy  of  the  local  authorities  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  How  long  were  you  railroading  ? 

A.  Between  nine  and  eleven  months — about  nine  months  altogether. 

Q.  Didn't  you  think  you  were  managing  that  western  road  pretty  suc- 
cessfully, with  the  experience  you  had  ? 

A.  I  didn't  claim  credit  for  it.  If  I  had  not  had  the  men  I  had,  I  could 
not  have  done  it. 

Q.  But  were  you  not  the  man  who  run  it  ?  You  laid  out  your  plans 
the  same  as  a  military  officer,  and  your  men  carried  them  out  ? 

A.  After  Mr.  Lang  put  the  road  in  my  possession,  I  tried  to  do  the  best 
I  could  for  it — for  the  stockholders. 

Q.  Did  you  have  the  interests  of  the  stockholders  at  heart?  Did  you 
take  into  consideration  their  interests  more  than  the  interests  of  the  em- 
ployes of  the  road — the  men  you  represented  ? 

A.  I  thought  the  stockholders  were  in  about  the  same  pew  with  us.  I 
thought  they  were  about  swamped,  and  that  we  were. 

Q.  But  I  mean  the  question  ? 

A.  I  was  looking  at  the  stockholders  interests  when  I  turned  over  all 
the  money,  and  I  wanted  the  boys  to  get  back  their  ten  per  cent.  I  don't 
know  that  J  made  any  distinction  between  them. 

Q.  But  answer  my  question  ? 

A.  I  think  my  sympathies  did  lean  a  little  towards  the  boys,  because  I 
was  one  of  them  myself. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  you  act  as  general  superintendent  of  the  Fort  Wayne  and  Chicaga 
Railroad,  while  you  were  in  charge  of  it  ? 

A.  I  was  supposed  to  be. 

Q.  Who  acted  as  dispatcher? 

A.  A  particular  friend  of  mine.  I  saw  that  all  trains  went  off,  and  came 
in. 

Q.  Had  you  a  dispatcher  acting  in  that  capacity  ? 

A.  I  had  three  telegraph  operators,  but  I  acted  in  the  capacity  of  dis- 
patcher myself.     I  gave  the  orders. 


954  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  While  running  that  railroad  as  general  manager,  what  would  you 
have  done  if  your  men  had  struck  ? 
A.  I  would  have  increased  their  wages. 
Adjourned  to  Monday  morning,  at  ten  o'clock. 


Philadelphia,  Monday,  March  25,  1878. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  re-assembled  at  ten  o'clock,  A. 
M.,  this  day,  in  the  St.  Cloud  hotel,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testimony. 

R.  Dale  Benson,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  is  your  residence  ? 

A.  No.  260  South  Fifteenth  street. 

Q.  Were  you  a  member  of  the  National  Guards  in  July  last  ? 

A.  I  was  colonel  of  the  First  regiment  of  infantry. 

Q.  And  you  accompanied  General  Brinton's  division  to  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Yes ;   I  left  with  them  from  Philadelphia. 

Q.  Did  you  go  with  them  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  on  Saturday  ? 

A.  Yes;  my  position  was  the  right  of  the  First  brigade — the  right  of 
the  division.  I  have  heard  General  Mathews'  and  Colonel  Snowden's  testi- 
mony in  regard  to  the  details,  and  my  testimony  is  pretty  much  the  same. 

Q.  Their  testimony  in  that  respect  was  correct  ? 

A.  Yes ;  the  only  difference  I  would  notice  is  in  regard  to  what  they 
testify  in  regard  to  my  right.  My  right  was  impeded  by  a  crowd  of  citi- 
zens at  Twenty-eighth  street.  The  column  was  halted  on  account  of  mov- 
ing the  Gatling  guns,  and  I  went  ahead  and  told  the  crowd  to  leave  my 
front,  and  some  citizen  came  back  to  me  agitated  and  excited,  and  said 
it  was  the  sheriff's  posse.  I  told  him  that  it  didn't  make  an}*-  difference 
what  it  was,  that  they  must  leave  my  front.  He  asked  me  whether  my 
men  would  do  their  duty,  and  I  told  him  it  was  not  his  business,  and  I 
ordered  them  to  disperse.  Two  or  three  others  came  back  and  said  they 
were  ordered  to  march  there,  and  I  declined  to  allow  them  to  march  in  my 
front.  General  Mathews  was  in  the  rear,  attending  to  the  Gatling  guns, 
and  I  turned  the  party  over  to  him,  who  turned  out  to  be  the  sheriff  of 
Allegheny  county.  General  Mathews  afterwards  came  and  said  they  were 
instructed  to  march  there,  and  so  they  were  permitted. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Was  it  the  sheriff  himself  that  you  stopped  ? 

A.  I  was  so  informed  afterwards. 

Q.  You  knew  it  was  the  sheriff  afterwards  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  T  didn't  know  him,  and  don't  now.    I  never  met  him  after  that. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  whether  there  was  any  order  given  to  fire  at  Twenty-eighth 
street? 

A.  I  never  received  any  order,  and  gave  no  order  to  fire,  nor  do  I  be- 
lieve any  order  was  given  to  fire.  The  firing  at  Twenty-eighth  street  com- 
mended by  the  men  in  the  rear  rank  of  the  Weccaco  Legion.  The  com- 
pany had  been  brought  to  a  charge  bayonets  when  the  crowd  seized  this 
man's  musket.  I  saw  them  take  hold  of  it.  He  drew  back  and  fired.  The 
firing  extended  then  towards  the  right — towards  the  Washington  Grays. 

Q.  Did  he  draw  his  musket  away  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1817.  955 

A.  He  stepped  back  about  a  pace,  and  fired. 

Q.  Did  he  fire  at  the  man  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell,  but  he  fired  into  the  crowd.  The  firing  then  extended 
to  the  right.  My  regiment  was  crowded  into — the  crowd  overlapping  my 
right,  which  I  suppose  was  the  cause  of  the  troops  being  ordered  from  my 
right  to  push  the  crowd  back.  The  firing  was  desultory  file  firing,  and  I 
think  that  the  responsibility  for  it  rests  with  the  authorities  who  put  the 
ti'oops  into  that  perilous  position. 

Q.  Had  there  been  firing  by  the  crowd  before  that  ? 

A.  Yes ;  there  had  been  shots  from  the  hill,  and  stone  firing  and  firing 
also  took  place  from  Twenty-eighth  street  and  from  under  the  cars  on  my 
front. 

Q.  What  time  did  this  occur — this  firing  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  about  three  and  a  half  or  four  o'clock.  I  didn't  refer 
to  my  watch.     Its  only  a  calculation  of  mine — a  guess  at  it. 

Q.  Did  that  disperse  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Entirely — from  our  immediate  front  and  from  the  hill. 

Q.  Where  did  you  remain  after  the  firing  ? 

A.  In  the  same  position. 

Q.  Until  what  time  ? 

A.  Until  towards  seven  o'clock — six  and  a  half  or  seven  o'clock — I 
didn't  refer  to  my  watch  during  the  afternoon. 

Q.  Then  you  retired  into  the  round-house  '! 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  what  the  condition  of  the  round-house  was  when  you  left  it  in 
the  morning  ? 

A.  I  considered  it  wholly  untenable.  During  the  morning,  General 
Brinton  came  to  me,  and  we  were  talking  over  some  matter,  and  I  called 
his  attention  to  the  fact  that  we  would  have  to  leave  the  building  very 
soon.  From  the  windows  we  could  see  that  the  machine  shops  adjoining 
were  on  fire.  At  the  time  the  fire  was  very  close,  and  cars  were  burning 
on  Liberty  street.  I  told  him  that  the  building  could  not  be  saved,  and 
some  hour  or  two  after  that  the  building  was  entirely  on  fire  adjoining  us, 
and  the  smoke  was  so  dense  we  could  not  breathe.  Shortly  after  that  we 
were  moved  out. 

Q.  Did  the  troops  move  out  in  good  order  ? 

A.  In  perfect  order. 

Q.  In  what  direction  did  you  retire  ? 

A.  Out  Twenty-fifth  street  to  Penn  avenue,  and  down  Penn  avenue. 

Q.  Did  your  troops  keep  good  order  during  the  entire  retreat  out  Penn 
avenue  ? 

A.  Pretty  much  so,  until  we  got  to  the  arsenal.  There  was  some  con- 
fusion there. 

Q.  What  caused  it  ? 

A.  I  judge — I  was  on  the  exti'eme  right — I  suppose  it  was  the  firing  in 
the  rear.  My  position  on  the  extreme  right  prevented  me  from  seeing 
what  took  place;  but  I  have  no  question  that  the  troops  were  fired  into, 
though  I  could  not  see  it  myself. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  firing  along  the  route  from  the  round-house  ? 

A.  I  didn't,  though  I  heard  shots. 

Q.  You  heard  shots  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  what  the  conduct  of  the  men  was  in  the  round-house  during 
the  night  ? 

A.  My  observation  was  almost  entirely  confined  to  m}r  own  corps.     I 


956  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

never  left  my  regiment,  except  to  visit  the  detachments  on  duty,  and  so 
far  as  my  regiment  was  concerned  they  were  entirely  under  my  control. 
The  troops  in  the  other  buildings  I  didn't  see. 

Q.  Was  there  any  demoralization  discoverable  ? 

A.  None  that  I  saw.  I  never  saw  men  more  patient  or  under  better  dis- 
cipline. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  halt  at  the  arsenal  ? 

A.  I  judge  a  very  few  moments.     Probably  five  minutes. 

Q.  Did  you  know  or  see  where  General  Brinton  went  ? 

A.  I  didn't. 

Q.  Did  any  of  your  men  leave  you  at  the  arsenal  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  many  ? 

A.  I  think  five  or  six — an  officer  and  five  or  six  men. 

Q.  Where  did  they  join  you  ? 

A.  Some  at  Blairsville  Intersection  and  some  at  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  How  long  afterwards  ? 

A.  Two  or  three  men  joined  us  in  two  or  three  days,  and  the  officer  in 
six  or  seven  days.  One  of  the  men  never  reported  at  all.  He  was  court- 
martialed — and  the  officer,  too — all  the  men  that  left. 

Q.  A  regimental  court-martial  ? 

A.  No  ;  it  was  ordered  by  brigade  head-quarters. 

Q.  Was  the  officer  discharged  from  the  service  ? 

A.  He  was  not  discharged. 

Q.  What  was  done  by  the  court-martial  ? 

A.  The  verdict  was  absent  without  leave,  without  criminal  intent. 

Q.  That  was  the  officer  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  was  his  rank  ? 

A.  Major  and  surgeon. 

Q.  If  you  know  the  reasons  that  induced  that  vei'dict  j^ou  may  state  them  ? 

A.  My  opinion  is  pretty  much  heresay.  I  was  not  a  member  of  the 
court.  The  proceedings  were  reviewed  by  General  Brinton,  and  he  can 
give  you  better  the  facts  that  led  to  the  verdict.  His  order  didn't  approve 
of  the  action  of  the  court. 

Q.  It  didn't? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Were  the  men  discharged  ? 

A.  The  result  of  the  court-martial  has  not  been  promulgated  as  yet. 

Q.  Had  you  any  men  that  refused  to  report  for  duty  when  you  first  got 
the  call  to  proceed  to  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  there  was  any  instance  of  that  kind.  My  regiment  had 
on  duty  four  hundred  and  sixty-four  men  out  of  a  roll  of  about  five  hun- 
dred and  sixty,  and  some  of  these  men  who  were  absent  had  made  eiforts 
to  report,  but  were  unable  on  account  of  lack  of  transportation,  or  on  ac- 
count of  being  sent  back  after  they  started. 

Q.  Did  any  of  your  men  who  were  not  able  to  join  you  the  night  you 
left  undertake  to  come  to  you  at  Pittsburgh  afterwards? 

A.  Quite  a  number.     One  detachment  reach  Altoona  and  went  back. 

Q.  Which  regiment  ? 

A.  I  refer  to  the  detachment  of  my  own  regiment. 

0.  Do  you  know  why  they  went  back  ? 

A.  My  information  is — I  demanded  a  statement  from  the  lieutenant — 
that  General  Beaver  allowed  the  troops  to  do  as  they  pleased  at  Altoona — 
to  remain  or  to  return. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  957 

Q.  Was  that  detachment  the  one  that  marched  on  foot  part  of  the  way, 
and  was  escorted  over  the  bridge  at  Harrisburg  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  they  get  back  to  Philadelphia  ? 

A.  Yes ;  they  made  a  march  and  detour  near  Harrisburg,  but  they  got 
to  Philadelphia.     They  were  on  the  same  train  with  the  First  City  Troops. 

Q.  Was  there  any  court-martial  of  those  troops  ? 

A.  No ;  they  reported  to  the  regiment  afterwards. 

Q.  What  was  done  about  them  ? 

A.  The  case  was  scrutinized  by  me.  It  didn't  go  up  any  higher  than 
myself,  because  I  thought  that  the  officer  was  justified  under  the  circum- 
stances. He  merely  followed  the  direction  that  most  of  the  other  troops 
took. 

Q.  Could  he  have  gone  on  to  Pittsburgh  at  that  time  ? 

A.  I  judge  not — for  want  of  transportation. 

Q.  How  many  days  was  it  before  the  road  was  opened  so  that  the  de- 
tachment could  have  gone  to  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  cannot  give  the  exact  day.  I  think  the  road  was  opened  about 
the  27th  or  28th. 

Q.  What  day  was  it  they  returned  from  Altoona  ? 

A.  They  reported  at  Blairsille  intersection — that  detachment  with  others. 

Q.  When  did  they  report  to  you  at  Blairsville  ? 

A.  I  judge  it  was  about  the  26th,  probably. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Do  you  think  the  troops  could  have  remained  any  longer  in  the  round- 
house than  they  did  ? 

A.  No  ;  and  I  didn't  see  what  the  necessity  was  for  their  remaining  there 
anyhow. 

Q.  What  was  the  condition  of  your  command,  in  regard  to  rest  and 
want  of  food  ! 

A.  The  men  were  very  much  exhausted.  They  had  been  taken  away 
during  the  night  from  their  homes,  and,  of  course,  had  very  little  sleep, 
and  little  or  nothing  to  eat,  and,  of  course,  they  were  very  much  exhausted. 
Still,  as  they  demonstrated  on  their  march,  they  could  do  their  duty.  I 
would  like  to  state  to  the  committee,  that  at  no  time,  from  the  hour  when 
my  regiment  left  Philadelphia  until  it  returned,  was  there  any  moment,  in 
my  estimation,  when  the  men  were  not  prepared  for  any  duty,  that  they 
were  called  on  to  do. 

Q.  You  had  some  army  experience  ? 

A.  I  served  about  three  years  and  six  months  in  the  army. 

Q.  Your  troops  were  as  ready  to  do  service  as  those  in  the  United  States 
army  ? 

A.  I  never  saw  any  difference. 

Walter  G.  Wilson,  sworn : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  your  residence,  and  what  position  you  held  in  the  National 
Guard  in  July  last  ? 

A.  1  live  at  No.  2323  Green  street,  Philadelphia,  and  I  was  major  and 
acting  assistant  adjutant  general  with  General  Brinton,  during  the  July 
riots. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  the  testimonv  of  Generals  Brinton  and  Mathews  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  In  the  details  as  to  what  occurred  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  State 
whether  their  testimony  was  substantially  correct  ? 


958  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Their  testimony  was  entirely  correct,  so  far  as  my  knowledge  went. 
I  was  on  the  ground  constantly  with  General  Brinton,  during  that  after- 
noon, and  reported  to  General  Pearson,  of  my  arrival  with  him.  General 
Pearson  was  then  at  the  Union  depot.  The  formation  of  the  column  and 
line  of  march  was  stated  by  both  Generals  Brinton  and  Mathews,  and  is 
substantially  correct. 

Q.  State  whether  at  Twenty-eighth  street  you  heard  any  command  given 
to  fire  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  By  an}r  officer  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  State  what  the  action  of  the  crowd  was  there,  prior  to  the  firing  by 
the  troops  ? 

A.  The  action  of  the  crowd  was  such  as  to  induce  me  to  believe  that  a 
conflict  was  inevitable.  I  was  satisfied  they  had  made  up  their  minds  to  have 
a  row.  There  was  jeering  and  insults  in  every  direction,  but  the  men  bore 
it  all  patiently.  I  heard  General  Brinton,  on  leaving  the  Union  depot,  state, 
if  I  am  not  mistaken,  to  General  Mathews  and  General  Loud,  that  he  wanted 
them  to  endure,  and  pay  no  attention  to  anything  the  mob  might  say  or  do, 
even  if  they  spat  in  their  faces — simply,  if  they  were  attacked,  to  defend 
themselves.  At  Twenty-eighth  street  it  was  absolutely  impossible  to  move 
on  account  of  the  crowd.  The  Gatling  guns  were  brought  in  between  the 
ranks,  and,  when  the  crowd  were  pushing  in  and  surging  in  at  the  end,  the 
Washington  Grays  were  formed  across,  but  were  found  insufficient  to  keep 
the  crowd  back.  General  Brinton  then  sent  me  with  instructions  to  bring 
up  other  men,  as  the  mob  were  pressing  in  between  the  ranks  of  the  First 
regiment,  which  I  did.  I  heard  no  order  given  to  fire,  and  saw  distinctly, 
not  only  pistol  shots,  but  stones  and  missiles  of  various  kinds  thrown  from 
all  directions.  I  saw,  after  the  firing — in  fact,  it  seemed  to  me  that  the 
firing  had  hardly  commenced  before  the  crowd  scattered  in  every  direction. 
I  saw,  immediately,  Generals  Brinton  and  Mathews  and  Colonel  Benson, 
if  I  am  not  mistaken,  give  the  command  to  cease  firing,  and  go  up  and 
down  the  line  endeavoring  to  stop  the  men.  The  crowd  had  dispersed  in 
every  direction. 

Q.  How  long  did  you  remain  in  that  position  before  you  moved  into  the 
round-house  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  it  was  about  two  hours,  probably  three  hours.  The 
firing  had  hardly  ceased,  when  General  Brinton  got  a  note  from  General 
Pearson,  to  which  he  sent  me  to  reply  in  person.  Upon  reporting  to  him 
the  state  of  affairs  at  Twenty-eighth  street,  he  directed  me  to  return,  and 
inform  General  Brinton  that  he  would  like  to  see  him  personally.  I  did 
so,  and  accompanied  General  Brinton  back  to  the  outer  office,  where  Gen- 
eral Pearson  was. 

Q.  Where  was  he  ? 

A.  In  the  second  story  in  the  office  at  Twenty-sixth  or  Twenty-seventh 
street,  at  the  outer  depot. 

Q.  How  was  he  dressed  ? 

A.  He  had  on  a  fatigue  uniform  and  cap,  and  sack  coat  or  blouse — an 
officer's  blouse — and  dark  pants,  and,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  a  white  ves1. 
He  had  on  shoulder  straps,  and  the  mark  of  his  rank  on  the  cap. 

Q.  Did  he  have  on  a  belt? 

A.  No  ;  I  think  not. 

Q.  State  what  the  conduct  of  the  troops  was  during  the  night  in  the 
round-house  ? 

A.  The  conduct  of  the  troops  was  unexceptionable.     I  was  up  and  around 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  959 

during  the  entire  night,  from  one  part  of  the  building  to  the  other,  and  I 
saw  no  instance  where  the  men  refused  to  obey  any  order  given  to  them, 
although  they  were,  of  course,  rather  exhausted,  and  rather  hungry;  yet, 
at  the  same  time,  any  command  that  was  given  was  obeyed  at  once,  cheer- 
fully and  willingly.  The  slight  disturbance  that  General  Brinton  spoke 
of  in  his  testimony  was  so  slight  that  I  never  knew  anything  about  it  until 
long  afterwards,  and  I  suppose  I  had  probably  as  much  opportunity  to 
know  what  was  going  on  as  anybody. 

Q.  State  whether  you  had  notice  of  the  orders  received  by  General  Brin- 
ton from  General  Latta  or  from  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  Yes,  sir ;  I  had. 

Q.  Of  all  the  orders  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  whether  General  Brinton  received  any  orders  from  General 
Latta  before  leaving  the  round-house  ? 

A.  He  received  two  dispatches  during  the  night  from  General  Latta. 

Q.  State  what  they  were  ? 

A.  The  first  one  was  complimenting  him  very  highly. 

Q.  Were  they  telegraphic  dispatches  ? 

A.  No ;  they  came  by  the  hand  of  a  scout  whom  General  Brinton  sent 
to  communicate  with  General  Latta. 

Q.  Named  Wilson  ? 

A.  Yes — of  the  Jefferson  Cavalry.  The  first  were  sent  off  with  mem- 
bers of  the  Hutchinson  Battery,  and  they  never  returned.  Wilson  brought 
back  an  answer  regarding  the  situation  in  which  we  were  placed,  stating 
we  understand  the  situation  thoroughly,  and  an  effort  would  be  shortly 
made  to  provision  the  troops — that  ammunition  had  been  sent  to  Guthrie, 
and  that  the  troops  at  Walls  station  would  join  Guthrie,  and  that  Guthrie 
would  be  on  the  way,  and  certainly  ought  to  be  with  us  by  six  or  seven 
o'clock,  and  stating  also  that  there  was  no  chance  for  friction  primers. 
The  second  dispatch — Sergeant  Wilson  went  out  again  and  returned  about 
two  o'clock — maybe  three  o'clock — and  brought  another  dispatch  from 
General  Latta  complimenting  the  division  very  highly  upon  their  conduct, 
and  stating  that  the  ammunition  had  reached  Colonel  Guthrie,  and  that  he 
would  be  on  his  way  shortly,  and  certainly  would  reach  the  round-house  ■ 
not  later  than  five  or  six  o'clock,  and  to  hold  on  vigorously,  or  if  com- 
pelled to  leave  ;  that  we  should  do  so  by  way  of  Penn  avenue  or  eastward , 
and  take  Penn  avenue. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  dispatch  received  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  in  the  neighborhood  of  two  or  three  o'clock. 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  stay  as  long  as  he  could  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  He  stayed  as  long  as  he  possibly  could  stay — as  long  as  it  was  possi- 
ble to  stay.  I  think  it  was  ten  minutes  of  eight  o'clock  when  the  order 
was  given  for  the  troops  to  fall  in  for  the  purpose  of  leaving.  At  that 
time  the  roof  of  the  round-house  was  on  fire,  and  the  building  was  full  of 
smoke,  and  the  only  part  that  was  not  on  fire  was  the  office  building  of  the 
upholstery  shop,  through  which  we  went  out.  The  piles  of  lumber  in  the 
direction  of  the  Union  depot — I  don't  know  whether  east  or  north  from 
that — were  all  afire.  Shortly  before  leaving,  I  went  to  the  upholstery  shops, 
and  could  see  nothing  but  a  mass  of  flames  to  the  Union  depot. 

Q.  Were  any  guards  thrown  out  to  guard  the  approaches  to  the  round- 
house during  the  night? 

A.  Yes  ;  as  far  as  it  was  prudent  or  possible  to  throw  them. 

Q.  Were  any  attacks  made  on  the  guards  during  the  night  by  the  mob  ? 

A.  There  was  no  attack.     It  was  a  desultory  kind  of  firing  during  the 


960  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

entire  night  from  every  direction.  Men  would  conceal  themselves  behind 
piles  of  lumber,  and  in  the  windows  of  the  houses,  and  behind  chimneys, 
on  roofs.     The  firing  came  from  every  direction. 

Q.  At  what  distance  were  guards  placed  from  the  round-house  ? 

A.  It  was  probably  as  far  as  from  here  to  Eighth  street — probably  two 
hundred  yards. 

Q.  Did  they  remain  out  all  night  that  distance  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  any  of  them  wounded  there  ? 

A.  No ;  it  was  on  the  track  side,  towards  the  Union  depot.  The  build- 
ing was  not  defensible  at  all  from  that  side. 

Q.  From  the  side  towards  the  depot  no  attack  was  made  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  How  far  were  the  guards  out  on  the  side  towards  Philadelphia  ? 

A.  There  were  no  guards  there.  A  part  of  the  Sixth  division  was  sup- 
posed to  be  in  the  Twenty-eighth  street  round-house. 

Q.  You  had  no  guards  on  the  street  leading  to  Penn  street  ? 

A.  There  was  no  occasion  for  them.  Everything  was  in  perfect  view, 
as  far  as  that  was  concerned,  from  the  building  itself. 

Q.  State  in  what  kind  of  order  the  troops  marched  out  ? 

A.  The  order  was  perfect. 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  along  the  route  ? 

A.  There  was  considerable  firing  along  the  route. 

(4.  Were  you  present  when  General  Brinton  met  Major  Bufflngton  at 
the  arsenal  ? 

A.  I  was  present  when  he  met  a  person,  supposed  to  be  the  person  com- 
manding the  arsenal. 

Q.  Where  was  he  ? 

A.  It  was  at  his  house  inside  the  arsenal  grounds. 

Q.  How  far  from  the  house  ? 

A.  Right  on  the  steps — right  on  the  porch. 

Q.  What  took  place  between  them  ? 

A.  Well,  General  Brinton  introduced  himself,  and  told  him  who  he  was, 
and  requested  substantially — that  was  he  requested  permission  to  bring 
the  men  inside,  and,  if  possible,  to  get  ammunition  and  provisions  for 
them,  or  if  not,  to  allow  them  to  remain  there  until  he  could  communicate 
with  General  Latta,  and  get  some  orders.  Bufflngton  immediately  or- 
dered him  to  leave  the  place  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  leave  no  men  in- 
side. He  did  that  in  an  abrupt  manner,  as  much  as  to  say,  if  you  don't 
go  out,  I  will  throw  you  out. 

Q.  Had  you  been  directed  to  Major  Burlington's  house  by  anybody  ? 

A.  My  impression  is  that  Captain  Murphy  took  us  there.  It  may  have 
been  that  some  person  just  at  the  door,  or  the  sentry  at  the  gate,  may  have 
said  so. 

Q.  You  accompanied  General  Brinton  to  the  house  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  meet  him  before  calling  at  the  door  or  ringing  the  bell  ? 

A.  We  met  him  right  at  the  porch.  I  think  there  was  a  lady  standing 
thei'e,  and  the  question  was  asked  if  Major  Bufflngton  was  in,  and  at  that 
moment  he  came  out.     I  know  that  nobod}r  went  for  him. 

Q.  You  turned  then  and 

A.  Went  to  the  gate  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

Q.  Did  Major  Bufflngton  come  up  to  the  gate  before  you  left  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anything  more  of  him  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  961 

A.  I  didn't.     He  turned  on  his  heel  and  went  into  the  house. 

Q.  Did  you  see  anything  of  Lieutenant  Lyon  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  the  lieutenant  at  all.  I  will  state  this  much,  I  think 
there  was  some  one  in  citizen's  clothing,  when  the  wounded  were  brought 
to  the  gate,  who  said  allow  them  to  come  in,  and  I  suppose  from  what  I 
heard  afterwards  that  it  may  have  been  Lieutenant  Lyon. 

Q.  Describe  the  appearance  of  the  man  you  met  at  the  house,  supposed 
to  be  Major  Buftington? 

A.   1  cannot  do  that. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Was  he  in  uniform? 

A.  No ;  in  citizen's  clothes.  I  don't  know  that  I  would  know  him  if  I 
saw  him.  It  was  all  in  a  moment,  and  the  excitement,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  was  great,  and  I  paid  no  particular  attention  to  the  man's  appear- 
ance. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  whether  he  wore  a  mustache  or  not  ? 

A.  I  think  he  had  hair  on  his  face ;  but  whether  a  mustache  or  not  I 
won't  be  certain.     I  think  he  had  hair  on  his  face. 

Q.  Some  gentleman  was  there  ? 

A.  There  was  somebody  who  said  he  was  Major  Burlington. 

Q.  There  was  some  person  who  permitted  you  to  bring  the  wounded  in- 
side ? 

A.  Yes  ;  that  was  afterwards.     After  we  were  ordered  out. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  present  when  Colonel  Norris  overtook  Gen- 
eral Brinton  ? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  What  orders  did  he  give,  if  any? 

A.  None  ;  he  gave  no  orders. 

Q.   Did  you  hear  anything  or  all  of  what  took  place  between  them  ? 

A.  I  did.     I  heard  the  entire  conversation. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  General  Brinton  received  any  orders  after 
leaving  the  round-house  or  not  during  that  day  ? 

A.  Not  until  late  in  the  afternoon. 

Q.  What  were  they,  and  who  communicated  them  ? 

A.  Those  orders  came  out  by  the  hand  of  Major  Baugh,  who  reported 
to  General  Brinton  at  Claremont,  and  was  immediately  sent  back  by  or- 
ders from  General  Latta — I  think  it  was  him — but  they  were  received  late 
that  afternoon,  directing  the  general  to  bring  the  entire  division  to  Altoona 
by  rail. 

Q.  That  was  a  written  order  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  a  man  by  the  name  of  Colonel  Smith  reach  you  during  the  day, 
Sunday  ? 

A.  Norman  Smith? 

Q.  Yes. 

A.  He  reached  us  on  Sunday.  I  saw  him — the  first  time  I  saw  him  to 
know  him — he  may  have  reached  us  an  hour  or  so  before — it  was  after 
the  division  had  encamped  on  the  hills  overlooking  Claremont.  He  was 
there,  and  stayed  for  some  hours. 

Q.  Do  you  know  what  his  mission  was  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  that  it  had  anything  to  do  with  any  military  matters, 
and  I  think  he  said  he  had  an  appointment  with  somebody  to  go  across 
the  country.     I  didn't  ask  him  who. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  General  Brinton  telegraphed  to  Colonel  Scott 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  ? 
61  Riots. 


962  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  He  sent  a  number  of  dispatches  to  Colonel  Scott  during  the  time  we 
were  out,  in  relation  to  various  matters,  for  the  purpose  of  urging  the 
necessity  of  endeavoring  to  procure  us  ammunition,  and  provision,  and 
blankets,  and  clothing,  &c.  And  I  know  he  also  sent  a  note.  I  am  under 
the  impression  it  was  in  repsonse  to  an  inquiry  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
men,  and  he  stated  that,  if  he  was  allowed  his  own  way,  he  could  open  the 
entire  road  from  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburgh  with  the  First  division. 

Q.  When  did  he  send  that  dispatch? 

A.   While  we  were  at  Blairsville  Intersection. 

Q.  Do  you  know  on  what  day  ? 

A.  I  cannot  state  the  day.     We  got  there,  I  think,  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  23d,  and  it  may  have  been  the  following  morning.     It  was  just  in  re- 
sponse to  an  inquiry  as  to  the  morale  of  the  division. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Was  there  one  or  more  sentinels  at  the  gate  when  you  reached  the 
arsenal  ? 

A.  There  was  but  one.  There  may  have  been  one  or  two  in  the  box ; 
but  one  was  patroling  the  beat. 

Q.  Didn't  the  sergeant  there  point  out  to  you  and  General  Brinton  the 
gate  to  Major  Burlington's  quarters? 

A.  No.  There  may  have  been  somebody  who  pointed  out  the  house, 
but  nobody  went  for  him. 

Q.  No  one  went  on  with  you  to  the  house  ? 

A.  No.  He  may  have  pointed  it  out  to  General  Brinton.  in  response  to 
a  question.     I  don't  recollect  that  he  did  or  didn't. 

Q.  Did  the  major  come  out  of  the  house  there,  and  stand  on  the  steps? 

A.  He  came  out  of  the  house — out  of  the  entry  way — on  to  the  steps. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Did  Major  Burlington  give  any  reason  for  refusing  admission  into  the 
arsenal  grounds  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  he  said  anything,  except  that  there  was  a  large  amount 
of  property  there,  or  something. 

Q.  Did  he  say  it  would  be  endangered  by  bringing  on  a  conflict  with  the 
mob? 

A.  I  think  not.     I  have  no  recollection  of  it. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  he  tell  General  Brinton  there  was  no  small  ammunition  there  ? 

A.  I  have  no  recollection  of  his  saying  anything  of  the  kind.     He  may 
have  told  him  that  he  could  not  get  any ;  but  I  have  no  recollection  of  his 
saying  there  was  none. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  How  were  your  troops  supplied  with  ammunition  ?  Did  you  have 
sufficient  ? 

A.  No;  not  at  that  time.     The  next  morning — Monday  morning  or  after- 
noon— the  ordinance  return  showed  that  the  Third   regiment  had   about 
three  rounds  to  a  man,  and  the  First  regiment,  I  think,  an  average  of  ten. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  How  many  did  you  have  on  Saturday  afternoon  when  you  went  out 
to  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  We  were  supposed  to  have  twenty  rounds  to  a  man.  Ten  were  issued 
at  Ilarrisburg,  and  ten  at  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  State  whether  General  Brinton  received  orders  from  General  Latta 
to  go  to  Torrens  station  ;  and,  if  so,  when  he  received  them  ? 

A.  He  received  orders  from  General  Latta  to  go  to  Torrens  station  on 
the  night  of  the  3d  of  July. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  963 

Q.  What  kind  of  an  order  was  it  ? 

A.  A  written  order,  and  sent,  as  I  was  afterwards  informed,  by  the  hands 
of  Captain  Aull,  and  delivered  by  him  to  Colonel  Guthrie,  and  by  Colonel 
Guthrie  to  the  general,  at  the  reception  of  the  Duquesne  club,  the  night 
before  we  left  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  When  was  the  order  dated. 

A.  On  the  morning  we  left  the  round-house.  It  was  a  very  congratula- 
tory order,  directing  him  to  go  to  the  stock-yards,  and  entrench  himself 
there,  and  congratulating  him  on  the  movement  of  the  morning,  and  stating 
he  was  glad  to  hear  he  was  safe. 

Q.  What  precentage  of  the  men  of  the  First  division  were  soldiers  of 
the  late  war  ?     Do  you  know  ? 

A.  No;  that  is  pretty  hard  matter  to  tell. 

Q.  From  your  acquaintance  with  them  could  you  form  an  estimate  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  probably  fifty  per  cent,  of  them — taking  the  strength 
of  the  division  right  straight  through — probably  more  than  that. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  stated  you  heard  no  command  given  to  the  troops  to  fire. 

A.  No. 

Q.  Didn't  you  consider  the  men  justifiable  in  firing? 

A.  Yes ;  1  consider  it  would  not  have  been  half  a  minute  before  the 
command  would  have  been  given.     It  would  have  been  necessary. 

Q.  Was  there  a  consultation  among  the  officers  as  to  the  position  you 
should  take  after  the  firing  took  place  ? 

A.  The  only  consultation  was  between — or  a  conversation — it  was  hardly 
in  the  nature  of  a  consultation — was  between  General  Brinton  and  General 
Pearson.  General  Pearson  sent  to  know  of  General  Brinton — stating  he 
had  heard  the  firing — whether  there  were  any  killed  or  wounded,  and  re- 
quested him,  if  he  desired  to  communicate,  to  send  a  staff  officer.  General 
Brinton  sent  me,  and  I  immediately  returned  and  reported  that  General 
Pearson  desired  to  see  him  and  went  back  with  him. 

Q.  Where  did  you  find  General  Pearson  ? 

A.  In  the  second  story  of  the  outer  office. 

Q.  Mr.  Pitcairn's  ? 

A.  I  don't  know.  He  was  in  the  telegraph  room.  There  was  no  con- 
sultation about  it.  It  was  an  absolute  order  from  General  Pearson  to  move 
the  troops  in  there. 

E.  DeC.  Loud,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 
Q.  Please  state  your  residence  ? 
A.  No.  3*741  Spruce  street. 

Q.  State  whether  you  are  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  now  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  you  were  in  July  last  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  was  your  rank  ? 

A.  Brigadier  General,  commanding  the  Second  brigade. 
Q.  You  accompanied  General  Brinton  to  Pittsburgh? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  whether  you  went  out  with  his  command  to  Twenty-eighth 
street  ? 

A.  I  did  not. 

Q.  On  Saturday? 

A.  I  did  not.     When  we  started  from  Pittsburgh,  or  rather  from  Union 


9G4  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

depot,  a  portion  of  my  command  was  then  ordered  to  guard  the  passenger 
trains  that  were  going  to  be  run  out,  and  when  we  got  about  the  center — 
from  the  western  half  to  the  center  of  the  round-house — I  was  ordered  to 
take  that  position,  and  to  keep  the  tracks  clear,  and  see  that  nobody  came 
into  my  line  excepting  those  that  had  authority — to  keep  out  all  citizens — 
that  the  trains  were  ready  to  be  run,  and  that  I  should  keep  things  clear, 
in  that  shape,  until  they  could  open  the  road  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  I 
held  that  position  until  the  firing  began  at  Twenty-eighth  street;  but,  I 
think,  perhaps  a  little  before  that  I  sent  an  aid  to  General  Brinton  and 
asked  him,  if  possible,  to  return  to  me  the  troops  that  had  been  detached, 
as  the  ground  I  had  to  cover  was  to  large  to  be  covered  by  the  troops  1 
had.  He  sent  them  back.  Shortly  after  that,  I  saw  the  firing  at  Twenty- 
eighth  street.  It  was  about  a  square  and  a  half,  and  J  could  see  the  firing. 
I  had  stationed  a  line  across  east  to  keep  the  crowd  back  from  that  side, 
and  when  the  rioters  broke  around  from  the  rear  of  the  First  brigade,  and 
came  back,  I  ordered  the  line  doubled,  and  turned  the  crowd  through  the 
yard  out  on  to  Liberty  street,  instead  of  letting  them  come  on  the  tracks. 
So  far,  as  I  saw,  the  trains  were  all  ready,  with  nobody  interfering  with 
them,  and  if  they  had  had  men  to  run  them — engineers  and  firemen — I 
think  they  could  have  run  those  trains  out  after  Twenty-eighth  street  was 
cleared. 

Q.  Were  the  engines  fired  up? 

A.  I  think  so. 

Q.  Were  there  engineers  with  them? 

A.  Thei'e  seemed  to  be  men  about  the  engines  that  seemed  to  have  au- 
thority.    They  seemed  to  be  train  hands — engineers. 

Q.  And  brakemen  ? 

A.  They  seemed  to  be.  The  most  trouble  I  had  was  with  young  men 
that  claimed  to  be  clerks  in  the  railroad  office,  who  broke  through  the 
lines.  While  I  was  there,  two  or  three  passenger  trains  were  run  in  from 
the  west,  coming  in  off  the  Pan  Handle  and  Fort  Wayne  road,  going  east. 
They  were  some  little  while  getting  along  ;  but  they  went  on  east.  There 
was  some  trouble  with  the  passengers  on  them,  because  they  wanted  to 
see  what  was  going  on.  I  held  that  position  until  some  time  after  the  wr- 
ing at  Twenty-eighth  street,  when  I  got  orders  from  General  Brinton, 
through  Major  Pettit,  to  move  into  the  railroad  shops  connecting  with 
the  round-house.  I  knew  the  ground,  as  I  had  been  there  several  times 
before,  and  I  supposed  we  were  going  through  this  yard  out  to  Liberty 
street,  and  going  back  to  Pittsburgh;  but  when  I  got  inside,  General 
Brinton  ordered  me  to  take  possession  of  the  shops  there  on  the  left  or  on 
the  west,  and  put  one  regiment  in  there  and  some  other  troops  in  the  of- 
fice, and  put  a  guard  over  the  gate.  There  was  a  double  wagon  gate 
there.  I  had  no  time  to  detail  a  regular  guard,  so  I  instructed  Captain 
Ryan,  of  the  Fencibles,  to  take  charge  of  the  gate.  In  the  meantime, 
Breck's  Battery  came  in,  and  the  First  brigade  went  into  the  round-house 
and  took  possession  of  that.  In  about  ten  minutes,  a  train  was  going  to 
run  back  on  the  Allegheny  Valley  road,  which  runs  besides  this  railroad 
office  or  repair  shop.  When  the  cars  came  back — it  was  some  local  train — 
they  were  just  filled  with  rioters,  who  were  brought  back  right  into  Pitts- 
burgh, and  they  were  yelling  and  hooting  and  hallowing,  and  then  this 
crowd  gathered  around  the  gate.  We  had  no  orders  to  fire  on  them  at  all, 
and  we  paid  no  attention  to  what  was  said  by  the  mob.  Along  about  dark, 
I  was  talking  to  General  Brinton,  when  a  man  pushed  himself  in,  and 
we  ordered  him  out,  and  eventually  pushed  him  out.  Then  a  row  began, 
and  a  couple  of  pistol  shots  were  fired,  and  two  men  were  shot,  and   Cap- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  965 

tain  Ryan  came  to  me  and  said  that  my  men  cannot  stand  this  to  be  fired 
at,  and  without  returning  the  fire.  I  told  him  I  could  not  give  an  order 
to  fire;  but  that  I  would  ask  General  Brinton;  but  he  said  he  could  not 
give  an  order,  that  he  was  under  the  orders  of  General  Pearson,  and  that 
we  must  first  ask  General  Pearson  if  we  couldn't  open  fire  on  the  rioters. 
We  run  the  Gatling  guns,  in  the  meantime,  so  as  to  command  the  gate. 
General  Pearson  said  no,  yon  must  not  fire  a  shot,  and  of  course,  when  he 
said  no,  we  had  nothing  else  to  do.  He  left  about  nine  o'clock,  and  when 
he  left  General  Brinton  gave  orders  if  anybody  came  near  the  gate  to  or- 
der them  away,  and  if  they  didn't  go,  to  lire  on  them.  We  remained  there 
until  the}^  began  to  run  the  cars  down  on  us.  At  first  we  supposed  they 
ran  the  cars  down  to  shoot  this  field-piece  off: — we  supposed  that  was  their 
idea — but  we  soon  found  it  was  on  tire.  The  general  then  ordered  me  to 
take  a  detail  of  men  up  into  the  third  story  of  this  office,  which  had  win- 
dows facing  east,  and  we  went  up  there,  and  put  guards  in  the  second  and 
third  stories,  and  in  that  way  covered  the  field-piece.  We  stayed  around 
there  until  daylight.  During  the  night  I  think  I  saw  pretty  near  every 
dispatch  that  General  Brinton  got,  and  I  don't  think  I  was  away  from  him 
ten  minutes  at  any  one  time  during  the  night.  I  saw  every  dispatch,  and 
was  cognizant  of  their  contents.  I  passed  the  scout  in  and  out  through 
my  lines — this  man  that  carried  the  dispatches  to  General  Latta — and  I 
know  the  instructions  from  General  Latta  were  to  hold  the  position  as 
long  as  we  could,  and  I  know  of  the  dispatch  to  move  east  out  Penn  ave- 
nue. When  the  eastern  buildings  had  got  afire,  they  came  and  told  me 
that  it  was  necessary  to  vacate,  that  the  fire  had  got  so  hot  that  they 
couldn't  stand  it,  and  when  the  First  regiment  formed,  we  could  hardly 
see  the  lines  for  the  smoke  and  cinders.  There  had  been  some  cars  filled 
withe  orn  whiskey  that  had  run  down  and  got  afire.  We  got  the  fire  out ; 
but  they  had  blocked  the  gate  so  that  we  couldn't  get  the  field-pieces  out. 
The  general  then  instructed  me  to  have  the  brass  guns  spiked,  to  have 
them  dismounted,  and  to  destroy  the  powder.  The  powder  was  taken 
into  the  round-house  and  soaked  in  water,  so  that  it  couldn't  be  used,  and 
the  ammunition  was  thrown  away,  and  the  pieces  were  spiked.  The  Gat- 
lings  being  much  lighter,  we  found  an  entrance  on  the  west  of  this  repair- 
shop,  and  we  moved  the  Gatlings  through  the  repair-shop  out  to  Twenty- 
sixth  street.  When  we  marched  out  1  was  at  the  head  of  my  brigade. 
We  must  have  got  a  half  a  mile  or  so,  and  there  was  some  firing  into  the 
lines,  and  one  or  two  men  were  wounded.  I  then  went  back,  and  you 
couldn't  see  any  great  number  of  rioters  anywheres  near  us.  I  suppose 
within  one  or  two  Philadelphia  blocks  you  could  not  see  anybody;  but 
you  could  see  the  crowd  back  that  far.  Every  now  and  then  there  would 
be  a  shot  coming  from  a  doorway  or  a  window  as  we  passed  along  the 
street.  JSTobod}^  would  fire  direct'y  at  us  from  a  window  as  we  passed 
along — either  from  the  corners  of  the  streets  or  the  windows  ;  but  the  fir- 
ing was  all  after  we  passed,  after  we  got  by  half  a  block  or  a  block — then 
they  would  let  into  us.  About  this  time  a  street  car  was  coming  up  the 
street,  and  I  don't  know  why,  but  I  was  looking  at  it,  wondering  whether 
it  was  going  to  try  to  get  through  the  lines,  when  the  first  thing  I  heard 
was  two  rifle  shots  from  the  car,  and  two  men  of  the  Sixth  regiment  fell 
dead,  one  on  top  of  the  other.  The  shots  were  fired  by  two  men  appa- 
rently lying  on  their  stomachs — lying  on  the  cushions,  and  firing  out  the 
windows. 

Q.  Did  the  street  car  stop  after  they  fired  ? 

A.  That  1  cannot  say.     I  recollect,  at  that  time,  that  the  Gatling  gun 
was  opened,  and  I  ordered  my  men  to  separate,  so  that  they  could  fire  into 


96G  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

it,  and  they  did  fire.  Just  before  that  the  driver  of  the  street  car  had  un- 
coupled the  horses,  and  left  the  car  standing.  I  have  heard  since  that  those 
two  men  were  killed  ;  but,  of  course,  I  cannot  testify  to  that. 

Q.  Those  two  men  in  the  car  ? 

A.  Yes ;  along  about  that  time  this  man  they  called  the  bad  angel — he 
would  fire  and  then  run  into  a  house,  and  run  back  through  the  yard,  and 
come  out  again  and  fire.  He  would  fire  coolly.  I  saw  him  twice  drop  on 
his  knee  and  fire,  just  the  same  as  if  he  were  firing  at  a  target.  I  heard 
Captain  Ryan  hallooing  "shoot  that  man,"  and  they  fired  at  him,  but,  as  he 
was  firing  out  of  door-ways  or  from  behind  trees,  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  hit  him.  We  were  moving  all  the  time.  I  cannot  say  positively  whether 
Lieutenant  Ash  was  shot  previously  to  that  time  or  not,  but  I  recollect 
seeing  him  stagger.  I  suppose  I  noticed  it  more  particularly  because  he 
was  a  personal  friend  of  mine.  I  saw  him  stagger  and  fall  into  the  gutter 
on  the  north  side  of  the  street,  and  throw  up  lus  hand  and  say,  you  are 
not  going  to  leave  me,  and  I  ran  back  with  three  or  four  men,  and  carried 
him  ahead  apiece,  until  some  men  of  the  regiment  ran  their  pieces  under 
him,  and  brought  him  on,  and  he  was  carried  on  the  limber  of  ihe  Gatling 
up  to  the  arsenal.  By  that  time  I  concluded  my  brigade  had  enough  of 
that,  and  I  sent  word  to  General  Brinton,  asking  him  if  I  could  not  change 
places  with  the  First  brigade,  and  he  sent  word  back,  yes,  and  1  changed 
places  at  the  turn  of  the  street.  The  reason  why  I  asked  to  be  relieved 
was,  that  every  man  in  the  brigade  had  been  on  duty  all  night — every  man. 
We  had  the  lumber-yard  to  cover,  and  the  railroad  offices,  and  the  repair 
shop,  and  the  men  had  been  up  all  night.  I  took  the  right  of  the  line  then, 
and  I  don't  think  that  there  was  a  shot  fired  after  we  changed  position  in 
the  line. 

Q.  Where  was  Lieutenant  Ash  wounded  ? 

A.  In  the  leg.  He  bled  very  freely.  I  didn't  suppose  that  he  was  mor- 
tally wounded,  and  I  think  if  there  had  been  anybody  there  to  take  care 
of  him,  he  might  have  got  through. 

Q.  He  was  left  at  the  arsenal  ? 

A.  Yes;  that  is  about  the  story,  until  we  got  to  Sharpsburg.  We  had 
nothing  to  eat  all  the  way  along.  When  we  got  to  Sharpsburg,  along 
about  ten  and  a  half  o'clock,  Major  Wilson  then,  Colonel  Wilson  now, 
went  into  a  store  and  bought  a  couple  of  boxes  of  crackers.  I  recollect  it, 
because  he  gave  one  to  my  brigade,  and  one  to  the  First  brigade.  That 
was  all  we  got  until  about  twelve  o'clock. 

Q.  While  you  were  down  at  the  round-house,  guarding  the  trains  that 
were  to  move  out,  was  there  any  attack  made  upon  your  line  by  the  rioters  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  by  your  men  ? 

A.  No  ;  there  is  not  a  shot  fired — they  were  rather  troublesome.  There 
was  a  considerable  crowd  there,  but  Captain  Ryan  kept  them  back.  I 
might  say  that  my  orders  were  to  keep  all  citizens  off.  I  met  a  gentleman 
coming  through,  and  told  him  to  get  out,  and  had  some  considerable  dif- 
ficulty. He  said  he  was  the  sheriff'  of  Allegheny  county.  That  was  away 
back  at  Twenty-sixth  street.  He  was  all  alone — no  posse  with  him  or  any- 
thing. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  You  say  no  posse  was  with  him  ? 

A.  No;  and  he  didn't  seem  to  want  a  posse. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  That  was  after  the  firing  at  Twenty-eighth  street? 

A.  I  think  it  was  right  after  the  firing. 


Leg.  Doc.J  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  967 

Q.  The  sheriff  was  going  towards  the  depot  then  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  making  pretty  good  time. 

Q.  State  whether  there  was  any  insubordination  on  the  part  of  the  troops 
during  the  night  in  the  round-house  ? 

A .  I  heard  that  some  of  the  troops  were  dissatisfied — that  they  wanted 
something  to  eat,  and  didn't  think  they  were  treated  right,  and  all  that. 
I  didn't  see  anything  of  it,  and  I  was  among  them  all  night  long. 

Q.  Was  there  any  refusal  to  obey  orders  ? 

A.  No;  no  man  refused.  There  was,  perhaps,  a  little  hesitation  when 
I  asked  some  men  to  do  a  little  piece  of  business,  but  the}r  went  and  did  it. 

Q.  What  was  that  ? 

A.  I  wanted  some  car  wheels  put  across  the  track.  It  was  a  rather  open 
space,  and  they  didn't  seem  to  like  it  much,  but  they  went  and  did  it. 

Q.  Have  you  anything  else  to  say  ? 

A.  I  might  say  that  I  saw  the  scout  going  out  all  night  long,  carrying 
messages  back  and  forward. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  consider  the  firing  by  the  troops  justifiable  ? 

A.  I  can  only  say  that  if  I  had  had  command  I  would  have  fired  sooner 
than  they  did. 

Q.  You  would  have  given  the  order  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  gave  the  order  to  fire  going  out  Pennsylvania  avenue.  I 
always  considered  when  attacked  you  have  the  right  to  return  the  fire. 

Q.  You  have  had  some  experience  in  the  army  ? 

A.  Some  little. 

Q.  How  much  ? 

A.  Four  years. 

Q.  And  you  think  that  most  any  troops  would  have  fired  under  such 
circumstances  without  orders  ? 

A.  I  have  my  own  opinion,  and  I  think  if  I  had  been  in  the  lines,  I 
would  have  fired. 

Q.  If  struck  with  a  brick,  you  would  have  fired? 

A.  I  think  so.  I  will  say  simply  this:  I  think  if  the  troops  had  been 
sent  to  Pittsburgh  three  days  sooner,  it  would  have  been  a  great  deal  better. 
They  had  been  playing  with  the  Pittsburgh  troops  before  we  got  there. 

Q.  Did  you  see  Colonel  Norris  when  he  joined  General  Brinton's  com- 
mand ? 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Norris  give  General  Brinton  any  orders  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  the  conversation  between  them  ? 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  If  he  had  communicated  any  orders  to  General  Brinton,  you  would 
have  heard  them  ? 

A.  I  certainly  should.  I  might  say  that  I  was  standing  with  General 
Brinton,  when  Colonel  Norris  drove  up.  He  jumped  out  of  the  carriage, 
and  he  seemed  very  glad,  indeed,  to  see  General  Brinton  and  all  hands, 
and  we  went  over  and  sat  along  side  of  the  road,  and  I  heard  all  the  con- 
versation. I  would  have  been  very  apt,  if  any  orders  had  been  given,  to 
pay  some  attention,  because  I  was  anxious  about  the  situation  myself,  and 
particularly  as  I  was  personally  acquainted  with  Colonel  Norris. 

Q.  You  are  certain  he  gave  no  orders  to  go  to  any  point  from  where  he 
was  then  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  know  of;  and  I  think, if  such  orders  were  given,  I  would 
have  heard  them. 


968  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Were  you  present  during  the  entire  conversation  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  All  the  time  ? 

A.  I  think  so. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  orders  having  been  received  by  General  Brin- 
ton  from  any  one  or  by  the  hands  of  any  one  to  make  an}7  movement  in  any 
direction? 

A.  Yes  ;  we  had  one  about  going  out  of  Pittsburgh,  to  go  east. 

Q.  After  you  left  the  round  house  ? 

A.  No;  I  saw  the  orders  that  night.  I  heard  or  read  all  the  orders  that 
came.  The  orders  were,  as  I  understood,  to  take  a  train  down  at  the  work- 
house, and  join  the  command  at  Blairsville  Intersection.  I  know  we  got 
an  order  after  we  were  in  the  round-house,  or  rather  an  instruction  that 
Colonel  Lyle — we  supposed  that  colonel,  and  the  detachment  under  Colonel 
Rodgers,  were  with  Colonel  Guthrie,  and  would  join  us  about  daj'break. 

Q.  Did  General  Brinton  receive  any  orders  to  move  his  command  to 
Torrens  station  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  am  aware  of. 

Q.  Or  to  join  Colonel  Guthrie? 

A.  Not  that  I  am  aware  of. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  The  brass  guns  at  theround-house — whose  command  did  they  be- 
long to  ? 

A.  To  General  Pearson's. 

Q.   Couldn't  you  have  saved  those  guns,  and  taken  them  with  you  ? 

A.  If  we  had  any  way  of  getting  them  out,  and  if  we  had  horses  to 
haul  them. 

Q.  It  was  not  possible  to  take  them  out  where  the}7  were,  and  take  them 
along  by  hand  ? 

A.  It  might  have  been  done,  but  under  the  circumstances,  no.  If  there 
had  not  been  any  firing  there,  we  might  have  cleared  the  track,  and  got 
the  gate  open. 

Q.  Couldn't  you  have  taken  those  guns  out  of  the  same  gate  you  took 
the  Gatling  guns  out  ? 

A.  No  ;  it  would  have  taken  a  long  while,  because  the  shop  was  full  of 
timber  and  all  kinds  of  material,  which  would  have  had  to  be  cleared  out 
of  the  way,  and  it  is  not  much  of  a  joke  to  run  a  twelve  pounder  by  hand. 
We  might  have  taken  a  crowd  and  have  dragged  them  a  short  distance,  but 
not  a  long  distance.  It  was  as  much  as  the  men  could  do  to  drag  the  Gat- 
lings. 

Q.  No  horses  were  provided  for  those  guns  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw. 

(^.  Did  Captain  Breck  have  charge  of  those  pieces  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  he  turn  them  over  to  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  Of  course,  he  was  under  General  Brinton's  command. 

Q.  Do  you  know  whether  Captain  Breck's  command  retired  to  the 
round-house  with  3-0111-  command  ? 

A.  I  don't  know,  but  I  suppose  they  did.     I  cannot  say  positively. 

Q.  Did  many  of  your  men — the  rank  and  tile — have  experience  in  the 
army  as  soldiers  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  About  what  proportion  of  them  ? 

A.   I  suppose  thirty-three  per  cent,  of  them,  anyhow.    I  should  judge  so. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  009 

Q.  What  character  of  men  were  the  balance  of  the  troops  composed  of 
generally  ? 

A.  I  would  just  as  lief  depend  on  them,  I  think,  as  regular  soldiers. 

Q.  You  would  depend  on  them  just  as  soon? 

A.   Or  a  little  sooner,  1  think. 

(}.  In  what  business  were  those  men  before  they  went  out  with  you,  as 
a  general  thing  ? 

A.  Most  of  them  were  mechanics. 

Q.  And  some  clerks  ? 

A.  Some. 

Q.  Professional  men? 

A.  Very  few. 

Q.  Men  accustomed  to  manual  labor? 

A.  Yes ;  and  accustomed  to  three  square  meals  a  day,  too. 

Q.  Could  you  expect  men,  taken  from  their  homes  as  those  men  were, 
to  be  as  efficient,  so  far  as  endurance  is  concerned,  as  men  accustomed  not 
only  to  military  discipline,  but  to  service  in  the  field  ? 

A.  Why  certainly  not.  If  you  have  ever  been  in  the  service,  you  know 
how  long  it  takes  to  break  men  in,  before  you  get  them  into  shape. 

Louis  D.  Baugh,  sworn: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  In  Philadelphia,  No.  2009  Chestnut  street. 

Q.  State  what  your  rank  was  in  the  National  Guard  in  July  last  ? 

A.  I  was  commissary  of  the  First  division,  with  the  rank  of  major.  I 
was  then  and  am  yet. 

Q.  Did  you  accompany  the  troops  under  General  Brinton  to  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  I  did.     I  went  with  the  first  detachment. 

Q.  Were  you  at  Twent3T-eighth  street  during  the  firing  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  What  was  your  particular  duty? 

A.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  commissary  to  feed  the  men — to  supply  them 
with  rations. 

Q.  Where  were  you  during  Saturday? 

A.  When  the  column  was  ready  to  move  to  Twenty-eighth  street,  Gen- 
eral Brinton  ordered  me  to  remain  to  procure  subsistence  for  the  men. 

Q.  When  did  you  re-join  the  command? 

A.  On  Sunday  afternoon,  about  three  o'clock. 

Q.  At  what  point  ? 

A.  At  the  work-house. 

Q.  Of  Allegheny? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Bid  you  have  any  orders  for  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  I  had  none,  sir. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  about  orders  with  him  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  did  he  say  ? 

A.  The  moment  I  arrived,  he  asked  me  for  orders,  once  or  twice,  and  I 
told  him  I  had  no  orders,  or  had  received  none,  and  he  sent  me  back  for 
orders. 

Q.  To  whom  ? 

A.  General  Latta. 

Q.   Did  you  go  back? 

A.  Yes. 


970  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  Where  did  you  find  General  Latta? 

A.  At  the  Monongahela  house. 

Q.  What  orders  did  you  get  ? 

A.  Do  you  want  the  order  ? 

A.  Yes. 

A.  I  took  him  the  following  order : 

"  Major  General  R.  M.  Brinton,  commanding  First  division  National 
Guard  of  Pennsylvania,  bivouaeed  near  Glaremont  station,  West  Pennsyl- 
vania division,  Pennsylvania  railroad: 

"  You  will  move  your  command  by  rail  to  Altoona,  where  the  rest  of 
3^our  division  now  is,  and  there  remain  for  further  orders.  I  leave,  via 
Erie,  for  Harrisburg  to-night.  Will  be  at  Erie  to-morrow  night,  on  the 
rail  Tuesday,  and  Harrisburg  Wednesda}\  Have  ordered  Mr.  Creighton, 
superintendent  of  the  West  Pennsylvania  division  to  furnish  transporta- 
tion. Make  requisition  for  more  ammunition  on  Harrisburg  by  telegraph, 
and  communicate  further  as  to  transportation  with  Mr.  Gardner. 

"  James  W.  Latta, 
" Adjutant  General." 

Q.  What  time  did  you  take  that  to  General  Brinton  and  deliver  it  to  him  ? 

A.  The  written  order? 

Q.  Yes? 

A.  I  read  that  order  to  another  officer,  who  reached  him  early  in  the 
morning,  one  or  two  o'clock.     I  reached  him  about  eight  o'clock. 

Q.  What  morning  ? 

A.  Monday. 

Q.  With  that  order  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  delivered  it  to  him? 

A.  Yes ;  I  handed  him  the  written  order.  When  the  order  was  given 
to  me,  I  asked  for  it  in  writing.  There  were  two  of  us  together,  and  I 
gave  the  other  staff  officer  the  contents  of  the  order,  and  told  him  if  he 
reached  him  first  to  give  it  to  him. 

Q.  Who  was  that  staff  officer  ? 

A.  Major  Lazarus. 

Q.  Where  did  you  find  him  on  Monday  morning  ? 

A.  On  the  railroad. 

Q.  Where? 

A.  I  don't  know  the  place,  but  I  guess  it  is  a  little  off  Claremont. 

Q.  A  major  of  whose  staff  was  Major  Lazarus? 

A.  General  Brinton's.  He  was  in  the  room  when  I  got  this  order.  I 
read  it  to  him,  and,  as  the  mob  was  very  great,  I  said  if  you  reach  him 
first,  give  him  this  order,  and  if  I  reach  him  first,  I  will  carry  it  with  me. 

E.  DeC.  Loud  re-called : 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  On  your  retirement  from  the  round-house,  did  you  cover  the  retreat 
a  part  of  the  way  ? 

A.  I  had  the  left  of  the  line  as  long  as  there  was  any  firing  going  on. 

Q.  Did  you,  on  your  march,  see  any  policemen  on  the  street  ? 

A.  I  did. 

Q.  Tell  us  what  you  saw  them  do  ? 

A.  1  saw,  I  suppose,  at  least  fifteen  or  twenty-five  of  them  standing  on 
a  kind  of  low  porch  that  looked  to  me  something  like  a  station-house,  or  as 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  187?.  9?1 

if  it  might  be,  as  we  went  out,  and  they  seemed  to  make  no  effort  to  keep 
the  peace  whatever.  They  were  standing  there,  and  after  we  passed,  I  heard 
the  crack  of  a  pistol.  I  cannot  say  positively  that  they  fired  it ;  but  they 
certainly  made  no  effort  whatever  to  preserve  the  peace  there.  They  were 
in  full  uniform,  too. 

Q.  Did  the  sound  seem  to  come  from  that  direction  ? 

A.  Yes ;  right  behind  me.     At  that  time  I  was  on  the  right  flank. 

Q.  How  far  were  you  from  the  police  when  you  heard  the  shot  fired  ? 

A.  Half  a  block  I  suppose — perhaps  not  that  far.  The}'  were  standing 
on  a  porch  elevated,  perhaps,  two  or  three  feet. 

Q.  You  judge  from  the  sound  that  the  shot  came  from  the  police? 

A.  If  it  didn't  come  from  them,  it  came  from  very  near  them. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  arms  in  their  hands  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  pistols  in  their  hands? 

A.  No;  1  was  in  the  street  and  they  were  just  the  width  of  the  pave- 
ment from  me. 

Q.  Is  that  the  only  place  where  you  saw  police  ? 

A.  That  is  the  only  place  where  I  saw  police. 

Q.  And  you  say  that  they  made  no  effort  to  arrest  any  of  the  parties  fol- 
lowing you  1 

A.  Not  that  I  saw,  and  I  would  have  been  very  apt  to  see  it.  I  think 
there  were  enough  of  them  there  to  have  stopped  it. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  them  make  any  remarks  as  you  passed  ? 

A.  No ;  but  they  didn't  seem  to  be  very  particularly  pleased  over  the 
troops  being  there. 

Q.  But  they  said  nothing  ? 

A.  No;  but  I  could  judge  from  the  expression  of  their  faces  that  their 
remarks  were  not  at  all  complimentary.     That  was  the  inference  I  drew. 
By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  communication  with  the  citizens  of  Pittsburgh — 
did  3'ou  go  out  into  the  crowd  amono-  the  rioters  at  any  time  ? 

A.  No. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  any  citizens'  committee  that  waited  on  General 
Brinton  or  that  waited  on  your  command  to  have  a  conversation  in  rela- 
tion to  this  riot? 

A.  No  ;  I  heard  that  a  committee  came  out  to  see  General  Brinton  while 
we  were  at  the  hospital,  when  we  got  back  a  second  time,  and  I  understood 
that  they  just  came  out  to  pay  their  compliments  to  him. 

Q.  It  was  after  you  got  back  to  Pittsburgh  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  the  first  time  nobody  came  near  us — not  a  soul.  In  Sharps- 
burg  some  men  came  out,  and  said  they  were  very  sorry  that  so  many  were 
killed,  and  they  seemed  to  be  very  kind. 

Q.  Is  there  anything  you  know  that  you  have  not  yet  testified  to  of  in- 
terest to  us  or  that  might  be  important  in  the  making  up  of  a  full  history 
of  this  affair  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  don't  know  of  anything  more  that  I  can  say  about  the  mat- 
ter. I  only  had  my  own  brigade  to  look  after,  and  I  can  only  tell  what 
happened  there.  I  can  only  say  this,  that  I  was  very  much  surprised  when 
we  were  put  into  the  round-house  and  those  shops. 

Q.  Surprised  at  your  being  stopped  in  the  round-house? 

A.  Yes  ;  a  question  has  been  asked  that  perhaps  I  can  throw  some  light 
on.  It  was  about  what  kind  of  a  cap  or  head-covering  General  Pearson 
had  on.     He  had  a  blue  blouse  on  with  a  fatigue  cap. 


972  Report  of  Committef.  [No.  29, 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Did  he  have  soldier  straps  on  ? 

A.  I  think  so,  but  cannot  say  positively — I  know  he  had. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  he  have  a  sword  or  belt  ? 

A.  I  didn't  see  any. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  he  have  a  white  vest  on  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that. 

Q.  Could  you  have  seen  a  white  vest  if  he  had  had  one  on  ? 

A.  If  he  had  turned  right  around  to  me  I  could  have  seen  it.  We  all 
had  white  vests  on,  as  we  didn't  have  time  to  get  anything  else.  He  might 
have  had  no  vest  at  all  on.     It  was  hot  weather,  and  it  was  dark. 

Q.  How  close  were  you  to  him  ? 

A.  About  as  near  may  be  as  to  this  gentleman  here,  [indicating  a  party 
in  the  room  sitting  near  by.] 

Q.  Almost  touching  him  ? 

A.  I  could  have  touched  him  if  I  had  wanted  to.  He  walked  out  with 
me  to  the  wash-stand,  1  recollect.  I  don't  know  what  he  had  on  when  he 
went  out.     All  of  his  staff  with  him  had  fatigue  suits  on. 

Louis  D.  Baugh  re-called  : 

By  Mr  Means  : 

Q.  Were  you  dressed  in  uniform  when  you  went  to  Pittsburgh? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  wear  that  uniform  all  the  time  ? 

A.  No ;   I  took  it  off,  by  orders  of  my  superior  officer. 

Q.  Did  you  mingle  with  the  crowd  after  }tou  dressed  yourself  in  citizen's 
clothing  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  attempted  to  get  to  the  round-house  to  General  Brinton,and 
I  started  up  from  Union  Depot  hotel. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  citizens  of  Pittsburgh,  or  with 
the  rioters  or  the  strikers  ? 

A.  I  had  no  conversation  with  them,  because  I  kept  myself  very  quiet, 
listening  to  what  they  said. 

Q.  What  did  they  say? 

A.  They  wanted  every  damned  Philadelphia  soldier  to  go  home  in  a  box. 
That  they  would  tear  them  to  pieces.  Then  I  went  on  apiece.  I  didn't 
want  to  get  into  that  crowd. 

Q.  Who  were  they? 

A.  People  of  Pittsburgh. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  people  ? 

A.    Fart  of  the  crowd  along  the  street. 

Q.  In  the  vicinity  where  the  riot  was  going  on.  or  down  in  the  city  ? 

A.  In  the  street  running  from  Union  depot  to  the  round-house. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Parallel  with  the  railroad  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  was  trying  to  get  to  General  Brinton,  to  make  arrangements 
about  feeding  the  soldiers.  When  I  found  what  affection  they  had  for  us 
I  would  move  on  again.  They  wanted  every  damned  one  sent  home  in  a 
box. 

By  Mr.  Means  : 

Q.  You  looked  upon  that  as  the  disposition  manifested  towards  the  Phil- 
adelphia soldiers? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots  July,  18TT.  973 

A.  Yes;  indeed,  it  was — all  Saturday  night  and  Sunday  morning  when 
I  left  town. 

Q.  Did  they  go  for  you  once  in  the  depot? 

A.  In  the  West  Pennsylvania  depot  they  did,  or  I  thought  they  did, 
and  I  got  out.     I  knew  what  they  were  from  the  night  previous. 

Q.  For  your  own  safety,  you  thought  it  better  to  get  away  ? 

A.  Yes. 

George  Francis  Leland,  sworn  with  the  uplifted  hand: 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  AViiere  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  1622  Chestnut  street. 

Q.  You  were  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  in  July  last  ? 

A.  I  was  adjutant  of  the  Third  regiment  of  infantry. 

Q.  Colonel  fc-nowden's  regiment? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  you  with  him  at  Twenty-eighth  street  when  the  firing  occurred  ? 

A.  I  was.     Just  below  Twenty-eighth  street. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  orders  given  to  fire  ? 

A.  I  didn't.  I  heard  Colonel  Snowden  distinctly  say  that  no  one  was 
to  fire  until  they  received  orders,  and  they  received  no  orders  from  him  to 
fire. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  round-house  during  that  night? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  State  what  the  conduct  of  the  troops  was  during  the  night,  as  to  dis- 
cipline ? 

A.  It  was  very  good,  I  think  as  far  as  I  am  a  judge. 

Q.  Was  there  any  insubordination  ? 

A.  No ;  none  whatever. 

Q.  What  was  the  condition  of  the  round-house  when  you  left  in  the 

A.  It  was  on  fire,  I  should  judge  from  the  amount  of  sparks  and  smoke 
and  flame  about  us.  Some  of  the  troops  attempted  to  put  the  flames  out, 
but  did  not  succeed. 

Q.  Was  it  safe  to  remain  in  the  I'ound-house  any  longer  ? 

A.  It  was  not. 

Q.  How  did  the  troops  inarch  out — in  good  order  ? 

A.  In  excellent  order. 

Q.  Where  were  you  in  the  line  of  march  ? 

A.  With  the  right  of  our  detachment  part  of  the  time,  and  part  of  the 
time  in  the  rear.     We  only  had  about  forty-three  men  in  our  regiment. 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  along  the  line  in  the  street  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Where  did  it  come  from  ? 

A.  I  should  iudo-e  from  citizens  of  Pittsburgh. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  firing  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  person  when  they  fired  ? 

A.  Yes;  one  or  two  I  could  pick  out  if  I  should  see  them  again. 

Q.  What  class  of  citizens  were  they  ? 

A.  The  ordinary  class  of  citizens — mechanics  and  workingmen  ;  and  I 
saw  some  policemen  fire,  too. 

Q.  Where  were  they  ? 

A.  At  a  station-house,  evidently,  from  the  number  of  men  grouped  around 
it. 


morning 


9T4  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

Q.  A  police  station-house  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  many  of  them  ? 

A..  Twenty-five  or  thirty  of  them. 

Q.  Did  they  fire  as  you  passed  them  ? 

Q.  They  fired  after  we  passed.  I  should  judge  the  firing  they  did  was 
intended  for  General  Loud's  command.     They  were  in  our  rear. 

Q.  They  fired  on  the  rear  of  the  line  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  see  them  when  they  fired  ? 

A.  Yes ;  I  think  I  did.  I  looked  back — I  was  attracted  by  the  noise — 
and  I  turned  my  head,  and  I  distinctly  heard  not  only  the  noise,  but  saw 
the  smoke  and  the  raising  of  their  arms  among  this  crowd  of  men  that  I 
took  to  be  policemen. 

Q.  Were  they  in  uniform  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  or  in  dark  looking  hats  and  blue  sack-coats,  I  think.  I  am  not 
familiar  with  the  uniform  of  the  police  of  that  city. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  pistols  in  their  hands? 

A.  Yes ;  as  I  passed  I  saw  one  with  a  pistol  by  his  side.     One  of  them 
stood  by  the  curbstone,  as  if  he  was  reviewing  us. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  they  have  their  maces  ? 

A.  I  think  not,  but  I  am  not  positive  about  that.  I  didn't  notice  any 
belts. 

Q.  Did  you  see  a  uniform  on  any  one  policeman — a  full  uniform  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  what  it  is ;  but  the  uniform  that  most  of  them  had  on 
was  the  same  uniform  1  noticed  on  the  police  officers  after  we  returned  to 
the  city. 

Q.  When  did  you  return  to  the  city  ? 

A.  I  think  on  the  28th  of  July. 

Q.  And  the  uniform  was  the  same  that  you  saw  those  men  wearing  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  of  the  policemen  on  your  return  to  the  city,  who 
were  in  that  crowd  ? 

A.  I  couldn't  distinguish  any  of  them.  We  were  marching  rather  rapidly, 
and  I  was,  in  fact,  too  far  otf — probably  fifty  or  one  hundred  feet.  I 
couldn't  recognize  them  again. 

Q.  How  many  shots  were  fired  from  that  crowd  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  that — quite  a  number,  1  should  judge — half  a  dozen,  or 
a  dozen,  or  more. 

Q.  Did  thejr  wait  until  your  men  had  passed,  before  they  fired  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  they  fired  into  your  rear  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  effect  did  the  firing  have  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say  that  it  had  any.  I  know  none  were  killed  about  there, 
or  I  don't  think  there  were  any.  There  may  have  been  some  wounded — 
scratches. 

Q.  Was  the  firing  returned  by  your  men  ? 

A.  No  ;  it  was  not. 
By  Senator  Reyburn : 

Q.  Did  you  see  that  man  with  the  linen  duster  following  the  command, 
witli  a  musket  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  see  him  shoot  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18TT.  975 

A.  Yes  ;  I  remember  that  fellow  distinctly.  He  followed  us  quite  a  dis- 
tance. I  remember  another  fellow  particularly — a  man  with  a  crutch.  As 
we  went  along  he  stood  on  the  sidewalk,  and  I  saw  what  I  took  to  be  a 
navy  revolver  in  his  hand  as  we  passed,  and  after  we  passed  he  deliberately 
fired  and  run  down  a  side  street,  and  I  could  go  right  to  the  locality  and 
pick  that  fellow  out;  I  took  a  good  look  at  him ;  I  was  on  the  right,  near 
the  gutter,  and  close  to  him  as  we  passed  him.  They  said  afterwards  that 
this  fellow  in  the  duster  was  the  man  that  had  been  pegging  away  at  us 
all  night  with  a  rifle  that  had  a  bullet  that  exploded  when  it  struck.  He 
kept  it  up  all  night  while  we  were  in  the  round-house.  They  said  after- 
wards that  he  had  lost  a  brother,  and  he  wanted  to  be  revenged.  I  am 
not  positive,  but  I  think  he  was  killed — shot. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  firing  from  houses  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  from  second-story  windows. 

Q.  How  long  after  you  had  left  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Some  distance  down — somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  this  police 
station.  The  firing  I  saw  from  the  windows  was  on  the  left-hand  side 
going  up  this  street. 

Q.  Going  eastward  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  the  location  of  Pittsburgh. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  Towards  the  arsenal  ? 

A.  Yes;  on  the  left  hand  side  I  noticed  firing  from  the  windows,  and 
the  police  station  was  on  the  right  hand. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  say  this  man  was  killed  ? 

A.  I  heard  he  was. 

Thompson  Lennig,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  your  residence  ? 

A.  1300  Walnut  street. 

Q.  Were  you  with  General  Brinton  at  Pittsburgh,  in  July  last? 

A.  I  was  in  the  division — yes. 

Q.  What  was  your  rank  ? 

A.  I  was  a  private  at  that  time. 

Q.  In  which  regiment  ? 

A.  In  the  artillery  corps,  Washington  Grays. 

Q.  State  what  j^our  position  was  in  the  line  in  moving  out  Penn  street 
in  the  morning  ? 

A.  I  was  helping  to  drag  the  first  one  of  the  Gatling  guns. 

Q.  State  whether  there  was  any  firing  from  houses  or  from  persons 
along  the  street  ? 

A.  There  was  no  firing,  as  far  as  I  remember,  until  we  had  gone  five  or 
six  squares,  and  I  thought  when  there  was  no  firing,  that  we  were  going  to 
get  out  of  the  town  without  any  trouble  at  all.  It  was  not  until  shortly 
after  we  had  passed  the  police  station  on  our  right,  that  the  firing  began. 
From  that  time  there  was  firing  until  we  reached  the  arsenal. 

Q.  There  was  not  much  until  you  reached  the  police  station  ? 

A.  No.  There  was  considerable  firing,  which  might  amount  to  skirmish 
firing  in  real  service. 

Q.  Were  there  any  policemen  in  the  station  when  you  passed  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  dont  know  how  many.  I  saw  eight  or  ten  men  turn  up  in 
line  on  the  curb,  and  I  think  thex-e  may  have  been  from  ten  to  twenty-five 


976  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

scattered  around.     As  I  say,  I  saw  eight  or  ten  turn  up  in  line  on  the  curb 
as  we  passed. 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  by  the  police  or  the  troops  as  you  passed  ? 

A.  That  I  dont  know.  I  didn't  say  it;  but  I  should  like  to  say  this : 
that  there  was  firing,  and  as  we  passed  by  the  station,  I  noticed  one  police- 
man particularly  whose  face  was  impressed  upon  me.  And  I  saw  him  the 
following  Sunday — the  week  following — the  29th  of  July,  when  I  was 
wandering  through  the  ruins,  with  a  corporal  of  the  Washington  Grays. 
I  saw  this  same  man,  and  I  accosted  him  and  said,  that  I  had  seen  him  in 
front  of  the  police  station  last  Sunday,  and  he  said  he  had  been  there.  I 
then  said  that  I  heard  it  stated  among  our  men  that  you  fired  upon  us, 
and  he  said,  I  didn't  fire,  but  others  did,  and  he  even  went  so  far  as  to  say 
that  the  lieutenant  had  ordered  them  to  fire.  Corporal  Rider,  who  was 
with  me  at  the  time,  heard  the  whole  conversation,  and  can  corroborate 
everything  I  have  stated. 

Q.  What  is  his  name? 

A.  Penn  Rider,  one  of  the  assistant  clerks  in  common  pleas,  No.  2. 

Q.  He  stated  that  he  had  been  ordered  to  fire? 

A.  He  said  that  they  were  ordered  by  the  lieutenant  to  fire.  I  saw  this 
man's  face. 

Q.  Just  give  the  language  of  the  policeman  as  near  as  you  can  ? 

A.  I  was  walking  over  the  ruins  and  I  caught  his  face.  It  struck  me 
again,  and  I  said  to  myself,  that  is  the  man  I  saw  last  Sunday,  and  1  ac- 
costed him,  and  said,  "  You  were  standing  in  front  of  the  police  station 
last  Sunday."  He  said,  "I  was."  I  said,  "I  have  heard  from  our  men 
that  you  fired  on  us  as  we  passed,"  and  he  said,  "  I  didn't  fire,  but  others 
did,  and  the  lieutenant  ordered  us  to  do  it."  That  was  the  whole  conver- 
sation.    I  passed  along,  and  didn't  see  anything  more  of  him. 

Q.  Did  you  ask  him  who  the  lieutenant  of  the  police  was  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Have  you  ever  found  it  out  since  ? 

A.  I  have  made  no  inquiry.  After  I  came  back,  I  made  affidavit  to 
these  facts,  at  the  request  of  Colonel  Pettit,  and  I  thought  it  was  no  longer 
any  matter  of  mine.     It  was  in  their  hands. 

Q.  Did  you  see  that  policeman  any  time  after  that — have  you  seen  him 
since  ? 

A.  No ;  I  have  not  been  in  Pittsburgh  since.  I  happened  to  be  off 
duty  at  the  time. 

Q.  Do  you  think  you  would  recognize  that  policeman  ? 

A.  I  should  know  him  if  I  saw  him  five  years  hence. 

Q.  Was  he  in  uniform  when  you  met  him  or  saw  him  ? 

A.  Roth  times. 

John  W.  Ryan,  sworn: 

Ry  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  your  residence  and  what  position  you  held  in  the  National 
Guard  in  J  uly  last  ? 

A.  I  live  at  No.  102  North  Fortieth  street,  and  had  command  of  the 
independent  company  State  Fencibles,  attached  to  the  Second  brigade, 
First  division. 

Q.  You  accompanied  General  Brinton  to  Pittsburgh? 

A.   Yes. 

Q.  You  were  at  Twenty-eighth  street? 

A.   Vis. 

Q.   Where  were  you  stationed  after  you  went  to  Pittsburgh? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  181 1.  917 

A.  I  was  on  the  extreme  left  of  the  division,  the  portion  of  troops  closest 
to  Union  depot.  My  company  was  formed — the  major  portion  of  it 
facing  Union  depot,  with  their  backs  towards  Twenty-eighth  street,  and 
the  smaller  portion  of  it  was  on  front,  facing  towards  Penn  street. 

Q.  What  was  your  duty  there  ? 

A.  To  keep  the  people  out. 

Q.   A^nd  guard  the  track  ? 

A.  To  keep  the  people  out,  was  the  instruction  I  received. 

q.   Well? 

A.  We  did  so. 

Q.  Did  you  have  any  trouble  in  doing  that  ? 

A.  None  special.  After  the  firing  began,  some  people  came  down  the 
hill — came  down,  and  once  or  twice  my  men  were  on  the  point  of  firing  at 
them,  because  they  would  not  go  back  ;  but  I  held  the  men  in  as  long  as 
possible.  It  seemed  to  be  more  a  want  of  understanding  what  we  wanted 
them  to  do.     After  they  found  out  what  we  wanted  them  to  do,  they  did  it. 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  by  your  company  ? 

A.  We  didn't  fire  a  shot. 

Q.  How  many  men  had  you  in  your  company  ? 

A.  I  brought  home  seventy -four.     I  had  about  fifty  at  that  time. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  round-house  during  the  night  ? 

A.  Once  in  a  while  I  would  go  over  there.  My  position  was  not  di- 
rectl}'  in  the  round-house.  I  was  in  the  paint  shop,  I  think  it  is  called,  or 
the  machine  shop,  or  something  of  the  kind. 

Q.  Adjoining  the  round-house? 

A.  Yes;  and  out  in  the  board-yard.  They  sent  us  out  there  until  we 
got  ready  to  move  out  of  the  position. 

Q.  Was  any  attack  made  upon  3'ou  in  the  shops  during  the  night  ? 

A.  No  ;  not  directly. 

Q.  State  what  the  discipline  of  the  troops  was — taking  the  whole  com- 
mand of  General  Brinton  during  the  night? 

A.  There  was  no  complaint — it  was  as  good  as  might  be  expected. 

Q.  Was  there  any  insubordination  or  refusal  to  obey  orders  that  came 
under  your  observation  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  some. 

Q.  Relate  it  ? 

A.  When  the  companies  of  the  Sixth  regiment  were  formed  into  line,  the 
company  next  to  mine — I  sent  one  of  my  sergeants  to  find  out  the  matter, 
and  he  came  back  and  told  me  that  they  proposed  to  lay  down  their  arms 
and  go  home,  and  I  said  I  would  like  to  see  them  try  it,  and  I  intend  to 
shoot  them  if  they  attempt  to  do  it. 

Q.  Did  you  see  them  afterwards  or  talk  to  them  about  it  afterwards  ? 

A.  I  intended  to  hunt  the  officers  up;  but  while  making  up  my  mind  to 
proceed  in  the  matter,  orders  came  to  get  ready  to  move,  and  that  broke 
the  little  arrangement  up. 

Q.  Did  they  move  when  the  order  came — 'lid  they  obey  the  command  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  so  far  as  I  could  see,  they  did.  They  behaved  as  well  as  the 
rest  did. 

Q.  They  didn't  throw  down  their  arms  I 

A.  No. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 
Q.  Did  you  say  to  them  after  you  heard  it,  that  you  would  shoot  them  ? 

A.  I  told  them  I  wouldn't  let  them  out.  I  told  the  commander  that. 
My  company  was  put  on  guard  as  soon  as  we  got  into  that  portion  of  the 
grounds. 

62  Riots. 


9Y8  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  attracted  your  attention  was  something  unusual  in  that  par- 
ticular command  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  they  were  forming,  and  I  had  not  received  any  orders  to  do  so, 
and  was  anxious  to  know  what  they  were  forming  for. 

Q.  How  many  were  reported  as  going  to  throw  down  their  arms  ? 

A.  One  company. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  in  that  company  ? 

A.  Probably  thirty. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  was  the  reason  they  gave  for  doing  this,  if  they  gave  any? 

A.  They  did't  seem  to  give  any.     It  was  sort  of  dissatisfaction. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  see  the  officer  of  the  company — the  captain. 

A.  I  saw  an  officer  in  front  of  them,  and  afterwards  learned  he  was  a 
lieutenant. 

Q.  You  had  no  talk  with  him  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  What  was  the  conduct  of  the  balance  of  the  men  in  the  division,  so 
far  as  you  could  judge  ? 

A.  In  the  round-house  ? 

Q.  Yes. 

A.   First  rate. 

Q.  It  was  that  of  soldiers  ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  very  patient  ones,  under  the  circumstances,  I  thought. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  army  during  the  late  war  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  long  were  you  out  ? 

A.  Over  four  years. 

Q.  What  proportion  of  your  company  has  seen  service  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  exactly  now — we  did  represent  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
one  years  at  one  time  in  the  company. 

Q.  Of  actual  service? 

A.  Yes ;  all  the  officers  and  non-commissioned  officers,  with  one  excep- 
tion, were  veterans. 

Q.  How  many  men  were  there  in  the  company,  when  they  represented 
one  hundred  and  fifty-one  years? 

A.  Sixty-seven  men.     Late  on  Saturday  afternoon,  I  sent  to  the  brigade 
commander,  and  asked  permission  to  come  and  see  him,  and  I  waited,  and 
asked  if  I  could  not  have  permission  to  drive  the  people  away  from  the 
gate,  that  they  were  blaukguardiug  us  in  the  most  scandalous  manner. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  What  gate  ? 

A.  Leading  out  on  the  street.  Men,  women,  and  half-grown  boys.  It 
was  the  most  outrageous  language  I  ever  heard  in  my  life.  When  we  would 
go  up,  and  attempt  to  drive  them  away,  they  would  just  stand  and  spit  at 
us,  and  call  us  all  sorts  of  names.  But  my  men  stood  it,  and  walked  up  and 
down,  and  paid  no  attention  to  them.  But  they  finalty  got  brandishing 
revolvers,  and  the  excitement  had  become  intense,  when  one  of  my  corpo- 
rals says  to  me:  "  I  don't  think  we  can  stand  it  any  longer,  unless  3^011  give 
us  permission  to  kill  some  of  those  people  out  there, "  and  I  said  if  I  get 
permission,  I  will  give  it  to  you  very  quick.  So  I  asked  General  Loud,  if 
he  would  give  permission,  and  he  said  :  "  I  have  no  authority,  "  and  I  asked 
if  I  might  go  and  see  General  Brinton.  I  did  so,  and  asked  the  question, 
and  was  told  that  permission  could  not  be  given.     I  said  who  was  in  com- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  979 

mand,  and  was  told  General  Pearson.  I  said  I  know  the  gentleman,  and 
will  you  give  me  permission  to  go  and  see  him.  I  stated  the  position  to 
him,  and  stated  it  was  impossible  to  hold  out  any  longer  at  the  gate,  and 
he  said  :  "you  must  not  agitate  them.  I  don't  want  you  to  excite  them 
poor  people.  "  They  were  too  close  to  his  heart.  I  turned  away  perfectly 
disgusted. 

Q.  You  held  the  position  you  were  commanded  to  hold  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  after  that  General  Loud  thought  it  would  be  a  little  more  secure 
to  put  some  iron  in  front  of  the  gate,  which  we  did.  I  would  have  been 
glad  to  have  given  a  little  lead  instead.  They  blackguarded  us  so  that  I 
was  anxious  to  square  matters  with  them. 

Q.  You  could  have  cleared  the  tracks  at  that  time  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Did  3tou  hear  any  women  using  obscene  language  to  the  troops  ? 

A.  They  were  a  little  worse  than  the  men.  The  language  was  terrible. 
One  young  fellow  about  twenty  years  of  age  climbed  on  to  the  stone  post 
of  the  gate,  and  blackguarded  us  for  the  longest  time.  I  have  got  a  very 
large  corporal,  and  he  made  a  deliberate  set  at  that  man.  The  corporal 
said,  can't  I  put  him  off,  and  I  said,  yes,  he  said  he  makes  use  of  language 
more  than  I  ever  took  of  any  one.  I  said  knock  him  off,  if  he  don't  get 
off,  or  give  him  a  jab  with  a  bayonet ;  but  he  slipped  off. 

Q.  What  company  of  the  Sixth  regiment  was  it  that  wanted  to  lay  down 
their  arms  ? 

A.  I  cannot  say,  but  I  can  furnish  the  testimony  of  that  fact  from  the 
members  of  my  company,  who  reported  the  matter  to  me.  I  considered  it 
of  such  little  importance  at  the  time  that  I  really  didn't  pay  much  attention 
to  it. 

Q.  They  didn't  lay  down  their  arms,  and  obeyed  orders  afterwards  ? 

A.  No  ;  they  didn't  la}'  down  their  arms,  and  I  think  that,  notwithstand- 
ing their  disposition  to  do  an  unmilitary  act,  if  they  had  been  called  into 
line  and  directed'  to  do  their  duty  as  soldiers  at  that  time,  they  would  have 
done  so  cheerfulhy. 

Q.  Did  they  remain  with  your  command  during  the  rest  of  your  military 
movements  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  went  to  Scranton  with  you  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  they  observe  their  duty  as  soldiers  after  that  ? 

A.  As  far  as  I  saw,  entirely  so. 

Q.  You  say  you  didn't  ascertain  their  reasons  for  wanting  to  lay  down 
their  arms  ? 

A.  Not  especially  so.     It  was  a  sort  of  a  growl  they  got  into. 
By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Were  they  not  a  little  disgusted,  like  yourself? 

A.  I  think  they  would  have  stood  it  a  little  better  if  they  had  had  orders 
to  defend  themselves. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  : 

Q.  How  many  companies  are  there  in  this  Sixth  regiment? 

A.  I  don't  know,  but  I  think  they  are  eight — I  don't  know  exactly. 

Q.  How  many  men  about  in  the  regiment  ? 

A.  I  should  judge  they  had  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men. 

Q.  How  many  men  in  a  company  ? 

A.  About  thirty  men — twenty-five  or  thirty. 

Q.  Was  it  a  larger  company  than  the  rest  of  them  ? 


980  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  don't  believe  there  were  over  twenty  or  twenty-five  men  that  appeared 
in  line  when  ray  attention  was  called  to  them.  My  company  lay  across  the 
entrance  of  the  paint-shop  at  this  time,  and  this  company  was  on  the  right. 
1  said  to  one  of  the  sergeants  what  is  that  company  forming  for,  and  he 
said  I  don't  know,  and  I  said  go  and  see,  and  he  came  back  and  said  they 
proposed  to  quit,  and  lay  down  their  arms  and  go  home. 

Q.  You  didn't  hear  them  say  it  yourself? 

A.  No;  I  saw  the  company  in  line.  I  told  the  sergeant  to  see  what 
they  were  in  line  for,  and  he  came  back  and  reported  that  they  proposed 
to  lay  down  their  arms  and  go  home.  I  said  I  would  like  to  see  them  try 
it. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  What  time  in  the  night  was  that  ? 

A.  It  was  in  the  morning — sometime  before  we  started  away. 

Q.  After  daylight  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  As  late  as  seven  o'clock  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  you  that,  because  I  don't  remember  the  time  we  left  the 
round-house.     It  was  a  short  time  before  we  left.     I  know  that  the  orders 
we  got  to  get  ready  to  move  broke  the  little  arrangement  up  for  them. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  they  lay  down  their  arms  any  of  them  ? 

A.  No  ;  they  had  their  arms  in  their  hands.  I  didn't  think  it  amounted 
to  anything  at  all. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  is  the  name  of  the  sergeant  that  brought  you  the  information  ? 

A.  George  Simpson. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  he  is  now  ? 

A.  I  think  I  can  find  him  in  a  short  time.     I  think  he  is  about  the 
armory  of  the  State  Fencibles. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  were  with  the  balance  of  the  troops  as  they  retired  out  Penn 
street  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  firing  from  citizens  or  policemen  on  your  troops  ? 

A.  I  saw  some  firing — considerable. 

Q.  By  whom  ? 

A.  It  was  very  hard  to  tell.  I  saw  parties  firing  out  of  a  street  car.  I 
saw  a  man  fire  the  shot  that  I  thought  killed  those  two  men  in  the  Sixth 
regiment.  It  was  about  the  time  that  the  street  car  came  along.  I  heard 
General  Loud's  testimony  in  reference  to  the  car  matter,  and  I  thought  at 
the  time,  and  do  yet,  that  he  is  mistaken  about  it.  I  think  yet  it  was  a 
single  man  that  killed  those  two  men  and  a  single  bullet. 

Q.  One  shot  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  saw  him  l-aise  the  rifle  ? 

Q.  From  the  car  window? 

A.  No  ;  but  behind  a  large  iron  pipe  lying  along  the  road  where  a  stone 
wall  runs  along  on  the  right  hand  side  as  we  came  down.  I  saw  him  raise 
tbe  rifle,  and  saw  his  head  down  on  the  sight,  and  I  saw  the  flash,  and  the 
bullet  came  along  and  cut  some  little  limbs  off  a  tree  behind  us.  I  could 
almost  trace  its  flight  until  it  struck  these  men,  and  the  two  of  them  fell 
almost  at  the  same  instant ;  and  I  thought  before,  and  do  yet,  that  that 
was  the  man  who  killed  those  two  men. 

Q.  Was  it  near  the  car  ? 

A.  The  car  was  down  in  the  hollow,  and  this  was  when  we  were  going 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18T7.  981 

up  the  hill,  before  we  got  to  the  arsenal.  I  called  up  two  or  three  of  my 
men  and  said,  shoot  that  fellow,  and  we  tried  to,  but  we  didn't  succeed, 
and  I  am  sorry  we  didn't.  Just  then  things  got  mixed  up  a  little,  and  we 
were  ordered  to  the  rear,  and  we  stayed  there  as  long  as  there  was  any  firing 
going  on,  when  they  took  us  up  and  puts  us  on  the  right  until  we  found  a 
camping  ground. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  policemen  on  your  march  ? 

A.  Yes ;  quite  a  squad  in  front  of  a  fire  engine  house  or  a  police  station 
house.  It  had  the  appearance  of  either  of  those  two  places.  They  were 
strung  along  the  curb-stone  as  we  went  along.  Some  of  boys  were  halloo- 
ing "  pass  in  review,"  "  guide  right,"  as  soldiers  will  sometimes,  even 
under  the  most  trying  circumstances.  I  noticed  half  a  dozen  or  probably 
ten  people  there  that  I  supposed  to  be  policemen,  with  a  good  many  citi- 
zens mixed  in  behind.     It  looked  like  a  sort  of  rendezvous  for  the  mob. 

Q.  Did  the  policemen  make  any  remarks  as  you  passed? 

A.  I  didn't  hear  any.  There  was  some  firing  out  of  the  crowd  after  we 
got  by  a  little  piece.  Some  few  shots  were  fired,  and  I  told  the  boys  to 
turn  around  and  give  it  to  them  ;  but  as  we  turned  around,  they  went  into 
the  house. 

Q.  Could  )*ou  tell  who  fired  ? 

A.  I  could  not  tell.  There  were  some  citizens  mixed  up  with  them.  I 
saw  smoke,  and  knew  the  shots  came  from  the  crowd,  but  whether  it  was 
policemen  or  citizens  I  cannot  say. 

Q.  How  far  away  were  you  ? 

A.  Sixty  or  seventy-five  yards. 

Q.  Were  any  threats  made  by  those  policemen  to  arrest  any  of  those 
citizens  or  the  crowd  who  were  following  you  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  Could  they  have  prevented  them  from  following  you — the  policemen 
that  you  saw  ? 

A.  If  they  had  had  the  disposition. 

Q.  If  they  had  made  the  effort  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  the  impression  may  have  been  a  false  one,  but  our  impression 
was  that  they  were  about  as  bitter  enemies  as  we  had  there. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  You  mean  the  policemen  ? 

A.  Yes. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  How  did  you  get  that  idea? 

A.  From  the  manner  in  which  they  acted.  We  regarded  them  as  bad 
as  anybody  we  had  met  there,  and  so  far  as  my  boys  were  concerned  we 
had  made  up  our  minds  to  give  it  to  them  when  we  got  a  chance.  We 
thought  it  was  their  duty  to  protect  the  peace,  and  not  assist  in  breaking 
it  up,  and  we  preferred  them  to  citizens.  That  is  what  I  mean.  We 
meant  to  give  it  to  them,  if  we  got  a  chance. 
By  Mr.  Means : 

Q.  Did  you  have  an  opportunity  to  mingle  in  with  the  crowd  ? 

A.  Not  a  great  many.  I  served  with  the  Pittsburghers  for  three  years, 
and  I  met  a  few  of  them  out  there. 

Q.  You  knew  some  of  the  Pittsburghers  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  I  have  served  with  them. 

Q.  In  what  regiment  were  you  ? 

A.  The  Sixty-first  Pennsylvania,  commanded  by  Oliver  H.  Ripley,  of 
Pittsburgh. 

Q.  You  met  some  of  them  there  while  on  this  trip  ? 


982  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  whether  you  were  led  to  believe  that  the  people  of  Pittsburgh 
sympathyzed  with  the  rioters  ? 

A.  There  is  no  doubt  about  it. 

Q.  That  they  sympathyzed  with  the  rioters  ? 

A.  Entirely  so. 

Q.  And  were  hostile  towards  the  Philadelphia  soldiers  ? 

A.  It  was  very  difficult  to  tell  whether  they  despised  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  Company  or  the  Philadelphia  troops  most ;  but  they  certainly 
hated  both  of  them.     They  were  very  angry  at  our  coming  out  there. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  spoke  of  citizens  of  Pittsburgh.  Was  it  not  the  crowd  that 
surrounded  you  there,  or  in  the  mob  that  you  heard  these  conversations 
that  led  you  to  think  that  the  people  were  in  sympathy  with  the  rioters  ? 

A.  No.  Not  to  that  extent.  Some  of  my  old  regiment,  the  Sixty-first 
Pennsylvania,  came  to  see  me  the  following  Sunday,  after  we  went  back, 
and  took  occasion  to  say  that  it  was  a  great  mistake,  that  they  were  sorry 
to  see  me  where  I  was,  and  that  they  didn't  want  to  see  any  of  the  Sixty- 
first  coming  out  there.  And  they  were  very  bitter. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Of  what  class  of  men  were  they — what  positions  did  they  hold  in  life  ? 

A.  They  were  working  men,  I  should  judge — men  employed  in  the  mills, 
probably,  that  work  hard  for  a  living,  but  yet,  miglit  be  good  citizens. 

Q.  You  heard  them  talk  so  ? 

A.  They  said  they  were  sorry  to  see  me  there. 
By  Senator  Yutzy  ? 

Q.  Did  you  have  charge  of  the  prisoners  captured  at  Johnstown? 

A.  General  Brinton  captured  three  men  on  the  railroad  track,  and  they 
were  taken  back,  and  I  think,  handed  over  to  the  charge  of  the  Washington 
Grays. 

Q.  Did  you  take  any  of  those  prisoners  to  Pittsburgh,  and  hand  them 
over  to  the  civil  authorities. 

A.  Yes.  And  we  were  most  grossly  insulted  by  a  policeman  in  the  sta- 
tion-house at  the  time.     He  was  an  officer. 

Q.  What  was  the  nature  of  that  insult? 

A.  He  could  have  easily  passed  my  company.  We  were  in  line,  and  he 
insist3d  on  pushing  me  out  of  his  road  into  the  ranks.  And  I  asked  him 
if  he  couldn't  go  by  without  breaking  the  company  up,  and  he  turned 
around  and  made  use  of  a  very  impertinent  answer.  He  was  a  great  big 
fellow. 

Q.  Did  you  learn  his  name  ? 

A.  No. 

Q.  O  r  rank  ? 

A.  He  was  an  officer,  I  know.  He  broke  the  left  of  my  company  up. 
He  was  a  man  that  weighed  two  hundred  and  sixty,  and  was  six  feet  two 
or  three  inches  high.  He  was  a  very  fine  large  man,  but  a  very  great 
blackguard,  none  the  less.  There  seemed  to  be  some  spite  against  the 
soldiers  out  there  on  the  part  of  everybody. 

Silas  W.  Pettit,  sworn  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 
Q.  State  your  rank  in  the  militia,  in  July  last? 

A.  I  was  judge  advocate  of  the  First  division,  with  the  rank  of  major, 
in  July  last,  when  the  division  went  out,  on  General  Brinton's  statf. 
Q.  Go  on  and  state  the  circumstances,  omitting  the  details? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  9S3 

A.  I  was  called  out  about  eight  or  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  to- 
gether with  the  other  staff  officers  went  around  to  notify  the  different 
commands,  and  about  two  and  a  half  o'clock  or  two  o'clock  we  lefl  the 
Pennsylvania  railroad  depot,  about  six  hundred  strong,  and  got  to  Pitts- 
burgh about  two  and  a  half  o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon.  When  we  got 
there,  General  Brinton  reported  to  General  Latta.  We  went  upstairs  into 
a  room  in  the  hotel.  General  Latta  was  there,  and  General  Pearson,  and 
Mr.  Quay,  and  some  others.  We  then  marched  out.  In  the  meantime,  the 
men  were  getting  fed.  We  marched  out  toward  Twenty-eighth  street, 
along  the  track.  They  had  horses  for  the  Gatling  guns,  but  no  proper 
harness  or  arrangements  for  them,  and  the  guns  had  to  be  hauled  by  hand. 
When  we  got  near  Twenty-eighth  street,  General  Pearson  ordered  Gen- 
eral Brinton  to  detach  a  part  of  his  command  to  keep  the  track  clear  in 
the  rear,  and  as  a  result  of  that,  the  Second  brigade  was  left,  General 
Pearson  superintending  that  part  of  the  command,  to  keep  those  tracks  in 
the  rear  clear,  and  the  rest  of  the  command — the  First  brigade — consist- 
ing of  the  First  regiment,  and  the  Third  regiment,  and  the  Weccacoe  Le- 
gion, and  the  Washington  Graj^s,  and  battery  went  on  towards  Twenty- 
eighth  street.  When  we  got  there,  or  close  to  it,  the  crowd  was  very 
thick  on  the  track  and  on  the  hills,  and  in  the  empty  and  loaded  cars  on 
our  left.  The  command  was  formed  then  into  two  ranks,  the  rear  raids 
clearing  one  side  and  the  front  rank  the  other;  but  the  crowd  commenced 
to  press  in  between  the  ranks,  and  the  Weccacoe  Legion  and  Washington 
Grays  were  thrown  across  the  front.  Then  we  attempted  to  push  the 
crowd  back,  and  just  as  we  got  to  Twenty -eighth  street  the  fuss  com- 
menced. The  sheriff  and  a  posse  were  in  front  of  us,  and  the}'  attempted 
to  arrest  somebody,  as  far  as  I  could  make  out,  and  clear  the  tracks  them- 
selves, but  they  failed.  The  firing  took  place  immediately  upon  the  order 
to  charge  bayonets,  given  to  the  Washington  Grays  and  Weccacoe  Le- 
gion. Some  men  were  hurt  with  the  bayonets. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Firing  from  the  troops  or  the  mob  ? 

A.  From  the  crowd.  The  firing  from  the  troops  immediately  followed. 
The  air  seemed  to  be  full  of  stones,  and  a  great  many  pistol  shots  were 
fired  from  underneath  the  cars,  and  from  over  fences  near  the  round-house. 
We  got  in  on  both  sides  of  us — on  both  flanks  and  in  front — then  the  troops 
fired.  I  may  be  mistaken,  but  I  thought  I  heard  an  order  when  the  filing 
took  place. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Whence  did  the  order  come  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  that  very  well.  I  was  between  the  two  ranks— a  few 
feet  from  the  head  of  the  column.  It  was  a  short  column,  not  many  men 
in  it — not  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  all  told,  while  the  crowd  must  have 
been  ten  or  fifteen  thousand,  and  it  looked  pretty  short  in  consequence.  I 
heard  the  firing,  and  the  men  towards  the  fences  and  cars  returned  the  fire, 
and  it  cleared  them,  and  then  they  fired  up  the  hill.  The  men  facing  the 
hill  fired  that  wa}?,  and  the  men  in  front  fired,  and  the  crowd  commenced 
to  run.  The  order  was  given  then  to  cease  firing,  and  I  endeavored  to  see 
it  enforced,  and  to  stop  the  firing  as  soon  as  the  order  was  given.  It  was 
all  over  in  a  few  moments. 

Q.  Who  gave  the  order  first  to  cease  firing  ? 

A.  I  heard  General  Brinton  give  that  order  when  the  crowd  was  run- 
ning.    Of  course,  it  was  my  duty  to  see  that  it  was  done. 

Q.  When  they  commenced  firing  how  far  were  you  from  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  I  cannot  tell  exactly.     General  Brinton  had  gone  front.     I  thought 


984  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

he  was  with  General  Pearson,  and  I  was  standing  where  he  left  me.     He 
didn't  ask  me  to  follow  him,  and  I  stopped  there.     He  went  up  towards 
the  sheriff's  posse.     They  were  apparently  in  among  the  crowd  right  where 
that  little  watch-tower  was  or  is. 
By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  You  say  you  heard  an  order  ? 

A.  To  cease  firing.     I  thought  I  heard  an  order  to  fii'e  before  that. 

Q.  Before  there  was  any  firing  by  the  troops  ? 

A.  I  thought  I  heard  an  order  to  fire — commence  firing. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Did  you  see  who  it  was  that  fired  first  ? 

A.  It  was  over  on  the  right  of  the  First  regiment — these  two  companies 
that  were  crossed  from  the  front — it  was  right  there  it  commenced.  It 
could  not  have  been  delayed,  however. 

Q.  You  stood  between  the  ranks  ? 

A.  The  ranks  were  open,  and  all  the  officers  were  between  them.  The 
men  had  been  faced  outwards  Jo  drive  the  crowd  away.  It  was  the  only 
formation  that  could  have  been  made  at  the  time. 

Q.  Were  }'OU  in  the  round-house  during  the  night? 

A.  After  this  firing  the  tracks  were  cleared,  and  the  First  brigade  was 
turned  across  Twenty-eighth  street.  The  crowd  were  all  off  the  tracks, 
and  nobody  was  allowed  to  cross  them  except  those  carrying  dead  and 
wounded.  In  one  or  two  instances  women  came  up  or  men  who  wanted  to 
go  up  the  hill  to  their  residences ;  but  the  main  tracks  were  as  clear  as 
Arch  street  is  now.  General  Brinton  reported  the  tracks  were  clear,  and 
that  he  was  ready  to  protect  the  trains ;  but  we  didn't  get  any,  and  we 
waited  there  for  a  considerable  time.  General  Brinton  went  to  the  round- 
house with  Colonel  Wilson,  and  I  remained  out  where  I  was,  he  not  asking 
me  to  accompany  him,  and  after  awhile  we  received  an  order  to  go  into 
the  round-house.  We  took  in  the  command  and  the  guns  that  were  com- 
manded by  Captain  Breck,  and  then  brought  in  the  Second  brigade,  which 
had  been  back  there  all  this  time,  and  the  men  were  posted  in  the  round- 
house and  the  machine-shop,  or  paint-shop,  and  lumber-yard.  I  accom- 
panied General  Brinton  up  stairs  into  the  office,  where  General  Pearson 
was.  The  crowd  commenced  to  come  around  the  buildings  with  jeers  and 
whoops,  and  were  firing  shots.  General  Brinton  desired  permission  to 
drive  them  away,  which  was  refused.  Shortly  after  that,  two  of  our  sen- 
tries were  wounded.  General  Brinton  reported  that  fact,  and  desired  per- 
mission to  protect  himself  and  drive  the  mob  awa}r,  which  was  again  refused 
him.  Several  of  General  Pearson's  staff,  whose  names  I  don't  know,  and 
several  railroad  men,  and  Mr.  Pitcairn,  I  think,  and  Mr.  Cassatt,  and  I 
think  that  Mr.  Watt  was  there,  but  I  am  not  certain  about  him.  Before 
they  left  it  was  fully  dark,  somewhere  between  eight  and  ten  o'clock.  Gen- 
eral Pearson  left,  and  told  General  Brinton  that  he  was  going  to  the  depot 
to  report  to  General  Latta,  and  get  orders  and  get  provisions  for  the  com- 
mand, and  that  he  would  be  back. 

Q.  What  orders  did  he  give  General  Brinton  about  matters  while  he 
was  absent  ? 

Q.  He  told  him,  if  necessary,  that  he  must  use  his  own  discretion  until 
his  return,  but  gave  him  to  understand  that  he  would  be  back  in  some  little 
time — a  few  hours.  Then  we  stayed  there  during  the  night.  There  was  a 
good  deal  of  firing.  It  sounded  like  an  extra  Fourth  of  July.  The  men 
who  were  on  duty  as  sentinels  and  guarding  parts  of  the  building  were 
alert;  and  the  rest  of  the  men  were  resting  themselves. 

Q.  Just  state  what  the  conduct  of  the  troops  was  during  the  night? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18*7*7.  985 

A.  They  were  in  good  condition — in  good  spirits,  and  subordinate — 
they  were  in  first-rate  condition,  except  that  they  were  hungry.  I  didn't 
see  this  trouble  with  the  Sixth  regiment,  although  I  heard  of  it.  But  the 
Sixth  regiment  marched  out  in  as  good  shape  as  any  other.  They  are  a 
regiment  scattered  all  over  the  city,  pretty  much.  They  have  no  regimental 
armory,  and  have  labored  under  a  great  many  difficulties,  and  have  not  got 
that  regimental  organization  and  esprit  de  corps  which  they  would  have 
if  they  had  proper  facilities.  They  are  poor  men — workingmen,  and  scat- 
tered almost  over  the  city,  and  it  is  a  wonder  to  me  that  they  ever  kept 
together  at  all.  When  we  were  going  to  march  out,  it  was  necessary  to 
clear  that  part  of  the  street,  and  they  cleared  it.  They  opened  fire  out  of 
some  of  the  windows. 

Q.  Which  regiment  ? 

A.  The  left  of  the  Sixth  regiment.  Captain  Ryan's  men  were  guarding 
at  the  board -yard. 

Q.  Was  there  any  firing  going  out  Penn  street  ? 

A.  Yes;  the  command  passed  out — I  don't  know  what  direction  it  is — 
the  west  end  of  the  machine  shop  in  good  order.  I  had  cause  to  know 
that,  because  I  went  back  while  they  wei-e  marching  out,  to  see  whether 
Captain  Breck  had  spiked  his  guns.  They  were  too  heavy  for  us  to  take 
with  us,  and  we  had  no  ropes  to  haul  them  by.  I  saw  the  whole  column. 
We  were  marching  in  column  of  fours.  We  had  received  orders  during 
the  night  to  go,  and  at  the  time  we  left  the  round-house  was  on  fire,  and 
it  was  a  physical  impossibility  for  men  to  stay  there. 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  policemen  at  the  station,  as  you  passed  out  Penn 
street  ? 

A.  I  saw  a  number  of  policemen  at  the  place  which  I  took  to  be  a  sta- 
tion-house. It  may  not  have  been.  In  talking  about  it  afterwards,  we 
always  spoke  of  it  as  a  station-house.  As  I  remember,  it  had  a  lamp  or 
bracket  in  front  of  it.  It  may  have  been  an  engine-house,  or  some  sort  of 
a  public  hall.  A  crowd  was  there  of  fifteen  or  twenty  men,  dressed  in 
police  uniform.  Of  course,  I  don't  know  that  they  were  policemen.  I 
did  not  see  them  fire. 

Q.  Whereabouts  were  you  in  the  column  ? 

A.  I  was  at  the  rear  part  of  the  time — most  of  the  time — but  went  for- 
ward to  report  to  General  Brinton  what  was  the  state  of  affairs  there. 
Then  I  would  come  back  and  see  what  was  going  on  along  the  column. 
The  First  regiment  was  front,  and  the  Third  regiment  in  the  rear  of  them, 
and  the  battery,  and  the  Weccacoe  Legion,  and  the  Washington  Grays,  and 
I  think  Captain  Ryan  at  that  time  was  in  the  center,  and  then  the  Sixth 
regiment  in  the  rear. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  any  firing  from  near  the  station-house  as  you  passed  ? 

A.  It  was  pretty  near  all  the  time,  and  I  didn't  notice  it  specially.  It 
was  a  subject  of  conversation  afterward  among  ourselves,  that  that  firing 
had  taken  place  among  the  policemen. 

Q.  Were  you  present  when  General  Brinton  met  Major  Buffington  at 
the  arsenal  ? 

A.  I  was  at  the  rear  at  that  time. 

Q.  And  you  didn't  hear  what  took  place  ? 

A.  I  did  not.  I  went  to  the  arsenal — I  went  up  to  the  front  of  the 
column,  and  was  told  that  General  Brinton  was  in  the  arsenal,  and  I  jumped 
over  the  fence — I  was  refused  admission  at  the  gate — and  I  went  in  there, 
but  I  met  a  lot  of  wounded  men  and  I  told  them  where  to  go,  and  I  thought, 
perhaps,  I  had  better  go  back.     So  I  went  back  to  the  rear. 

Q.  Where  did  you  tell  them  to  go  ? 


986  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

A.  I  told  them  to  go  up  towards  the  buildings,  and  get  attended  to. 
They  allowed  the  wounded  to  go  in.  They  took  in  Lieutenant  Ash  and 
all  the  wounded. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  regular  army  during  the  late  war  ? 

A.  I  was  in  the  Fifteenth  Infantry. 

Q.  For  how  long? 

A.  I  was  in  there  about  a  year.  I  was  only  a  boy,  and  my  health  gave 
out. 

Q.  What  is  your  profession  now  ? 

A.  I  am  an  attorney-at-law. 
By  Senator  Yutzy: 

Q.  Was  Captain  Breck  in  the  round-house  during  the  night  you  were 
there  ? 

A.  Yos. 

Q.  Did  he  remain  there  until  you  left  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  he  remained  there,  and  seemed  to  desire  to  do  his  duty,  as  did 
his  command.     He  only  had  a  squad,  however. 

Q.  Where  did  he  go  with  his  command  after  you  left  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Nowhere ;  his  men  scattered  in  the  city.  We  could  not  take  his 
guns,  and  I  suppose  he  didn't  think  he  was  obliged  to  go  with  us. 

Q.  Do  you  know  how  many  men  he  had  ? 

A.  About  a  dozen  or  fifteen  at  the  outside.  Then  there  was  a  Captain 
Murphy  who  offered  to  show  us  the  way  to  the  arsenal.  I  only  saw  one 
man  with  him  in  uniform.  He  did  his  duty  as  well  as  he  could,  and  pilot- 
ted  us  out  there.  We  were  strangers  in  the  city,  and  didn't  know  where 
to  go,  except  that  we  had  orders  to  go  out  Penn  avenue,  and  did  not  know 
where  it  was.  At  Sharpsburg  we  met  Major  Norris,  and  went  on  towards 
the  poor-house. 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  }Tou  present  when  Major  Norris  met  General  Brinton? 

A.  I  was  present  when  he  got  out  of  his  carriage. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  him  give  any  orders  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  was  with  the  guns  we  were  pulling  up.  He  spoke  to  me,  and 
then  went  towards  General  Brinton,  and  I  didn't  see  him  afterwards.  He 
didn't  tell  me  anything  particular,  and  I  never  heard  of  any  orders  given 
by  him,  until  about  three  weeks  afterwards. 

Walter  G.  Wilson,  re-called  : 

By  the  witness :  I  simply  want  to  make  a  little  correction  in  my  testi- 
mony, in  regard  to  the  arsenal.  I  stated  I  was  not  aware  of  any  sentinel 
or  sergeant  accompanying  us.  My  impression  was  it  was  Captain  Mur- 
phy, of  the  Jefferson  Cavalry,  but  I  have  since  been  informed  it  was  a  ser- 
geant of  the  guard.     I  simply  want  to  haAre  that  matter  corrected. 

E.  DeC.  Loud,  re-called  : 

By  the  witness  :  A  statement  has  been  made  here,  in  regard  to  the  Sixth 
regiment,  which  I  wish  to  correct.  It  was  one  of  my  brigade.  They  had 
about  one  hundred  and  ninety  to  two  hundred  men  that  night.  That  com- 
pany that  Captain  Ryan  testified  in  regard  to  had  somewhere  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  twenty  men. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  The  company  that  wanted  to  lay  down  their  arms  ? 

A.  Yes;  1  went  in  to  see  about  the  matter,  and  I  could  find  nothing  of 
it.  The  thing  had  been  all  quieted  over,  and  when  the  troops  were  ordered 
out,  they  obeyed  as  promptly  as  any  other  troops. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  987 

Q.  Who  was  the  captain  of  that  command  ? 

A.  There  was  no  captain,  but  a  lieutenant? 

Q.  What  was  his  name  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  now.  I  thought  it  was  nothing  but  a  company 
growl.  This  company  was  peculiarly  situated.  It  had  a  position  where 
they  could  see  nothing  of  what  was  going  on.  I  heard  from  my  adjutant 
general  that  something  was  going  on — some  disturbance — and  I  went  to 
see  about  it ;  but  the  whole  thing  was  quieted  over.  The  men  said  they 
understood  that  all  were  going  out,  and  they  thought  they  might  as  well 
go  out  as  anybody  else,  as  they  had  not  any  chance  to  get  anj-thing  to 
eat.  They  couldn't  defend  themselves,  and  they  got  tired,  and  they  had 
nothing  to  eat.  I  didn't  attach  any  importance  to  it,  because  when  I  took 
them  out  on  the  street  they  stood  up  to  their  work  as  well  as  the  rest  of 
them. 

At  this  point,  the  committee  adjourned  to  three  o'clock,  p.  m. 


SAME  DAY. 


Monday,  March  25, 1878. 


Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  committee  re-assembled  at  three  o'clock, 
P.  M.,  this  day,  in  the  St.  Cloud  hotel,  and  continued  the  taking  of  testi- 
mony. 

Alexander  Gilchrist,  sworn  by  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey  : 

Q.  Where  do  you  reside  ? 

A.  At  No.  1806,  Webster  street. 

Q.  Were  you  with  General  Brinton  at  Pittsburgh,  in  July  last? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  In  what  capacity  ? 

A.  Division  orderly. 

Q.  Were  you  stationed  on  Saturday  afternoon,  when  the  firing  oc- 
curred, at  Twenty-eighth  street. 

A.  At  the  telegraph  office? 

Q.  Who  placed  you  there? 

A.  I  was  placed  there  by  order  of  General  Brinton,  who  told  me  to  place 
his  division  flag  out  there.  I  did  so.  The  troops  were  marched  towards 
Twenty-eighth  street.  He  told  me  if  any  dispatches  came,  to  bring  them 
down  to  him.  I  put  the  division  flag  out  there,  and  kept  it  out  until  five 
and  a  half  o'clock.  Then  I  kunderstood  from  Maior  Baugh  that  the  mob 
was  trying  to  pull  the  flag  down,  and  he  told  me  to  take  it  down,  and  put 
it  in  the  Union  depot.  I  did  so.  He  then  told  me  to  get  some  men  of 
the  Black  Hussars,  and  keep  guard  over  some  ammunition  there.  We  did 
so,  until  two  o'clock  Sunday  morning. 

Q.  How  many  of  the  Black  Hussars  were  with  you  ? 

A.  Four  or  five  were  there.  We  kept  guard  there  until  very  near  day- 
break. At  that  time  the  men  said  the}r  were  going  to  get  something  to 
eat,  and  I  said  I  would  remain  until  they  came  back.  But  no  one  came 
back.  I  then  went  to  major  Baugh,  and  said  nobody  was  on  guard  but  my- 
self over  the  ammunition,  and  he  said  they  had  shifted  for  themselves,  and 


988  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

I  thought  I  had  better  do  so.  I  addressed  hira  as  major,  and  he  said  don't 
address  me  as  major.  He  wanted  me  to  drop  that.  I  remained  until  the 
people  came  out  of  church,  and  I  said  I  was  not  going  to  stay  there  any- 
longer  by  myself.  I  said  I  was  going  to  try  to  find  out  where  the  division 
was,  and  I  asked  a  police  officer  where  the  mayor's  office  was.  He  said 
down  the  street.  I  said  what  street.  I  didn't  know  the  streets.  He  said, 
oh,  you  are  one  of  those  Philadelphians.  I  said  yes.  One  of  those  damned 
Philadelphians.  He  said,  down  the  street,  and  any  person  can  tell  you 
where  it  is.  1  went  down  to  a  stone  building,  and  asked  a  citizen  if  that 
was  the  mayor's  office,  and  he  said  it  was.  I  went  inside,  and  asked  some- 
body if  he  could  tell  where  the  mayor  was,  and  he  said  yes,  in  the  back 
room.  I  went  in  and  asked  a  man  if  he  was  the  mayor.  He  said  he  was. 
I  asked  if  he  could  tell  me  where  the  Philadelphia  division  was.  He  said, 
do  you  mean  General  Pearson's  division,  I  said  no;  General  Brinton's  di- 
vision. He  said,  I  don't  know  anything  about  that  damned  division.  They 
ought  to  be  all  burned  or  killed,  or  something  of  that  kind. 

Q.  You  were  certain  it  was  Mayor  McCarthy  ? 

A.  He  was  pointed  out  to  me  by  an  officer. 

Q.  Did  you  ask  him  ? 

A.  I  asked  if  he  was  the  mayor  of  the  city,  and  he  said  he  was. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  What  did  he  say? 

A.  I  asked  him  if  he  could  tell  me  where  the  Philadelphia  division  was, 
and  he  said  he  didn't  know  anything  about  the  division — that  they  ought 
to  be  all  killed  or  in  hell,  and  I  thanked  him  and  came  away,  and  went 
down  to  Union  depot  again.  That  was  just  before  they  set  fire  to  it.  I 
stood  there  a  few  minutes.  At  that  time  the  fire  was  caught  to  the  tele- 
graph office,  adjoining  the  sheds.  I  thought  probably  I  could  get  in  and 
get  the  division  flag,  but  the  flames  got  in  that  far.  I  went  in,  and  counted 
four  officers  and  a  sergeant  of  police.  I  went  to  go  up  stairs,  and  the  ser- 
geant asked  where  I  was  going.  I  said  I  wanted  to  get  the  division  flag. 
He  said  you  just  get  out  of  here,  or  I  will  break  my  club  over  your 
damned  neck.  I  tried  two  or  three  times,  and  every  time  I  was  told  I 
couldn't  go  up. 

Q.  Where  was  this  ammunition  stoi'ed  that  you  guarded  during  Satur- 
day night  ? 

A.  It  was  in  the  cellar,  at  the  Union  depot. 

Q.  You  remained  there  until  two  o'clock  Sunday,  guarding  it? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  When  you  left,  was  there  anybody  guarding  it? 

A.  No.    Nobody  was  there  at  all.     Every  person  had  cleared  out. 

Q.  Did  Captain  Breck  come  there  at  any  time  during  Sunday,  to  move 
the  ammunition  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  saw. 

Q.  Was  any  attempt  made  to  move  the  ammunition  while  you  were 
there  ? 

A.  No;  the  ammunition  was  all  burned  up.  On  Saturday  night,  I  was 
standing  at  the  gate  there,  as  you  go  into  Union  depot ;  two  citizens  were 
standing  there  talking,  and  they  said  it  would  be  the  roughest  day's  work 
for  the  Philadelphia  militia  coming  there ;  that  not  a  damned  one  would 
go  back  alive. 

Q.  How  were  they  dressed  ? 

A.  They  looked  to  me  to  be  like  business  men. 

Q.  From  their  dress,  you  would  think  they  were  ? 

A.  Yes. 


A.  No ;  that  is  all  I  heard.     I  was  standing  right  behind  them  at  the 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1811.  989 

Q.  Did  they  say  anything  else  ? 

A. 
time. 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  Whereabouts  was  the  division  headquarters  ? 

A.  At  the  telegraph  office. 

Q.  At  Union  depot  ? 

A.  No  ;  a  little  office  at  the  far  end  of  the  sheds,  towards  Twenty-eighth 
street.     General  Latta  was  sending  telegraphs  from  there. 

Q.  Was  it  at  the  end  of  the  sheds  connected  with  Union  depot,  or  down 
in  the  yard  further  ? 

A.  Say  there  is  Union  depot,  then  there  is  a  line  of  sheds  running  down 
towards  Twenty-eight  street,  and  there  is  a  little  off  sort  of  place  there, 
and  a  telegraph  office  on  the  first  floor. 

Q.  Some  distance  from  Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  how  far  Twenty-eighth  street  is. 

Q.  Was  it  attached  to  the  sheds  ? 

A.  I  would  not  say  that  for  certain,  but  I  think  it  was. 

Wilson  Norris,  sworn  by  the  uplifted  hand  : 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  State  your  residence,  and  what  official  capacity  you  were  acting  in, 
in  July  last  ? 

A.  I  live  here  in  Philadelphia.  In  July  last,  I  was  going  from  Beaver 
to  Pittsburgh,  when  the  riots  broke  out.  General  Latta  requested  me  to 
accompany  him.  At  that  time  I  was  going  west  to  visit  Colonel  Quay. 
I  did  accompany  him  to  Pittsburgh,  and  during  the  night  the  riot  broke 
out.  The  general  then  requested  me  to  stay.  I  was  there  during  the 
whole  period  of  the  riot,  and  subsequently.  It  would  be  a  long  story,  to 
go  on  and  tell  all  I  saw,  but  I  will  be  glad  to  answer  any  questions. 

Q.  Did  you  convey  any  orders,  or  visit  General  Brinton  at  any  time  to 
convey  any  orders  to  him  from  General  Latta? 

A.  In  this  way.  In  the  morning  when  we  heard  that  General  Brinton 
had  escaped  from  the  round-house,  Captain  Aull  was  there,  and  an  order 
was  given  to  him  to  convey  to  General  Brinton.  No  other  officers  were 
around,  and  I  volunteered  to  go  and  find  General  Brinton,  if  I  could.  I 
knew  very  well  that  General  Brinton,  perhaps,  would  not  respect  my  order 
if  I  did  convey  it,  and  therefore  it  was  mentioned  in  the  order  to  Captain 
Aull,  that  he  should  consult  with  me  about  the  situation.  I  started  with 
Colonel  Stewart  in  a  carriage,  and  reached  General  Brinton  beyond  Sharps- 
burg,  just  on  the  hill.  I  explained  the  purport  of  the  order  sent  by  Cap- 
tain Aull,  and  by  the  way,  the  order  was  but  a  sequence  of  other  orders 
he  had  received  during  the  night.  He  told  me  he  had  not  taken  the  di- 
rection he  was  ordered  to  go,  because  he  wanted  to  escape  to  the  hills  and 
entrench,  where  he  could  protect  himself  from  the  mob.  I  suggested  to 
him  to  return  to  the  town  of  Sharpsburg,  but  he  said  there  was  a  worse 
feeling,  or  as  bad  a  feeling  manifested  there  as  in  Pittsburgh,  and  that  di- 
rectly he  would  have  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  people  of  the  county 
about  him.  We  had  some  conversation  why  he  didn't  take  the  route  to 
the  east,  and  he  said  he  had  been  followed  by  a  large  crowd  of  men.  I 
knew  nothing  about  that,  because  I  saw  no  armed  men  on  the  way  to  him. 
General  Brinton  certainly  understood  the  purport  of  the  order  given  to 
Captain  Aull,  because  his  conversation  evidenced  that — there  is  no  ques- 
tion about  that.  As  to  the  propriety  of  his  going  the  way  he  did,  going 
on  his  own  discretion,  I  have  nothing  to  say  about  that.     But  he  certainly 


990  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

knew  what  the  purport  of  the  order  was,  which  was  that  he  was  to  make  a 
junction  with  Colonel  Guthrie,  and  the  other  troops  at  East  Liberty. 

Q.  Were  you  present  when  the  order  was  given  to  Captain  Aull  by  Gen- 
eral Latta  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  any  direction  given  to  him  as  to  what  route  he  should  take  to 
reach  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  any  further,  than  by  the  most  immediate  route.  I 
passed  Captain  Aull  myself  on  the  way  ;  as  he  had  a  buggy,  I  presumed 
he  would  reach  there  before  we  did. 

Q.  How  were  you  traveling  ? 

A.  In  a  cab.  I  then  overtook  General  Brinton,  and  told  him  if  he  would 
come  back  to  Sharpsburg,  that  we  might  possibly  get  provisions  and  am- 
munition to  him.  That  was  his  great  complaint.  I  suggested  that  cars 
were  running  to  and  fro — and  while  I  was  there  a  Pullman  train  was  just 
passing.  He  didn't  even  stop  to  consult  with  me  or  stop  his  command 
until  it  was  stopped  by  the  surgeon's  request — stopped  to  take  a  ball  out. 
I  walked  at  least  a  mile  with  General  Brinton,  leaving  the  carriage  behind. 
I  know  it  must  have  been  that  far,  fro  in  the  distance  I  had  to  walk  back. 
I  wanted  him  to  go  back,  but  he  said  he  would  wait  half  a  mile  beyond — 
on  the  hill  beyond,  but  I  ascertained  afterward  he  didn't  stop  there.  I 
immediately  went  back. 

Q.  From  what  point  did  you  start  when  you  started  to  reach  General 
Brinton  ? 

A.  From  Union  depot ;  and  I  came  back  to  Union  depot. 

Q.  What  time  of  the  day  was  it? 

A.  1  won't  be  positive  about  that.  I  cannot  say  what  time.  I  will  not 
be  positive — probably  about  eight  or  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning.  It  was 
shortly  after  their  exit  from  the  round-house.  It  was  not  a  very  great 
length  of  time  afterwards. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  learn  of  their  exit  from  the  round-house? 

A.  I  presume  it  was  about  half  an  hour  before  I  started — possibly  it 
might  have  been  three  quarters. 

Q.  How  did  the  news  reach  you? 

A.  It  came  from  Captain  Breck.  He  came  down  the  track  with  some 
eight  or  nine  men — no,  I  think  the  first  information  we  got  was  from  Cap- 
tain Aull.  He  said  he  had  seen  the  command  start  down  the  street,  and 
we  discredited  it,  and  went  down  to  make  some  inquiries,  and  discovered 
Captain  Breck,  and  he  said  it  was  so.  Then  the  suggestion  was  made 
that  the  command  be  reached  by  somebody,  and  then  Captain  Aull  and 
myself  were  sent. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Did  you  see  any  messages  or  dispatches  while  in  the  round-house 
from  General  Brinton  to  General  Latta  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  many.  ♦ 

A.  I  should  think  three  or  four,  carried  by  the  messenger  that  was 
passing  to  and  fro. 

Q.  Can  you  give  the  purport  of  those  messages  ? 

A.  Well  they  were  chiefly  calling  for  provisions  and  for  ammunition, 
and  explaining  the  situation. 

Q.  Did  he  ask  for  any  assistance? 

A.  I  believe  he  did.  I  didn't  see  what  assistance  could  have  been  fur- 
nished him  just  then,  further  than  to  supply  him  with  ammunition  and 
provisions,  and  every  effort  was  made  to  do  that. 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18Y1.  991 

Q.  Did  he  ask  about  the  regular  troops — whether  they  were  on  the  way  ? 

A.  I  really  don't  recollect.  He  possibly  may  have  done  so — I  cannot 
say  at  this  time.  I  think  there  was  some  information  given  about  the 
coming  of  Colonel  Rodgers  and  other  troops  from  the  east  and  General 
Huidekoper's  command  from  the  north.  I  think  there  may  have  been 
some  inquiries  about  that.     I  think  possibly  there  were. 

Q.  Did  you  infer  from  any  of  those  messages  received  from  Genei'al 
Brinton  that  his  men  were  in  a  demoralized  condition  or  inefficient? 

A.  From  one  portion  of  them.     There  was  a  dispatch  that  convej'ed 
that  information  in  unmistakable  terms.    I  remember  that  distinctly,  for  I 
remember  the  regiment  he  named. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  What  regiment  did  he  name  ? 

A.  I  would  rather  not  say  that,  unless  you  insist. 

Q.  Was  it  the  Sixth  regiment  ? 

A.  Yes.  I  think  myself  from  the  temper  of  the  people  about  there,  that 
General  Brinton  would  have  been  ordered  to  take  the  street,  had  it  not  been 
for  that  dispatch.  So  far  as  I  was  personally  concerned,  I  thought  it  was 
a  piece  of  folly  to  remain  there.  I  was  satisfied,  at  any  time,  if  a  proper 
movement  had  been  made  that  he  could  have  gotten  out.  I  saw  the  mob 
probably  better  than  they  did  themselves — I  saw  a  great  deal  of  it — in  the 
night  and  in  the  morning.  It  was  very  much  worse  in  the  morning  than 
in  the  night,  because  it  was  a  flame  with  rum,  and  utterly  irresponsible  at 
that  time.  I  think  it  just  simply  exhausted  itself. 
By  Mr.  Larrabee : 

Q.  Was  any  one  present  when  you  communicated  the  substance  of  this 
order  to  General  Brinton  ? 

A.  There  may  have  been  several  officers  around.     I  think  there  were. 

Q.  Do  you  remember  who  ? 

A.  I  don't,  because  I  walked  along  half  a  mile,  or  a  mile,  possibly — 
half  a  mile  at  least.  I  suppose  that  some  of  General  Brinton's  staff  officers 
were  around.  The  conversation  was  just  in  the  way  I  tell  you.  I  gave 
him  no  direct  order,  because  I  doubted  whether  I  had  the  authority,  and 
he  intimated  he  would  not  take  such  information,  anyhow.  He  said  if  he 
got  a  direct  order  he  might  move  back.  I  didn't  pretend  to  convey  any 
positive  order  to  him. 

Q.  You  say  you  found  the  command  at  Sharpsburg  or  Claremont? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  far  is  it  from  Sharpsburg  to  Claremont? 

A.  I  really  cannot  tell  you. 

Q.  How  far  did  he  march  after  you  met  him  ? 

A.  I  heard  some  seven  or  eight  miles.  I  don't  know  anything  about 
that ;  but,  when  I  asked  where  they  found  him,  they  told  me  some  seven 
or  eight  miles  from  where  1  met  him. 

Q.  Do  you  know  where  he  encamped  that  night  ? 

A.  I  do  not.     I  was  in  Pittsburgh. 
By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  you  with  General  Latta  during  Sunday  evening  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  And  remained  with  him  until  Monday  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  any  officer  or  any  person  reach  General  Latta  from  General  Brin- 
ton asking  for  orders,  on  Sunday  evening? 

A.  I  saw  one  or  two  of  his  officers,  but  I  have  no  recollection  whether 
they  were  after  orders  or  not. 


992  Report  of  Committee.  "No.  29, 

Q.  Where  did  you  see  them  ? 
A.  At  the  hotel. 
Q.  The  Union  Depot  ? 

A.  No  ;  the  Monongahela  house.  When  I  came  back  from  General  Brin- 
ton,  the  Union  Depot  hotel  had  been  abandoned. 

Q.  What  time  did  these  officers  come  to  the  Monongahela  house? 
A.  In  the  evening,  about  seven  o'clock — possibly  later. 
Q.  Did  they  return  to  General  Brinton  that  night? 
A.  That  I  cannot  say. 

Thompson  Lennig,  re-called  : 

By  Senator  Reyburn  : 

Q.  You  were  a  private  in  the  artillery  corps,  Washington  Grays? 

A.  Yes ;  I  served  as  such  on  that  occasion. 

Q.  Were  you  in  the  company  detailed  to  clear  away  the  crowd  at 
Twenty-eighth  street  ? 

A.  Yes;  after  the  First  regiment  had  been  divided,  the  rear  rank  re- 
mained on  the  left  hand,  side  of  the  railroad,  and  the  front  rank  was 
marched  across  the  railroad,  extending  west  from  Twenty-eighth  street, 
and  the  Washington  Grays,  to  which  I  was  attached  at  the  time,  were  tak- 
ing charge  of  the  Gatlings.  We  were  ordered  to  come  front,  march 
through  the  two  ranks,  and  take  charge  of  the  crossing.  We  onl}-  had 
nine  men  and  one  officer.  We  had  received  short  notice  to  leave,  and  that 
is  all  the  men  we  had.  We  were  ordered  to  push  the  crowd  back  with 
arms  aport.  It  had  no  effect.  They  outnumbered  us  six  or  eight  to  one. 
Then  the  Weccacoe  Legion  was  ordered  up,  a  company  with  from  twenty  to 
twenty-five  men  at  the  outside.  The  Grays  were  divided,  five  men  to  one 
side,  and  four  men  on  the  other.  We  were  then  ordered  to  push  the 
crowd  back  again.  Being  a  little  heavier,  we  succeeded  in  pushing  them 
back ;  but  they  began  to  grab  our  pieces,  and  I  saw  one  of  the  Grays  who 
had  his  piece  almost  taken  out  of  his  hand.  The  crowd  then  began  to 
draw  their  pistols.  We  had  received  no  orders  to  fire  whatever.  This 
man  simply  retained  his  piece  by  using  his  bayonet,  and  my  impression  is 
he  run  the  man  through.  His  piece  was  rusty  the  next  day.  At  that  time 
the  pistol  firing  began  at  Twenty-eighth  street.  The  mob  were  all  j^elling 
and  hooting.  I  then  heard  a  rifle  shot  on  our  right ;  that  is  to  say,  the 
rear  rank  of  the  First  regiment,  which  had  been  marched  toward  the  hill. 
At  the  most,  in  thirty  seconds  not  a  man  in  our  command  would  have  had 
his  piece,  they  outnumbered  us  so.  Other  shots  followed,  and  I  think 
that  the  general  impression  was  that  the  command  had  been  given.  Every 
man  felt  that  it  was  necessary  it  should  come.  The  shots  followed  each 
other,  and  I  think  the  whole  command  fired  spontaneously.  I  heard  no 
command  to  fire,  and  I  don't  think  any  other  man  in  the  command  did. 

Q.  Could  you  have  heard  a  command  ? 

A.  No;  the  only  command  I  heard  was  from  Colonel  Benson,  as  the 
First  regiment  was  coming  up,  and  from  the  evolution  which  followed,  it 
must  have  been  '*  four  paces  left."  Colonel  Benson  has  a  powerful  voice. 
I  only  j  udged  what  it  was  from  the  evolution  that  followed.  All  the  rioters 
were  yelling  and  screaming  at  the  same  time,  and  it  was  utterly  impossible 
to  hear  any  command. 

Q.  How  man}'  pistol  shots  were  fired  before  this  shot  ? 

A.  It  would  be  impossible  to  say. 

Q.  Generally  speaking  ? 

A.  I  think  there  had  been  firing,  perhaps,  two  or  three  minutes.  There 
were  a  number  of  cars  standing  there,  and  a  number  of  rioters  were  under- 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  18T7.  993 

neath  the  cars,  and  the  shots  came  out  from  underneath,  and  many  of  our 
men,  I  have  heard,  were  wounded  in  the  legs.  I  saw  myself  men  draw- 
ing pistols  in  front  of  ns,  and  heard  them  all  calling  us  opprobrious  names, 
and  saying  that  no  one  would  get  home.  They  evidently  thought  we  never 
would  fire  at  all.  As  soon  as  the  firing  did  take  place,  they  scattered  com- 
pletely, and  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  it  struck  me  that  the  riot  was 
quelled.  If  there  had  been  a  little  more  determination  after  that,  I  think 
there  would  have  been  no  further  trouble. 

Q.  You  were  in  the  round-house  ? 

A.  Until  nine  o'clock,  then  the  Washington  Grays  were  ordered  out  with 
one  of  the  guns  or  Gatlings,  facing  on  Liberty  street,  on  the  opposite  side  from 
Captain  Ryan's  command,  and  we  were  there  all  night. 

Q.  What  was  the  conduct  of  the  soldiers  during  the  night? 

A.  I  saw  nothing  that  was  not  thoroughly  soldierly.  This  Sixth  regi- 
ment, of  which  they  speak,  was  in  the  paint-shop,  and  we  could  not  see 
them  where  they  were.  I  heard  no  complaints  for  want  of  food,  yet,  of 
course,  we  didn't  have  food.  We  had  an  ample  supply  of  water  in  the 
round-house.     I  heard  no  complaints  for  want  of  food. 

Robert  M.  Brinton,  re-called  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Were  there  any  of  your  division  that  failed  to  report  to  you  at  Pitts- 
burgh, after  being  ordered  out,  and  if  so,  why? 

A.  There  were  quite  a  number — probably  one  half  of  the  division.  More 
than  one  half.  They  failed  to  report  at  Pittsburgh  on  account  of  the  short- 
ness of  the  notice  they  received  in  Philadelphia.  They  subsequently  fol- 
lowed, however,  and  a  number  of  them  reached,  I  believe,  Walls  station — 
some  three  hundred  and  fifty,  under  Colonel  Rodgers.  Colonel  Lyle,  with 
probably  as  many  men,  reported  at  Altoona,  where  he  was  stopped.  He 
reported  there  and  did  duty  with  General  Beaver.  I  believe  the  only  reason 
they  failed  to  report  was  because  of  the  impossibility  of  receiving  timely 
notice.  Wherever  men  failed  to  report,  when  we  returned,  the  brigade 
commanders  made  strict  investigation  into  the  cases,  and  all  those  men 
were  called  before  a  regimental  court  of  inquiry. 

Q.  Some  evidence  has  been  given  before  the  committee  of  a  detachment 
who,  in  coming  back,  stopped  across  the  river  from  Harrisburg,  and  were 
escorted  over  the  river  by  some  parties  in  Harrisburg.  Was  that  part  of 
your  division  ? 

A.  I  have  heard  that  an  officer  and  some  twenty  or  thirty  men  were, 
when  we  were  returning,  escorted  over  the  river,  and  their  arms  taken 
away  from  them.  I  have  had  that  officer  placed  under  arrest,  and  a  court- 
martial  ordered,  and  the  trial  was  in  progress  when,  unfortunately,  the 
president  of  the  court  tendered  his  resignation,  and  his  resignation  was  ac- 
cepted and  forwarded  to  him,  and  the  court  was  dissolved.  Since  then 
another  court  has  been  appointed,  and  that  court  is  now  sitting  in  the  in- 
vestigation of  the  conduct  of  that  officer.  For  the  last  six  months  we  have 
had  courts-martial  going  on  in  the  division,  and  in  the  case  of  one  officer 
tried,  I  think  the  testimony  amounted  to  twenty-seven  pages,  closely 
written  matter.  The  finding  was  cowardice  and  absence  without  leave, 
and  the  court  said  under  extenuating;  circumstances.  I  reviewed  the  tes- 
timony  carefully,  and  from  the  testimony  couldn't  see  how  cowardice  could 
be  substantiated — how  that  verdict  was  proper.  In  regard  to  being  absent 
without  leave,  I  thought  that  the  testimony  was  not  sufficient  to  exonerate 
the  officer,  although  he  was  ill  at  the  time,  as  he  could  have  communicated 
with  the  commanding  officer  to  know  where  he  was.  In  every  instance 
63  Riots. 


994  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

where  we  could  detect  any  omission  of  duty,  we  examined  into  it  care- 
fully. 

Q.  Did  you  ascertain  who  the  privates  were  with  that  crowd  ? 
A.  Yes ;  and  those  men  will  be  tried. 
Q.  They  have  not  been  tried  yet  ? 

A.  Not  to  my  knowledge.  I  don't  officially  know  anything  about  the 
inquiry  until  it  comes  from  brigade  head-quarters  ;  but  I  know  that  pro- 
ceedings have  been  instituted  against  every  man  we  could  find  that  de- 
serted his  command  or  who  didn't  go  out.  The  pay  of  this  officer  who 
was  on  trial  has  been  stopped.  He  has  not  been  paid,  and  it  is  hanging 
in  that  way  until  the  case  is  decided. 

Q.  The  case  you  speak  of  now,  as  reviewing,  is  the  one  alluded  to  by 
one  of  the  witnesses — Colonel  Benson? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  that  detachment  afterwards  report  for  duty? 
A.  I  think  it  did.     I  think  it  afterwards  joined  us  when  the  Governor 
came  and  opened  communication  with  us  at  Blairsville. 

Q.  State  what  time  Colonel  Norris  reached  you  on  Sunday  ? 
A.  We  had  crossed  the  bridge  near  Sharpsburg,  and  had  gone  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  town,  and  were  halted  on  the  side  of  a  stream  when  I 
first  saw  Colonel  Norris.  •  He  stopped  his  barouche  below  and  came  up  and 
stood  along  side  of  me.  Colonel  Wilson  and  General  Loud  were  with  me 
at  the  time.  I  am  not  mistaken  on  the  subject.  He  gave  me  no  orders 
whatevei*.  I  have  tried  to  tax  my  memory,  because  it  was  what  I  wanted 
all  the  time.  I  thought  it  was  a  singular  thing,  because  after  our  column 
had  marched  from  the  round-house,  where  it  was  impossible  to  get  orders, 
I  thought  possibly  I  might  get  an  officer  to  guide  our  column,  and  when  I 
saw  Colonel  Norris,  I  was  glad  to  see  him,  expecting  orders. 
Q.  What  did  he  state  his  mission  was  ? 

A.  His  mission  was  to  find  out  where  we  were,  and  to  attempt  to  ration 
us.  That  seemed  to  be  his  particular  mission.  So  far  as  giving  me  any 
orders  or  consulting  me  in  regard  to  them,  I  positively  deny  it. 

Q.  Did  he  state  to  you  that  Captain  Aull  had  received  an  order  from 
General  Latta,  to  communicate  to  you  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  that  he  did  that.  I  didn't  know  Captain  Aull  at 
the  time.  He  was  not  on  the  Governor's  staff.  I  had  been  on  the  Gov- 
ernor's staff  myself,  and  I  knew  no  such  officer  on  the  staff. 

Q.  Did  Captain  Norris  claim  to  be  acting  on  the  staff  of  General  Latta, 
or  on  that  of  the  Governor  in  any  way  ?  Was  he  a  staff  officer  ? 
A.  At  that  time,  no. 
Q.  Did  he  represent  himself  to  be  ? 
A.  No,  sir ;   he  didn't. 

Q.  Or  that  he  was  authorized  by  the  Adjutant  General  to  convey  orders  ? 
A.  Our  conversation — I  remember  the  first  thing  he  said,  was  when  we 
got  up,  "  Bob,  my  God  I  am  glad  to  see  you;"  that  was  the  first  expres- 
sion he  used.  He  asked  where  I  was  going  to,  and  I  said  I  was  going  to 
get  something  to  eat,  and  that  I  had  moved  up  the  hill  because  I  didn't 
want  to  remain  in  Sharpsburg,  where  some  of  the  Fourteenth  regiment 
had  been  shot,  and  where  I  thought  there  might  be  further  difficulty,  it 
being  Sunday,  and  the  men  all  idle.  He  walked  along  with  us,  and  halted 
with  us.  We  were  halted  when  he  joined  us.  We  halted  there  for  some 
little  time.  I  remember  going  down  and  getting  a  drink  out  of  a  brook, 
and  quite  a  number  of  men  did  so  also.  He  walked  with  us  for  probably 
quarter  of  a  mile.  I  said  to  him,  for  Heaven's  sake  Norris,  try  to  get 
us  some  rations  and  some  ammunition.     Major  Baugh  joined  us,  and  I 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  995 

sent  him  back  immediately.  I  asked  him  whether  he  had  any  orders,  and 
then  I  told  him  he  would  be  obliged  to  go  right  back  to  Pittsburgh  and 
get  them.  Major  Baugh  went  back  and  got  the  orders  he  showed  here 
to-day. 

Q.  Does  anything  else  occur  to  you  ? 

A.  Only  this ;  those  officers  who  were  with  me,  they  may  remember 
what  Colonel  Norris  said ;  they  may  have  refreshed  their  memories.  I 
should  like  you  to  re-call  those  officers  who  were  with  me  at  the  time. 

Q.  Captain  Aull  didn't  reach  you  that  day  ? 

A.  I  don't  remember  to  have  seen  Captain  Aull  that  day.  He  didn't 
reach  me  at  all.  The  orders  I  received,  said  to  be  handed  to  him  for  me, 
were  given  me  one  week  afterwards,  by  Colonel  Guthrie.  If  I  had  received 
those  orders,  I  should  have  obeyed  them  implicitly. 

E.  DeC.  Loud,  re-called  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Wei'e  you  with  General  Brinton  when  Colonel  Norris  reached  him  on 
Sunday? 

A.  I  was. 

Q.  State  what  Colonel  Norris  said  ? 

A.  When  Colonel  Norris  came  up  he  jumped  out  of  his  barouche,  and 
said  what  General  Brinton  has  testified  to — my  God,  Bob,  I  am  glad  to 
see  you  ;  where  are  you  going — and  he  came  up  and  shook  hands  with  him. 
He  said  he  was  glad  to  know  that  we  got  out,  and  said  it  was  a  pretty  good 
thing  to  get  out  all  right.  General  Brinton  asked  about  rations.  We  were 
more  interested  in  that  than  aii3rthing  else.  We  sat  down  on  a  rock  along 
by  a  little  run,  and  talked  there  awhile. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  him  say  anything  about  Captain  Aull  having  received 
any  order  from  General  Latta  ? 

A.  I  don't  know  him. 

Q.  Did  you  hear  him  call  his  name  ? 

A.  I  don't  think  I  did.  I  think  if  there  had  been  anything  of  the  kind 
I  should  have  noticed  it,  because  I  was  with  General  Brinton,  and  my  re- 
lations with  General  Brinton,  after  we  got  into  the  round-house,  were  closer 
than  any  other  officer,  except  the  Adjutant  General.  I  was  with  him — I 
was  with  him  when  the  scout  came  in  and  went  out,  and  was  walking  with 
him  all  the  way  out.  I  was  with  him  from  the  time  my  brigade  took  the 
right  of  the  line,  until  Doctor  Maris  came  along,  and  he  got  into  the  car- 
riage with  Doctor  Maris.  I  was  not  away  from  him  five  minutes  during 
all  the  time. 

Walter  G.  Wilson,  re-called  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey: 

Q.  Were  you  with  General  Brinton  when  Colonel  Norris  reached  him  ? 

A.  I  was  standing  right  alongside  of  him. 

Q.  State  what  Colonel  Norris  said  ? 

A.  The  first  remark  that  Colonel  Norris  made  was,  my  God,  Bob,  I 
am  glad  to  see  you  alive,  and  he  went  on  to  ask  some  men  as  to  what 
had  taken  place  during  the  night,  and  said,  where  are  you  going  ?  The 
general  said,  I  am  going  to  get  something  to  eat.  He  said,  I  have  been 
promised  rations  on  this  side  of  the  river.  He  said,  why  don't  3Tou  stay 
down  in  Sharpsburg  ?  When  he  said,  I  am  informed  that  there  is  a  worse 
feeling  in  Sharpsburg  than  in  any  other  part  of  this  neighborhood,  and  I 
deem  it  best,  if  that  is  the  case,  to  take  possession  of  the  hill  above,  only 
a  short  distance,  probably  a  quarter  of  a  mile.     He  said,  I  had  been  of- 


996  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

ferecl  provisions  for  my  men  if  I  came  over  here,  and  I  have  done  so. 
These  men  are  hungry  and  tired,  and  worn  out,  and  they  really  need  food. 
They  went  on  and  had  some  further  conversation  in  relation  to  what  had 
taken  place  during  the  night.  The  general  asked  about  some  matters  in 
relation  to  the  movements  of  the  troops,  I  believe.  He  had  received  a 
dispatch  from  General  Latta  during  the  night,  announcing  that  a  certain 
division  had  been  ordered  there.  Colonel  Norris  then  wanted  to  know 
whether  he  should  stay,  and  the  general  said  no ;  that  he  would  rather  he 
should  go  back  and  get  some  order's,  and,  if  possible,  make  an  effort  to 
get  provisions  and  ammunition. 

Q.  Did  he  mention  Captain  Aull's  name? 

A.  He  did  not. 

Q.  Did  you  walk  along  with  him  ? 

A.  I  was  at  no  time  further  away  than  from  your  phnographer  here,  (three 
or  four  feet.)  We  got  up  from  the  brook  and  walked  up  the  road — prob- 
ably walked  a  distance  of  a  couple  of  squares  on  the  road.  Then  Colonel 
Norris  went  back,  and  said  he  would  use  his  utmost  efforts  to  communi- 
cate with  him  again,  and  furnish  him  with  ammunition  and  rations.  Cap- 
tain Aull's  name  I  never  heard  mentioned  in  any  way,  shape,  or  form  until 
the  night  of  the  31st  of  July,  when  at  the  Duquense  Club,  Colonel  Guthrie 
came  up  to  General  Brinton,  and  said  I  have  got  a  dispatch  for  you — the 
order. 

By  Senator  Yutzy : 

Q.  Were  you  within  hearing  distance  all  the  time  ? 

A.  Yes ;  at  no  time  further  away  than  from  this  gentlemen  here,  (the 
stenographer.)  I  considered  that  my  post,  and  was  alwa}rs  there  ready  for 
anything  the  general  might  want. 

H.  S.  Huidekoper,  sworn  by  the  uplifted  hand  : 

By  Mr.  Lindsey : 

Q.  Where  were  you  when  the  news  of  the  Pittsburgh  riots  reached  you? 

A.  I  was  in  Chicago. 

Q.  How  did  they  reach  you  ? 

A.  I  got  the  first  news  of  the  riot  on  Friday  evening,  I  think.  I  was 
attending  the  United  States  court  there,  and  couldn't  leave,  but  had  re- 
quested General  Latta  by  letter,  early  in  the  week,  to  notify  me  by  letter 
if  Ihe  services  of  my  division  were  needed,  and,  relying  on  that,  I  waited 
until  Saturday  morning,  when  I  saw  by  the  newspapers  that  my  division 
had  been  ordered  to  Pittsburgh.  I  took  the  eight  o'clock  train,  sending 
three  telegrams,  one  to  General  Latta,  that  I  would  be  in  Pittsburgh  on 
Sunday  night ;  one  to  my  brother  for  my  uniform,  and  one  to  the  assistant 
adjutant  general  of  the  division  to  move  the  division  to  Rochester,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  await  my  arrival.  I  found  afterwards  that  my  request  to 
General  Latta  had  escaped  his  memory,  among  the  many  things  he  had  to 
look  after. 

Q.  What  is  your  rank  in  the  National  Guard? 

A.  Major  general  of  the  Seventh  division,  commissioned  eight  years  ago. 

Q.  Where  is  your  residence? 

A.  In  Meadville,  Pennsylvania.  I  had  command  of  the  Fifteenth  and 
Seventeenth  regiments. 

Q.  Who  is  colonel  of  each  of  those  regiments  ? 

A.  The  colonel  of  the  Fifteenth  regiment  is  Colonel  Carpenter,  and  of 
the  Seventeenth  regiment  is  Colonel  Magee,  of  Oil  City,  then  lieutenant 
colonel. 

Q.  Who  was  your  assistant  adjutant  general  ? 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  997 

A.  John  M.  Clarke,  of  Meadville. 

Q.  Is  he  the  one  you  directed  to  move  the  division  to  Rochester  ? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  State  what  time  }tou  arrived  at  Rochester? 

A.  I  arrived  at  Rochester  probably  about  two  o'clock  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing. Fortunately  on  the  train  I  met  Mr.  Layng,  general  manager  of  the 
Fort  Wayne  road.  He  was  in  a  private  car  on  his  way  from  Chicago  to 
Sewickley.  About  four  or  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Mr.  Layng,  at  my 
request,  telegraphed  to  Greeneville  an  instruction  to  the  troops  there  to 
take  some  ammunition  that  I  had  put  in  Packer's  warehouse  which  had 
been  left  over  under  some  requisition  I  made  two  years  ago  in  anticipation 
of  some  trouble  in  Mercer  county,  and  bring  it  with  them  to  Rochester. 

Q.  Five  o'clock  of  what  day  ? 

A.  Saturday  afternoon.  After  that  Mr.  Layng  told  me  it  was  impossible 
to  get  telegraphic  communication  with  anybody  except  through  the  hands 
of  the  men  who  had  the  wires  in  charge,  and  who  were  rioters. 

Q.  The  strikers  ? 

A.  Yes  ;  it  was  an  exceedingly  delicate  thing  to  know  how  far  you  could 
telegraph  to  the  troops,  how  far  3-ou  could  expose  your  weakness  or  want 
of  ammunition,  or  how  far  to  send  your  orders,  or  make  any  inquiries  con- 
cerning numbers  or  dispositions. 

Q.  You  arrived  at  Rochester  at  what  time  ? 

A.  Two  o'clock  Sunday  morning. 

Q.  What  were  your  movements  from  that  time  ? 

A.  I  kept  on  the  Fort  Wayne  train,  getting  out  of  Mr.  Layng's  car 
some  twelve  miles  from  Pittsburgh,  and  got  into  a  car  in  front  of  the 
sleeping-car,  and  ran  into  Pittsburgh.  The  train  was  stopped  at  the  outer 
depot  and  was  examined  there,  and  I  could  see  the  strikers  moving  along 
the  cars,  and  there  was  quite  a  large  crowd  outside.  The  next  time  the 
train  stopped,  I  jumped  off — it  was  about  a  minute  afterwards — and  went 
across  the  Federal  street  bridge,  and  took  a  back  street  to  the  Mononga- 
hela  house,  and  went  in  there  to  leave  a  hand-book,  and  stepped  down 
towards  the  round-house.  There  I  met  General  Brown,  and  called  twice 
for  a  dispatch,  but  he  didn't  answer  at  once,  until  he  saw  who  I  was.  I 
was  in  citizen's  clothes.  I  then  went  in  a  carriage  down  to  General  Lat- 
ta's  head-quarters,  in  the  Union  Depot  hotel.  The  room  he  occupied  was 
on  the  side  of  the  depot  towards  the  street,  and  I  very  much  questioned 
the  safety  of  his  position  or  of  his  staying  there,  as  it  was  liable  at  any 
moment  to  be  entered.  Colonel  Norris  and  Colonel  Farr  and  Colonels 
Russell,  Quay,  and  Stewart  were  all  present  in  that  room.  Colonel  Norris 
took  me  immediately  to  the  end  of  the  building,  and  looked  out  to  where 
we  could  see  the  round-house  burning.  We  could  see  distinctly  the  flames 
around  it,  and  in  a  very  little  while  a  bright  blaze  came  up,  as  if  some 
cars  were  suddenly  struck  by  the  fire,  and  there  was  a  good  deal  of  noise 
and  firing.  He  said  the  Philadelphia  troops  were  in  there,  and  asked  if  I 
couldn't  get  down  to  relieve  them.  I  then  went  back  and  asked  about 
ammunition,  and  was  told  it  was  in  the  cellar — about  twenty  boxes  of  it — 
and  that  Colonel  Stewart  had  engaged  wagons  to  remove  it,  and  I  went 
down  on  a  wharf  about  five  o'clock  to  engage  a  boat  to  take  the  ammuni- 
tion to  Rochester.  It  was  hard  to  find  any  person  willing  to  take  the 
ammunition  or  anything.  Most  all  were  with  the  strikers,  except  one 
boat,  and  the  captain  of  that  agreed  to  take  it.  We  went  back,  and  there 
was  considerable  delay  about  getting  the  ammunition.  I  went  once  or 
twice  to  the  ordinary  telegraph  office  to  get  word  from  the  troops,  but 
found  I  could  get  nothing,  as  the  wires  were  in  the  hands  of  the  strikers. 


998  Report  op  Committee.  [No.  29, 

I  simply  sent  a  message  again,  telling  them  to  await  at  Rochester,  and  to 
send  an  escort  of  men  down  the  road  to  receive  me. 

Q.  To  whom  did  jrou  direct  it  ? 

A.  To  Colonel  Carpenter,  at  Rochester.  I  expected  he  would  be  at 
Rochester.  He  was  the  commanding  officer  of  the  troops.  When  I  got 
to  Rochester,  I  went  up  and  found  he  had  not  arrived — that  the  division 
had  not  arrived.  I  immediately  telegraphed  for  it  to  move  immediately 
down.  I  found  it  was  at  Greenville,  and  I  gave  the  direction  again  to  the 
officer  in  charge,  not  specifying  any  person  in  particular.  In  about  an 
hour,  after  several  attempts  to  get  messages  or  several  attempts  to  get 
answers,  I  went  again  for  an  answer,  and  after  the  instrument  fluttering 
for  half  a  minute,  and  all  communication  being  suspended  for  half  an  hour, 
I  got  a  message  saying  that  the  troops  were  at  dinner,  and  would  move 
immediately  after  dinner. 

Q.  What  time  was  that  ? 

A.  Twelve  o'clock,  on  Sunday.  In  the  meantime,  I  had  communication 
with  General  Latta.  He  told  me  to  address  him  again  at  Union  Depot 
hotel,  and  in  the  next  communication  to  address  him  at  the  Monongahela 
house.  Up  to  three  o'clock  he  remained,  I  believe,  at  Union  Depot  hotel. 
All  the  communications  I  had  from  him  were  at  the  Union  Depot  hotel. 
Hearing  that  the  Philadelphia  troops  had  left  the  round-house  and  left 
the  city,  and  fearing  for  my  own  ammunition,  which  the  mob  around  me 
threatened  to  burn 

Q.  At  Rochester? 

A.  Yes ;  "but  which  I  afterwards  saved  by  going  out  and  stating  in  a 
loud  voice,  that  I  had  thrown  it  all  in  the  river  half  an  hour  ago.  I  concluded 
to  let  the  division  remain  at  Greenville,  and  ordered  it  to  remain  there. 

Q.  What  time  did  you  give  that  order  ? 

A.  Probably  about  half  past  twelve,  as  near  as  I  can  remember. 

Q.  On  Sunday? 

A.  Yes. 

Q.  To  whom  was  it  addressed  ? 

A.  I  forget  whether  it  was  addressed  to  Colonel  Carpenter  or  not.  I 
think  it  was  to  the  officer  in  command  of  the  troops  there. 

Q.  Did  it  reach  Colonel  Carpenter  ? 

A.  Yes ;  delivered  by  the  agent  there.  Then  I  telegraphed  to  General 
Latta,  that  I  was  going  to  Greenville.  At  three  o'clock  I  started  for 
Greenville,  but  didn't  reach  there  until  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning,  having 
to  go  to  Ohio.  I  went  to  the  troops,  but  I  didn't  have  any  communica- 
tions from  General  Latta,  and  fearing  that  my  ammunition  would  be  en- 
tirely destroyed  at  Rochester,  I  thought  it  best  to  try  to  form  the  divi- 
sion at  some  other  point,  and  so  I  ordered  them  home.  Then  I  started 
to  meet  the  Governor,  knowing  he  was  coming  from  Chicago,  but  not 
meeting  him,  I  returned  immediately  to  Greenville,  and  ordered  Colonel 
Carpenter  to  re-assemble  the  whole  division  at  Franklin,  and  by  Friday 
night  I  had  everybody  and  everything  in  camp,  and  in  so  fair  a  way, 
that  I  was  confident  I  could  handle  them,  and  ordered  a  movement  for 
Saturday  morning  to  Pittsburgh,  which  no  person  knew.  I  had  received  a 
communication  from  the  Governor  on  Saturday  night,  to  know  when  I 
would  move,  which  I  answered,  that  he  might  expect  me  shortly,  at  any 
time.  After  starting  at  Franklin,  on  the  way,  I  received  a  dispatch  from 
him  or  from  General  Latta,  who  I  don't  remember,  saying  he  didn't  think 
it  was  safe  for  me  to  come  to  Pittsburgh  with  the  small  amount  of  ammu- 
nition I  had.  I  answered  back,  I  was  on  the  way,  and  unless  I  received 
peremptory  orders,  I  would  be  in   Pittsburgh  that  night.     I  came  there 


Leg.  Doc]  Railroad  Riots,  July,  1877.  999 


V 


Saturday  night ;  as  soon  as  I  came,  the  Governor  came  down — it  was  rain- 
ing fearfully — and  said  he  wanted  me  to  open  the  road  on  Monday,  and 
for  me  to  select  what  troops  I  wanted  to  use,  and  that  night  or  the  next 
morning,  I  selected  Colonel  Carpenter's  regiment  for  the  work,  and  the 
Governor  sent  for  me,  and  said  he  wanted  all  the  stock  trains  moved  out 
that  day.  The  stock  trains  were  moved  out  on  Sunday,  and  the  freight 
trains  on  Monday,  without  particular  opposition. 

Q.  Will  you  give  us  the  time  when  Colonel  Carpenter's  regiment  reached    . 
Greenville  ? 

A.  All  the  regiment  didn't  reach  Greenville.  Some  of  the  companies 
kept  back  in  Meadville.  Having  only  one  train,  one  engine,  and  one  en- 
gineer under  our  control,  the  officers  decided  very  wisely,  as  I  should  have 
done,  to  remain  there  until  the  division  should  be  concentrated,  and  then 
move  down  together.  The  whole  division  was  not  concentrated  at  Green- 
ville.  There  was  a  company  from  Ridgway,  one  from  Corry,  one  company 
from  Union,  two  companies  from  Meadville,  and  there  was  one  company 
from  Clarion  county,  which  was  not  ordered  out,  because  it  was  so  far 
away  at  the  time. 

Q.  The  order  you  sent  for  Colonel  Carpenter  to  go  to  Rochester — do 
you  know  whether  he  received  that  order  or  not  ? 

A.  I  didn't  send  it  directly  to  Colonel  Carpenter,  for  at  no  time  was  I 
certain  Colonel  Carpenter  was  there  ;  but  to  the  officer  in  charge  of  the 
troops.     I  was  not  certain  my  adjutant  general  was  there. 

The  North  East  company,  and  the  Erie  company,  and  the  Conneaut- 
ville  company  were  at  Greenville  ? 

A.  If  I  remember  right,  the  North  East  company,  under  Captain  Orton  ; 
Captains  Riddle  and  Curtiss's  company,  of  Erie;  Captain  Rupert,  of  Con- 
neautville ;  Captain  Kreps,  of  Greenville;  Captain  Fruit,  of  Jefferson; 
Captain  Dight,  of  Pine  Grove ;  and  Captain  Wright,  of  Mercer — eight  or 
nine  companies. 

Q.  What  day  did  they  assemble  at  Greenville  ? 

A.  They  probably  got  there  Sunday  morning — possibly  some  of  them 
Saturday  night. 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Carpenter,  who  was  in  command  there,  receive  your 
orders  to  move  to  Rochester  ? 

A.  He  received  the  orders  to  move  to  Rochester,  because  he  replied  that 
the  men  were  at  dinner,  and  that  as  soon  as  dinner  was  over  they  would 
move. 

Q.  Did  he  receive  any  orders  from  you  before  that  ? 

A.  No  ;  I  don't  think  I  sent  him  direct  orders  before  that.  The  orders 
I  sent  before  were  from  Chicago  to  Colonel  Clarke  to  move  the  division 
to  Rochester. 

Q.  Then  it  was  three  or  four  o'clock  on  Sunday  afternoon  when  you 
sent  the  order  to  him  to  form  ? 

A.  No  ;  about  twelve  and  a  half  o'clock. 

Q.  Then  he  had  no  time  to  start? 

A.  No;  they  were  about  starting  out  the  depot  when  I  got  my  order 
not  to  start. 

Q.  Did  you  approve  of  his  course  in  remaining  at  Greenville  ? 

A.  I  did.  Captain  Riddle  wanted  to  move  down  right  away  with  all 
the  men  they  had,  but  some  of  the  rest  didn't  want  to  go,  and  Colonel 
Carpenter  said  to  me  that  he  had  got  into  somewhat  of  a  trouble  about 
moving,  and  asked  if  I  approved  of  his  action,  and  I  said  perfectly — I 
didn't  expect  the  division  to  move  until  it  was  in  shape  to  take  care  of 
itself,  and  I  entirely  approve  of  your  course.     I  went  to  Riddle,  and  called 


1000  Report  of  Committee.  [No.  29, 

him  to  one  side,  and  said  this  thing  has  gone  further  than  I  expected,  and 
I  don't  want  any  more  trouble.  I  didn't  want  the  division  to  move  down 
without  being  strong  enough,  although  we  had  men  enough  I  am  con- 
fident, if  we  had  ammunition,  to  wipe  the  whole  city  of  Pittsburgh  right 
out. 

Q.  Would  it  have  been  proper  for  him,  with  the  nine  companies  he  had, 
in  case  they  were  there  early  on  Sunday  morning,  at  Greenville — would  it 
have  been  proper  for  him,  as  a  military  officer,  to  have  gone  on  with  them 
to  Rochester  ? 

A.  No.  If  the  division  had  got  into  a  fight,  he  would  have  been  the  offi- 
cer to  handle  the  division,  if  I  was  not  present.  He  never  got  the  orders 
from  me  until  1  ordered  him  at  twelve  o'clock,  and  then  I  had  reason  to 
believe  he  was  going  to  move  immediately.  The  troops  had  been  in  Green- 
ville for  a  day,  and  they  were  scattered  around,  and  visiting  in  saloons  and 
hotels.  The  men  had  to  support  themselves  the  best  they  could,  and  they 
could  not  keep  them  together,  even  by  companies. 


Office  of  Superintendent  of  Public  Printing  and  Binding, 

Hajrrisburg,  Pa.,  November!,,  1878. 

The  copy  for  the  latter  portion  of  the  testimony  was  not  delivered  to  me  by  the  official  reporter  until 
November  2,  1878,  which  will  account  for  the  delay  in  the  printing  of  this  volume. 

J.   W.  JONES, 
Superintendent  of  Public  Printing  and  Binding. 


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